Summer is here and so are annoying wasps. Yellowjackets are the most common – those one-half to one-inch-long bright yellow wasps with black strips and their signature “narrow” waist. Yellowjackets prey on other insects and scavenge on human food and garbage. They will fiercely defend their nests – in holes in the ground, inside wall […]
Watch Out for Yellowjackets! Read More »
Many gardeners fertilize their yard based on the calendar rather than what is actually needed by the plant. Do you know if the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (main nutrients in fertilizer) levels are actually low? You can save yourself time and money by testing your soil with simple test kits. When you know what is
Before you fertilize ….. Read More »
National Pollinator Week, this year June 19 – 25, is an annual event celebrated internationally in support of pollinator health. It’s a time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them. Pollinator Week was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership, and fifteen years ago the U.S. Senate’s
It’s National Pollinator Week! Read More »
The saying goes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you’ve seen a toad ambling around your garden, most likely, beauty isn’t the first thing that comes to your mind. Many think these bumpy, jumpy, lumpy-looking creatures are just plain ugly. Yet they’re incredibly beneficial creatures – a toad or two in
Toads in the garden are a good thing Read More »
With more than 70 inches of rainfall recorded on Mt. Tamalpais this season, the deluge may be more than some yards can handle. Did you experience torrents of water pouring off your roof and pooling around your treasured shade trees? Puddles spotting your lawn or ponding in your veggie garden? Why is too much of
Too much of a good thing Read More »
It may seem early in the season for mosquitos, but one of the wettest years in history has left standing water across the area, creating perfect conditions for these pesky insects to develop. Stagnant water creates havens for disease-spreading mosquitoes, and mosquito experts are concerned this could be a long and intense mosquito season. These
Keep those pesky mosquitoes away Read More »
The incredibly wet winter behind us, though you may now be dealing with some of its impacts. Time to get ahead of the curve with preventing pest problems:
After the Wet Weather Read More »
Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. This video highlights a news broadcast on the first Earth Day more than 50 years ago. While the message is bleak for the time, the good news is that a lot of progress has been
Earth Day is Almost Here! Read More »
Beneficial insects aka natural enemies or good bugs are predators that help control pests. Some common ones you’re likely to see in the spring garden include: Green lacewings – recognizable with their slender pale green body, delicate gossamer wings and immense golden eyes. The adult consumes only pollen and nectar; it’s the young form that
Look for the Garden Good Guys Read More »
What happens when you combine mild weather, a rain that lasts for a day or two and rapidly growing plants fighting for space? Nature has provided perfect growing conditions for the disease rust. One of the most common fungal diseases of garden plants, there are thousands of different species of rust that infect trees, shrubs,
It’s perfect weather for rust Read More »
