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…
Henbit and Chickweed
Henbit and chickweed are two weeds with very similar lifecycles and methods for control. While they can show up in shrub beds, they are more of a concern in the lawn. Henbit is the showier of the two with obvious…
Pine Wilt Nematode
This devastating disease is a large factor in the mass die-off of pine trees in our area. Caused by a microscope worm in the vascular system of the tree, this disease is moved from pine to pine by the Pine…
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…
Controlling Spiders
Spiders can be beneficial in many situations since they eat a host of other insects. Unfortunately, some are also very venomous to humans, and they are also unwelcome indoors and around our landscapes where we might run into their webs.…
Winterizing Lawns
Fall is the best time to fertilize fescue lawns. During the fall, fescue grass uses fertilizer to develop a stronger root system and store energy for the following year. A lawn properly fed in the fall will be healthier and…
Sun Scald
Wrap the trunks of newly planted maples during the winter months to prevent sunscald. Sun-scald occurs in the winter when the sun heats the bark on the southwest side of a tree, the tissue breaks dormancy, then when the sun…