Recent Posts
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Lilies have always had a prominent place in the landscapes of my life, from my grandmother’s house, to my parent’s mountain cabin, and now to my own home. There’s something about their showy flowers and smell that has made them one of my favorite flowers and landscape plants. Both lilies and daylilies are wonderful additions…
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Maintaining proper soil pH and fertility is essential for success in gardens. Whether you’re hoping to grow beautiful flowers or tasty vegetables, plants need essential nutrients just like any other living thing. Extension typically recommends selecting a fertilizer for your garden that matches the needs of what you’re growing and your soil test report. Animal…
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The other day I was out doing some work around my property and had not one, but two thistles growing in my lawn. Thankfully, thistles in their rosette stage are easy enough to kick out of the soil and kill off, but I’m glad I noticed them before they bolted, flowered, and spread. As our…
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As we get some sunny days and “false spring”, one of the first things on my mind is helping clients get ready to reach their gardening goals for the year. While it’s only February, some components of a successful garden take a bit of prep, planning, and time to get right. First and foremost,…
Posted in: Garden -
Did you know that the Georgia State Gamebird is the Northern bobwhite quail? Historically, our state was known as an excellent quail-hunting destination due to the large amount of quail habitat we had. Since the 1960’s, Georgia has seen significant decline in quail populations and the number of quail hunters, primarily due to the loss…
Posted in: Animal Agriculture -
January 14th officially closed out the 2023-2024 hunting season for deer, and as I write this on January 10th, I’ve not so much as seen one from my stand since Thanksgiving. While the hunting season might be over, its never too early to start thinking about what you might want to change or improve for…
Posted in: Animal Agriculture -
The behavior of deer and other wildlife can vary greatly from season to season. Last week, we discussed how pre-rut, peak-rut, and post-rut deer behavior are different, and what implications that can have for hunters. In the later part of deer season, most animals are looking for the best food sources possible, and the shortest…
Posted in: Animal Agriculture -
As a county agent, I am often asked to guest present for different organizations. This week, the Wilkes County Iris Gardening Club asked if I would come give a presentation to their membership about native plants for Georgia. Native plants are an interesting subject to me as the definition of what is “native” is variable…
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There’s nothing worse than going to use a piece of gardening or landscaping equipment and realizing it’s nonfunctional for one reason or another. While the up-front investment on quality equipment can be significant, it often comes with fewer problems and a longer lifespan when cared for properly compared to inexpensive equipment and tools. Generally, I…
Posted in: Misc. -
Last week, we discussed some of the challenges that feral swine have brought to the Southeastern U.S. and why the feral swine population has become such an issue. It’s clear that this nuisance species is not going anywhere, so what can we do about them? Unfortunately, control and management of feral swine is not an…
Posted in: Animal Agriculture