Fayette County Extension Agriculture & Natural Resources
From our "Know and Grow in Fayette County" blog
Fayette Find of the Month: May 2024 (number 2)
Since we missed Aprils find, this month we have two finds to share! Oak Leaf Blister In the image below, you will see small yellow dots all over the leaves of this red oak. Oak Leaf Blister is a fungal disease that attacks oaks during cool wet spring weather. Red oaks are particularly prone to […]
Fayette Find of the Month: May 2024
Since we missed Aprils find, this month we have two finds to share! Wool Sower Galls While walking around Lake McIntosh, Wool Sower Galls were found growing on these white oaks. This plant growth forms on the plant by the secretions of a tiny gall wasp grub, Callirhytis seminator. This gall is specific to white […]
Fayette’s Find of the Month: March 2024
This months find is the American Sycamore seed pods. The Sycamore tree can live between 200-400 years when growing in the right environmental conditions. This tree is native to the Chicago area and is recognizable by its peeling bark. It has a high wildlife value by attracting a wide range of birds, insect pollinators, and […]
Fayette’s Find of the Month: February 2024
The Smooth Alder (Alnus serrulata) collected by MGEV R. Guillory has multiple life stages on a single branch. In the image below, you will see this year’s male flowers (catkins) starting to produce yellow pollen. As you move down the branch, you will see tiny reddish female flowers that will produce small cones later in […]
Other Upcoming Events
May 11
Fayette County Extension Youth Garden Club
Fayetteville, GA
Join us for our monthly garden club on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Youth will be exploring the outdoors through hands-on activities in our education garden.
Ages: 2nd-5th grade
May 14
Bermuda Lawn Care
Fayetteville, GA
Bermuda is a wonderful lawn grass that grows well here in our Georgia soils. In this informative class, learn how to care for Bermuda, including site needs, maintenance requirements, and disease/insect management.
May 28
Ornamental Plant ID
Fayetteville, GA
Join us for a class on identifying common ornamental plants in our landscapes. Feel free to bring in your own branches, branches with leaves and/or ornamentals to share or identify.
Jun 1
MGEV Open Garden Days - Liberty Tech Charter School
Brooks, GA
2024 marks the 45th birthday of the Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program!
In celebration of this milestone, Fayette County Extension, along with other participating counties, has volunteered to open our demonstration gardens to the public for Open Garden Days!
On this day, the Liberty Tech Charter School Garden will be open to the public from 9am - 12pm.
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Home Garden Publications
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Georgia Homegrown Tomatoes (B 1271) This publication discusses the basics of growing tomatoes successfully, as well as avoiding common problems encountered by the home gardener.
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Home Garden Plums (B 1518) This bulletin offers information about plum production, pruning, thinning, fertilization, and variety selection in the home garden. Plums belong to the Prunus genus and consists of many species of different origins and diverse fruit types. Most commercially grown varieties are derived from either Japanese or Asian plums (P. salicina and its interspecific hybrids) or European plums (P. domestica). Japanese plums are primarily for fresh consumption, while European plums are for both processing and fresh consumption. The products obtained from processing plums include prunes (dried fruit, the predominant product), canned fruit, jam, jelly, juice, and beverages.
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Home Gardening (B 577) This publication explains everything you need to know about growing a successful home vegetable or herb garden, including location and planning, soil preparation, choosing what to plant and how to tend it, fertilizer, weed control, mulching and composting, watering, pollination, disease and insect control, harvesting, and freezing, canning and preserving.
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Home Garden Bunch Grapes (B 807) Bunch grapes are often called “pod” grapes in rural Georgia since they produce large clusters of fruit. Georgia's climate is not well-suited to home garden production of European bunch grapes, but American bunch grapes and hybrids between the two species (French hybrids) grow well in Georgia. If grapes are well cared for and sprayed when diseases and insects threaten, you can expect yields of 20 to 30 pounds of fruit per vine.
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Home Garden Peppers (C 1005) The rich, full flavor and freshness of a home-grown pepper just picked from the bush are the gardener's reward for growing their own peppers. Fortunately, the most popular pepper varieties are easy to grow as long as you understand and follow a few basic gardening principles.
Well Water Publications
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Household Water Treatment Techniques and Devices: Activated Carbon Filtration (B 1542) Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is usually produced from charcoal in granular or powdered form. It is a form of carbon that has been processed (activated) to make it highly porous, with a very large surface area available for physical adsorption or chemical reactions. Among others, water treatment is an important application of activated carbon. Activated carbon filters treat general taste and odor problems, including chlorine residue, various organic chemicals, and the radioactive gas radon. This publication discusses various types of activated carbon water treatment systems, their usefulness and limitations, along with required maintenance.
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Lead and Copper (C 858-10) Private wells are exclusively supplied by groundwater. The source waters for most public water systems in south Georgia (and some in north Georgia) are also supplied by groundwater. Generally, lead and copper concentrations in the major underground aquifers in Georgia are far below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) action levels. They enter the household drinking water system and exceed the action levels almost exclusively via corrosion of plumbing materials. Many homes built prior to the 1988 still have lead solder connecting copper pipes, unless later on replaced by PVC pipes. Also, indoor plumbing fixtures are often made of lead and copper or their alloys, such as brass. Corrosive water can dissolve small amounts of these metals from plumbing which, upon drinking, may be harmful to your health. In 1992, the lead and copper rule, published by the EPA, became effective and required that municipal water suppliers must treat water to reduce concentrations below action levels of 0.015 milligrams (mg) lead per liter or 15 parts per billion (ppb) and 1.3 mg copper per liter or 1.3 parts per million (ppm). Keep in mind, however, that the EPA does not regulate private water supplies (such as well water), nor can the EPA control the lead and copper contamination that may result from your household pipes.
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Iron and Manganese (C 858-11) Elevated levels of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) are two of the most common water quality problems in Georgia's groundwater. This circular addresses problems associated with high levels of these two elements, levels considered to be a problem, and treatment options to remove the iron or manganese.
Lawn and Landscape Publications
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Vegetable Garden Calendar (C 943) The recommendations in this circular are based on long-term average dates of the last killing frost in the spring and first killing frost in the fall. Every year does not conform to the "average," so you should use your own judgment about advancing or delaying the time for each job, depending on weather conditions.
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Native Plants for Georgia Part I: Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines (B 987) This publication focuses on native trees, shrubs and woody vines for Georgia. It is not our intent to describe all native species — just those available in the nursery trade and those that the authors feel have potential for nursery production and landscape use. Rare or endangered species are not described. Information on each plant is provided according to the following categories: Common Name(s)/Botanical Name/Family, Characteristics, Landscape Uses, Size, Zones and Habitat.
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Conversion Tables, Formulas and Suggested Guidelines for Horticultural Use (B 931) Pesticide and fertilizer recommendations are often made on a pounds per acre and tons per acre basis. While these may be applicable to field production of many crops, orchardists, nurserymen and greenhouse operators often must convert these recommendations to smaller areas, such as row feet, square feet, or even per tree or per pot. Thus pints, cups, ounces, tablespoons and teaspoons are the common units of measure. The conversion is frequently complicated by metric units of measure. This publication is designed to aid growers in making these calculations and conversions, and also provides other data useful in the management, planning and operation of horticultural enterprises.
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Commercial Tomato Production Handbook (B 1312) This publication is a joint effort of the seven disciplines that comprise the Georgia Vegetable Team. It is comprised of 14 topics on tomato, including history of tomato production, cultural practices, pest management, harvesting, handling and marketing. This publication provides information that will assist producers in improving the profitability of tomato production, whether they are new or experienced producers.
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Key to Diseases of Oaks in the Landscape (B 1286) This publication contains a guide to diseases of oak trees in the landscape.
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Fences for the Farm (C 774) Fences may be used to protect or divide property, to improve its appearance, to confine animals, or to exclude animals. This publication covers the planning for, type of, materials for, and maintenance of permanent and temporary fences.
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Stinging and Biting Pests (C 782) This publication contains descriptions and images, as well as methods of control, for common stinging and biting pests found in Georgia, including: bees, wasps, hornets, fire ants, scorpions, caterpillars, spiders, chiggers and flies.
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Landscape Plants for Georgia (B 625) This publication includes a list of good plants for Georgia organized into various sizes and groups. The design qualities of plants—their form, size, color and texture—are emphasized according to the principles and requirements of good landscape design and plant maintenance. Hardiness and disease and insect resistant qualities are also considered.