When the heat is on, tomato plants take a break: they don’t care for excessive heat any more than the rest of us. When daytime temperatures are up in the 90s and nights are in the 70s or warmer, tomato plants may keep on blooming, but the flowers … [Read more...]
Root Vegetables: Underground Culinary Treasures
Like many of my fellow gardeners, I enjoy digging in the dirt, feeling soil textures with my fingertips, and discovering earthworms wriggling around those dark places. Although some people might find this somewhat odd, most young children are eager … [Read more...]
Bacterial Wetwood
The client has a large oak tree that is losing sap. There is a bad odor and a hole at the base of the tree where sap is oozing. What is causing this and how should it be handled? DIAGNOSIS /RECOMMENDATION The problem is termed bacterial … [Read more...]
General Recommendations for Growing Vegetables in Containers
In 2008 and 2009, the Penn State Southeast Research and Extension Center (SEAREC) near Lancaster, PA and the Franklin County Horticulture Education Center in Chambersburg, PA hosted extensive trial plantings of fruiting vegetables in containers. This … [Read more...]
TOMATO DISEASES & DISORDERS
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) can be grown on almost any moderately well-drained soil type. A good supply of organic matter can increase yield and reduce production problems. Tomatoes and related vegetables, such as potatoes, peppers and eggplants, … [Read more...]
June Gardening Tips
With the start of June we now welcome summer and our gardens are now in full swing. With summer we have to keep our gardens watered regularly and keep an eye out for insect and disease problems. Below are gardening tips to help your garden grow … [Read more...]
Birth of an Assassin!
The wheel bug, Arilus cristatus, is North Carolina’s largest assassin bug. It gets its name from the prominent spiny “wheel” found on the thorax. Both nymphs and adults are generalist predators that feed on a variety of insects including aphids, … [Read more...]
Asian Giant Hornet
Hello, everyone, I’d like to say a few words about another invasive insect that has been in the news lately, and is generating questions (I promised myself I would not say generating a lot of buzz, and I’m going to hold to that!). This is … [Read more...]
Weigela
Many varieties of flowering shrubs paint the landscapes of Central Virginia with splashes of color in springtime. Just the mention of forsythias, azaleas, and lilacs bring to mind a variety of vibrant blooms. One shrub that may not be as … [Read more...]
Pruning Flowering Shrubs
The correct time to prune your flowering shrubs depends on when they flower. A rough rule of thumb is to prune spring-blooming shrubs soon after they finish flowering because most bloom on old wood, while those that bloom in summer and fall usually … [Read more...]