{"id":728,"date":"2026-10-15T15:48:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T19:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/gmanr\/?p=728"},"modified":"2026-10-15T15:48:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T19:48:23","slug":"10-things-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.extension.uga.edu\/gmanr\/2026\/10\/10-things-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Things You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The following is some information to answer the most common types of questions we receive at the Glynn and McIntosh Extension Offices. A lot of these concerns come from newcomers to our area! Don’t forget, Coastal Georgia is much more tropical than the rest of the state. We have intensely hot summers and mild winters. We aren’t classified as “tropical” because we aren’t in the right latitude for it, but we are Subtropical. We do still experience temperatures below 20\u00b0F on occasion that will kill tropical plants without protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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U.S. regions in the tropical-to-temperate transition, USGS 2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. If you see symptoms of disease in the leaves of your trees and shrubs, check the roots out first! <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Crown symptoms often come from a pathogen or pest affecting the roots. If you see poor growth, off-color foliage, yellowing and dropping of lower leaves, or wilting, check out the roots. If they are brown, squishy, and decaying, then you have identified the probable culprit. Pull the plant or cut some of the roots off and UGA Extension can help to identify the pathogen. There may be a cost of around $15 if your sample needs to be analyzed from the Plant Pathology Lab. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information, check out Common Landscape Diseases in Georgia, Bulletin 1238<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. You probably overwater your plants.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Images demonstrating tin can steps to measure irrigation output, University of Arizona Extension<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Overwatering = watering too often; NOT giving it too much water in one sitting. Long, deep waterings ensure the whole root system is receiving water. Frequent, quick waterings may not saturate enough of the soil for deeper roots to get any water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the majority of our landscape and house plants, the soil needs to dry out in between waterings. Check with a moisture meter or your finger tip before watering. After establishing your trees and shrubs, your main focus should be supplemental water during drought. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For lawns, we recommend 1inch of rain\/water per week. Our sandy soils here along the coast do make it difficult for the water to stay available to the plants. You may need to spread this out over 2-3 water cycles per week. To measure the amount of water your plants are receiving, try out the tin can method<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For more information, check out Shade and Street Tree Care, B1031<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The biggest contributors in pollinator decline are Habitat Loss, Climate Change, Pesticides, and Invasive Species<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We will focus on the habitat loss and pesticides as we can easily remedy these impacts in our own landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone villainizes pesticides, but if they are used according to their label it should cause minimal issues. We encourage you to develop an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPM)<\/a> to control for pests. This method also focuses on other methods of pest prevention first with pesticide use as a final step in the pest control treatment process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some other helpful tips to prevent the need to use pesticides:<\/p>\n\n\n\n