Ants marching up and down the trunk of an otherwise healthy-looking fruit tree? Branches or stems that look bumpy and shiny, as if coated with sugar water? These clues often point to a scale insect infestation. Click here to learn more about managing scale.
Scale Insects on Fruit Trees Read More »
Peach leaf curl is a common fungal disease affecting peach and nectarine trees, causing distorted, thickened, reddish leaves in spring. The good news is that it can be effectively managed using low-toxicity, preventative methods that focus on timing, tree health, and minimal intervention. Understanding Peach Leaf Curl Least Toxic Treatment Methods Cultural and Preventative Practices
Distorted Leaves on your Peach Tree? May be Peach Leaf curl Read More »
“Rats everywhere!” read a recent NextDoor headline, followed by nearly a hundred frustrated homeowner comments. These days, it seems everyone has a rat story—from costly car repairs caused by chewed wiring to missing bird seed, gnawed garden produce, and unwelcome droppings in garages. One thing is clear: rat activity is on the rise, and it’s
In Marin, It Is Always Rat Season Read More »
Winter is an important time for home gardeners to reduce pest and disease problems before the next growing season begins. Good garden sanitation during the dormant months can greatly limit the number of insects, pathogens, and weeds that survive to cause trouble in spring. Many common garden pests overwinter in plant debris. Insects such as
Clean-up Now to Prevent Spring Problems Read More »
Along with the first rains of the season arrive, comes the potential for botrytis – a disease that can turn lush rose blooms into a brown, soggy mush. This wide-spread disease is also known as botrytis blight, bud rot, gray mold, wooly mold and when growing on grapes, the “noble rot” where it can either
A Rainy Season Blight for your Roses Read More »
Think before you spray. It sounds good, and makes sense relative to using pesticides. But what does it really mean? In a nutshell, it means that when you have a pest problem, understand what you’re trying to manage before you take action. Know what the pest is, determine how much damage you can tolerate from
Think before you spray Read More »
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,
If you’ve grown tomatoes for a few years, chances are you use plants known to be free of and resistant to two common deadly fungal diseases, fusarium and verticillium wilt. But did you know that the blackened branch on a prized Japanese maple, towering ash, or verdant pepper tree may be the result of infection
Are Your Tomatoes Wilting? 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 »
