Like many who lost tomato plants to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Plant a diversity of tomato varieties to reduce the possibility of disease. Like many gardeners who lost their tomato crop to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet. The most important thin…
Gardener’s Supply has created a free interactive tool that makes it easier for gardeners to identify pest and disease problems, and determine effective, earth-friendly solutions. The tomato hornworm. Learn more about this foe in our Pest and Disease Detective. Late blight was a major problem for gardeners in 2009. The 2009 growing season presented home gardeners with some of the worst pest and disease problems in recent memory. For the m…
…re it’s also transmitted by wood ticks), this bacterial disease occurs more often in central and southeastern states. Initial symptoms are usually headache and fever, with a spotty rash appearing a few days later. About 2,500 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever are reported each year; although it can make you feel very sick and complications can occur if left untreated, fewer than one in 200 cases are fatal. In contrast, almost 30,000 ca…
When aphids strike your houseplants, it’s fairly easy to gain control. Aphids suck the juice out of tender leaves, flowers, buds and stems, leaving sticky residue and discarded exoskeletons. Stickiness. Uh-oh. Tropical houseplants jostle for space under the grow lights in my basement from October to May, waiting for the summer warmth to return. Like any population living in a crowded, unnatural environment, these plants are pron…
White-nose syndrome (WNS) has decimated the bat population in the eastern U.S. since 2006. There are no solutions yet, but there are reasons for hope. Nina Fascione, executive director of Bat Conservation International, gives an update on the disease. Little brown bats with white-nose syndrome. Photo courtesy Nancy Heaslip, New York Department of Environmental Conservation White-nose syndrome (WNS) has decimated the bat population in the…
…mes and foliage and check for potential problems. The main trouble I’m looking for is iris borer. The grubs of this moth tunnel through iris rhizomes and allow disease to enter, which often kills the plant. The grubs grow to 1 to 1-1/2” length in midsummer, then leave the rhizome to pupate in the soil. Signs of iris borer infestation include watery streaks down the leaves, sawdust around the rhizomes, and foliage wilt. For more information on th…
5 Steps to Creating Resilient Gardens and Landscapes Record-breaking droughts, floods and wildfires, as well as outbreaks of diseases and insects, have taken their toll on garden and landscape plants nationwide. Although it’s impossible to fully insulate your gardens and landscape against damage, there are steps you can take to rejuvenate affected plantings and build more resiliency into your plantings. Embrace Diversity and Avoid Monoc…
This combination features New Guinea impatiens, a type of impatiens that is not affected by the disease. Featured plants: Infinity White New Guinea impatiens, variegated sweet flag (Acorus gramineus), white licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare) and Green spice heuchera. Photos: Courtesy of Proven Winners Have you heard about the new disease that’s wiping out impatiens across the country? Known as “impatiens downy mildew,” it…
…mal DNA. Many Americans are concerned about the negative effects of GMO use on the agricultural economy and small-scale and organic farming. Surveys show a wide majority of Americans support mandatory labeling. At least 21 countries and the European Union have established some form of mandatory labeling. Mandatory labeling will allow consumers to identify food products they want to avoid. So why not label? Well, here are some of the argu…
…asters grow abundantly and in so many climates makes them a good choice for low-maintenance, native plant, and butterfly gardens. Luckily for gardeners everywhere, European plant breeders took asters across the Atlantic about 100 years ago and developed scads of cultivars and hybrids with tidier habits and improved flower characteristics. They gave us old favorites like lavender-blue Professor Kippenburg and Monch, and bright-rose Alma Potschke….