What Eats Pepper in Iowa, and When
In Iowa, the pepper pests documented by Iowa State University Extension are limited: common stalk borer tunneling into stems, grasshoppers that shred…
Yellow Leaves With Green Veins on a Hydrangea
Yellow leaves with the veins still green is interveinal chlorosis, and on a hydrangea it almost always points to a nutrient the plant cannot pull out of…
What Eats Corn in Maine, and When
In Maine gardens, the one insect that actually feeds on corn is the seedcorn maggot, and it does its damage underground, right at planting, not once the…
Feeding Hydrangeas: What to Use and What It Changes
Feeding hydrangeas isn’t just about growth. For bigleaf and mountain hydrangeas, what you feed the soil can shift flower color between blue and pink; for…
What Eats Pumpkin in Maine, and When
Three insects out of Maine’s documented pest list actually feed on pumpkin: striped cucumber beetle, squash vine borer, and seedcorn maggot, according to…
Southern Red Mite on Roses: The Cool-Season Mite
A dusty, bronze-gray speckling across rose leaves that shows up when the weather turns cool, not hot, is the calling card of the Southern Red Mite.
What Eats Potato in Maine, and When
In Maine, potato foliage is eaten mainly by the Colorado potato beetle, which strips leaves from shortly after emergence through midsummer.
Powdery Mildew on Roses: Why It Comes in Dry Weather, Not Wet
Powdery mildew thrives when the air is warm and humid but the leaf surface stays dry, because its spores actually die when sitting water touches them.
Ringspot Virus in Hydrangeas: Patterns That Came With the Plant
A hydrangea showing pale rings, mottled bands, or wavy green-and-yellow patterns across its leaves usually is not dying, and it is not something a…
What Eats Parsnip in Maine, and When
In coastal Maine, one documented pest actually goes after parsnip: seedcorn maggot.