Organic Snail Control

Credits: Genevieve Schmidt & Ester the Chicken Question from Tressa: I love your month by month gardening book and have read it almost cover to cover. My problem is armies (literally of snails) I live in Claremont, Ca. (new Pomona not San...

Gray scaly bark on Crape Myrtle

Question from Jonnie: My crepe myrtle was purchased with a gray scaly bark = it looks like fungus.  What organic spray can I use to rid the plant of this fungus. What kind of soil would you use to put in ground for the crepes? Answer from Pat: Without...

Snails

Question from Tressa: I don’t have a question just a note for you.  I bought your organic gardening book last year and sent you a message asking for help with snails.  I was so impressed that you take the time to answer emails.  Anyway, we...

Animal Pests Chomping on Winter Vegetables

Question from Bonnie: I planted my winter vegetable garden, and something chomped my brussels sprouts and cauliflower seedlings. I think it is crows. Can crows be a problem for a vegetable garden? I don’t think it is rabbits. It could be a possum...

Thrips on Indoor Succulents

Question for Mary: I have a query regarding succulents. I bought two tiny cathedral plants about 30 years ago on Canal Street in New York. They grew into a huge gothic cathedral, so beautiful, 11–feet tall in my livingroom. Had to cut off the...

Leaf Eating Insect on my Geraniums

Question from Kathy: Something is having a picnic on my Geraniums! I never had any problems (ever) with insects doing this. I 1st thought it was the Brown Grasshopper, cause they would hang around on the leaves. Again, it was the 1st time I saw that...

Spiders

Question from Cynthia: Our yard seems to be over populated with spiders of all shapes and sizes including black widows. Webs cover the creeping fig on the walls and spring up over night on the play equipment. We have a two year old granddaughter. I...

Citris Threat: Asian Physillid

Question from Julie: I am new to your site and appreciated reading through your info. on the leaf miner and worm castings for ants. I am concerned about a new citris threat, asian physillid??? and a greening disease called “yellow dragon”....

Ground Squirrels Undermining Bank

Question from Maria: I have a few questions ~ What kind of plants do ground squerals hate and will avoid nesting near on this very steep, very high hill side in Oak View Calif. It is covered with these little darlings and their homes. I don’t want...

Clover Attracts Ladybugs

Question from Olivia: Ladybug Do you think Lady Bugs are attracted to clover? I am a landscape designer and landscaper. I have a client in Clairemont, California. I just finished her garden. She told me that her garden was overgrown and not taken...

Avocado Trees, Mites, and Gophers

Question: I’m on a fast mission, quite desperate. I’m pulling my hair out. I have an avocado tree that has mites and is definitely languishing. Too much rain, and even though I composted loads before planting, not enough to balance out the...

Gopher Wars Continued

More from Teri: I like to wear suspenders AND a belt, so I’m thinking of using a combination of 1/2″ hardware cloth AND 6″ of rock at the bottom of my 20″ raised beds. Mostly the rock would be to take up space and provide more...

Releasing Lacewings and Good Results with Worm Castings Against Ants

Question from Dave: A couple of observations to share: Lacewings from Gardens Alive arrived in a tiny container – like the one that contains salsa with your take out taco’s. Hard to believe there’s 10,000 lacewing larvae in there. They...

Something eating Aeoniums

Question from Trinidad: Would you know what creature is eating the Aeonium heads? There is nothing apparent. I think it is a grass hopper coming in the night and flying away….but it is hard to tell. There is no damage elsewhere, so it cannot be an animal...