Menu Index: Garden Problems
Weed Control in the Garden
How do I control weeds in my garden? It is critical to try and nip in the bud any possible weed infestations as early as possible in the growing season through spring and summer. The approach taken to weed control should vary according to the growth habit of the problem plant. Annual weeds are those…
Curl or Lawn Grubs
One of the most insidious garden pests lurks out of sight in your soil. The larvae of several species of beetles are voracious feeders on the roots of an incredibly wide range of plants from annuals and lawns to trees and shrubs. Curl grubs look like witchetty grubs with a C-shaped white body and orange…
Biological Control of Garden Pests
Biological control is all about using the predators and parasites of a pest species as a method of control rather than dousing your plants in toxic chemicals that often do not discriminate between friends and foes. It has the obvious appeal of safeguarding not only yourself, but also your children and pets who are often…
Citrus leaf miner
What is causing lines on my Citrus leaves? Citrus leaf miner (Phyllocnistis citrella) is a pest whose larvae burrow under the leaf surface. This causes the new growth to distort and have characteristic ‘squiggles’ all over the leaf surface. A very low toxicity control method involves spraying weekly at the beginning of spring or when…
Possums in the garden
Possums and Other Pests In Your Garden This is not a story about Dame Edna and her Moonee Ponds garden. It is about the joys of discovering wildlife inhabiting your backyard and the pain that the little devils inflict on your prize plants. This is a two edged sword, so I must confess to being…
Root Rot in the Garden and how to manage it
Most gardeners have experienced the disappointment of apparently thriving, healthy plants dropping dead, in some cases overnight, in other cases a gradual decline over several months. The usual cause of such problems is a variety of fungal root rot diseases that infect the roots or crown of the plant and destroy the plants ability to…
Summer pests in the garden and how to control them
arm weather pests and how to control them in non-toxic ways Summer is a time when pest activity is often at a maximum so keep a careful watch for sucking pests such as aphids and thrips. The first sign is usually the appearance of distorted growth in the growing tips or flowers and on closer…
Garden weed types and how to control them
What are the worst weeds in my garden and what do I do about them? The simplest definition of a weed is that it’s a plant that you don’t want there. That means a plant can be a weed in one place and highly valuable in another. The key to keeping weeds under control lies…