You don’t need a calendar to know that it’s spring. Signs of the season abound as bulbs pierce the ground with vibrant bouquets and trees and shrubs begin to flower. New foliage erupts from the bare branches and slender stems of prized fruit trees creating visions of bountiful crops, fresh peach pie, baked pears, or […]
Curly foliage is not what you want on your peach tree! Read More »
Gorgeous roses are a wonderful addition to any garden. But throw in a few days of spring rain and voila, you might end up with nearly naked plants. This dramatic effect is likely a result of infection by either blackspot or rust, the gardener’s plague of wet spring or fall months. Effectively managing these invaders
A Dastardly Duo of Diseases that can Plague your Roses Read More »
Spring is around the corner, and there’s a whole lot of planting going on. One of the features of the winter nursery is the availability of bare root plants. Bare root plants are not actively growing plants. They’re usually dug when they’re dormant and then refrigerated until it is time to ship to the nursery
Make Plant Choices to Prevent Pests and Disease Read More »
Herbicide phytotoxicity – whew! That’s a mouthful! What is it? Phytotoxicity is injury to plants caused by chemicals like air pollutants, fertilizers, and pesticides. Herbicides aka weed killers, are designed specifically to kill plants, posing a significant risk of damaging desirable plants that are exposed these weed killers. Landscapes can be injured as a result
Unintended Consequences Read More »
Rollie pollie’s – are these good or bad? Known more commonly as pill bugs, these little crustaceans are part of Nature’s recycling team. Looking somewhat like mini armadillos, they feed on decaying materials, but sometimes they become pests when they feed on young shoots and roots, or on fruits and vegetables that lie on damp
What do blue cheese, conks, penicillin, athlete’s foot, and soy sauce have in common? Fungus! These represent both the good and the bad that come from this amazing group of living things. Neither plant nor animal, the fungi inhabit a world mostly hidden from view, the mushroom-like things popping out of the ground often the
Are those Mushrooms? Read More »
It’s the time of year that you may encounter a wonderfully weird, insect-hunting machine in your garden – a praying mantis. Named for the way they hold up the forepart of their body with its enormous front legs – like they’re praying. Ranging in size from two to four inches long, they’re masters of camouflage.
Praying Mantids in the Garden are Mostly Good Guys Read More »
It’s National Fig Week – time to recognize this popular fruit that’s actually a little bundle of tiny flowers inside a small, thin sac. Most figs grown in home gardens are called common figs with varieties like ‘Brown Turkey’ and ‘Celeste’, and they’re self-pollinators. Figs lose their leaves each year and are easy to grow.
Keep Pests Away from your Figs Read More »
Ants on your artichoke plant? Your plum tree or leafy vegetables? 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 being the most common, that feed by sucking juices from plants. The direct damage they inflict on the plant
Warm days and cool nights are happening now. These are perfect conditions for powdery mildew to thrive in the garden. This common disease is easily recognized by the talcum-powder like appearance on new and old leaves, tender new shoots, some flowers, and fruits. It affects a huge range of plants – roses, crape myrtle, sycamore,
