Tomatoes are a robust crop that not only makes for an attractive plant but provides a tasty controversy. However, whether you’re in the fruit (berry) or vegetable camp, one thing everyone can agree on is that tomato plants tend to attract infestations. While not as deadly as tomato worms, Aphids can be a frustrating problem … Read more
Every home garden area in the United States harbors, on average, some 10,000 to 20,000 individual insect pests during the summer. This is more understandable when we consider that one single insect egg hatching on a tree can multiply into millions of insects within a few months or that one pair of insects can produce … Read more
Spider mites are one of the most common pests to affect Calathea plants. These tiny intruders are arachnids, yet as with insect pests, vigilance is your best defense against them. It’s important to know what to look for and then look out for signs of Calathea spider mites. In this article, we will review the signs … Read more
Among the many different kinds of organisms known to cause plant diseases, nematodes or eelworms are the least known to gardeners. They are, nevertheless, important disease-producers, and are frequently the cause of stunted growth, leaf might, and, occasionally, even death of many economic crops, trees, shrubs, and ornamentals. Small Size of Nematodes One reason why … Read more
Lilies are hardy plants that are relatively easy to grow. But some, several diseases and pests can present challenges to that goal. Aphids Aphids are a common pest of many plants; unfortunately, lilies are no exception. They reproduce rapidly in the spring then the offspring begin to feed on any plant nearby. Their tiny bodies … Read more
African violets are subject to several pests and diseases. However, growing Saintpaulias in sterilized soil and regular cleaning will help you avoid trouble. New plants should always be isolated from older plants for three or four weeks. Crown Rot Crown rot, a systemic disorder, strikes most often during the summer when days are hot and … Read more
There’s good news in the war on garden pests: the struggle grows easier by the season. Thanks to recent improvements in spraying and dusting equipment, you can go forward to battle assured of winning with a minimum of effort. New designs make garden spraying and dusting practically a push-button job. And even if you are … Read more
May is the vegetable grower’s busiest month for most parts of the country. The seeds of the early hardy crops that were sown a month or so ago will have germinated and made sufficient growth to be thinned out—an operation which cannot be postponed without disastrous results. And as the ground warms up and the … Read more
The colorful array of pesticides in cans, packages, bombs, or bottles seen in horticultural supply and hardware stores must be confusing to the average gardener—perhaps even frightening. In addition to the problem of choosing the right one for his particular trouble, he must also wonder about all the warnings and precautions printed on the labels. … Read more
Several readers share how they handled their most serious pests in the garden. Charlotte Parrish We moved into our new village home right after the lawn had been turned over, graded, seeded, and thousands of bulbs planted in the beds. Ground moles from miles around moved in the same day. During the night, we could … Read more