PlantLife Online

It's that time of year when those pesky garden insects start to emerge from their overwintering hideouts. The most common garden pests tend to be aphids, mites, scales and caterpillars which can easily be controlled if they are detected early. Its time to get out there and inspect young plants and new shoots for any insects and/or damage. Populations can be controlled organically with the use of beneficial insects and selective sprays like Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT).

Did you know you can control soft body insects like aphids and mites with a simple solution of common dish soap and water? Soaps have been used for insect control for around 200 hundred years and recently have become more popular among homeowners. The soap solution should be applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves, the soapy solution as no residual effectiveness and should applied directly on the insects. Repeat applications over 7-10 days may be needed for complete insect control.

Planting cool-season veggies and herbs in your garden will allow you to harvest fresh homegrown produce year round in many climates.

When removing a branch at the point of attachment the goal is to remove the branch as close to the trunk as possible without cutting into the branch bark ridge or leave a stub. The diagram below is numbered in the ideal order for removing a limb that is best for the tree and safe for the pruner.

(1) Make a cut on the under side of the limb several inches from branch union. This will keep the weight of the limb of the from striping bark down the tree.

Making Improper pruning cuts can leave your tree open to insects and disease here are 2 examples of trees healing from pruning cuts, good and bad. 

Above is a pruning cut made too close and cut into the brach collar. The area where the circle of new wood is incomplete will never properly heal leaving the tree open to pathogens and further decay.

Washingtonia filifera or as it's commonly known, the California Fan Palm is the only palm tree native to California. The state of California grows hundreds of varieties of palm trees that can be found up and down the state but the only native is Washingtonia filifera.  

http://plantlifeonline.net/plants/palm-trees/desert-fan-palm

This is a photo of a gall caused by the tiny non-threatening Urchin Gall Wasp on a Valley Oak. These tiny wasp lay their eggs in the tissue of the oak leaves which develop these ornate homes in which their young to develop. 

October is a great time to plant! Planting in the fall allows the plant to develop large healthy roots prior to spring which gives them a head start from those planted in the spring. Plant in October and get ready for bigger blooms and healthier more established plants in the spring. Plant this time of year will also save water. Not to mention gardening in the fall is much cooler!

Apply mulch to the soil surface around trees in the garden helps reduce water loss do to evaporation and creates favorable conditions for root growth. Trees like it and it can lower you water costs. Using mulch also reduces the chance of damage to trees trunk caused by mowers and string trimers and increases soil nutrients. The ideal mulching would be 3-4 inches deep and spread from the trunk to the edge of the drip line but the spread will depend on the space available in your garden landscape.

Fall is in the air but don't put away your spades and gardening gloves just yet. Fall is a great time to plant, prune and prepare for spring flowers.