In this week’s “Gardening in
Georgia,” host Walter Reeves explores, among other things,
turf grasses, tomatoes and the “Eco Lacquered Spider” (a plant,
by the way).

Gil Landry, a turf scientist with the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, shows Reeves
the pros and cons of turf
grasses grown in Georgia.

Landry notes that bermuda grasses look great but, if sodded, are
expensive. Zoysia grasses look great, too, but grow slowly
(except “El Toro”). Centipede grass is fairly low-maintenance,
but can suffer when mowed too high. St. Augustine is an excellent
turf, but is winter-hardy only in south Georgia. And fescue is
green year-round, but suffers with summer heat and rainless
stretches.

David Chambers of Callaway Gardens shows
Reeves how to make a V-trellis for tomatoes out of twine and a
taut wire strung 4 feet above the plants. To avoid diseases, he
ties the twine to the base of the plant, then extends it up to
the wire above, training two branches to climb the twine.

‘Eco Lacquered Spider’

Chrysogonum virginianum, or “Green and Gold,” is a bright
addition to shady spring landscapes. The yellow flowers remain a
few inches above the dense green foliage. One selection,
Chrysogonum virginianum ‘Eco Lacquered Spider,’ spreads 8
inches between rooted nodes and will cover an even larger area
than the “Green and Gold.”

Beverly Sparks, a UGA CAES entomologist, talks about Japanese
beetles. The adult beetle damages a
number of garden and landscape plants. These pests can strip
entire plants of their foliage in a matter of hours. They’re hard
to control because of their sheer numbers. Sparks cautions that
the traps used to lure the adults may attract more beetles to
your yard than can be trapped and discarded.

Oakleaf hydrangeas are no strangers to Southern landscapes. But
UGA horticulturist Jim Midcap shows a plant, the Alice oakleaf
hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Alice’). Watch for this
2000 Georgia
Gold Medal Winner to become increasingly popular in Georgia
landscapes.

“Gardening in Georgia” airs on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and is
rebroadcast on Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. on Georgia Public Television.
The show is produced specifically for Georgia gardeners by the
University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and GPTV. To learn
more, visit the show’s Web site (
www.gardeningingeorgia.com).