Nanette

Hot, dry and dusty are pretty typical outdoor conditions for this time of year. The last rains were months ago; late summer and early fall often features toasty daytime temperatures with low relative humidity. Most people, plants and animals don’t prefer it, but it’s ideal for pesky spider mites. More than 200 different plant species, …

These pests love hot, dry and dusty conditions Read More »

As we transition from spring to summer and temperatures climb, it’s mosquito season.  Not only are these flying pests annoying, their bite can be anywhere from mildly irritating to seriously painful.  AND they can transmit disease, so it’s a good idea to start with preventing them from breeding.  Don’t let mosquitoes breed in your yard! …

Mosquitos can be more than just a nuisance Read More »

Snails and slugs love to eat plants with tender foliage and fruit. Favorites include seedlings and plants with succulent foliage; they seriously damage basil, beans, cabbage, lettuce, and many other vegetable plants along with dahlia, delphinium, hosta and marigold.  Ripening fruits close to the ground like strawberries are easy targets. And they’ll climb trees to …

Creeping garden thugs do a lot of damage Read More »

It’s the time of the year when roses, our national flower, put on a dazzling show, cloaking plants with brilliantly colored, sweet smelling blossoms. Are your plants bedecked with perfectly formed flowers, or by chance do you see what way too many gardeners do come June, roses with petals that resemble Swiss cheese, young buds …

The weevil of rose destruction Read More »

First you see them, then you don’t. Those glossy new leaves that cloaked the branches on your dwarf fruit tree seemed to disappear overnight! Same with the succulent mahogany-colored foliage on your prize rose plant, and the prickly leathery leaves on a large chunk of your California live oak.  What’s up with that?  Even your …

Foliage-feeding Caterpillars Read More »