Avoid using mulches and clean up any debris around plants to eliminate shelter for squash bugs. Practicing crop rotation can greatly reduce their numbers as well. However, rotations will not completely keep squash bugs from showing up because of their…
Arbors date back to early Egyptian and Roman gardens and were used throughout Europe by the late 16th century. The term arbor, or arbour, is an English word, believed to be derived from the Old French herbere or Anglo-French herbe, meaning herb or grass. Residential…
Get the Weeds Out While They Are Young Summer Weed Management Strategies Now is the time when those pesky weeds are really coming up full force in many gardens around the state, particularly if you have had rain in your…
A few spruce trees and other evergreens are showing some browning needles. Needles behind the new growth and truck will shed, this is natural. With the unseasonable drought, heat, wet, and cold that we have experienced over the past several…
In the upcoming weeks, be on the look for cucumber beetles because they are a difficult pest to manage. Several cultural practices can be applied to prevent infestations from becoming severe. At planting time, you can place mulch around cucurbits…
Rhubarb plants will occasionally send up seed stalks with flowers in the middle of the plants. These stalks can occur due to natural maturity of the plants. Some varieties of rhubarb are more likely to flower than others. Victoria is…
June bugs, also known as the June beetle or May beetle are flying around, can cause damage to many landscape plants and be a pest to the home gardener. June bugs are scarab beetles. These pests appear roughly around late…
Properly placed trees can add value to your property. They can provide shade to keep cooling costs down in the summer and provide a windbreak to keep heating costs down in the winter. Trees can provide privacy and year-round interest…
In the case of tree leaves turning brown, curling up, and falling off, leaf scorch may be the likely culprit. The obvious signs of leaf scorch are yellow and brown-like color changes on the tips and ends of tree leaves.…
Dandelions are the number one weed that everyone has fought to get rid of this weed at one time or another. And, right now we are in the middle of dandelion bloom season. They are very adaptable to the types…
Breathe New Life into Your Patio with a Group of Container Gardens Plants in containers have small footprints but make a big, beautiful impression. They’re a welcome sight at a front door, bring life to a back patio, and can…
The emerald ash borer is a threat to all the ash trees in our state. None of our native ash have any resistance to this insect and once attacked, unless insecticides treatments are started within a year or two, the…
Old farm equipment adds a rustic touch to decor for the backyard, garden, front porch — or even inside, in moderation. Everything from wagon wheels to a wooden wheelbarrow may be repurposed into decor around the garden; in some cases,…
Readers have asked for advice on planting a deer-proof garden. In a word: plastic. However, when it comes to real, living plants, “deer-proof” is not a realizable goal. The best we can hope for is to come up with a…
Castor Bean, Ricinus communis With oversized, tropical-looking leaves and bizarre seed pods, castor bean is an exotic addition to the ornamental garden. The only member of the genus, Ricinus communis is in the Spurge Family (Euphorbiaceae). The word ricinus is…