Thrips are generally bad news for the gardener, whether you have one type of thrips (the name is the same – singular and plural) or more. Not visible to the naked eye as they often feed within buds and furled leaves or in other enclosed parts of the plant, these extremely small insects cause damage …
A discouraging sight to anyone growing roses is that succulent new cane tip that suddenly wilts and dies. This symptom may have many causes, but one of the culprits is a cane borer. There are numerous borers – they’re generally the larvae of a beetle or moth that bore into canes, feed, and eventually cause …
Plants, whether cultivated or wild, generally grow well when the soil provides them with adequate nutrients and moisture, sufficient light reaches their leaves, and the temperature stays within a “normal” range. However, plants can get sick, most often from a disease-causing agent like a bacteria or fungus. But there are also plant ailments that may …
It’s the time of the year when our national flower put on a dazzling show, cloaking plants with brilliantly colored, sweet-smelling blossoms. Are your plants bedecked with perfectly formed flowers, or by chance do you see what way too many gardeners do come June, roses with petals that resemble Swiss cheese, young buds that have …
What happens when you combine spring weather – cool nights and warm days, and a rain that lasts for a day or two? Well, besides the proverbial May flowers, it is the appearance of the BIG THREE fungal diseases of roses – powdery mildew, black spot, and rust. The bad news is that as long …
With the last substantial rains being a distant memory, summer temperatures and low humidity are ideal conditions for spider mites – a scourge of the season for roses and lots of other plants. Spider mites are related to spiders and ticks. With eight legs and an oval body 1/20 of an inch-long, they look like …
Have you ever seen these critters in your rose garden? Or worse yet, do you have any of these symptoms that they’ve been there? Roses with petals that resemble Swiss cheese. Young buds and stems that have holes or are broken just below the bud. Meet the really bad guys of the rose garden – …
Those leaves with the striking green and yellow marbled patterns festooning one of your rose plants may look like Mother Nature as artist, but don’t be fooled. More than likely, it’s the result of rose mosaic virus. You may see yellow, white, or brownish lines, bands, rings, wavy lines, vein clearing or blotches on leaves. …
Hot, dry and dusty are pretty typical outdoor conditions for this time of year. The last rains were months ago; late summer and early fall often features toasty daytime temperatures with low relative humidity. Most people, plants and animals don’t prefer it, but it’s ideal for pesky spider mites. More than 200 different plant species, …
You know the saying – a weed is any plant in a place you don’t want it. Are you seeing grasses, dandelions, bindweed and even wild blackberry, popping up among your roses, in your lawn, vegetable garden or other exposed spaces, even in teeny spaces between bricks on your patio? What’s a gardener to do …