Tomatoes - Water and calcium Averil, does putting crushed eggshells into the soil help with the calcium levels? Also, is it possible to water tomatoes TOO much?  (a question from Diane Loupe following a Q&A  on blossom-end rot - July 9, Decatur Patch) Adding eggshells to soil will eventually add a little more lime, but it takes a very long time for the shells to break down to the point where calcium would be available to plants. Tomatoes should be watered regularly, especially at fruiting time. If watering is inconsistent resulting in periodic wet and dry soil, blossom end rot can occur in …

It already feels as though we’ve had a couple of months or more of August weather - and now, instead of heading into the milder days of September, we still have another full month of August! We’ve worked hard to keep our gardens looking good, and here are a few things that you can do to get your plants - and yourselves - through the heat: For you and your plants: Consider the time of day when your gardening tasks are best done. Chores that must be done in sunny areas should be done in early morning or late afternoon whenever possible - not during the midday heat! Most watering, pruning, dead …

Every year I run into lots of plant losses or lawn damage due to drought conditions. Do you have some good suggestions to reduce these losses? Yes – look at converting your landscape to a Xeriscape or a low-water-use landscape. There are seven steps included in this conversion some of which you may already be using. Steps include: planning so you use the right plants and locating them well; reducing the size of your lawn and using the right grass for your situation; building better soils that will drain well yet retain water for plant growth; mulching wherever there is bare soil to improve …

My large oak tree has lots of sprouts or suckers developing. Why is this happening and what should I do? Sometimes these new shoots develop when a tree is very stressed and its top is beginning to die back. However, if the top still looks good, with nice, dense, normal-sized leaves, maybe it’s because you removed other trees nearby? If you open up an area and thin out trees, the increase in light on tree trunks can also encourage the formation of new branches. Dependent upon your situation, consider pruning off all or some of these new shoots (often referred to as water sprouts or suckers). …

Some very interesting questions this week! I have recently cleared an area of vinca and various weed trees. How do I keep them from coming back? How do I get rid of wisteria? - Cindy Smallwood   To keep weeds from coming back requires vigilance. Pull the weeds as you see them, and especially don’t let them go to seed. Keep areas mulched and/or install other plants to shade out competition. Weed species are very competitive, so make areas less suitable for their growth. The best way to get rid of wisteria is to cut all woody vines and side shoots back to stumps and then treat the fresh cut …

A gardening problem from Hilde Friese:  I raised cucumbers from seeds. When the plants were about 12 inches tall and very healthy looking, one day, two out of three plants got “weak” spots at the soil level and fell over and withered away within hours. I could not detect a critter that might have chewed on it. I have grown cucs in large pots on my deck with great results and good harvest and never had that problem. Hilde, it is often not easy to diagnose a problem without seeing the plant - or at least some photos. This spring has been particularly hot, which has resulted in some problems …

At this time of year the Extension Master Gardener office gets a lot of questions about turf maintenance.  Here are a couple of answers: My landscape areas are full of this nasty weed people call nutsedge, especially in the lawns. Our landscape company recommended a product called Basagran. They used it on a test area but I was not very impressed. The company says it requires two applications, but they won't guarantee anything. A local nursery recommended a product called Image. What do you think? Nutgrass is one of the hardest weeds to eliminate but it can be done with persistence! Why is it…

What can you do for your garden in this searing heat? First:  Mulch!  Mulch!  Mulch!  Mulch all your plants.  It will help to conserve soil moisture, help keep plant roots cooler, help to suppress weeds (which will leave more moisture for the plants you want!).  Keep the mulch pulled slightly off plant stems and tree trunks (so as not to encourage boring/chewing pests and rot).  There are many types of mulch - 2-3 sheets of newspaper (under a thin layer of pine straw or wood chips if you prefer not to see the newspaper!); pine straw (up to 5 inches thick; wood chips (up to 3 inches thick).  …

Grow a better community through volunteering! Become a Master Gardener! Debra of Stone Mountain says she heard me speak recently, and would like to be put on my mailing list for the next Master Gardener classes. Here is some information for anyone else who might be interested: Every year DeKalb Extension trains a class of volunteers to become Georgia Extension Master Gardeners. We begin taking applications in September of the previous year. Anyone on the “interested” mailing list is invited to an information meeting, and if they are still interested, they can pick up an application at that …

Kudzu bugs (also known as bean plataspids, lablab bugs, or globular stink bugs):  I first saw these bugs last year on our pole beans at the Community Garden.  They were massed on the leaves and stems - an obvious cause for concern - and I couldn’t find them described in any of my books. Then I remembered reading about these new “kudzu bugs” and went online - and there they were! Kudzu bug adults are 4 to 6 mm long, more or less oblong though with a broad posterior, olive-green colored with brown speckles, produce a mildly offensive odor, and are related to various species of stink bugs. When …

Spring came to Atlanta very early this year! - and looking at the weather forecast, it might actually be here to stay.  Color everywhere. What a display - daffodils and dogwoods, creeping phlox and pansies, redbuds and cherry trees - all in flower at the same time! We won’t talk about the early pollen - the bane of gardeners with allergies! Now is the time to get out in the garden and prepare for summer vegetables - my special interest at this time of year.  We have some questions and answers for you, and hope that this will prompt many more.  I want to know what kinds of trees are flowering …

I have been asked to do a gardening column for Stone Mountain Patch and decided that the best way to get good information to gardeners is through DeKalb Extension, where I work.  So …….. welcome to our Garden Patch!  There are four of us in the Horticulture Department at DeKalb Extension. Gary Peiffer is our County Horticulture Coordinator, and one of our County Agents.  He has been a county agent for 30 years, is an arborist and forester, and is very knowledgeable about the gardening issues we have in DeKalb County. Lynwood Blackmon is our other Horticulture Agent, and has worked several …