Euonymus scale is one of the most damaging scales in our area. It can cause defoliation and even death of many varieties of Euonymus. These scales can also affect a groundcover called Pachysandra. Euonymus scales are a small (1/8th inch)…
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…
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…
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…
Hydrangeas may not bloom for a variety of reasons. Gardeners are often disappointed when a bush that bloomed well in a previous year doesn't bloom at all the next year. While hydrangeas prefer afternoon shade during our hot summers, if…
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…
Grassy weeds in the lawn are notoriously hard to control. Since our turf grasses are grasses themselves, chemical controls are limited. A full, healthy lawn is always the first defense against weeds. Chemical control methods depend on whether the weed…
The larva of pine tip moths bore into the tip of the new candles on pines (mostly scotch and mugo pines). If you see brown tips, twist them and see if there is a hollow tunnel with a small orange…
Weeds are nearly inevitable in flowerbeds. Luckily there are multiple ways to prevent and control the problem so that your flowers can grow without competition. The first line of defense is to make sure the area is completely clean of…
Junipers often have brown growths that look a little like human brains on their needles. These are one stage of cedar-apple rust, which is a fungus. After the spring rains, the fungus will be covered in orange tentacle-like growths that…