Do It Yourself

During much of his young life, my son carefully checked every food he put in his mouth. You could also call this a picky meal. But one day he happened to want to eat carrots. Even better, if I bought some colorful organic products from the supermarket, he would say: …

STROBILANTHES DYERIANUS Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus) is a stunning ornamental plant that comes from the warm and humid nation of Myanmar and grows there as an evergreen perennial. It belongs to the Acanthaceae family, which mainly consists of flowering tropical plants. With its unique iridescent purple leaves, S. dyerianus has …

While eggs can be the delight of many home cooks, Egg shells can be the bane of many home composters. I remember my reaction when I dug in to harvest my very first batch of finished compost. I was thrilled that all of my food waste and garden waste had …

Imagine this scenario with me: you examine your fruit trees, some that you have been growing for years. Much to your horror, most of your apples have nasty-looking sooty spots that can band together to cover all of the fruit, or spots that look like fly waste. Extension agents often …

Many fruit, nut and landscape trees can succumb to root rot caused by three types of fungi and a group of water molds (formerly considered fungi). These include the fungi Armillaria, Phymatotrichum and Xylaria as well as the water mold Phytophthora. The trees show different symptoms of these different diseases. …

After a long flight from South America, a bird could use a juicy meal and a place to rest, right? For purple martins, these delicious insects and summer accommodations could be in your garden if you provide a decent home for these attractive and melodious birds. With the exception of …

Bacillus subtilis is a type of bacteria that can survive in the soil for a long time. Many strains are highly effective in colonizing plant roots and fighting plant pathogens. They can work directly against other microbes by producing a variety of antibiotics that infect fungi or bacteria. They can …

You have your seed packs, you have the seeds you need, and you have a garden plan – it sounds like you’re ready to plant and grow a garden! But are you sure that you know which seeds can go straight into your garden floor and which ones better when …

Sclerotium rolfsii What is the name of a fungus that can infect hundreds of plant species and live on organic matter in the soil for years? A gardener’s nightmare! In this case, the nightmare is called the southern plague or southern tribe. An insidious mushroom called Sclerotium rolfsii (also known …