ArcaMax

Q: My pumpkin and squash vines started to wilt. I investigated the plants and found a white grub inside the vine. Do you know what it is and how to prevent it next year? I think some of the vines are going to survive, so that is good news.

A: Good work on finding the larvae of the squash vine borer. There are four life cycle stages to the ...Read more

Q: We are living in an area that is having a drought. We were talking to a neighbor, and he said that he was thinking about upgrading his irrigation system to a smart system. I am not sure what a smart irrigation system does that our current system doesn't do. We watch the weather and the rainfall and adjust accordingly. We have many plants that...Read more

Q: When I was younger, we had a purple clematis that bloomed in May while I was still in school. The other day, I saw a clematis that was in full bloom at the end of June. It was pretty so I looked into clematis, and there are so many different groups and pruning methods that I am really confused. How can I get a spring and a summer blooming ...Read more

Q: Our crab apple tree is suddenly losing all of its leaves. Some are yellow, some are green and some have large brown spots on them. The lawn next to the tree is irrigated, so we think the tree is getting enough water. What else can we do?

A: It sounds like the tree has a fungal disease called apple scab. It is a common disease on older apples...Read more

Q: We were looking at our flowers the other evening and saw an amazing insect with huge pincers on its rear end. What is it, does it do any damage and how do we get rid of it, if it does?

A: An insect pest many people seem to have this summer is the earwig. They are 1-inch-long insects with pincers on the back end. They can pinch, but not too ...Read more

Q: We bought some early sweet corn from the farmers market. It was the sweetest I have ever eaten. I want to grow some in my garden next year. The lady at the market didn't know what kind it was. Any ideas on what to look for?

A: In the case of many garden plants and sweet corn in particular, a great deal of work has been done to produce new ...Read more

Q: I am having a problem with thistles in my flower beds. I can't seem to get rid of them. What is the best treatment?

A: The key to many weed problems is timing. Most thistles are biennials. This means that during this spring, summer and fall, new plants will sprout from seeds. A rosette of leaves will grow a taproot to store energy so it can ...Read more

Q: A few weeks ago, I bought a columbine plant that had pretty red flowers. The plant tag said that the blooming time was May and June. The flowers lasted only a few days. We aren't even halfway through the time the tag said they will bloom. Was this short blooming time because I just planted it, because it is a young plant or because of some ...Read more

Q: My daylilies are usually beautiful, but they already have long stripes of yellow and dead areas on the leaves. I looked for insects but didn't see any. I don't think I over fertilized, but I don't know what else to look for.

A: The most likely problem is a simple fungus disease called daylily leaf streak. The first thing you might see is ...Read more

Q: I have a peach tree that I am worried has a problem. Last spring, I noticed the leaves started curling up and got quite lumpy, for lack of a better term. It is back again this year. I don't see any aphids or other insects in the curled-up leaves. What caused this? Is there a cure for it? Will it affect the fruit?

A: Hopefully you only have ...Read more

Q: My amaryllis bulbs bloomed nicely, but now the leaves are breaking off. There are red spots on the leaves and on the sides of the bulb. The red spots are even on bulbs that had white flowers, so I would not expect red coloring on the leaves or bulb. What could be causing this?

A: You are accurately describing a fungus disease called red ...Read more

Q: A coworker said that her allergies were acting up because there were so many male trees blooming. I didn't think there were male and female trees. I don't remember what I learned in botany class. Are there male and female trees?

A: There are some tree species with separate male and female plants, but most trees have both male and female ...Read more

Question: We have a koi and goldfish pond with a few plants in it. We have heard that we should add salt to the pond, but we are unclear about how much is OK, how much is too much, what it does and if it will hurt the plants.

Answer: Let's first cover why you should add salt. The fish's bodies are saltier than the water in the pond. So, water ...Read more