Alfredo Martinez, Extension Plant Pathologist and Clint Waltz, Extension Turfgrass Specialist Adapted from original manuscript prepared by Drs. E.A. Brown, Retired UGA Extension Plant Pathologist and G. Landry, Retired UGA Extension Agronomist
Failure to green-up in the spring or successful green-up followed by decline and death in late spring and summer is a problem that can be encountered in centipedegrass-growing areas. Centipedegrass is subject to a condition called “centipedegrass decline.”
Many factors may contribute to this problem. It is important to be aware of these factors so that preventive and/or corrective steps can be taken. This problem can be prevented by proper management, which includes avoiding over-fertilization, preventing thatch accumulation, irrigating during drought stress (particularly in the fall), and maintaining a mowing height of 1 to 1.5 inches.
This is a good blueberry year. The rain we had in the early spring and the cold winter temperatures helped make the berries plump and delicious. They are fun to snack on as you work in the garden and fun to take home for later.
Many gardeners are frustrated when the birds get to the berries first. One recommendation is to put netting over the plants. This is not a perfect solution as it makes it hard for you to harvest the blueberries. And, it is extremely sad to deal with a bird caught in netting. Some gardeners tie aluminum pie pans to the bushes. The sun reflecting off of the pan and movement of the pans with wind can help deter birds. Experienced gardeners will advise to just keep the bushes picked. As soon as the berries are ripe harvest them; don’t leave the blueberries on the bushes ripe for very long. This seems to be an invitation for birds.
Now that you have an abundance of delicious berries what can you do?
Best defense against the birds – keep the blueberry bushes picked!
To store them frozen, freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. After they have frozen, pack the berries in containers or freezer-type plastic bags and return them to the freezer. You can take them out of the containers a few at a time. Wash the berries just before you use them. This way you can enjoy blueberry muffins and cobblers all winter! You can also put up some blueberry jam. Canning supplies are found in some big box stores as well as many local hardware stores. Preserving Food: Jams and Jellies has great information for the beginning jam maker, including a berry jam recipe.
For summer eating, nothing is as good as a Blueberry Crisp. This recipe is from a Cobb County Master Gardener Volunteer, Beth St. Jean, and is published in Farm to Table which is a collection of recipes from the Master Gardeners of Cobb County. It is the perfect use for blueberries!
Blueberry Crisp
3 T all-purpose flour
2 T granulated sugar
6 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup brown sugar
2/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Stir together in a large bowl the flour and sugar. Gently toss in blueberries and lemon juice. Spread berry mixture in bottom of ungreased baking dish. Set aside. To prepare the topping, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle mixture evenly over the berry mixture. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbly. After cooling for 45 minutes, may be served with ice cream on top!
If you don’t have blueberries in your community garden yet, we will discuss how to do that in a later post closer to the appropriate planting time. Meanwhile, know that your local UGA Extension Agent can help you with any blueberry plant questions or problems.
Do things seem really dry where you are? How much should you water your lawn or irrigate your crops? There are a number of commercial products out there that can help you determine this, but one simple method that is available for free is the Lawn and Garden Moisture Index, a daily map put out by the Alabama State Climatologist based on estimated rainfall from radar. This map tells you whether your lawn and garden have enough moisture or if more needs to be added. This is one of a number of useful products available on AgroClimate.org, a website developed by the Southeast Climate Consortium, a group of eight universities around the Southeast.
This map shows the areas with surplus water in greens (no need to water or irrigate there) and areas with a water deficit in oranges and reds. The darkest red areas are almost 2 inches short of water, including a large portion of Georgia. If this situation continues, then the Drought Monitor is likely to add D0, abnormally dry conditions, to the next weekly Drought Monitor map. Areas with deficits of an inch or more should be irrigated to help alleviate the dry conditions and keep lawns and gardens healthy.
Carpenter ants are so-called because of their habit of chewing wood to create nest sites. They do not eat wood, like termites, but they excavate it with their strong, saw-like jaws to create random galleries where they nest. Carpenter ants are also a nuisance because of their abundance and large size. Finding Nests Is Key to Eliminating Carpenter Ants
Common lespedeza in a centipedegrass lawn. Photo by Patrick McCullough.
This weed is common lespedeza. To learn about is biology and control, see this publication by Patrick McCullough, UGA Extension Weed Specialist. This information is taken from his publication.
Common lespedeza (Kummerowia striata (Thunb.) Schind syn. Lespedeza striata) is a freely-branched summer annual legume that is a problem weed in lawns and other turf areas. Common lespedeza, also known as Japanese clover or annual lespedeza, has three smooth, oblong leaflets with parallel veins that are nearly perpendicular to the midvein
Common lespedeza woody stems in late summer. Photo by P. McCullough.
As common lespedeza matures, the stems harden and become woody, which is attributed to persistence and competition with turfgrasses in late summer
Flowers are pink to purple and present in the leaf axils. Other lespedeza species may also be found as weeds in turf but common lespedeza is the primary species in Georgia.
Leaf of common lespedeza. Photo by Patrick McCullough
