Pests, Problems, and Solutions
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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- Aeration for TurfCore aeration should be done each spring - Read More
- Ambrosia Beetleis a wood infesting beetle of numerous species of plants. - Read More
- Annual blue grassalso called Poa annua - Read More
- Aphid Farming by Antshave you ever noticed ants running up and down the stems of your trees or plants? This is a(...) - Read More
- Arborvitaes browning?Are you seeing a lot of internal browning on your arborvitae this fall? Though it appears to(...) - Read More
- Army Worms Update!The 2010 army worm attack had been the worst in 25 years. But 2016 has been pretty bad too!(...) - Read More
- Azaleareduced blooms can be a result of late freezes - Read More
- Azalea lace bugThis can be a serious pest of many plants including azaleas - Read More
- Azaleas with spongy leavesIn the spring you nay see large spongy leaves on your Azaleas and Camellias. This is(...) - Read More
- Bermuda Turf Problems During High Temperature SummersHeat related dieback can occur during periods of high heat, no rainfall and improper watering. - Read More
- Bermuda Winter PatchThese large circles are caused by Rhizoctonia fungus - Read More
- Boston Ivy LeafspotBoston ivy is very susceptible to various leafspots especially cercospora. - Read More
- Botryosphaeria CankerBotryosphaeria Canker is a stress related disease - Read More
- Boxelder BugsBoxelder bugs are basically a nuisance pest not causing any real harm to plants. - Read More
- Boxelder Bugs versus Bordered Plant bugThese two insects are very similar but actually easy to tell apart. - Read More
- Boxwood BlightBoxwood blight has been identified in Atlanta landscape in June 2014. Click here for Dr.(...) - Read More
- Boxwood Blight 2016 UPDATEAs of 2016 the disease is becoming increasing aggressive and there is no cure at this time. - Read More
- Boxwood Blight Photo ArchiveCopyright 2016 Patrick G. Mawhinney - Read More
- Boxwood bronzingusually occurs during the winter - Read More
- Boxwood leafminera common pest of boxwoods - Read More
- Brown Patch lesionson Fescue turf - Read More
- Brown spots in turfIs it Disease or Dry? - Read More
- Browning in ConifersIf you are seeing browning in your leyland, cryptomerias or Italian cypress it may be the(...) - Read More
- Camellias with spongy leaves
- Cherry Tree IssuesDiseases such as Botryosphaeria canker are very common on flowering cherry and can cause(...) - Read More
- ChipmunksA cute, adorable nuisance in many cases! - Read More
- Circles In Your Turf?If you are seeing circles in front of your eyes on your warm season turf the culprit is(...) - Read More
- Compacted Turf SoilsCompacted soil reduces the effectiveness of your lawn care program resulting in poor quality(...) - Read More
- Compacted Turf Soils
- Core aerationshould be done each spring for Warm Season Turf - Read More
- Cottony Maple Scale -Cottony Maple Scale actually can attack various hardwood trees including dogwoods. It is(...) - Read More
- Crown CleaningOne very important but often overlooked spring chores is the clearing of debris from around(...) - Read More
- CryptomeriaThe cryptomeria can grow to more than - Read More
- Cryptomeria Cold DamagSevere cold winds can damage Cryptomerias - Read More
- De-icerWe don't get much snow or ice in the South but occasionally we have to deal with some icy(...) - Read More
- Deer, Rabbit and Goose ManagementThese critters can really wreak havoc on your landscape plants, - Read More
- Dieback In Landscape PlantsYour landscape plants seem fine one day then suddenly they die or decline severely. Does this(...) - Read More
- Dirt Mounds Showing Up In The Turf and BedsGround Bees , Cicada Killers and Earthworms May Be The Culprit - Read More
- Disease or Mower Scalping?If you are seeing circles in front of your eyes on your warm season turf the culprit is(...) - Read More
- Dogwood leafspotSpring rains bring more than jsut flowers! Plant diseases find the environment ripe for(...) - Read More
- Dogwood with Cottony Maple ScaleCottony Maple Scale actually can attack various hardwood trees including dogwoods. Though(...) - Read More
- Dogwood with Powdery MildewDogwoods are very susceptible to various diseases. Powdery mildew usually infects dogwoods at(...) - Read More
- Dollar Spotis a disease of warm season turf. - Read More
- Dove WeedThis weed is easily confused with Virginia Buttonweed - Read More
- Drill/Soil AerationDrill/Soil Aeration is used around the base of large trees - Read More
- Droughtsurviving drought conditions - Read More
- Drought damaged turf recovery watering regimenIf your turf is showing drought stress or hot spots use these guidelines for recovery and on(...) - Read More
- Drought PhotosA collection of turf photos featuring drought stress. This is a very large file! - Read More
- Dry spots or disease?Hot weather can result in dry burned areas in the lawn. - Read More
- Emerald ZoysiaLate Green Up Problems - Read More
- European Hornet Bark DamageThe European hornet excise small strips of bark - Read More
- Exobasidium leaf gallmakes your camellia or azalea leaves look like sponges. - Read More
- Fairy Ring
- Fall ColorWinter and Spring is the time to plant your fall color trees and shrubs - Read More
- Fall FertilizationOur proprietary mixture aids the plants in recovery from the harsh summers. - Read More
- Fall fescue seedings face many challengesExcessive rainfall can cause saturated soil conditions which can lead to disease activity. - Read More
- Fall PruningYou can prune in the fall but do it gently and correctly! - Read More
- Fall Tree And Shrub PlantingFall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. The cool fall weather allows them to become(...) - Read More
- FescueWhy is my winter fescue not dark green? - Read More
- FescueWhy isn't my fescue growing? - Read More
- Fescue Brown PatchSummer brings heat and stress to turf. With a cool season turf like fescue disease is usually(...) - Read More
- Fescue Core Aerationmust be done each year. - Read More
- Fescue slow green upcold soil temperatures - Read More
- Fireweedappears in late spring. - Read More
- Freeze DamageFrom the Mid -March freeze in Atlanta - Read More
- Freeze Damage Freeze damage does not always appear as brown or black leaves. In may cases it can mimic disease.Freeze damage does not always appear as brown or black leaves. In may cases it can mimic disease. - Read More
- Freeze Damage on Indica AzaleasIf you are seeing poor blooming on your azaleas it may be freeze damage versus poor nutrition - Read More
- Girdling rootsGirdling roots can kill a tree or shrub over time - Read More
- Girdling Twine or Strapsgirdling twine or straps left on newly planted trees or shrubs can kill them within three years. - Read More
- Goose, Deer and Rabbit ManagementAll these critters can be a nuisance - Read More
- Gray WaterTrying to figure out what exactly is "gray water" and can it be used to water your plants? (...) - Read More
- Green up slow on some turf, especially ZoysiasThere are multiple factors that can cause turf to be slow to completely green in the spring. - Read More
- Ground Bees , Earthworms and Cicada Killers ..Oh My!We have several critters that make mounds of dirt in your turf. - Read More
- GypsumCommonly believed to increase soil drainage, structure, and pH and decrease compaction it must(...) - Read More
- Hawthornedwarf hawthorne is extremely susceptible to leafspot - Read More
- Heat Related Dieback In Warm Season TurfThis is a heat related problem in our warm season turf but mainly associated with bermuda. - Read More
- Heat toleranceThough many cold hardy plants are listed for our planting - Read More
- Hemlock problemsHemlocks face several problems. - Read More
- Hickory or pecan leaves and stems being attacked?This is most likely the work of the Phylloxera gall insect. - Read 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(...) - Read More
- Holes In The Trunk Of Your Tree?This could be the work of your local Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! - Read More
- Ice MeltWe don't get much snow or ice in the South but occasionally we have to deal with some icy(...) - Read More
- Irrigation problemsDry Spots - Read More
- Italian CypressThis is a beautiful conifer but DOES NOT BELONG IN ATLANTA! - Read More
- Japanese Beetlesthese beetles have a ravenous appetite for your trees and shrubs. - Read More
- Jumping Oak GallThis gall appears on oaks in the early spring. Though only cosmetic it can cause heavy defoliation. - Read More
- K - Potassium , PotashK is the elemental symbol for potassium. - Read More
- Keeping Your Plant Crowns Clean.One very important but often overlooked spring chores is the clearing of debris from around(...) - Read More
- Lace Bugpest of trees and shrubs - Read More
- Lawn PestsOur common lawn pests - Read More
- Leaf GallsThere are a myriad of agents that can cause galls on the leaves of our plants. Very few cause(...) - Read More
- Leaf Spot Diseasescan be hard to control - Read More
- Leafspot Damage on HawthorneLeafspot disease on Dwarf Hawthornes routinely defoliates the plants. Unfortunately there is(...) - Read More
- Leyland Cypress dropping needles?If your Leylands are showing yellow needles that gradually turn brown and then drop it is a(...) - Read More
- Lichen on barkIf you have patchy growths on the bark of your tree or shrub it is probably lichen. - Read More
- Lightning Damage To TreesLightning can strike trees anytime of the year but especially during violent summer thunderstorms. - Read More
- Limingadjusting pH - Read More
- Magnolia Yellow LeavesSee Yellow Leaves on Magnolia - Read More
- Maple Leaf SpotMaples tend to develop many different leafspots during the spring and summer, none of which(...) - Read More
- Mawhinney GardenA few garden shots! - Read More
- Mid-March 2017 freeze damaged many plants!Wait until after Easter to do any corrective pruning. More photos coming soon! - Read More
- MolesMoles are small animals of various sizes - Read More
- MossMoss can be a persistent problem in lawns - Read More
- MowingWeekly Mowing Is A Must Especially for Warm Season Turf - Read More
- Mowing GuidelinesThere are basic mowing guidelines which should be utilized - Read More
- Mowing heightfor warm hybrid, bermuda and fescue - Read More
- MulchingProper mulching is essential for producing and maintaining healthy plants - Read More
- Mushroomsthere are a myriad of mushroom species - Read More
- NitrogenNitrogen is one of the essential elements for plant nutrition. - Read More
- Pecan or hickory leaves getting attacked?This is most likely phylloxera gall. - Read More
- pHdo you need lime? - Read More
- Plant Die BackOccasionally one of your landscape plants will suddenly die. The suspected culprits are many! - Read More
- Plants to avoid!There are certain plants that you simply avoid planting and if you have them in your landscape(...) - Read More
- Poa annuaalso called annual blue grass - Read More
- PotassiumAlso known as potash. - Read More
- Problems Related To Poor Cultural PracticesMowing your warm season turf short is acceptable as long as certain guidelines are followed. - Read More
- Proper Shrub And Tree Nutrition Is Essential For Healthy PlantsWithout a proper and timely nutrition program plants become weak and more susceptible to(...) - Read More
- Proper Shrub and Tree WateringTrees especially need very large amounts of water the larger they become. - Read More
- PruningPruning can really be an art form - Read More
- Pruning and mulchingcorrect timing - Read More
- Pythium in fescuePythium is a fungus which can cause "melting out" in turf, especially seedling fescue stands. - Read More
- QuercusQuercus is the genus for oak trees. We have over thirty oaks indigenous in Georgia. Most of(...) - Read More
- Rabbit, Deer and Goose Management
- Revisiting Bad Plants!There are certain plants that are problematic even though they are used extensively in(...) - Read More
- Rhizoctoniablight on Hybrid Zoysia - Read More
- Rhizoctonia blighton fescue - Read More
- Rhizoctonia blighton Hybrid Bermuda - Read More
- Rhododendron ProblemsUpdate Soon - Read More
- Rodent damage to plantsRodent gnawing can cause severe, irreparable damage to plants. - Read More
- Rose Leaf SkeletonizerThe damage to the leaves usually results in some defoliation but plants recover quickly after(...) - Read More
- Rose Leaf Spotroses are extremely susceptible to leafspot. - Read More
- Rose Rosette DiseaseRose Rosette disease is a fatal viral disease infecting our Knock Out roses. This disease is(...) - Read More
- Sanding issues article from the AJC By Debbie Arrington, The Sacramento BeeThough the article is more about tree and shrub soil it also applies to turf. We constantly(...) - Read More
- Sanding issues in warm season turfCompaction + Reel Mowing + Sanding + Low Winter Mowing Height + Herbicide Resistant Poa =(...) - Read More
- Sanding/topdressingyou need to know the difference. - Read More
- SapsuckersWe see these beautiful birds in our landscapes but they really do not damage the trees! - Read More
- Sasanqua with spongy leaves
- Scale Problems Worse During DroughtsScale populations can explode during dry, mild winters and during drought conditions. - Read More
- Seiridium Canker Reduction In Leyland CypressSimply watering your Leyland Cypress can virtually eliminate canker production. - Read More
- SeminarsHere is a list of various seminars in PDF Format. Please re-use only with permission - Read More
- Shade Tolerant Does Not Mean Shade ThrivingWe are seeing a lot of new warm season turf being installed in situations where the shade(...) - Read More
- Shower WaterShower water is just another form of gray water and can be used for watering your landscape plants. - Read More
- Shrub and Tree PestsCommon pests of Atlanta shrubs and trees. - Read More
- Slow Turf Green Up?You may feel that your lawn is way behind in greening up compared to your neighbor but in(...) - Read More
- Sooty MoldSooty Mold is the black coating you may see on leaves. - Read More
- Spider Mites or SpidersEspecially during the summer we receive many calls about "spider mite" webs on shrubs. - Read More
- Spring Dead SpotThese spots can appear in warm season turf in the spring. - Read More
- Spring Warm Season Turf Scalpingis essential to healthy turf. - Read More
- Sprinkler Overthrowproblems with irrigation heads - Read More
- Stem Blightcan occur on may plants. In most cases - Read More
- Stem Cankerusually caused by fungal activity - Read More
- Sudden Dieback In Landscape PlantsCausal Agents for these sudden diebacks are varied - Read More
- Sweetgum defoliationbrown or stripped leaves may - Read More
- Top Dressing/sandingof warm season turf - Read More
- Tree and Shrub WateringTrees especially need very large amounts of water the larger they become - Read More
- Tree Leaf GallsGalls on the leaves of our trees are very common. Though they appear severe no permanent(...) - Read More
- Tree problems: Leafspots, burned leaves?When we have rainy, cool springs we see an abundance of leafspot on many of our trees,(...) - Read 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(...) - Read More
- Turf Disease: Why Do I Have It?Though it can simply be due to the weather pattern we are experiencing, improper cultrual(...) - Read More
- Verticillium WiltThis is a vascular wilt, similiar to Fusarium Wilt, that is encountered occasionally in trees(...) - Read More
- Volcano MulchingWe've all seen it! Large mounds of mulch piled up around the base of a tree in the form of a(...) - Read More
- VolesThese are small mouse like rodents that grow to 3-7 inches. Unlike moles, which are meat(...) - Read More
- Water Stresscan mimic disease. - Read More
- Watering GuidelinesUse these guidelines for correcting watering deficiencies in your turf and correctly watering(...) - Read More
- Watering guidelines for drought damaged turfHere is a quick reference to help you out! - Read More
- Watering Guidelines For Trees and ShrubsCorrect Tree and Shrub Watering is Essential for Maintaining Healthy Plants - Read More
- Watering guidelines for turfProper watering is critical. - Read More
- Webs on the shrubsare usually the result of spiders not mites. - Read More
- Weekly MowingIs An Essential Practice Especially for Warm Season Turf - Read More
- Winter patchusually occurs in warm season turf. - Read More
- Yellow Leaf Drop On MagnoliaIf you are seeing yellow leaves develop on your magnolia, do not fear. This is normal for(...) - Read More
- Yellow Leaves And Leaf Drop A Yearly OccurrenceAs we move into late July, we always see quite a lot of yellow leaves, especially on flowering(...) - Read More
- Zoysia Late Green Up ProblemsEmerald zoysia problems - Read More
- Zoysia Winter PatchThese large circles in the turf are caused by Rhizoctonia - Read More