Do you have problems with fire blight, black spot, powdery mildew, Fusarium wilt, early blight, and late blight? If this is the case, plant disease resistant varieties this year! Sure old time favorites are what you are used to but try something different with them this year. Mail order catalogues promise a bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables without much work, but we all know that isn’t how it works. However, there is one thing that we can do easily that will save us a lot of hassle this summer, variety selection.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Pests
Honey Bee Swarms
Throughout the month of May is prime swarm season for honey bees. If you are a bee keeper you might be very excited about this. Otherwise, the thought of a swarm of bees ascending in your yard can be quite intimidating. Have no fear, swarms of bees tend to be very docile as they are on a mission to find a new home.
Continue readingSpring Lawn Tips
Fescue lawns in Kentucky can struggle by the end of the summer with drought, disease, and even insect problems. Often our fescue lawns are thin and needing some nitrogen by the time fall arrives. September and October are the best times to overseed and fertilize your lawn but some maintenance practices can be done in the spring.
Continue readingTermite Season
Springtime brings warmer temperatures and more abundant rainfall, and it’s typically when many winged termites emerge inside homes and other structures. Termites swarm from their colony to disburse, fall to the ground, find mates and start new colonies in the soil.
Continue readingLearning Science from the Garden
All the mechanisms of life are represented in a garden: respiration, nutrition, circulation, reproduction and maturation. As such, it’s a perfect science laboratory where students can hone their math and observational skills and creativity.
Continue readingHouseplant Woes
So, your houseplants are yellow…
Continue readingWhat’s that goo?
You may have noticed greenish/brown jelly like blobs appearing in your drive way or lawn. That is called Nostoc. It is a type of bacteria that gets its energy from photosynthesis like plants do. Following a period of rain, it may appear suddenly in lawns, pastures, paved surfaces, roofs or stones. Nostoc has many colorful names including witches’ butter, mare’s eggs and meadow ears, among others. In fact, one of the earliest names for it was star jelly, based on the belief that it was a remnant of shooting stars fallen to earth. Continue reading
Butterfly Gardens
This summer, many families plan to travel for vacation. Maybe a trip to the beach or out west to the mountains. Some of these trips require a day or two of driving long distances. One species of butterfly could be considered the ultimate trip planner. Continue reading
Wheel Bugs
When one studies insects he or she will quickly discover there are several beneficial insects. Yes, we all have heard of the praying mantis, but does the name wheel bug ring a bell? Continue reading
Can I Garden over my Septic System?
As we start to think about gardening and lawn care this year, one question may pop up: Can I garden on my septic system? Well, there are a couple of questions to consider:
- Can a garden be contaminated by bacterial and viral hazards which may be found in septic drainfields? A properly operating septic system will not contaminate the soil with disease organisms, but it can be difficult to tell if the system is working at optimum efficiency. Also, the soil type can make a difference. Clay like soil will eliminate any organism within a few inches of the system, while a sandy soil could allow for movement of bacteria several feet.
Kentucky Hort News 