Empowering Georgia through UGA Extension
This special video highlights UGA Extension’s centennial with interviews from: former President Jimmy Carter; Georgia Governor Nathan Deal; UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean Scott Angle; UGA Extension Director Beverly Sparks; and county agents Paul Pugliese and Kisha Faulk.
To learn more about the Centennial visit this site.
Taken from the CASE blog. See the original article here.
May 23 is Heat Awareness Day for the National Weather Service. Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer for many people, and heat is one of the major killers of people and animals in summer months. If you would like to learn more about the impacts of heat and how to prevent heat injury, click here.
Meanwhile, the next few days show the possibility of rain across most
of the Southeast with the exception of southern Alabama. The rain should move into most of the area on Sunday afternoon (May 25) and continue into Tuesday (May 27) in the form of scattered showers and thundershowers.
Merritt Melancon, news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
For the past two years, Georgia agricultural climatologist Pam Knox has kept Georgians up to date on the way the state’s climate impacts the state’s largest industry.
Starting in April, she started providing daily updates on climate and agriculture on her new blog “On the CASE (Climate and Agriculture in the Southeast)”.
The blog, which can be found at blog.extension.uga.edu/climate/, features her monthly climate reports, climate and weather news from around the country, resources for farmers coping with extreme weather and crop updates.
She is also hoping to share the stories of producers around Georgia and the Southeast who are being impacted by remarkable weather or climatic conditions.
Please feel free to email her notes or photos about weather and climate across the Southeast impacting your farm or garden at pknox@uga.edu.
Is it important to mulch around vegetables in a community garden? After all, plots aren’t very large, the plantings aren’t permanent, and it can be a lot of trouble to bring in mulch. The answer is YES! It is important to go to the extra trouble and add mulch. Mulching is simply adding a layer of material over the bare soil around your plants. For an extensive review of garden mulches see Robert Westerfield’s circular Mulching Vegetables.
Mulching does several wonderful things for our warm-season vegetables. It helps hold in soil moisture. Think of those hot, dry, sunny, Georgia summer afternoons. Bare soil gets baked; mulched soil does not. Mulch also helps even out the soil temperature. This is helpful for root development. Mulch can be a barrier to weed growth, reducing need for weeding. Also, mulch is a layer between the plant and the bare soil which can help prevent some rots that occur when vegetables or fruits lay on the ground.
A suggested mulching depth is 3 to 4 inches. Too little mulch will provide limited weed control while too much will prevent air from reaching plant roots. Keep in mind some mulches, like pine straw, tend to settle. Compost mulches can be tilled back in the soil after the growing season.
The best way to accomplish mulching in a community garden setting is to determine what materials are available and inexpensive. Wood bark, compost, leaves, pine straw, and hay straw are all possible choices.
A bail of pine or hay straw will usually fit in a car trunk. Wood bark and some composts come packaged in large bags which aren’t hard to transport. Maybe the group of gardeners wants to have a larger amount of mulch delivered and split the cost. Oftentimes, municipalities will take old Christmas trees and recycle them as mulch as a service to the community. These are usually free of charge. Your county UGA Extension Agent will be able to answers any questions you have about mulch.
However you decide to get your mulch, you will be very glad you did come harvest time.
Happy Gardening!
Occasionally, turfgrass areas begin to thin out and moss and algae start to form. These primitive plants develop because conditions for growing dense, healthy turf have declined.
Mosses are branched, threadlike green plants that form a tangled, thick mat over the soil. Algae are thread-like green plants that form a dense, green scum over the soil surface. Neither moss nor algae are thought to be parasitic. Both are spread by wind-blown spores and can form crusts on the soil surface that reduce air and water movement into the soil.
Factors that favor moss and algae development include wet, humid conditions and compacted soils with thin turf. Moss is more common in shady areas with infertile, acidic soils and excessive thatch; algae is more common in full sun conditions and fertile soils.
The Formosan Subterranean Termite in Georgia
| The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, is native to China, was accidentally introduced into the southern U.S., and has since been found in nine southern states. Since 1993, several dozen infestation sites have been found in Georgia. |
 The Formosan termite is most commonly imported into Georgia by movement of termite-infested railroad crossties. As railroad companies replace crossties, some of the used ones are sold and re-used to build retaining walls and other landscape features. Some of the used crossties are infested with Formosan termites. The termites survive transport and become established in previously un-infested areas when the crossties are installed.Formosan termites remain extremely rare in Georgia, and the presence of railroad crossties in the landscape in no way implies the presence of the termite on one’s property. |
| Termite Control Technicians and Homeowners Should Learn to Recognize the Formosan Subterranean Termite
It is important that |
| Swarmers
Formosan termite swarmers are larger than native subterranean termite swarmers, measuring about one-half to five-eighths of an inch from tip of head to tip of wings, and the body is caramel-colored (native termite swarmers are black). Formosan termite wings are hairy, while native termite wings are not hairy.In Georgia, Formosan termites swarm at night in May and June and are attracted to lights, whereas native subterranean termites typically swarm during the day and are not attracted to lights. |
 Soldiers
Formosan termite soldiers exude a white, glue-like secretion from the top of their head when disturbed.Most notably, however, Formosan termite soldiers make up as much as 15-25% of the termites in a colony compared with just 1-3% in a native subterranean termite colony. Formosan termite soldiers are also aggressive, and will often attempt to bite ones finger tip if challenged. |
 Mud Tubes on Crossties
During swarm season (May and June in Georgia) Formosan termites often build extensive mud tubing on crosstie walls. Unfortunately, these mud tubes are washed away with the first rain.
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| To Confirm a Formosan Termite Discovery if you are a termite control professional or a homeowner and you think you have found a Formosan termite, we can confirm the termites’ identification. Please collect swarmers and/or soldiers (do not send workers), place them in a small, airtight vial filled with rubbing alcohol, and take the vial to your nearest county extension office, or contact Dr. Daniel R. Suiter on the UGA Griffin Campus at 770-233.6114. |
Green beans are an integral part of any vegetable garden. Also called snap beans or string beans, they are not hard to grow and require little fertilization. Whether harvested and prepared the old Southern way, cooked with a piece of bacon, or steamed with a bit of onion, they are a summer dinner staple. This post contains great information taken from Robert Westerfield’s circular Home Garden Green Beans.
For community gardeners the first step in successfully growing green beans is to know the growing types. Bush beans are compact and don’t need extra support to grow. Pole beans run and do require support such as a cage or trellis (think of growing up a pole). Be thoughtful of using trellises in a community garden setting. Anything tall may created unwanted shade. Half-runner beans are somewhere in between bush and pole beans. If they are not supported they will spread more than bush beans. Bush beans are a great option for the limited space of a community garden.
All three types of beans grow best in air temperatures of 65-85 degrees F. Soil temperatures should be above 55 degrees F for good germination. One helpful tip is to soak the bean seed in warm water overnight. This may help speed germination.
Seed should be planted about 1 inch deep. You can do this without a ruler. Gently push the beans seed into the soil with your index finger. When your first knuckle is even with the soil top, that is about 1 inch. To help prevent disease problems, be careful not to crowd the beans. You want air movement between the plants so leave about 6 inches between seeds.
After planting, gently pat the dirt ensuring good seed to soil contact. Keep the seeds moist until the beans emerge. Mulching will help with that. After the plants become established water as needed, about twice a week.
For best flavor, harvest beans before they become fully developed. Pick often so the plant will continue to produce. Your harvest can be stored in a cool, dry place for several days. Or, you may want to try your hand at canning if you have alot of beans.
Some tried and true cultivars of bush beans are Blue Lake 274, Gina, Roma II, and Bronco. If you want to be adventurous and try something different consider Mayflower, which is said to have come to America with the Pilgrims. Or, Pencil Pod Black Snap Bean which produces black beans. Other cultivars to consider are Stringless Commodore, October Bean, Top Crop, and Contender. Master Gardener Extension volunteers have had success with these types.
Kentucky Wonder, Rattlesnake, Blue Lake, and McCaslan are good pole bean choices for the Southern garden. If you are thinking of trying half-runners look at Mountaineer, Volunteer, or Peanut Bean Pink.
Seed catalogs along with feed and seed stores are full of great choices. Try to choose seed that has been grown successfully in our area. If you have had success with a certain cultivar, please share that information in the comments section. For more information on cultivars for your area, contact your local UGA Extension Agent.
Happy Gardening!
Ellen Bauske, Rolando Orellana, and Alfredo Martinez-Espinoza
These checklists can be used to introduce new landscape workers to safe work practices. They ensure that job training includes safety instruction. Before new employees start their first assignment, supervisors should discuss the items covered in the following checklists. Safe use of equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) should be demonstrated as the supervisor reviews the checklists. Pictures associated with each item reinforce the safety message for employees.
These checklists are based on the book Safety for Hispanic Landscape Workers which has been approved by OSHA for use in safety training. They are designed to help companies reduce incidents, stay in compliance and create a culture of safety.
Related publications
Safety for Hispanic Landscape Workers
Seguridad para Trabajadores Hispanos de Jardinería [Safety for Hispanic Landscape Workers]
Landscape Basics: Designing a Quality Control Program for Your Company
Drain flies (Psychodidae: Psychoda spp.): Also referred to as moth flies.
Taken from Management of Pest Insects in and Around the Home
Oblong or oval, appears moth-like, and is about 3/16 inch, wings fuzzy. Larvae up to 3/8 inch.
Habits: Commonly found in bathrooms (breeds in scum in drains, showers, overflows, toilet bowls, etc.). Adults rest motionless on walls until disturbed, and then fly well. Need wet conditions to breed. When toilets have gone un-flushed for an extended period, moth flies may lay eggs in the toilet tank, and larvae can be found there. When the toilet is finally flushed, larvae can make their way into the toilet bowl, where they are discovered.
Interventions: Clean the inside of the drain of all scum and detritus using a mild cleanser and a bristled brush. Never pour insecticides into drain. Pouring bleach into drains is not effective. Make certain that the water trap in the drain line (especially common in less frequently used sinks) is filled – if the water trap dries out, flies and other pests that live in the drain lines will be able to enter the building. To help determine whether a particular drain is infested, place a clear cup,
inverted, over the drain. If flies emerge from the drain, they will be trapped by the cup, and can be seen.
Might Be Confused With: fungus gnats, humpbacked flies, fruit flies, and small moths.
Merritt Melancon, news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Hulking above their neighbors in the Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia’s century-old hemlocks are giants. But the relatively scarce trees are quickly being felled by the tiniest of insects — the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid.
Tiny pests, big problems
The adelgid is a tiny, fluffy aphid relative that feeds by piercing the bark of hemlock trees and draining the contents of plant cells, which contain nutrients created by the tree during photosynthesis. Millions can live on one tree, and by the time they finish feeding, the tree no longer has the strength to transport water and nutrients from its roots to its branches. The pest first arrived in Georgia 10 years ago after moving south through the forests that surround the Appalachian Mountains.
To date, the adelgid has killed millions of hemlocks on the mountainsides and stream valleys of the Appalachians, from New England south to the Smokies and the north Georgia mountains. Once infested, a centuries-old tree can die within 3 or 4 years said Will Hudson, a forest entomologist with UGA Extension.
University of Georgia researchers are racing against time looking for long-term biocontrols for the nutrient-gobbling pest.They hope by preserving specimen stands of hemlocks with insecticides now, there will be enough trees left to aid in regenerating Georgia’s hemlocks once the bio-control agents are ready.
“We can’t just let a bug loose in the forest and hope it works. The requirements for testing and screening of a new biocontrol agent are — and rightfully so — really, really stringent, and it takes time. The hemlocks don’t have that time,” said Hudson.
Enter the Legacy Tree Project — a public-private partnership between UGA researchers, Valent USA, private tree care companies and several municipalities. The project’s goal is to preserve stands of hemlocks so they can regenerate once the woolly adelgid is under control.
While hemlocks make up a small percentage of the forest canopy in Georgia, they are vitally important to the forest ecosystem — especially around streams. The giant trees shade streams and stream banks and provide the cool waters that Georgia’s trout populations need to survive while sustaining the tourist economy that surrounds the trout.
In addition to the aesthetic impact of the loss of the largest trees in mountain forests, dead trees pose a threat of falling, making camping, hiking and even driving, risky.
Two solutions, one goal
The woolly adelgids can be controlled two ways. One way is through the development or discovery of biocontrol agents — predatory insects that eat adelgids, but leave the rest of the ecosystem intact. This is a painstaking process of trial and error, but will offer low-cost, long-term control.
The other method is to treat every hemlock in the forest to prevent or cure adelgid infestation. This would be prohibitively expensive, time-consuming, logistically implausible and possibly ecologically damaging.
Entomologists at UGA and the U.S. Forest Service, including recently retired UGA forest entomologist Mark Dalusky, have identified and released two predatory beetles. They hope these insects will be effectively control the adelgid without harming the forest, but neither beetle has reached the numbers needed to control the pest.
Saving trees now, so that they can be preserved later
UGA entomologists, north Georgia arborist and hemlock enthusiast Jann George and Legacy Tree Project founder Joe Chamberlin have teamed up for the effort.
Chamberlin’s company, Valent, helped launch the Legacy Tree Project in 2010 in a handful of Midwestern towns with the goal of saving ash trees from emerald ash borers. Thousands of trees were saved, and a framework for battling other invasive tree pests was developed.
Valent donates insecticide where landmark hemlocks are dying – like the Chattahoochee National Forest.
The insecticide, a dry powder mixed with water, is injected into the ground around the hemlock’s root ball and the tree slowly absorbs the material, which kills the adelgids and prevents new infestations.
“Nearly 100 percent of the chemical is absorbed by the tree, which means there is very little chance any will move into nearby streams or groundwater,” George said. “There is hope for biological controls coming down the line. But the only way to get your hemlock tree back to health, at this point, is to use chemicals.”
This is the first time that the Legacy Tree Project has worked on public land. George has worked with Young Harris, Clarkesville, Dillard and Sky Valley and saved between 10 and 15,000 hemlocks on private land.
“The problem of global trade and invasive species are here to stay,” Chamberlain said. “We only have so many well adapted native species of trees that we can rely on, and we need to maintain them. What we’re trying to do is build awareness about invasives and stimulate action to help protect native tree populations.”
For more information about the hemlock infestation in north Georgia and UGA’s research into stopping the pest, visit www.forestpests.org/.
