Common plant problems in the Atlanta area
PESTS & PROBLEMS
Atlanta’s growing season provides plants with almost year around growth. Because of this long growing season pest populations can build to thresholds where plant damage can occur. The natural and man-manipulated environment in Atlanta can also cause stress and eventual decline in our landscapes and forests. The following is a list of some of the more common pests, cultural problems and environmental problems we may encounter year to year.

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z All

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Aeration - core aeration should be done each spring more...
Ambrosia Beetle - is a wood infesting beetle of numerous species of plants. more...
Annual blue grass - also called Poa annua more...
Azalea - reduced blooms can be a result of late freezes more...
Azaleas with spongy leaves - see Exobasidium leaf gall more...
Bermuda Turf Problems - Take All Patch can occur during periods of high heat, no rainfall and improper watering. more...
Bermuda Winter Patch - These large circles are caused by Rhizoctonia fungus more...
Boston Ivy Leafspot - Boston ivy is very susceptible to various leafspots especially cercospora. more...
Botryosphaeria Canker - Botryosphaeria Canker is a stress related disease more...
Boxelder Bugs - Boxelder bugs are basically a nuisance pest not causing any real harm to plants. more...
Boxwood bronzing - usually occurs during the winter more...
Boxwood leafminer - a common pest of boxwoods more...
Brown Patch lesions - on Fescue turf more...
brown spots in turf - disease or dry? more...
Camellias with spongy leaves - see exobasidium leaf gall more...
Circles In Your Turf? - If you are seeing circles in front of your eyes on your warm season turf the culprit is probably your lawn mower. more...
Compacted Soil - Compacted soil reduces the effectiveness of your lawn care program resulting in, not only poor quality turf but recurring weed problems.  Cultural practices such as sanding and reel mowing can further increase compaction. more...
Core aeration - should be done each spring more...
Cottony Maple Scale - Cottony Maple Scale actually can attack various hardwood trees including dogwoods.  Though quite showy and should be treated, it is not an aggressive spreader. more...
Cryptomeria - The cryptomeria can grow to more than more...
Cryptomeria Cold Damage - Severe cold winds can damage Cryptomerias more...
De-icer - We don't get much snow or ice in the South but occasionally we have to deal with some icy sidewalks.  Many snow melt products are not good for plants, pets, concrete or metal.  Avoid using NaCl (rock salt and table salt) especially.  If possible use one of the newer "environmentally friendly" products such as more...
Dieback In Landscape Plants -

Your landscape plants seem fine one day then suddenly they die or decline severely.  Does this sound familiar?

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Disease or Mower Scalping? - If you are seeing circles in front of your eyes on your warm season turf the culprit is probably your lawn mower. more...
Dogwood with Cottony Maple Scale - Cottony Maple Scale actually can attack various hardwood trees including dogwoods.  Though quite showy and should be treated, it is not an aggressive spreader. more...
Dollar Spot - a disease of warm season turf more...
Dove Weed - This weed is easily confused with Virginia Buttonweed more...
Drill/Soil Aeration - Drill/Soil Aeration is used around the base of large trees more...
Drought - surviving drought conditions more...
Dry spots or disease? - Hot weather can result in dry burned areas in the lawn more...
Emerald Zoysia - Late Green Up Problems more...
European Hornet Nest Building Activity - The European hornet excise small strips of bark more...
Exobasidium leaf gall - makes your camellia or azalea leaves look like sponges more...
Fairy Ring - This disease is caused by a fungus more...
Fall Color - Winter and Spring is the time to plant you fall color trees and shrubs more...
Fall fescue seedings face many challenges -

Excessive rainfall can cause saturated soil conditions which can lead to disease activity.

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Fescue - Why is my winter fescue not dark green? more...
Fescue - Why isn't my fescue growing? more...
Fescue Core Areation - must be done each year more...
Fescue slow green up - cold soil temperatures more...
Fireweed - appears in late spring more...
Freeze Damage - Freeze damage does not always appear as brown or black leaves.  In may cases it can mimic disease. more...
Freeze Damage on Indica Azaleas - If you are seeing poor blooming on your azaleas it may be freeze damage versus poor nutrition more...
Girdling roots - Girdling roots can kill a tree or shrub over time. more...
Girdling Twine or Straps - girdling twine or straps left on newly planted trees or shrubs can kill them within three years. more...
Gray Water - Trying to figure out what exactly is "gray water" and can it be used to water your plants?  Hers is an excellent website. more...
Gypsum - Commonly believed to increase soil drainage, structure, ph and decrease compaction it must be understood that this only happens in some soils. more...
Hawthorne - dwarf hawthorne is extremely susceptible to leafspot more...
Heat tolerance - Though many cold hardy plants are listed for our planting more...
Hemlock problems - Hemlocks face several problems more...
High Temperatures and No Rainfall And Incorrect Watering! - This is a recipe for problems with your landscape if you are not watering enough or not watering correctly.  If you are seeing brown leaves or leaf drop you are in trouble but there is hope! more...
Ice Melt - We don't get much snow or ice in the South but occasionally we have to deal with some icy sidewalks.  Many snow melt products are not good for plants, pets, concrete or metal.  more...
Irrigation problems - dry spots more...
Japanese Beetles - these beetles have a ravenous appetite for your trees and shrubs more...
Lace Bug - pest of trees and shrubs more...
Lawn Pests - Our common lawn pests more...
Leaf Spot Diseases - can be hard to control more...
Liming - adjusting pH more...
Maple Leaf Spot - Maples tend to develop many different leafspots during the spring and summer, none of which are fatal. more...
Moles - Moles are small animals of various sizes more...
Moss - Moss can be a persistent problem in lawns more...
Mowing height - for warm hybrid, bermuda and fescue more...
Mushrooms - there are a myriad of mushroom species more...
pH - do you need lime? more...
Plant Die Back - Occasionally one of your landscape plants will suddenly die.  The suspected culprits are many! more...
Poa annua - also called annual blue grass more...
Proper Shrub And Tree Nutrition Is Essential For Healthy Plants - Without a proper and timely nutrition program plants become weak and more susceptible to agents of decline. more...
Pruning - Pruning can really be an art form.. more...
Pruning and mulching - corect timing more...
Pythium in fescue - Pythium is a fungus whicjh can cause "melting out" in turf especially seedling fescue stands more...
Rhizoctonia - blight on Hybrid Zoysia more...
Rhizoctonia blight - on Hybrid Bermuda more...
Rhizoctonia blight - on fescue more...
Rodent damage to plants. - Rodent gnawing can cause severe, irreparable damage to plants. more...
Rose Leaf Spot - roses are extremely susceptible to leafspot more...
Sanding/topdressing - you need to know the difference more...
Sasanqua with spongy leaves - see Exobasidium leaf gall more...
Scale Problems Worse During Droughts - Scale populations can explode during dry, mild winters and during drought conditions. more...
Shower Water - Shower water is just another form of gray water and can be used for watering your landscape plants. more...
Shrub and Tree Pests - Common pests of Atlanta shrubs and trees more...
Spring Dead Spot - These spots can appear in warm season turf in the spring more...
Spring Warm Season Turf Scalping - is essential to healthy turf more...
Sprinkle Overthrow - problems with irrigation heads more...
Stem Blight - can occur on may plants. In most cases, more...
Stem Canker - usually caused by fungal activity more...
Sudden Dieback In Landscape Plants - Causal Agents for these sudden diebacks are varied. more...
Sweetgum defoliation - brown or stripped leaves may more...
Take All Patch - This is a heat related problem in our warm season turf but mainly associated with bermuda. more...
Top Dressing/sanding - of warm season turf more...
Tree Problems: Yellow leaves in summer? -   If you begin to see yellow leaves and leaf drop on your trees in the summer it has to do with lack of water. more...
Tree problems: Leafspots, burned leaves? - When we have rainy, cool springs we see an abundance of leafspot on many of our trees, especially, oaks, maples and beeches.  These leafspots many times coalesce into large areas that appear burned, shriveled, blackened or distorted. more...
Water Stress - can mimic disease more...
Watering guidelines for turf - Proper watering is critical more...
webs on the shrubs - are usually the result of spiders not mites more...
Winter patch - usually occurs in warm season turf more...
Yellow Leaf Drop In Summer? - This time of year we always see quite a lot of yellow leaves in our trees, especially on flowering cherries, poplars, birches, dogwoods, sycamores, sweetgums and even pines. This is normal. more...
Zoysia Late Green Up Problems - Emerald zoysia problems more...
Zoysia Winter Patch - These large circles in the turf are caused by Rhizoctonia more...