Finding clothes with tiny little holes, or silk-like webbing? Maybe you’ve got webbing clothes moths. They tend to hide when disturbed, so you might not notice them until they’ve damaged your fabric, fur, or feathered items. They’re especially drawn to fabrics with sweat, food, or urine stains. It’s the larval form of the insect that […]
Holes in your clothes? Read More »
Snails and slugs are the bane to most gardeners. Loosely related to octopi and oysters, they glide along on their muscular foot, secreting mucus to facilitate movement, leaving their trademark glistening trail behind. With similar biology, the snail carries an external shell while slugs have evolved without one. Both are most active at night or
It’s the Slimy time of Year Read More »
With cooler damper weather comes the potential for disease in the garden. Are you seeing spots or brown soggy patches on petals of your favorite camellia blooms? It may be camellia petal blight, a fungal disease that affects all cultivars of Camellia japonica. Infection initially causes small, brown, irregularly shaped blotches in petals that enlarge
Be on the Lookout for Petal Blight Read More »
Ants on your leafy vegetables? Your fruit trees? Your house plants? They’re a prime indicator that sucking insects are feasting on your plants. There’s a group of soft-bodied insects – aphids, mealybugs, soft scale and whiteflies that feed by sucking juices from plants. Their damage can cause spotted, bleached, or curled foliage, and stunted growth.
It’s Likely More than Just Ants! Read More »
Many of us gardeners fertilize based on the calendar, but is it necessary? Do you know if the nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium levels are actually low in your soil? You can save yourself time and money by testing your soil with simple soil test kits. If you find that one of these main nutrients is
Some Thoughts about Fertilizer Read More »
It’s the best time of year for home-grown tomatoes. Your plants are loaded with fruit waiting for picking and enjoying! While harvesting the brilliant red orbs you notice some of your tomato leaves curling or rolling. What’s up with that? Time to play detective, as tomato leaf curl can be the result of a variety
Tomato leaves curling? Read More »
Gophers are one of the most destructive rodents in the garden damaging a huge array of plants including shrubs and trees. Voles, also known as meadow mice, are also a rodent pest. Moles, on the other hand, are not rodents, and while they can make a visual mess of your lawn, they are actually good
FAQs: Moles, Voles & Gophers Read More »
Got grasshoppers? During the last month there have been multiple reports of large populations of these pests covering people’s plants, especially in the Sacramento area. These sporadic garden pests can have population booms, usually every 8 to 10 years in California, sometimes lasting 1 to 3 years. The most destructive and widespread grasshopper species is
There’s a Whole Lot of Jumping Going on! Read More »
Admiring the new tender foliage on your potatoes or other edibles, you may notice pin point holes in the leaves. On closer inspection you see a tiny little black bug jump straight up! You may have some flea beetles in your veggie garden. Being less than 1/10 inch long, and jumping like fleas when disturbed,
Holes in your Vegetable Leaves? Read More »
Those leaves with the striking green and yellow marbled pattern you spy on the branch of your neighbor’s apple tree may look like a cool new designer variety, but don’t be fooled. More than likely, it’s the result of a mosaic virus. Viruses cause many important plant diseases and are responsible for huge losses in
Mosaic Virus – Good or Bad? Read More »
