Articles listed under “problem solver”
Tall buttercup — August 31, 2010
According to folklore, if your skin glows yellow when you hold a buttercup under your chin, you love butter. But that doesn’t mean you have to love tall buttercup!
Brown marmorated stink bug — August 24, 2010
The brown marmorated stink bug, or BMSB, is about 1/2-in. long, shield-shaped and mottled brown.
Wild grape — August 17, 2010
Long, twining vines wind their way into shrubs and trees. As the stems mature, the bark peels into narrow strips.
Rose rosette disease — August 3, 2010
Rose rosette is caused by an organism similar to a virus that’s transmitted by mites. Although you usually find it in weedy multiflora rose, all roses are susceptible.
Siberian elm — July 27, 2010
Remember American elms? The leaves of this 50- to 70-ft.-tall, 30- to 50-ft.-wide woody weed look similar.
Black-legged or deer tick — July 20, 2010
Not all garden pests are found on plants. Some are actually on the gardener! Unfortunately, this pest is hard to spot.
Bacterial leaf scorch — July 13, 2010
You wouldn’t be surprised to find a few brown leaves on a tree near the end of summer. But take a close look: Do the leaves have an irregular pattern of browning with a pale yellow or red band between the brown and healthy green leaf tissue?
Bull thistle — July 6, 2010
Common throughout much of North America, bull thistle is a biennial that reproduces only by seed.
Spotted cucumber beetle — June 29, 2010
Adult beetles are 1/4 to 1/3-in. long and yellow to green with 11 black spots on their backs. The wormlike larvae are yellowish and start out about 1/8 in. long.
Magnesium deficiency in clematis — June 22, 2010
Clematis leaves can turn yellow when they get too much moisture. But if your clematis is growing in well-drained soil, they’re likely a symptom of magnesium deficiency.
Hemp dogbane — June 1, 2010
Like an alien in a science fiction movie, the roots of hemp dogbane keep spreading as if they’re going to take over the world.
Tar spot — May 18, 2010
There’s nothing more frustrating than having the beauty of your maple tree foliage marred by big black spots.
Cabbage looper — May 11, 2010
Now’s the time of year to be on the lookout for a small 1 1/2-in. green caterpillar with white racing stripes and a voracious appetite each spring in North America.
Yellow woodsorrel — May 4, 2010
If yellow woodsorrel has something to lean on, it can grow to be 20 in. tall.
Ground ivy — April 27, 2010
Ground ivy, also known as creeping Charlie, is a perennial weed that spreads by seeds and above-ground runners.
Foxtail barley — April 13, 2010
Growing up to 3 ft. tall, this upright grass has wispy seedheads that look iridescent in the sunshine.
Big-eyed bug — April 6, 2010
These insects may not be pretty, but they’re good to have around.
Poison ivy and lookalikes — March 30, 2010
Just about every gardener’s least favorite weed! Not only does poison ivy grow and spread rapidly, but it gives many people an itchy, sometimes painful, rash.
Sooty mold — March 23, 2010
Have you noticed a coating that looks like chimney soot on your plants, trees or even the deck or sidewalk? More than likely, it’s sooty mold.
Pennsylvania pellitory — March 16, 2010
Growing 6 to 18 in. tall, Pennsylvania pellitory has leaves with slightly fuzzy undersides.
Eastern cottontail — March 2, 2010
Most of us know a rabbit when we see it — long ears, fuzzy tail and a piece of your favorite plant dangling from its mouth!
Box elder — February 23, 2010
Don’t be confused — box elder leaves look similar to poison ivy. Both have three leaflets, but box elder leaves are not as pointed.
Crown vetch — February 16, 2010
Crown vetch grows up to 2 ft. tall. It has a dense, sprawling habit with stems that can be 5 to 6 ft. long.
Four-lined plant bug — February 9, 2010
The four-lined plant bug is one of the most common pests in the garden. It likes to feed on more than 250 species of ornamental, woody and edible plants.
Groundhogs — February 2, 2010
Punxsutawney Phil may be cute, but a wild groundhog in your garden can be a problem.
Stinging nettle — January 26, 2010
If you’ve ever walked along a wooded path, you’ve probably encountered stinging nettle. This perennial weed, with bright- to dark-green leaves, can grow to 3 to 6 ft. high.
Cyclamen mite — January 19, 2010
These minute, semitransparent mites are too small for the naked eye to see. They hide in young, tender stem ends, leaves and flower buds of cyclamens (Cyclamen spp.) and many other indoor and outdoor plants.
Common buckthorn — January 12, 2010
Growing quickly to a large shrub or small tree up to 20 ft. tall, common buckthorn has sharp spines at the tips of the twigs.
Gooseneck loosestrife — December 29, 2009
It may produce attractive arched white flowers in late spring to summer, but this aggressive 3-ft.-tall plant can take over your garden quickly.
Winter burn — December 22, 2009
The leaves of your broadleaf evergreens look green now, but the leaf edges of broadleaf evergreens, such as boxwoods (Buxus spp.), turn bronze in winter.
