{"id":527,"date":"2026-06-13T20:09:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T00:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/?p=527"},"modified":"2026-06-13T20:09:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T00:09:41","slug":"questions-of-the-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/2026\/06\/questions-of-the-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Questions of the week!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What Have You Heard About Cotton Jassid?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home okra enthusiasts need to be on the lookout for the two-spotted cotton leafhopper, also known as the cotton jassid. This insect appeared locally last year and affected cotton growers in Colquitt County. Okra is a preferred host for this pest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cotton jassid was first identified in Colquitt County on August 1, 2025, in a local home okra patch. More recently, on June 10, 2026, Dr. Phillip Roberts, UGA Cotton Entomologist, informed County Extension agents that low populations of cotton jassid were found on okra in Tifton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This small, green leafhopper has a wide host range, including cotton and a variety of vegetables. Populations can build rapidly on okra and may cause what is commonly referred to as “hopperburn.” Symptoms include yellowing, reddening, and browning of leaves, followed by wilting and curling. In okra, jassids are typically found on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces, but are most commonly located along the main veins on the underside of the leaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adult cotton jassids can be distinguished from other small green leafhoppers by the presence of distinct dark spots near the tips of their wings. The illustration below is an adult cotton jassid.  Photo courtesy of Justin Odom. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In vegetables, the greatest potential for damage has been reported in okra and eggplant. According to Dr. Stormy Sparks, UGA Vegetable Entomologist, malathion has been inconsistent in providing control of this pest. Call the office for the latest information on cotton jassid control<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do You Have Tips for Watering My Lawn?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I get a lot of questions about watering the lawn from homeowners.  Irrigation can be expensive and if not done properly can increase the chances of lawn diseases.  Home owners should consider irrigation when your lawn starts to show signs of drought stress. Apply enough water to thoroughly soak the soil to a depth of 6\u20138 inches. This typically requires about 1 inch of water, or approximately 600 gallons per 1,000 square feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the soil becomes compacted, core aeration is recommended to improve water infiltration and allow moisture to penetrate deeper into the soil profile. Research suggests that irrigating after dew development and before sunrise is the most efficient method and can help prevent disease issues. Nighttime irrigation can also reduce water loss by up to 50 percent compared to daytime applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have any questions please contact your local county Extension agent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What Have You Heard About Cotton Jassid? Home okra enthusiasts need to be on the lookout for the two-spotted cotton leafhopper, also known as the cotton jassid. This insect appeared locally last year and affected cotton growers in Colquitt County. Okra is a preferred host for this pest. The cotton jassid was first identified in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,26,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entomology","category-lawns","category-veggies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=527"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":529,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527\/revisions\/529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/colquitthomeowners\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}