ISSUE: Client has barberry shrubs with webbing and defoliation, with bushes looking terrible. DIAGNOSIS / RECOMMENDATION The problem is the barberry webworm (Omphalocera dentosa). Defoliated branches and webs can be cut out and … [Read more...]
Dahlia Types Explained
Dahlias are becoming increasingly popular in landscapes and make excellent additions to border plantings, flowerpots, and cut-flower gardens. They flower continuously from summer through the first frost and will bloom prolifically if spent … [Read more...]
13 Zucchini Diseases: How to Identify, Prevent, and Treat Them
Zucchini is one of the most beginner-friendly garden vegetables around. These fast growing and prolific summer squash can be planted once and yield all summer long. Although they aren’t totally immune to problems, there are many simple organic fixes … [Read more...]
Managing the Japanese Beetle:
A Homeowner’s Handbook
Both as adults and as grubs (the larval stage), Japanese beetles are destructive plant pests. Adults feed on the foliage and fruits of several hundredspecies of fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, and field and vegetable crops. Read More: … [Read more...]
What Virginians Need to Know About the 2022 Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Expansion
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine will be expanded in July 2022 to include the following cities and counties: Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas, … [Read more...]
Viburnum–A Shrub for Many Settings
Viburnums are evergreen or deciduous, depending on the species and the location. Most prefer sun, but some do well in partial shade. Their hardiness is well suited to the cold winters of USDA hardiness zone 7. They are adaptable to a range of soil … [Read more...]
Virginia’s Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Date
Selecting appropriate planting dates is a critical component of successful vegetable gardening. Vegetables vary widely in their preferred growing conditions and tolerance to temperature extremes, both cold and hot. Understanding the local frost-free … [Read more...]
What to do about woodchucks
The woodchuck (a.k.a. groundhog) is often caught between being a celebrity and a villain. One day we rely on their shadow to forecast the seasons; the next we grumble as they make a meal of our carefully planted garden vegetables. Continued: … [Read more...]
Pesticides, Pollinators, and Pestilence: Protecting Public Health and Pollinators
Tick and mosquito control provides important public health protection, but can also affect pollinator populations. The effects are often dependent on specific local conditions, such as how close the pesticide application is to places pollinators … [Read more...]
Chiggers
Chiggers are the immature stage of certain mites belonging to the family Trombiculidae. Continued: … [Read more...]