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Articles listed under “problem solver”

Botrytis on peonies — July 22, 2008

Peony bushes can suffer from a variety of fungal diseases and Botrytis is a big one

Creeping bellflower — July 15, 2008

Most bellflowers are well-behaved garden plants, but creeping bellflower, or rampion, is just a little too aggressive.

Heat stress symptoms — July 8, 2008

Summer heat can be as damaging as winter cold. Here are some symptoms of heat-stress damage and some strategies for surviving the summer.

Verticillium wilt — July 1, 2008

If the leaves of your annual flowers and vegetable plants seem to be yellowing and curling, your garden may be infected with verticillium wilt.

Aster yellows — June 24, 2008

Deformed flowers, yellow foliage and stunted growth are classic signs of this disease. Symptoms vary according to the temperature and the age and type of plant.

Geranium bacterial leaf spot — June 17, 2008

Bacterial leaf spot is sometimes known as bacterial blight, bacterial stem rot or bacterial wilt. No matter what you call it, it’s bad news.

Iris borer — June 10, 2008

This pest may be the most dreaded problem for gardeners with iris. It is difficult to know if you’ve got a problem until you see the signs.

Beggarticks — June 3, 2008

If you, or your pet, have ever brought “stickers” home after walking through a patch of weeds in late summer or early autumn, you’re probably familiar with beggartick seeds.

Rose chafer — May 27, 2008

Rose chafers have a deceptive name – they feed on a wide variety of plants, not just roses. These tan beetles are about a ½-in. long and have long, orange legs.

Carpetweed — May 20, 2008

As the name implies, this annual weed is a low-spreader, never growing to more than about 4 in. tall. It likes hot weather, so the tiny seedlings don’t appear until the soil has warmed in spring.

Black blister beetle — May 13, 2008

The black blister beetle comes by its name honestly – if you touch it, you can get blisters on your skin.

Boxwood psyllid — May 6, 2008

The boxwood psyllid is a small sucking insect that attacks tender young boxwood foliage as it emerges in spring.

Shepherd’s purse — April 29, 2008

You might be familiar with this annual weed’s triangular, “purseshaped” seed pods that follow its tiny white flowers in winter, spring or summer.

Lambsquarters — April 22, 2008

This annual weed can grow up to 5 ft. tall if you let it. The stems are grooved with red-pink spots where the leaves attach.

Tarnished plant bug — April 15, 2008

Medium brown and about ¼ inch long, tarnished plant bugs don’t look like garden menaces, but they are.

Hemlock wooly adelgids — April 8, 2008

Hemlock woolly adelgids are relatively easy to identify because they’re woolly. You will find wooly adelgids on the undersides of hemlock needles and twigs.

Multiflora rose — April 1, 2008

Multiflora rose has many characteristics of ornamental roses, but this plant is an aggressive shrub with wicked hooked thorns.

Radish root maggot — March 25, 2008

The radish root maggot can be a particularly rude pest in the vegetable garden. These pale larvae tunnel through the root flesh of many root crops including radish, turnip and other members of the mustard family.

Yellow-bellied sapsucker — March 18, 2008

You may have seen this bird in your yard, but you are more likely to have seen its work. The yellow-bellied sapsucker drills tidy rows of ¼-inch holes in tree trunks to feed on the sap.

Star of Bethlehem — March 11, 2008

Star of Bethlehem was originally introduced and grown for sale as an ornamental plant, and is still available from nurseries in some areas.

Annual sowthistle — March 4, 2008

There are several different sowthistles, but annual sowthistle is one of the most common, especially in the Southeast and West.

Damping off — February 26, 2008

Damping off can be a problem for gardeners who start seeds inside. It is usually caused by cool, damp soil.

Tulip bulb blast — February 19, 2008

Have you tried to force tulip bulbs in the refrigerator and been disappointed when the flower buds shrivel up? Ethylene may be the culprit.

Cold damage symptoms — February 12, 2008

If you live in an area that experiences cold winter temperatures, you have likely lost a few plants to low temperatures.

Mealybugs — February 5, 2008

Mealybugs are common pests of house plants and greenhouse crops. They will feed on a wide range of species.

Overwatering house plants — January 29, 2008

Overwatering house plants is just as bad as underwatering them. How do you tell if your plants are overwatered?

Frost crack — January 22, 2008

Frost cracks occur in trees during winter when the sun heats the sap enough to cause it to flow through the trunk.

Gypsy moth — January 15, 2008

Gypsy moth is a major pest in the Eastern United States and Canada, but it is moving west.

Stinkhorn fungus — January 8, 2008

It might look like an alien life form, but it’s just a stinkhorn fungus, either an elegant stinkhorn (Mutinus elegans) or a dog stinkhorn (Mutinus caninus).

Crabgrass — January 1, 2008

Like all annual weeds, crabgrass sprouts in spring, matures, sets seed and dies the same year.