May is one of the busiest and exciting times in the garden. The days are getting warmer and longer. Plants are quickly filling out, weeds are establishing, and insects are buzzing all around. The trees are breaking out in leaf and spring flowering trees and shrubs are putting on their show. Mid May is also when we here in southern Ontario typically begin planting out … Continue reading Ornamental Garden Calendar for May
Most people are familiar with these slimy pests, that cause extensive damage to gardens, both ornamental and food. Slugs and snails while thought of as insects to most gardeners, are actually invertebrate animals known as molluscs or mollusks (along with oysters, clams and squid). They have been around for about 500 million years (BYJU’S, (n.d.)) with about 85,000 known species (Wikipedia, (rev. 9 April 2022)). … Continue reading Slugs and Snails in the Ornamental Garden
Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) are a highly destructive and invasive pest, both in the adult and larva stages. The larvae are white grubs that feed on the roots of mainly grasses. While the adults feed on the leaves of over 300 types of plants, skeletonizing them. The adults are able to fly up to 8 km (5 miles) with a good wind, in search of … Continue reading Japanese Beetles
What Are Galls? Galls are unusual growths or deformities of plant tissue caused by an organism; be it insect, nematodes, fungi, bacteria or viruses. The presence of these organisms initiates an increased production of normal plant growth hormones and these plant hormones cause localized plant growth. The gall-making organism feeds inside the gall. The appearance of the gall is unique to the gall maker and … Continue reading Willow Leaf Gall Sawfly
The spongy moth (Lymantria dispar), is an invasive and highly destructive pest. When their numbers are high the larvae can completely defoliate trees, even forests. Formerly known as the gypsy moth, it was renamed by The Entomological Society of America in Feb. 2022. This species has a few sub-species including: Lymantria dispar dispar, Lymantria dispar asiatica, Lymantria dispar japonica, Lymantria umbrosa, Lymantria postalba and Lymantria albescens. They are often … Continue reading Spongy Moth aka. Gypsy Moth
The Imported Willow Leaf Beetle (Plagiodera versicolora) is a small metallic-blue-green beetle with an insatiable appetite for willow and poplar trees. Native to Europe, the beetle was introduced to North America in 1915 and is predominantly found in the eastern U.S. and south/eastern Canada. Identification and Damage Adults: beetles are small, about 4 or 5 mm long ( 1/8″), metallic blue-green in colour, with an … Continue reading Imported Willow Leaf Beetle
Few plants can match the tropical appeal and spectacular presence of Canna Lilies. Growing from three to over six feet in a single season, these trouble-free beauties originated in South America and the West Indies and have become a favourite here in North America. Starting Your Bulbs in Pots Indoors: March is an excellent month to start your Canna Lily bulbs indoors. Follow these simple … Continue reading How to Plant Canna Lily Bulbs
April is traditionally a busy month in the garden. Spring cleanup begins and there are a host of other tasks to tend to. Following is a list of tasks and things to look out for, in your ornamental gardens in April. Note: these times are approximate and can vary depending on the weather and on your specific hardiness zone. The zone I write from is a zone … Continue reading Ornamental Garden Calendar for April
There are approximately 2500 spittlebug species worldwide (Deitz L. L. et. al., (2008)). Most of these live in the tropics with only about 60 species living in North America (Missouri Department of Conservation, (n.d.)). In Canada they are mostly found along the very southern end of the country. The nymphs are referred to as spittlebugs because of the frothy, spittle-like substance they produce and cover … Continue reading Spittlebugs and Frog Hoppers
Boxwood (Buxus) have been a popular choice for ornamental gardeners, worldwide, for 1000’s of years. These versatile evergreen shrubs have graced the homes of royalty, large public gardens, commercial properties and home gardens of all styles and sizes. They are relished for their slow growth, compact size, and ability to handle tight sheering, making them popular choices for hedges and topiary. Read on to learn … Continue reading Boxwood For Ornamental Gardens
Iris borers (Macronoctua onusta), are a species of cutworms that bore through iris leaves down into the rhizomes, causing browning and wilting. Their feeding damage can also cause a disease known as bacterial soft rot, aka. root rot. This bacterial disease, caused by the bacteria Erwinia carotovora, causes the rhizome to rot and become mushy, emitting a foul odour. Iris rhizomes infected with this disease … Continue reading Iris Borers and Bacterial Soft Rot
By: Kimberley Pacholko There may still be snow and cold weather in the forecast, but it is time to get out in the garden and begin pruning many of your trees and shrubs before they bud up. If the weather cooperates it is also a good time to begin dormant oil applications and several other garden tasks. Try not to walk on wet soils. I … Continue reading Ornamental Garden Calendar For March
What is dormant oil? Dormant oil is an oil based, low-impact insecticide, that is sprayed on vulnerable woody plants during their dormant season, to kill the overwintering stage of pest insects. The oil used is typically a highly refined mineral oil to which an emulsifying agent has been added, which allows the oil to mix with water. Sometimes cottonseed oil or soybean oil are used … Continue reading Dormant Oil for the Control of Over-wintering Insect Pests
There are few flowering vines that command as much visual appeal as do Clematis. Many varieties offer near diner plate size blooms on plants that can bloom for weeks on end. Growing these amazing Clematis vines naturally, without the aid of chemicals is not only do-able but from the plants point of view preferable. For big beautiful blooms on healthy low maintenance Clematis plants try these all … Continue reading Gardening Naturally With Clematis
There are several potential causes of leaf spots on Iris including fungal infection, bacterial infection, various viruses, insect damage and various environmental factors. Of these factors fungal leaf spot is the most common and widely spread. Leaf spot diseases greatly mare the appearance of Iris plants and can kill whole leaves and eventually plants if not brought under control. Fungal Leaf Spot of Iris Iris … Continue reading Leaf Spot Diseases of Iris
Many gardeners are familiar with the little green soft bodied insects that feed on the growing tips and flowers of many of their favourite garden plants. Aphids however are actually a very large and diverse group of insects with between 4,000-5,000 species worldwide. They come in a range of colours including green, black, brown, red, yellow, purple, gray and white. Size wise they vary in … Continue reading The Many Faces of an Aphid
By: Kimberley Pacholko Jan. 25, 2021 What Are Beneficial Insects? Beneficial insects are deemed beneficial from a human perspective, for their ability to either pollinate plants or to control pest insects. Creating an environment that is hospitable to beneficial insects usually involves refraining from the use of insecticides and other chemicals in the garden, providing a variety of plant material including brightly coloured pollinating plants, … Continue reading Beneficial Insects In Home Gardens
Box tree moths (Cydalima perspectalis), BTM for short, are an invasive species new to Canada in 2018. The first case was found in Toronto. Since that time, they have been gradually spreading. The United States reported its first cases in 2021. Several government bodies, universities, nursery and landscape trades have banded together to try to monitor and control it’s spread. Why all the concern? Since it’s … Continue reading Box Tree Moths (Cydalima perspectalis)
There are 90 or more plant nutrients, 17 of which are essential to plant health. Nickle was the newest to the list in the 1980’s. Without these nutrients plants cannot complete their life cycle. For a review on the role each of the nutrients plays in plant health visit 17 Essential Soil Nutrients For Plant Health. Silicon, cobalt and vanadium are also important nutrients to many plants … Continue reading Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms and How to Correct Them
Helleborine 🔈 (Epipactis helleborine) is a wild orchid and quite weedy. It has been showing up in more and more home lawns and gardens. It’s ability to sprout from any small fragment of it’s rhizomes, left in the ground, makes it a very difficult plant to weed out or eradicate; especially considering these rhizomes can be deeply established. This coupled with it’s dust like seeds … Continue reading The Wild Orchid Helleborine
Horticulture For Home Gardeners 