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 »
Are your roses sporting new leaves that glisten in the sunlight and are slightly sticky to the touch? See a trail of ants crawling up the trunk of your plum tree? How about powdery black stuff on your camellia bush or the garden furniture next to it? All are indicators that sucking insects may have
The Sucking Pests of Spring Read More »
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
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Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a science-based decision-making process that combines tools and strategies to identify and manage pests. It’s not one specific action or tactic; it is the combination of all actions that reduce the impact of pests while minimizing negative effects on the environment. In addition to its primary purpose of reducing numbers
What is IPM and why use it? Read More »
Rust is one of the most common fungal diseases of garden plants, there are thousands of different species that infect trees, shrubs, ferns, perennials, edibles and more, like pear, peach, and pine, rhododendrons, roses, chrysanthemums, fuchsias, geraniums, lilies, and snapdragons. Rusts have been a scourge to humans for centuries, impacting important food and fiber crops
Prevent rust from getting established in your yard Read More »
With cooler damper weather comes the potential for disease in the garden. Are you seeing spots or brown soggy patches on petals of your favorite camellia blooms? It may be camellia petal blight, a fungal disease that affects all cultivars of Camellia japonica. Infection initially causes small, brown, irregularly shaped blotches in petals that enlarge
Be on the Lookout for Petal Blight Read More »
Thursday, September 22 is the autumnal equinox, astronomically the day when the sun crosses the celestial equator heading south. From this point until the first day of winter, days will get shorter. The time of the year usually ushers in cooler weather, which is a good reminder to start cleaning up the garden. Referred to
End of Season Garden Cleanup Read More »
It’s the best time of year for home-grown tomatoes. Your plants are loaded with fruit waiting for picking and enjoying! While harvesting the brilliant red orbs you notice some of your tomato leaves curling or rolling. What’s up with that? Time to play detective, as tomato leaf curl can be the result of a variety
Tomato leaves curling? Read More »
Those leaves with the striking green and yellow marbled pattern you spy on the branch of your neighbor’s apple tree may look like a cool new designer variety, but don’t be fooled. More than likely, it’s the result of a mosaic virus. Viruses cause many important plant diseases and are responsible for huge losses in
Mosaic Virus – Good or Bad? Read More »
