Q: Our very shaded home is prone to mildew on the siding. We noticed odd squiggling lines, about a half-inch thick, that appeared on the front porch walls starting at the floor and going up to about a foot. After weeks of ruminating on what it could be, we caught squirrels licking the walls! — Jane Maxwell, Decatur
A: Squirrels are not the brightest creatures. I've seen their mastications on aluminum wire, brick mortar, plastic buckets and gas cans! I'll add your experience to my list of dumb things they chew or lick.
Q: We recently bought some property that was formerly a hayfield. Our fruit and shade trees are being eaten alive by various pests. Is there a way to treat the entire property to keep these bugs off my trees and lawn? — Larry Kornstadt, Helen
A: The key to insect control is to first identify the bugs and recognize what damage, small or large, they cause. For instance, fall webworm is easy to recognize and to understand how little damage it really does. Your best reference for insect and damage identification is your local Extension office (1-800-ASKUGA1). Use a camera phone or digital camera to take pictures of what you want to identify and send to them.
Q: Someone has "borrowed" my Audubon Guide to Wildflowers. Can you recommend a smartphone app for identifying wildflowers? — Susan Vaughn, email
A: I don't know about smartphone apps that include the entire nation but the University of Georgia's Mickey Cummings designed an excellent reference for North Georgia native plants. More information at bit.ly/nativesapp.
Q: If I plant a gallon-sized Leyland cypress, will it grow more quickly and match the size of a five-gallon plant in a relatively short period of time? — Megan Brasington, email
A: I think the answer is, "It depends." If the smaller plant has an immature root system, having only been in the pot a few months, the bigger one will grow larger faster. On the other hand, if the larger shrub is root-bound in its pot, it will slowly take off and might stay the same size for a couple of years while a healthy smaller one zooms past it.
You’ll have to pull the plants out of their pots to compare the root systems. If the root mass seems to fill the pot without circling and doesn’t have a hard, dense mat of roots inside the pot enclosure, that’s a healthy plant. If two healthy plants of different sizes are planted side-by-side, the larger one will be the winner for a few years. But, after growing for five to 10 years, I doubt you’ll be able to spot much difference.
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