Over the years, I’ve grown plants in raised beds, in-ground beds, and containers. No matter where I’m growing my plants, I’m always interested in cultivating healthy soil. But if you’ve been dealing with an aphid infestation, you might be wondering what that means for your soil. Can you reuse soil that an aphid-infested plant has…
Have you ever seen aphids in your garden and wondered where they came from and how they got there? Have you seen reports of various invasive species–from hammerhead worms to Asian gypsy moths to spotted lanternflies (and countless others)–and wondered if aphids were invasive as well? Aphids are highly invasive insects. Although they prefer more…
If you like to garden, you’ve probably thought a bit about composting. Maybe you even have a compost bin or two on your property. What’s nice about composting is the ability to transform household scraps and garden plants into beautiful, nutrient-rich soil amendments that can be added to your in-ground garden, raised beds, or containers….
Recently, I decided to make a salad using kale grown in my garden. After harvesting the leaves, I filled a bowl with water, soaked the leaves to wash off any dirt or grime, and put them on the cutting board so that I could chop them up. Right before I started shopping, I noticed something…
When it comes to identifying and stopping garden pests, the first thing you need to do is to understand what you’re looking at. Some bugs are easily seen. Others are microscopic. So what about aphids? Can you see them on plants? Unlike many microscopic bugs, aphids are typically 1-3mm long and can be seen on…
Have you ever noticed a cluster of aphids in your garden and wondered if they were poisonous. Can they sting or bite like wasps and ticks? Can they transmit diseases like mosquitoes? Aphids are not poisonous. They can neither sting nor bite since their piercing mouthparts are designed to puncture plant tissue, not skin. They…
If you like to garden, you might have wondered if winter is going to solve some of your pest problems, especially if you’ve dealt with aphids recently. Will the cold weather help you come spring? Will winter kill off aphids and other garden pests? Aphids can survive in winter through adaptation, diapausing, freeze tolerance, and…
Last January, I went outside to take a look at my garden after temperatures in North Texas dipped to 18℉ (-7.8℃) the night before. As I expected, my swiss chard looked awful, and my brussels sprouts and kale were just barely hanging in there. But when I looked closely at my kale, I noticed there…
A while back, I admittedly didn’t pay close enough attention to my okra during the hot summer months here in Texas, and aphids invaded. By the time I got my act together, they were clustering around my okra blooms, damaging the foliage, disfiguring the okra pods, and spreading to other parts of my garden. The…
Have you ever walked outside and seen tiny yellow or yellowish bugs on your plants or trees? Or maybe you’re cautious when you see something new in your garden and wonder what it might be and what (if any) damage it might cause. Whatever the case may be, my goal with this article is to…
