Grrrrr – while merrily tending my roses, I’ve come across another victim of the dreaded beast – the gopher. If this is not one of the gardening challenges you face, you can stop reading now. Since I live in gopher heaven, each season I have to deal with the damage from this voracious pest. And […]
Traps are the Most Reliable Way to Manage Gophers Read More »
There’s a whole lot of buzzing going on – bees are busy doing their thing, zipping from flower to flower, moving pollen from one to the other, bringing the promise of plump peaches, tasty tomatoes, and humdinger zucchini. There are also ones that might be drilling little holes in the eaves of your roof or
A Bee or Not a Bee, that is the Question Read More »
With the significant rainfall of the past three winters, 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 this precious stuff a
Too much of a good thing Read More »
Noticed any branches of your pear or apple trees that look like they’ve been torched or scorched? Might be a case of fire blight, a nasty bacterial disease. It most frequently affects pome fruit trees (apples and pears) and related plants – crabapple, ornamental pear, pyracantha, and quince. Infections may appear scattered throughout the crown
Could it be Fire Blight? Read More »
With the wet winter weather behind us, 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 »
The main benefits a layer of mulch on your vegetable or flower beds can provide include: Not sure what to use? If possible, choose an organic material that adds nutrients to the soil as it breaks down. Check out this information on a wide variety of mulch materials to find one that will work for
Mulch gives you a big bang for your buck! Read More »
The bane of many gardeners, especially rose-growing ones, is the gopher. While this voracious pest loves roses, they’re not fussy – in fact, there aren’t a lot they DON’T like! The pocket gopher is named for the external, fur-lined cheek pouches the critters use to carry food to their storage area. Their exposed chisel-like teeth
If you have some new seedling coming up, and some seem to be clipped off right at the soil level, it may be cutworms. These pests feed on blossoms and leaves of many ornamental plants and attack most edible garden crops, clipping off seedling stems near or just below the soil level. A few species
Be on the lookout for cutworms Read More »
Pesticides are widely used in our homes and gardens, from sprays for ornamental plants that are toxic to birds and bees. Don’t assume these products are safe simply because they are for sale. Neonicotinoids—now the most widely used insecticides—are found in hundreds of products including insect sprays, seed treatments, soil drenches, tree injections, and veterinary
Did you know that ticks can live in backyards and neighborhoods? If you’re living near natural areas (such as open fields, parks, or urban hiking trails) it’s a good idea to learn how to avoid ticks at home. Ticks are found outdoors in brushy, wooded areas on plants, rocks, logs, and in leaves and twigs
Create a tick-safe environment Read More »
