Tree roots on the surface of the soil can often be unsightly and make mowing and maintaining a uniform lawn difficult. Homeowners often want to know if they can cut them off without damaging the tree. Unfortunately, the answer is…
Fungus Gnats are tiny insects that live in the soil of houseplants. Their larva feed on plant roots and the adults can be a nuisance when they fly around the plants. However, they don't bite humans. They are fairly easy…
Deciding to overseed your existing lawn or scrap the entire thing and start from scratch can be a difficult decision. Usually, if less than 50% of the lawn is grass, then you want to start from scratch. Late summer and…
It's exciting to add new plants to the landscape, so it's disappointing when they fail to thrive or even die. Avoid these poor outcomes by reducing transplant shock. Transplant shock is often related to the disturbance of the roots of…
Grasshoppers are a major pest on a variety of plants. They will eat the new growth of grass and also love sweet potato vines, dracaena, and almost every other garden plant. There are many different species of grasshoppers. They lay…
Grubworms are the larval form of various beetles, the Masked Chaffer being the most damaging in Kansas. When the grubs are at their largest in late summer they can do considerable damage to lawns by eating the roots of the…
Spider mites are very small, so they can’t be seen with the naked eye, but they can cause a lot of damage. The first sign of their presence is pale, dirty-looking patches of foliage. The simplest way to confirm their…
Fall Armyworm is the caterpillar form of a moth. They don't overwinter in Kansas but migrate from Mexico and the Southern States. The females lay eggs in large clusters, and the caterpillars hatch and feed together, migrating in search of…
Annuals may not bloom for a variety of reasons. If your petunias or geraniums suddenly quit blooming, the first thing to check for is budworms. These small green caterpillars that will eat the blooms before the buds even open. Million bells…
