Are Your Milkweeds Going to Seed?Do you want to Harvest the Seed?If not, don’t worry about it! If so, Protect the Seed! The Milkweed Bug Oncopeltus fasciatus. You will see that orange-red and black six-legged critter on your milkweeds this time of year. They are herbivores but highly specialized. Like the pickiest eater you know, they only eat one type of food, milkweeds. You will never see them on your tomatoes, squash, or roses, so do not fear the milkweed bug! They do not bite or sting and will never chase you down. They are used as research insects because they are so docile and easy to manipulate. Their only “natural” predator is a gardener with a hose. Since they have no other natural predators, you’ll notice they’ve never learned to escape quickly so you can pick them off. There is no need for chemical assault, not to mention the…
Category: Gardening in Gwinnett
SE Gwinnett Co-op Garden Presentation Oct 2021
Co-op Planting Chart Co-op Planting Dates Vegetable Companion Plants Vegetable Planning Chart Vegetable Soil Temp-Seed Germination Chart Presentation
Gwinnett Hardiness Zone & Frost Dates
Hardiness ZoneThe purpose of the USDA Hardiness Zones map is for growers and gardeners to determine which plants will tolerate the area’s climatic conditions. The map’s basis is the minimum extreme temperature that can potentially occur, which is divided into 14 separate zones across the country. Gwinnett County is in Zone 7b, meaning that the winter temperatures could drop to five to 10 degrees, although the occurrence is quite rare. Zone 7b is too far north for some plants, such as citrus plants, which prefer the hardiness zones in Central and Southern Florida. Georgia’s coastal counties are in zone 8b, meaning the temperature could drop to as low as 15 to 20 degrees. Plants that thrive on the coast and the rest of South Georgia, such as oleanders and sago palms, could suffer in our zone during an extreme cold weather event. Most plants for sale at local garden centers…