When you grow plants from seeds, they may be attacked by a fungus known as “damping off.” You can cut down the chances of this by using sterilized starting mix, but if they are attacked, you’ll need to throw away the plants that have been attacked. Otherwise, it may spread to the healthy plants.

Leaf mold is another common ailment of houseplants. If your plants get it, remove the leaves that have been affected. If this doesn’t work, you’ll have to throw out the whole plant, or other plants will get it. In fact, this guideline should be followed no matter what disease or pest infestation your plant gets. If it is badly infected, the wisest choice is to throw away the whole plant. They are very difficult to cure, and you risk infecting your other plants.

With some plants, you’ll understandably have a hard time following this rule. Especially if you’ve had the plant for a long time, it can be a difficult choice. However, it is the best thing to do if you want to keep the rest of your plants healthy.

If one of your favorite plants gets a mild case of blight or infestation, it may be possible to save it, but it will take a lot of work on your part. You’ll need to remove it from its usual location, and keep it in a spot far away from your other plants during the time it is healing.

There are five major types of insects that attack houseplants. Aphids are small green or brown insects that can be found on the underside of the leaves. They can sometimes be hard to see because they blend in with the leaves. First, try a good hard spray of water to get rid of them. If this doesn’t work, you’ll have to resort to an insecticide if you really want to save the plant. You’ll need to spray your plant several times with the insecticide, because it only works if the spray comes into direct contact with the insect. Once you’re done, spray the plant with water to remove the insecticide.

Mealybugs are another common houseplant pest. A small white insect, they are usually found either underneath the leaves, or on the stems. Spraying with water usually does not get rid of them, so instead use an insecticide. Then, pick off the remaining few by hand. Use a Q-tip dipped in alcohol to pry off the remaining mealybugs. Double check to make sure that they are all gone before you return the plant to its usual spot.

Scale insects vary in shape, and are usually dark brown or black. They usually do not move once affixing themselves to the plant. Most often, they are found on ferns, palms, citrus fruits, rubber plants, and ivy. The only effective way to get rid of them is to pick them off individually. Again, use a Q-tip dipped in alcohol to remove the pests.

Red spiders are very tiny, and often the first sign is a web woven in the joint of a stem and leaf. They can be washed off with a strong spray of water, but you should also treat the plant with an insecticide to be sure they won’t come back.

White flies are tiny and moth-like, usually found on Geraniums and similar plants Because they will fly off if you try to spray the plant, they are hard to get rid of. Try spraying the plant with an insecticide several times per week.

Gardening is a wonderful pastime, not only will it add beauty to your home but you will also be able to feed yourself and your family from your pass time. But if you don’t deal with the problem of pests you will find that you are feeding unwelcome guests and not your family.

Pest control is one of the most important issues when planning your garden, whether it is a flower or vegetable garden. If you allow pests to overrun your garden instead of a thing of beauty and source of food you will have nothing more than an ugly mess.

A gardeners best friend is his or her spay can, knap sack and the pest control section of his or her supermarket. Gardening is excellent exercise and can be hard work, so why spend all of that time having it turn into unproductive time just because of garden pests.

To help your garden stand out and be noticed you should not only care for the garden but for the lawn that surrounds it as well. The frame of a painting makes the painting look so much better.

Lawn grubs need to be controlled, not only will they damage your lawn but will eventually spread to your garden. Beetle grubs especially will turn your lawn into a dust bowl, but before you reach for a highly toxic poison try making your own environmentally friendly pesticide.

Don’t spend all of that time planning, digging and planting your garden only to kill it with a chemical that you hope will help it survive. Study the pest that you want to eradicate, find out what their habits are, and use the best chemical or pesticide for the job. You don’t use a hammer to paint a wall, do you?

Some pests will avoid a nice healthy garden, so nurture it by giving it the correct amount of water, the right fertilizer and don’t cut the grass too short. Now that your garden is healthy you can start to eradicate the pests that have stayed.

Even though your garden may be looking beautiful, it will also look very inviting to snails and slugs. The City of Toronto has banned the use of pesticides for most purposes, but still allows Scotts EcoSense ferric phosphate, because it is as safe as can be in your garden.

I hope that I have made it abundantly clear that if you want to reap the benefits of all of your hard work in the garden you have to minimize the damage that the pests can cause. In order to defeat your enemy in the garden you must get to know them.

Image by Dominic’s pics via Flickr

If you save seed from your own plants you are able to choose carefully. Suppose you are saving seed of aster plants. What blossoms shall you decide upon? Now it is not the blossom only which you must consider, but the entire plant. Why? Because a weak straggly plant may produce one fine blossom. Looking at that one blossom so really beautiful you think of the numberless equally lovely plants you are going to have from the seeds. But just as likely as not the seeds will produce plants like the parent plant.

In seed selection size is another point to hold in mind. Now we know no way of telling anything about the plants from which this special collection of seeds came. So we must give our entire thought to the seeds themselves. It is quite evident that there is some choice; some are much larger than the others; some far plumper, too. By all means choose the largest and fullest seed. The reason is this: When you break open a bean and this is very evident, too, in the peanut you see what appears to be a little plant. So it is. Under just the right conditions for development this ‘little chap’ grows into the bean plant you know so well.

From large seeds come the strongest plantlets. That is the reason why it is better and safer to choose the large seed. It is the same case exactly as that of weak children.

But take the case of large seed, like corn for example. Corn is planted just so far apart and a few seeds in a place. With such a method of planting the matter of per cent, of germination is most important indeed.

Fighting Enemies

The devices and implements used for fighting plant enemies are of two sorts: (1) those used to afford mechanical protection to the plants; (2) those used to apply insecticides and fungicides.

For applying poison powders, the home gardener should supply himself with a powder gun. If one must be restricted to a single implement, however, it will be best to get one of the hand-power, compressed-air sprayers. These are used for applying wet sprays, and should be supplied with one of the several forms of mist-making nozzles, the non-clog gable automatic type being the best. For more extensive work a barrel pump, mounted on wheels, will be desirable, but one of the above will do a great deal of work in little time. Extension rods for use in spraying trees and vines may be obtained for either. For operations on a very small scale a good hand-syringe may be used, but as a general thing it will be best to invest a few dollars more and get a small tank sprayer, as this throws a continuous stream or spray and holds a much larger amount of the spraying solution. Whatever type is procured, get a brass machine it will out-wear three or four of those made of cheaper metal, which succumbs very quickly to the, corroding action of the strong poisons and chemicals used in them.

As a final word to the intending purchaser of garden tools, I would say: first thoroughly investigate the different sorts available, and when buying, do not forget that a good tool or a well-made machine will be giving you satisfactory use long, long after the price is forgotten, while a poor one is a constant source of discomfort. Get good tools, and take good care of them. And let me repeat that a few dollars a year, judiciously spent, for tools afterward well cared for, will soon give you a very complete set, and add to your garden profit and pleasure.

If you grow roses in your garden but are having problems keeping them healthy, insects may be responsible. If you do nothing to deter them, they can do a lot of damage. There are ten major rose enemies, which you should be able to identify them if you hope to evade them.

1. Aphids Aphids are the most frequent bug to feed on roses. Most commonly found in buds and shoots, high numbers of aphids will encourage mild growth and blacken the rose leaves. They can also reduce the size of the flowers, or even kill some buds. Aphids are mainly a problem in the spring and early summer. Ladybugs are the aphid’s natural enemy, but you can also use water spray or insecticidal soaps to remove the aphids.

2. Spider Mites Spider mites can cause your rose leaves to dry up and fall off. They are so tiny that you probably will not notice them on the leaves. They are usually found in dry, dusty conditions. To get rid of spider mites, reduce the dust near your plants and ensure that they are watered sufficiently.

3. Fuller Rose Beetles Fuller Rose Beetles will chew on your rose bushes’ flowers and leaves, giving them ragged edges. They eat during the night, and will hide on the underside of the leaves during the day. Pesticides do not usually kill them, so you’ll need to handpick them off your plants.

4. Thrips Thrips leave brown streaks on your rose flowers, especially those that are white or light colored. Thrips can easily move from one plant to another if your rose bushes are planted close together. The best way to get rid of them is to clip and dispose of any blooms that have been infected.

5. Caterpillars Several species of caterpillars enjoy feeding on rose leaves. Because this damage does not threaten the rose plant’s overall health, you should simply remove affected leaves or buds.

6. Rose Slugs Rose slugs are actually the larvae of sawflies, but they look like caterpillars because they have legs. They have many natural enemies, but you can also remove them by washing your rose bushes with a strong spray of water.

7. Leafcutter Bees Leafcutter bees make semicircular holes in the leaves of your rose bushes. Other than killing the bees, which are natural pollinators and therefore helpful for your garden, there is no effective way to stop their work on your rose bushes.

8. Rose Curculio In a pool garden ideas, the common problem is the Rose Curculio that usually affects yellow or white roses. They are about a quarter of an inch long, and punch holes in flowers and buds. The larvae feed on developing buds, making this pest quite destructive for your flowers. You can get rid of them by spraying your rose bushes with an insecticide.

9. Flat Headed Borers Flat headed borers cause your rose bushes to die back, and sometimes they can kill the entire plant. You need to remove anything that has been infested with this pest. Keep your plants healthy by not over pruning them, and ensuring that they receive enough water in order to have a good landscape design.

10. Scale Insects Scale insects are small grey bugs with scales. In a pool landscaping, the ideas The best way to get rid of them is to prune any affected canes, and use pesticides to keep them from infecting remaining canes.

Getting the answer to what do termites look like should be the concern of every home owner. This is because termites can strike almost anywhere and when they do, they are difficult to get rid of and can cause damage to property. For some though, termite identification does not come easily. So what do termites look like?

What Do Termites Look Like?

The answer generally depends on the species and type of termite. There are more than 2000 species of termites and there are two major types, dry wood and ground or subterranean termites. Termites however share some similar features that differentiate them from other insects like ants.

Because they are the ones that may live underground and move through mud tubes to your home, ground or subterranean termites should be your primary concern. Ground termites can have anywhere from thousands to millions of members. Unless you identify them and have them properly and expertly exterminated, they will keep on eating your wood and furniture.

Termites basically subsist on cellulose or wood based products including paper. Some homeowners get a clue that they have termites if they notice some woodwork with eaten up sections. You would have a better chance though of answering the question what do termites look like if you study the features of the different colony members.

Workers

The lowest level in the hierarchy are the worker termites. However, they are also usually quite numerous. This is because they are the ones who forage for food for everyone else, groom the other members of the community, care for the eggs and build tunnels. They are creamy white in color with straight antennae and bodies. They therefore resemble grains of rice with legs. Since they do most of the dirty work, they are the ones easily spotted by humans when wood or mud tunnels are broken off.

Soldiers

Soldier termites is another type of termite that looks different from the first two. Termite soldiers are the defenders of the colony and may be seen when tunnels or wood areas are exposed. They have large light orange heads that carry sturdy pinchers for crushing. Some species have holes on their foreheads from which they release chemicals to suppress would be invaders. They are larger than workers but just like workers, they have straight, whitish bodies.

Swarmers or Reproductives

Swarmers or reproductives are easy to identify. This type of termite can be identified as having four wings that are of the same size and are longer than their bodies. Unlike workers however, they have darker colored bodies. Swarmers usually separate from the colonies from which they were born and look for other places with which to establish new colonies. These swarmers eventually grow to become new queens and kings.

Mud Tubes

If you still can’t give a definite answer to what do termites look like, you may want to consider relying on the evidence of their presence. Aside from eaten up wood, you should also look for mud tunnels or tubes that may stick on some wooden parts of your house. Some tunnels may also rise up from the ground.

Termite identification goes beyond simply identifying the different members of the termite colony. If homeowners are to protect their homes and prevent termite infestation, they must know some basics first.

The Truth About Termites

The most common look that termites are usually associated with is the worker termites look. These are the termites that do all the food foraging and are creamy white in color. The truth though is that termites usually avoid the light and the open air.

Termites burrow deep in your soil and work its way to the wooden parts of your house through mud tunnels. This means that the damage to your property may also be undetected until there is already too much damage. Some homeowners do not know they have termites until damaged wood breaks off to reveal the white workers. The key to early termite identification is to look for tell tale signs of their presence.

Swarmer Termite Identification

The role of swarmer termites is usually to fly off and build new termite communities. Early termite identification therefore begins by looking for flying winged insects of a dark color, with straight bodies and four equal length wings that they might discard around your property.. These swarmers may fly to or away from your house.

Swarmer termites usually appear during the beginning of spring or right after a rainfall. Although some may say that some swarmers simply get blown accidentally to your house, they might just establish a colony if the conditions are right.

Termite Identification Through Mud Tunnels

Termite identification can begin with looking for mud tunnels. Since worker termites try to avoid open spaces and day light, they usually move from their underground colony home to your house through mud tunnels. You should therefore be a little worried if you notice some seemingly dried mud that seem to rise up from the soil and stick on cracks or boards. When prodded, these tunnels may come off as grainy particles on your fingers. Some conditions are just so perfect for termites that they may even build mud mounds somewhere in your property.

Termite Identification Through Damage

If termites remain undetected for a long time, your home may already be in severe damage. Some signs of termite damage would be holes on the surface of the wood, paint cracks or wood that sounds hollow. Extensive termite damage may result in wood surface that easily breaks off when you prod it, revealing irregular sized hollow areas inside that may have traces of grainy mud.

Favorable Conditions

Environmental conditions are not necessary for termite identification. Favorable conditions however may tell you that you may attract potential colonists. You may for example have moist soil with wood contact on the ground. Ground termites love moist soil and the proximity of the wood to the soil may make their food harvesting work easier. Pipes that leak on wooden trash around the house and foundation cracks may also encourage termite infestation.

Whilst landscaping can give many benefits to the homeowner, there are a few basic problems that we have to deal with. The following article will list some of these problems and suggest a solution to them.

Dealing with Pests

The unwelcome insects and animals that come uninvited into our gardens can, if not dealt with, lead to significant damage. They can also create problems for humans and our pets through the spread of infection. One solution is to use pest proof products, repellants or traps, but these can have a negative impact on the environment as well if they are not carefully used.

To avoid this, it is wise to consider alternatives. Talk to other people in your area about their methods of pest control - this may include pest controllers, who wil be able to advise you on the safe use of chemicals.

Dealing with Irrigation

The correct use of water is a significant issue and if you are installing an irrigation system it must be done properly. Too little or too much water can kill a plant or retard its growth and in some cases can spread disease through pathogens living in the water that has pooled.

The best option for do it yourself gardeners is the drip system. It should be checked on a regular basis to ensure that there are no unwanted leaks or blockages.

Dealing with Climatic Changes

If you choose the wrong types of plants for the climate in your area, you are doomed to fail. There are some plants that do not cope well with too much snow, rain, cold or heat.

To avoid this problem, your landscape should be created in “layers” - taller plantings at the back, then a middle level and short level. This will reduce damage to the more sensitive plants from wind. If you have extreme weather conditions, it is best to choose plants that are native to the area and are adaptable to the climate.

Dealing with Maintenance

It is vital that regular maintenance be carried out to keep the landscape looking good. This can be a rather arduous task, especially if there are changes in climate or if the area is a large one and the plants are spaced out.

If you want to avoid this, once again choose native plants as they will generally require lower levels of maintenance. Smaller gardens with less “busy” designs will be easier to look after. Choose less variety in plantings to lower the workload.

Dealing with Plant Diseases

Diseases and pests are common in gardens. Many plants are susceptible to disease or pest attack, for example, thrips or black spot on roses. Trying to control disease can be difficult once it takes hold, so it is best to employ preventative measures.

In the first instance, ensure that the plants you choose are healthy and keep a watchful eye on them for the first few months. Any diseased parts of the plant should be removed as soon as they are found. You can apply an organic pesticide to prevent pest attack.

Dealing with Drainage

Drainage is not something that we give much thought to, but it is important. Without proper drainage, erosion, leaks and boggy areas can form. These boggy areas can in turn create an ideal environment for algae, fungi and mosquitoes, ruining all your efforts.

Make sure that you include drainage in the initial plans and if you do not feel confident about dealing with the drainage yourself, consult an expert.

Dealing with Weeds

Weeds are just unwanted plants in all gardens and landscapes and are something we all have to cope with. If you grow anywhere and if let them take control, they will ruin the look even of your hillside landscaping designs and all your hard work will have gone to waste.

Mulching the garden is a great weed suppressant and you can use weedicides or herbicides as well, taking care to avoid contact with the plants you want to keep.

Dealing with Hazardous Chemicals

There may be times when a landscaper has to use hazardous chemicals in the garden and they must ensure that they follow the precautions on the labels to avoid serious health problems. Some of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, nerve damage or birth defects when they are not used properly.

One solution to this problem is to avoid using the more hazardous chemicals and wherever possible using organic alternatives.

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It is vital that, in any landscaping project, a pest control program is included. Unwanted insects and other problems will be attracted to the newly created environment because of the seemingly inexhaustible food supply, nicely damp soil and ideal breeding ground. Here are a few ways that you can maintain control over these pests.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes thrive in moist conditions and they will breed in any puddle. They can be eradicated using repellants, but a better alternative is the mosquito magnet. Repellants contain chemicals that can be harmful to people and the environment. Mosquito magnets kill mosquitoes without the use of these chemicals. The magnet releases a gas that resembles human breath to a mosquito and it is attracted to the machine, where is succumbs to dehydration.

Regardless whether you use a magnet or another way to get rid of mosquitoes, you should follow these rules to reduce the amount of mosquito breeding in your garden:

* Rid your garden of any pools of still, stagnant water.

* Clean any areas that collect water, such as a birdbath, daily to kill any mosquito larva.

* Keep any ponds or pools aerated and in the case of swimming pools, maintain the chlorine or salt level at all times.

* Any aquatic plants in ponds will attract mosquitoes, so check them regularly.

* Fish and other aquatic animals will eat mosquitoes, so fill your ponds with these.

* Drip irrigation will water your plants, but the soil surface will remain relatively dry.

Earwigs

These creatures are readily seen in gardens that have accumulated piles of lawn cuttings, leaves and foliage. Here are a few ways to rid your garden of these pests:

* Make it a regular occurrence to clear the garden of such debris.

* Some mulch can result in an infestation of earwig, so check your mulched areas regularly.

* Use the drip irrigation as in the case of mosquito control to maintain a dry soil surface.

* Include “bird friendly” features in your landscape. The birds will be a natural controller of the earwigs and other pests.

Controlling Animal Pests

Most gardens will seem attractive to animals. Some areas prevent the killing of these pests, so it is best to discourage them from entering your property.

Here are some tips to discourage animals such as groundhogs, moles and rabbits from coming into your yard:

* Maintain your fences and ensure they are pest proof.

* Rid your garden of areas where the animals may hide out, such as tall grass, weeds and leaf piles.

* Use objects such as pinwheels as “scarers” around your fence to discourage the more timid animals.

* Use traps that will capture the animal humanely, allowing you to free them into the wild.

Live Animal Traps

These are as they suggest, a trap that captures the animal alive, allowing for it to be released some distance from your home. There are a number of these traps available, but the best are the havahart traps. They are easy to use and come in a number of sizes. They are safe to use around children and pets. You can purchase these online from the website havahart.com.

Organic Pest Control Methods

Common organic products, most of which came from plants sources and are readily available and you may even have at home, can be mixed together to make anti-pest formulas that are powerful enough to kills pests but are not harmful to humans or to the environment. Such organic products include insecticidal soap, Neem oil, horticultural oil and seeds of various plants eg Pyrethrims. With some knowledge you can easily make your own at home.

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Any reliable seed house can be depended upon for good seeds; but even so, there is a great risk in seeds. A seed may to all appearances be all right and yet not have within it vitality enough, or power, to produce a hardy plant.

If you should happen to have the opportunity to visit a seeds man’s garden, you will see here and there a blossom with a string tied around it. These are blossoms chosen for seed. If you look at the whole plant with care you will be able to see the points which the gardener held in mind when he did his work of selection.

You may care to know the name of this pantry of food. It is called a cotyledon if there is but one portion, cotyledons if two. Thus we are aided in the classification of plants. A few plants that bear cones like the pines have several cotyledons. But most plants have either one or two cotyledons.

But take the case of large seed, like corn for example. Corn is planted just so far apart and a few seeds in a place. With such a method of planting the matter of per cent, of germination is most important indeed.

Plant Enemies

Two devices and implements that are used for fighting plant enemies are: (First) those used to afford mechanical protection to the plants; (second) those used to apply insecticides and fungicides.

Of the first the most useful is the covered frame. It consists usually of a wooden box, some eighteen inches to two feet square and about eight high, covered with glass, protecting cloth, mosquito netting or mosquito wire. The first two coverings have, of course, the additional advantage of retaining heat and protecting from cold, making it possible by their use to plant earlier than is otherwise safe. They are used extensively in getting an extra early and safe start with cucumbers, melons and the other vine vegetables.

As a final word to the intending purchaser of garden tools, I would say: first thoroughly investigate the different sorts available, and when buying, do not forget that a good tool or a well-made machine will be giving you satisfactory use long, long after the price is forgotten, while a poor one is a constant source of discomfort. Get good tools, and take good care of them. And let me repeat that a few dollars a year, judiciously spent, for tools afterward well cared for, will soon give you a very complete set, and add to your garden profit and pleasure.

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When it comes to vile predators interfering with the natural growth of your peaceful plants, these insects and other beasties do their dirty work in two main ways.

The first is chewing insects. These guys will leave holes in your plant’s leaves or eat away whole sections of them, weakening the leaf tremendously. Insects or other deviants in this category include earwigs, beetles, grasshoppers, slugs, caterpillars and snails. The second variety is the sucking variety, and yes, these guys just plain suck. These guys are generally smaller and include mites, flies and aphids, and they prey on the plant by sucking all the juices and nutrients out of the leaves, which naturally doesn’t leave your leaves in very good shape.

Don’t get the idea that all chewing creatures are big and all sucking ones are small though, and plan your attack strategy around that, because it may not be the case. There are some larger sucking creatures as well, including squash bugs, chinch bugs and stinkbugs. These guys can be as big as your little fingernail. By the same token not all chewers are big. One little bugger with a big appetite for leafy goodness is the black flea beetle, who enters the ring at just 1/4 of an inch in diameter.

You may come across leaves that become rolled, puckered or twisted out of shape after a time. The likely cause of a rolled leaf is a little green hairless caterpillar, who you’ll likely find nestled contentedly inside the leaf when you unroll it.

It could also be aphids taking up residence inside a rolled up leaf. Aphids come in a variety of colors, but are easily identifiable by their nearly transparent bodies, large abdomens with prong shaped protrusions jutting out the back, and their six legs. For these distinct little guys, a good chemical spray may be needed without causing more damage on abused leaves of even small plants like pony tail palm. This procedure can be difficult to get off manually especially on a plant with many leaves.

One last guy who leaves a distinctive trail of destruction in its wake is the leaf miner. These guys are aptly named, as they take up residence inside the leaf and tunnel around in it like a jolly miner in the mountain. The tunnels they make leave a transparent trail in the leaf that actually gives the appearance of a window in which you can look right through the leaf. You may even see the miner itself in one of these tunnels upon close inspection.