Symphylans are very small, white, many segmented organisms that you may see in your soil when you pull up a struggling plant. You will notice them darting and scurrying quickly about the root ball or seedling plug. They are also known as symphlans, or “symphys”, pseudocentipedes, or garden centipedes, even though they are not centipedes. They are […]
Deciduous fruit and nut trees, along with some flowers and biennial vegetables, need a certain number of hours of cold temperatures in order to break winter dormancy. This winter chilling is known as chilling, winter chill, or vernalization. The chilly temperatures actually break down the hormones that are preventing the tree or plant from growing. […]
Author: Chris Beardshaw Copyright: 2007 Publisher: Doring Kindersley Publishers Ltd Buy from Amazon:
Leafhoppers seem to be the bain of my existence…well, not really – but they sure complicate my veggie gardening. They would only be mildly annoying, if it weren’t for the diseases they spread. Physical Description very small insects, ranging from 1/12 – 1/8 inches long (2-3 mm). They are wedge-shaped, with narrow bodies that are […]
Curly Top is an insect-vectored viral disease spread by beet leafhoppers, which affects many plants. The beet leafhopper loves warm and dry weather, so that’s when infections are most severe. Species & Taxonomy Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Genus Species: Plants Affected beet family crops: beets, spinach, swiss chard tomato family crops: tomatoes, potatoes, tomatillos, […]
Flea beetles, part of the Chrysomelidae family,are tiny black or brown-bronze beetles that jump like a flea, and leave tiny holes or divots in the leaves. They seem to especially love eggplant leaves. Fruits, like eggplant, also get damaged with scarring from the flea beetles feeding. Productivity is also reduced because they love the new leaves, growing tips […]