What is your question?

Sorry Zackey, I was a bit drunk when I made this post. You have already answered me on the other post, sorry about this.

LOL! Been there!

Zackey or anyone else, are sinkholes common in Georgia? I have tried to search this myself, but the search result shows Florida sinkholes and sinkholes in Asia. maybe I used the wrong wording or something. In your area, are sinkholes mentioned? In Pa (my state) there are lots of sinkholes, but none in my neighborhood, or even my town. I do however remember one parking lot in Uniontown (near me) collapsing in the 1980's.

I never heard or saw one in Georgia. I've been here since July of 2006.

Well, That's good for you guys. As far as Georgia soil, I've just heard the popular saying "Georgia red clay". . I have been in Georgia in the past, I'd say in the early to mid nineties. It is a shame I don't remember exactly when. My husband was in boot camp at Fort Benning Ga for ( I think) 9 months. I remember seeing some orange soil, but we didn't leave the motel much on that visit, as you can imagine. When I went to Florida with some friends, the only Georgia sight seeing was getting gas and a bite to eat on the way. They went through Atlanta on one trip. That was a bit exciting for a few minutes. It was a blur of giant buildings and thick air. My mom wants to go some day to visit Sahvanna. She wants to see the old plantation homes and grounds. I think they are beautiful too, from pictures. I can't help but think of the negative painful history associated with these places, though, Plantations. But I think they are worth seeing, the oppression that once ruled there, is gone.

Where I live is nothing like where you have been. I live in the middle of a pine forest. We have been a couple hours north of here and it was pine forests all the way and a few dinky towns. I've seen red clay in one man's back yard.

Yeah, what I've seen is what is near the highways, and turnpikes. Your area sounds like where I live now, only the Pines here are eastern white pine or Scotch pine and yours are likely longleaf or the other pines with thicker needles. I was interested in Georgia for the warmer winters, and the Live oaks. I have had success with a Live oak hybrid, though. It looks just like those down south. It has survived last winter and this one so far. I am not sure I will move to Georgia for sure, but I thought I would ask some questions anyway. Your input is helpful Zackey.

How is your winter going since your last post Zackey, or anyone? We are getting -10 and -5 F Monday and Tuesday in Pa, so be glad where you are!

I am hoping to start some seeds soon. I read that you guys can plant out in April. That may well be only the zone 8 in Ga, though. In my area of Pa it is May 15 th approximately. I have an unheated greenhouse this year, so I can start seeds indoors and put in the greenhouse in early May. Sorry for invading your Ga gardening site, but you guys have more action than the Pa gardening site. I toyed around with the idea of moving to Ga, but can't leave my home of 40+ years. I wish I could afford a winter home in Ga though. Yes, your winters would be a treat to me.

Most people here plant March 1 and hope for the best. This year it wouldn't have worked. Another possible frost on Friday. I go to the Florida site alot and they don't seem to mind. I'm only 8 miles from the border.

Me again Zackey. So this winter was colder than usual, I'm guessing from you saying March 1 is usually okay. I am starting some seeds indoors. Cabbage, broccoli, W. Melon, cuke, cantelope, Lupine flowers, Delphiniums, lettuce and Okra. The Okra will be new to me, but should be the same as anything I've grown as far as difficulty. If you have grown Okra, what sort of critters (bugs) do I need to look out for? I am assuming you tried Okra, but perhaps you hate it and never grew it. Let me know either way. If you are too busy now, since you are likely actively planting now, if so no problem.

We only planted okra once and it had no bugs. I bought a red variety from Baker Creek last year I never planted and I plant the old standby. Clemson spineless. It doesn't want to be planted until it's hot outside. It should be picked often so it produces more and is tender to eat. I read to pick it at 4" long. It's like cukes, it gets away on ya.

Just to give you another perspective, I'm just across the SC/GA border by about 30 miles or so. I usually always have greens growing from seed scattered in late August or early September. They last through the winter until spring. I had such a wet summer last year that I didn't get any in on time and didn't have any this year. Bummer. My neighbors had some and theirs are all bolting now.

I've had snow peas in the ground a month and they're about 3 inches tall now. Took a couple weeks to germinate and pop out. I should have had them in on Valentine's Day or earlier. Weather...

I should have beets in the ground now, but my tractor has been in the shop so I'm running late. They can go in mid March here with lettuce and onions and cabbage type transplants.

Our average last frost date is early April sometime. I like to wait until after tax day to do any warmer season planting. Last year, I planted sweet corn and some okra in late April and it did well. I also planted more okra later and the earlier planted had larger plants which produced more pods per plant. If you space the seeds for okra by 2 or 3 feet, it gives the plants room to branch and not be a single stalk with pods on it. I had some plants with 5 or 6 branches and a main trunk of 2 or 3 inches diameter at the base. I'll be planting okra again as soon as I can after April 15. Probably drop bush beans, pole beans, squash, and cucumbers at that time as well. Never done pole beans, so looking forward to them.

As for pests on okra, I have aphids after the tips where the blossoms were. Because I have aphids, I have ants. I also have to deal with fire ants in the ground, not so much on the plants. Aphids don't get on every single plant. And if they're there, I'll just toss that pod and move to the next one. Ants are more of a bother because I think they're after the blossom leftovers. Occasionally they'll eat into a pod and get inside, but not often. Again, I'll toss those pods and move on. I see stink bugs and leaf footed bugs, but I don't think they do much harm to okra. Okra is so productive. Freezes well. Pickles well. It's expensive at produce stands and farmer's markets, so I try to grow a lot of it and share cheap with folks at work.

Sweetpotato slips will be here in mid May and I'll get them right in the ground. They're ready at the end of September. Might sneak one or two before then just to see how they're doing. They keep very well.

Hope that wasn't too much for you all at one time. :-)

Thanks for the okra tips. I only grew it one time. We grow collards, mustard, broccoli cabbage and English peas in the winter time.

Georgia has 4 distinct areas. The coastal Georgia, where Savannah and the shore is similar to lowland SC. There could possible be sink holes there as the soil is more sandy. Then there is the plains Georgia. That is where most of the cotton was grown, and I'm sure most of that soil is red clay (you don't see it unless it's stripped of vegetation. Then there is the Piedmont, which is where Atlanta Metro is. This area is at a higher elevation and more hilly. It is also more woody with pine trees. Then the mountains, the northern most part of Georgia is the beginning of the Appalachian Mountains. The movie Deliverance was filmed in the NE corner of Georgia.

If you want to see red clay, come to my house, LOL.

I have seen pics of Savannah, lots of Live oaks with Spanish moss draped over the branches. I saw a cotton field when I went with my friends to Florida. I was stretching ,my legs a bit and the cotton was already picked, but there were some stray fuzzies here and there. This was in Ga though. I saw some red clay at Fort Benning. My first husband was at boot camp there in the 90"s. You could tell Deliverance was shot in a mountainous area, I never really thought about where before. And last but not least, we drove through Atlanta before, not stopping though. A bunch of skyscrapers and humid vapory air above them.

Back in the late 70's when we moved here from St. Louis, the Chattooga River was just gaining popularity as a touristy spot to go because of the movie, but also because of the kayakers and rafters. You could drive up, park on the side of the road, meander through the woods on the beaten path and sit on the big rocks and watch them for hours. The water was calm enough below that you could wade in it and go swimming in the deeper part. By the late 80's or early 90's, there was a huge parking area with restrooms and showers and a better maintained, yet still rough, path through the woods to the rapids. They call that one Bull Sluice. You can look it up. lots of pics and probably some videos.

From the SC side to get there, you travel right through the heart of SC Apple country. It's a beautiful drive. You end up in Clayton, GA.

It's really strange how mountainous it is right there, but then you travel 30 miles south and there aren't any. I know they have to end somewhere, and that's about where it happens in this area.

I can't grow any edibles in the ground in winter here. I have an unheated little greenhouse, but unless heated, nothing will survive over winter. I have the Clemson Spineless Okra also. I started some seed in peat pellets already. I think it may have been too early. The cabbage and broccoli I started seeds in peat pellets, I may be able to plant soon. I started Cantalope, W. Melon, and cukes expecting them to take several days to germinate and to grow slow. Well they germinated the next day and are growing fast. I may have to wait and direct plant in May. I have lettuce in containers. I will keep them in the greenhouse. When cutting grass, I think in the greenhouse, I can avoid blowing grass on the plants if they are in the greenhouse. I started several flower seeds in peat pots. Canterbury bells, coleus, zinnias, petunias,snapdragons,nasturtiums,portaluca, Delphiniums and the Columbines I will direct sow. I could go on the West Virginia site, I am close to the border by about 10-12 miles (guesstimate) I have found a hybrid of Live oak that will be in it's 2nd spring in my yard. Well 3 or 4 of the seedlings made it. I am not sure how much they take after the Southern Live oak your latitude is used to though. But after the brutal winter my yard has experienced, I am happy to have had them survive. I don't know how to prepare collards and mustard greens. I tried the canned leaves of each, and am not a fan of either.