DeKalb County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers

Cold damage to ornamental plants can be a problem during the winter in the Georgia landscape. This is true whether you live in the upper elevations of the mountains or in the most southern regions of the state. Regardless of where you live, recommended practices can maximize the chances that your prized landscape plants will survive the winter.
**As noted after the hard freeze during December 2022, plant damage may not be noticed until spring green up**

Winter Protection of Ornamental Plants Cold damage to ornamental plants can be a problem during the winter in the Georgia landscape. Regardless of where you live, recommended practices can maximize the chances that your prized landscape plants will survive the winter.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/small-fruit-vegetable-production-journeyman-farmer-certificate-program-registration-769747043127?aff=oddtdtcreator

Yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutna
Keith Delaplane, William Hudson, Allison Johnson
Department of Entomology, UGA

On Tuesday, August 15, 2023, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper will announce the first detection of the yellow-legged hornet (YLH), Vespa velutna, in North America.

This factsheet will give you the basic discussion points.

1. The specimen was reported by a beekeeper August 9th from near the port of Savannah.

2. This hornet is not to be confused with the Asian (now “Northern”) giant hornet discovered in the Northwestern USA in 2020 and which has so far not been found outside that region.

3. Like all stinging wasps and bees, YLH poses a sting risk to persons and pets, especially for persons who suffer from allergic anaphylaxis. Even so, in its native China YLH was responsible for only 54 human deaths in two years. The US averages 72 deaths per year from all stinging insects. This is not a major health threat to Georgians.

4. YLH is primarily a threat to Georgia’s beekeeping industry. The hornet is a voracious predator of honey bees. Even if it fails to kill a colony, its threatening behavior at hive entrances can intimidate bees from foraging and cause the colony to decline.

5. Georgia consistently ranks within the top 20 states for honey production and the top 2-3 for production of package bees and queens.

6. The annual contribution of honey bees and other biotic pollinators to Georgia’s ag economy is over $480 million.

7. UGA scientists and GDA are consulting with colleagues in Washington state and Europe to draw on their experience and formulate a plan for eradication, surveillance, and management.

8. YLH has been present in western Europe since 2004. UGA scientists are cooperating with colleagues in Europe to fast-track a response for Georgia.

9. As information becomes available, Georgians will have the chance to report suspect specimens to websites maintained by GDA and the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at UGA Tifton Campus.

10. The accompanying graphic shows key diagnostic characters for the yellow-legged hornet and some native lookalikes.

11. Beekeeper-oriented information will be soon available at hdps://bees.caes.uga.edu.

Considering compost for your yard or garden? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Getting compost from a certified source is the ONLY way to guarantee it is free of undesirable materials or chemicals.
Starting your own compost is fairly simple.
Compost is a great way to improve the soil and add organic matter.
Composting helps keep biodegradable waste out of the landfills.
For more information on composting, check out https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C816&title=composting-and-mulching
DeKalb County Sanitation offers free compost, however(!) it is not certified so its contents cannot be guaranteed.
https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/sanitation/mulch-and-compost

Composting and Mulching This publication explains how to build, maintain a compost pile as well as how to use compost and mulch in the yard and garden.

Is one or more of your trees suddenly growing toothpicks out of the trunk? That is a sure sign of Ambrosia Beetles. Unfortunately, there isn't really a way to treat them once they've gotten into the tree. Depending on the severity of the attack, the tree may survive. If it is a heavy infestation, though, your best bet is to actually remove the tree and try and protect the surrounding trees.

Asian Ambrosia Beetle – Control | Walter Reeves: The Georgia Gardener There is no more accurate description of Asian Ambrosia Beetle damage than "Toothpicks coming out of the trunk of my tree!" This boring pest came to my attention when a big flowering cherry tree in my back yard just "up and died" one April. I found the toothpicks when I examined it. The tiny female

Freeze damage? But it's May!
There is damage across all the boxwood in the field planting; however, some plants are showing more damage than others. The amount of damage just has to do with what stage of growth was present at the time of the freeze event. Those that were growing well and flushing new growth were most damaged. Those not showing as much damage now are actually more stressed and slower growing plants. Their growth developed after the freeze event.
Freeze damaged tissues often appear light-colored and bleached; however, on other plant species, damaged tissues will be brown or black and shriveled. In some cases, cambial damage may have occurred that is preventing water and nutrient translocation in the plant. This is where you may see poor growth and branch or top dieback.
Many boxwoods are showing extensive dieback or where one to several branches are browning and dying.
Information provided by Jean Williams-Woodward, Ph.D.
Extension Plant Pathologist

After a roller coaster winter, many people have concerns about their lawn and landscape plants. Here is a great place to start learning more!

Turfgrass Spring Blog #1 - UAC/LEAF in the news - upcoming events   May 12, 2023 In this issue: Turfgrass Spring Blog LEAF Act and UAC in the news Thank you to UAC members and invitiation to join! June 9 - UAC Lunch & Learn - "Get a grip on your business" August 29

Annual Plant Swap and Share - Swap up to 10 native plants and share extras with new native gardeners. We'll swap plants, learn from information provided by partner organizations and have native plant related activities for the kids.

Hosted by Georgia Native Plant Society At Zonolite Park on April 30 from 1p-3p

Spring Native Plant Share & Swap - GNPS Save the date, Sunday April 30th, from 1 pm to 3 pm for the second annual Native Plant Share & Swap. Experts will be on hand to help select plants […]

Tucker Butterfly Garden and Trees of Tucker Volunteers with their informational table

If you start to notice damage in your garden, use this helpful guide to determine what the cause is!
If you're still stumped, or just need confirmation, give us a call or email and we'll be happy to help.

Troubleshooting Vegetable Production Problems in the Southeast This publication is designed for small market growers, homeowners, and Master Gardeners in order to be a quick reference guide for diagnosing common problems in vegetables.

Are you ready to get out and start planting your garden?!

Well, hold your horses. We're not quite done with cold weather.

Multiple nights of frost at many locations this week | Climate and Agriculture in the Southeast As expected, the trough of low pressure that has been giving the West Coast snow and frigid temperatures has shifted to the east over the last few days. This means that cold air is likely to bring frost and freezes to many locations in the Southeast over the next several