Fungus Gnats
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…
Hot Gardens
There are lots of challenging conditions in landscaping and gardening. One of the most challenging is extreme heat. This condition can be created in areas surrounded sides by concrete and asphalt, or by buildings reflecting heat off their south or…
Dry Shade Gardens
There are lots of challenging conditions in landscaping and gardening. One of the most challenging is dry shade. These areas are generally caused by large shade trees which can easily out-compete smaller plants for water and nutrients. They can also…
Avoiding Transplant Shock in New Plant Material
It's exciting to add new plants to the landscape, so it's especially disappointing when they fail to thrive or even die. These poor outcomes can often be avoided by reducing transplant shock. Transplant shock is often related to the disturbance…
Tree Roots in the Lawn
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…
Uniform Holes in Tree Trunks
While many homeowners are aware of the damage boring insects can do to trees, they may be less familiar with the uniform holes of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. This bird is a woodpecker that feeds primarily on the sap of trees…
Mushrooms in the Lawn
Mushrooms that appear in grassy areas rarely do damage to turfgrass. They can be unsightly however and fairy-ring mushrooms, in particular, can create a darker green ring in the grass where they are actively growing. Since many mushrooms are also…
Attracting Beneficial/Predatory Insects
In bird, butterfly, and organic vegetable gardens, chemicals are often not an option if a pest problem arises. One solution is to attract or buy beneficial or predatory insects. These insects can naturally reduce pest populations. The most common example…
Scale Incects
Scale Insects are a wide variety of insects that don't move as adults, have some kind of covering for their bodies, and feed on the sap of plants. There are two main categories of scales, soft and armored (or hard)…
Controlling Ants
While ants are a natural part of the environment and can even help loosen soils and make them more fertile, often they are huge pests that can get into our houses or move aphids around on our garden plants. Ants…