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Pollinators
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Date Posted: Sat, Mar 26 - 12:31 am
- What can I do to keep white butterflies from my garden plants that need pollinators, such as squash.
- Hello there, The white butterflies you're referring to, are those active now in your garden? If so, those are cabbage white butterflies. The larvae of those butterflies tend to feed on cabbage, collards, kale and some other greens (Brassica family of plants). If you want to keep them away from these crops, fine netting is your best bet. The butterflies lay eggs underneath the host plant's leaves. The larvae are caterpillars whose coloring closely matches the host plant. They are voracious eaters so it's good to check the plants under the net to be sure none have escaped your notice. If you're looking to be sure to have pollinators for your squash plants be sure to plant a variety of herbs, flowers, shrubs and trees in your yard. Using native flowers and shrubs will provide pollen and nectar. Native shrubs and trees also provide shelter and nesting materials for bees and other beneficial insects. A variety of flower color and shape will attract a wider variety of pollinators. I hope I have answered your question. if not, please reach out again. Best of luck with your garden.
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Low-maintenance ground cover
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Date Posted: Wed, Mar 16 - 4:44 pm
- Do you have any suggestions for low maintenance, year-round plants to fill a small area (6ft x 2.5ft, not much depth) on a steep 45-degree hill in partial sun? Ivy was previously growing here but we are looking for a change. Thanks!
- Hello there, Good idea to get rid of the ivy!!! Since you're dealing with a slope you'll need a plant that's useful for erosion control. The first one that comes to mind is fragrant ash. It's a native low-growing shrub that colonizes a space so you won't need many plants to fill the area you have. The cultivar Gro-Low is about 2 ft high. Yellow-green flowers appear before the leaves in spring. The female plants have fuzzy red berries and the plant provides cover for birds and small mammals. It has excellent fall color, can take sun to shade and is fairly tolerant of most soils. While this is a fairly low-maintenance plant, all plants need appropriate amounts of water as they settle in for the first year or so. Best of luck with this change!
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Squash Vine Borers
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 24 - 1:57 am
- Hi there! Thank you so much for doing this! I have a couple questions on squash vine borers, which have been a HUGE issue in my garden this year. I have been surgically removing the larvae from my curcurbit vines every few days for over two months now (along the way losing both of my zucchini plants and one patty pan squash plant; now I have one patty pan and 4 pumpkin plants remaining). My questions are: How much longer should I expect new larvae to bore into my plants? And is there anything I can do next season to organically prevent these pests (or perhaps control them in a less laborious fashion!)?
- Hello! Thank you for your question. It sounds like you have had a challenging season with this difficult pest. Your surgical removal of the larvae is one part of the solution, and it sounds like you have mastered that particular process. There are other things you can do as well. To answer your first question, it is important to understand the lifecycle of the squash vine borer. Eggs will first appear in our area in May, will hatch in early summer, and then the larvae will bore into the squash stem to feed for up to 4 weeks. When the larvae are mature at 4-6 weeks, they will leave the vine and the dig 1-2 inches in the soil to pupate. In our climate, we can sometimes have 2 generations of larvae in a season. So unfortunately, once infested, this pest can present a problem for most of the growing season. In addition to the surgical removal process of the larvae in the stems, you can also use an organically approved insecticide such as Spinosad or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Apply the product on the leaf stems and the main stem of the plant - do not spray the flowers. Apply one of these insecticides once per week during the growing season. It will kill the borer's eggs and larvae quickly. Again, these are organically approved products, and we recommend staying away from any synthetic, non-organic insecticides. Another method for prevention early in the season is to cover the young plants with a floating row cover until flowering occurs. The row cover will keep out the insect in the critical early part of the season, and will still allow sun, water, and air to get to the plant. Once flowering begins, remove the cover to ensure pollination is not disrupted. If or when you do have an infected vine(s), seal them in a plastic bag before the larvae pupate. This will break the lifecycle of the squash vine borer. And finally, the other important practice is to till under all crop debris after harvest, which also disrupts larvae in the soil, and prevents buildup of the squash borer population. Implementation of these practices should minimize the need for constant surgical removal of the larvae, and yield healthier plants and better crop. Good luck, and please reach out with any other questions!
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Watering roses
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Date Posted: Wed, Aug 18 - 1:48 pm
- Hi i have a row of drift roses on the front on my yard, they are in full sun. I had been watering them every other day with the lawn but noticed that a few bushes had yellowing leaves which then turned brown and crispy. I am assuming that is a sign of being overwatered? Any suggestions on how to make the flowers last so they don’t turn brown so quickly in the heat? Thanks!
- Hello there, My first instinct is that you are, in fact, over watering your roses. How long have the roses been planted? If it's been a few years then watering once or twice a week should be sufficient. Is the soil well draining? Roses don't want to sit in consistently wet soil. Are you able to gauge how much water, in inches, your roses are receiving. one to 2 inches of water (rain+water combined) should keep them healthy. I believe that's about 4-5 gallons of water a week. Also, I don't think the heat is causing the roses to brown but the effects of over watering are. Back off on the watering a bit. Try to avoid the foliage and water the soil around the plants and see that they get soaked rather than sprinkled. I suspect that less water weekly (avoiding the foliage whenever possible) and a couple of good soaks a week will make you and your roses happier. Good luck!
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Yellowing Aster
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Date Posted: Wed, Aug 18 - 1:46 pm
- Hi we have a row of fall aster and notice that this year and last as the rest of the plant grows large and bushy the base starts to get yellow and then dries. the plant seems to be getting enough water. Is this normal?
- Good morning, and thank you for your question! My first thought is that you may have a watering issue. I’m assuming your aster plants otherwise have normal growth, are not stunted, and bloom well. Asters do prefer well-draining soil and like to keep well watered. However, they do not like overhead watering or sprinkling. Doing so can result in development of a fungal disease. Watering should be done at the base of the plant where fungus would first develop. It also helps to use a good organic mulch around your aster plants to help retain moisture and prevent splash to the lower leaves which can cause the yellowing. As a side note, be on the lookout for leafhoppers on your aster. They can spread bacterial disease (phytoplasma), which is a more serious problem to deal with, but with this you would likely notice other symptoms such as stunted growth and deformed flowers as well. If those symptoms develop, the plants would need to be removed as there is no cure. It does not sound like you are experiencing these specific problems with your aster, and proper watering and mulching would be the best first steps to implement. Good luck with this, and let us know if further symptoms develop.
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Shasta Daisy-browning, die back
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:52 pm
- I have a large shasta daisy that I planted along my side yard years ago. About 3 years ago it started having "issues". It starts the spring with very green and abundant stems/leaves. And everything seems wonderful as the plant starts to bud....but then the flowers bloom already browning and die quickly. I am guessing it has some kind of wilt but not sure what to do. I also have dianthus in pots up my steps for the first time and it appeared that they also caught "the wilt" but they seem to be bouncing back. Not so for my Shasta daisies. Is there anything I can spray them with or can I transplant? It's such a gorgeous prolific plant.
- Sorry to hear of your daisy troubles. I'm going to refer to a previous answer I gave about Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'. The daisies are also one of the stalwarts of the garden but can run into various problems. Please see the rudbeckia answer below. I didn't spell it out in the answer below but good drainage and air circulation are essential for plant growth and prevention of fungal diseases. And again, if your plants continue to succumb, selection of a new plant for your particular environment may be a good solution. Good luck, let us know your progress! "Rudbeckias are usually pretty sturdy plants but they do succumb to some fungal issues. Sometimes the problem could be attributed to too much water, so that's a simple fix. Or, you may be dealing with septoria leaf spot or a similar fungus. Rain and humidity contribute to the problem. You can start with some cultural practices. Remove all affected leaves and put them in the trash. The fungus overwinters in infected plant debris so you want to clean up the area around the plants to make them less inviting to the fungus. You may also try moving the plants to a spot with new soil and seeing if the plants improve over time. Additionally, do not water from overhead. Try a soaker hose so that the foliage does not get wet. You could also try a baking soda solution spray but that's usually better at prevention. A neem oil solution may be effective. You may decide to simply remove them from the garden and substitute another perennial that's less susceptible. There are many choices. A lot of gardening is just adapting to your circumstances and trying new plants that may be better suited to your patch of ground. Best of luck with your garden! "
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Controlling Japanese Beetles
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:50 pm
- How can I safely control Japanese beetles? They're devouring my roses. I don't want to use anything that would hurt bees or hummingbirds.
- Thank you for your question. I certainly understand the extent of damage Japanese beetles can cause to all parts of the Rose bush - buds, leaves, and flowers! A very safe, organic, and effective means to control Japanese beetles is a routine spray of a Neem oil solution. A Neem oil solution both kills and repels the beetles when applied every 7-10 days. This solution is totally organic and non-toxic to bees or birds. Simply mix 2 tablespoons of Neem oil per gallon of water, and spray all parts of the rose plant. A side benefit is that this Neem oil solution also controls aphids, lace bugs, mealybugs, and spider mites. Another solution is a simple soap and water solution (although not quite as effective at repelling the beetles as the Neem oil solution). Mix 4 tablespoons of dish soap with water in a spray bottle and spray all parts of the plant. Best of luck! Let us know if you have other questions!
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Leafminers...
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:46 pm
- My broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower has white vine like lines on the leaves. What are they and how do I get rid of them. My plants look like they are not thriving now.
- It sounds like you've got leafminers. They have a broad range of host plants and they seem to like your garden. The first thing to do is remove the affected leaves and dispose of them in the trash (not in compost). If you check the underside of the leaf you will most likely see small white eggs, you don't want those to hatch, so straight to the trash. There are several generations of this pest in one season so you will need to keep a close eye out for signs of their existence. You may see eggs, larvae and flys. Sometimes using sticky traps and row covers for the flies works well. If just removing the affected leaves isn't keeping the numbers down you might try using neem oil or beneficial insects such beneficial nematodes or parasitic wasps. I personally haven't had experience with beneficial insects as an intervention so I don't have any particular insight there. Start with removing the affected leaves and checking plants frequently for eggs and tunneling larvae. Good luck and good gardening!
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Bunnies
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 06 - 8:54 pm
- What is a good way to keep bunnies out of my garden? They have eaten ALL of my strawberries and are starting to gnaw down the plants. They are carving caves out of my broccoli plants and have eaten the leaves off my Brussels sprout... I put down dichotomous earth and pepper flakes to no effect. They gnawed the marigolds I put in the garden as a deterrent to a nub. They are eating the greens off my onions. They have eaten the entire stalks of all my coneflowers. My pepper plants are getting stripped. They have recently started snipping the top 2/3 of the branches on my blueberry bushes off.
- I know, it's hard to believe such benign-looking creatures can wreak such havoc....but they can. I have not had personal experience but I have heard many tales of woe. My experience has been with deer and despite the difference in size, they both seem to do the same amount of damage, actually no, bunnies are worse. The only real solution is to fence your garden. Not knowing the size of your garden, it's difficult to say how much of a project this will be. You may need to make some adjustment to the design of your garden. It could be done relatively cheaply with some fence posts and rails from the hardware store and chicken wire or preferably hardware cloth. You probably want the fence to be 2-3 feet high so they can't jump over and the wire/cloth should be buried 6 inches in the ground to prevent the bunny from burrowing under. If you have individual plants you want to protect, you can make a 2-3 ft high collar out the wire. But it will have to stay in place year round. There are other methods and products out there for consumers but many have to be reapplied frequently, if they even work. You should also have a look around the house and garden to see if there are inviting places for rabbits to hide or nest. If so, take care of that. I hope you're able to secure your plantings and enjoy the harvest!