Seeing mounds of soil, or open holes in your grass or flowerbeds? Could be a gopher, a vole or a mole. They all create tunnels and are active underground, but what they eat and the damage they cause varies. They all improve the soil by aerating it and mixing nutrients, but sometimes their habits get …
Got roses? They’re at the peak of bloom right now. Hopefully, they’re free of the ugly disease called rust, that loves the cool, moist morning temperatures. This fungal disease is easy to identify – look for orange, powdery pustules on the undersides of leaves. Early in the season they’re yellow to light orange, with the …
It’s National Strawberry month – get ready to celebrate with some strawberry shortcake! One of the delights of spring is filling a bowl with vibrant red, juicy strawberries from the garden. These easy to grow delicious fruits can sometimes be bothered by pests, though most are easy to manage. As fruit develops, watch for signs …
One of the unwanted visitors to the spring garden arrives just about now. That mass of tiny pests that cloak the new growth on your roses, elderberries, viburnums, or peach trees are at best an unsightly nuisance and at worst, creatures that can damage tender new growth on plants and spread disease. They’re aphids! Aphid …
When homeowners spot a small animal scurrying across the kitchen floor or digging in the yard, they may wonder if they have a problem with voles or mice. Both of these rodents are five to eight inches long and have gray or brown fur; voles are stockier than mice with shorter tails, larger eyes, and …
Have some houseplants that seem to be looking a little pale or notice some sticky stuff on your orchid? Take a closer look at your indoor greens and you may find something more than dust. If you see fluffy white material like tiny pieces of cotton nestled in the cracks and crevices of plant stems …
Enjoying your houseplants but noticing some small flies zipping around the soil? They may be fungus gnats. These dark, delicate-looking flies look similar to mosquitoes. They’re attracted to light, so you first might notice these pests flying near windows indoors. Check your plant pots. If the soil in the pots is overly moist, fungus gnat …
It’s National Spinach Month, and a good time to consider growing your own little crop of greens. This easy to grow plant is generally seeded directly into the ground, and not transplanted. Check out this video on planting and harvesting spinach. While the featured yard is in zone 5 versus our Marin zone 9, all …
Fall is a busy time for tree squirrels as they comb their environment for food to store for the winter. While they can be fun to watch, they can also be a real nuisance for bird feeders and the garden in general. They feed on a variety of fruits, nuts, and other crops and plants, …
Summer brings the peak of yummy fruit – plums, peaches, berries, apples and of course, tomatoes. These are some of the favored foods of rats, so be sure to clean up the garden if you’ve got any falling to the ground. Learn more about controlling these pesky critters without poison!
