Forget toxic sprays and chemical foggers that leave your family breathing harsh fumes. The secret most gardening experts won’t tell you is that nature has already created the perfect mosquito
It is a painful irony that one of the very spectacular hardy shrubs is poisonous to most people. This is poison sumac, one of the most brilliant native plants of
Japanese Beetles, like “the man who came to dinner,” stay too long and eat too much. They are the world’s greatest freeloaders for four to six weeks during the peak
The bush bindweed (Convolvulus cneorum), a morning glory from the Mediterranean, is one of the best-loved small shrubs in Pacific Coast gardens. It is cherished for its wealth of bloom,
Nematodes, or microscopic eelworms, are rapidly assuming the role of Public Enemy Number One among the organisms that cause plant diseases. Last year, they seriously damaged one out of every
The name of this powerful insecticide is Ethion. This may surprise some gardeners, as this material first appeared 10 years ago to control mites. In the intervening years, it has
Systemic insecticides may soon drastically change our present pest-control practices. These chemicals are absorbed either through the roots or leaves of actively growing plants in sufficient amounts to kill insects
Last winter, I brought one of the frothy egg masses of the praying mantis into the greenhouse. Within three weeks, 100 wee mantes emerged from foam, each with an appetite
The development of systemic pesticides for commercial use is progressing rapidly. These are chemicals that can be absorbed by a plant and transported throughout its tissues in an active form.
Garden pest control is never wholly monotonous. Spraying may be routine but there are always seasonal problems to keep us awake even in lazy August. By then, we have to