Mealybugs
Mealybugs rarely reach more than 1/16" long, but because they feed in clusters they're easy to spot. Several species of mealybugs pose problems for gardeners across North America. Host plants include citrus, apples, peaches, grapes, potatoes, and ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
New Yellow Jacket Trap
Come late summer, yellow jackets are on the prowl. They have built their nests in the lawns and gardens and are foraging for water and carbohydrate-rich foods. If you're trying to have a picnic anywhere near a yellow jacket nest, they will invite ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
'Pink Reliance' Grapes
Delicious food or drink, luxuriant growth, beautiful color, and fragrance all in one grape variety? Try 'Pink Reliance', a seedless table grape that grows well in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8. It's disease resistant, tolerates a wide range of ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Small Fruits & Berries 101
The most popular berries among gardeners are the same ones that still come to market: strawberries, blueberries and, occasionally, red raspberries. We grow what we know, naturally enough. But why stop with only those? With a few more bush and ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Buying Grapes
It's a wonder more gardeners don't plant grapevines. Just 2 years after planting, you can be sampling your own grapes; in 3 years, you can be harvesting up to 15 pounds of grapes from each vine - plenty for eating and making jellies, juice, or ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Care & Harvesting of Grapes
Grapes should be pruned yearly because fruits only form on buds that arise from the previous season's growth. There are various methods of training grapevines. Your preferences, space limitations, and the variety of grape you are growing will ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Deep Mulch for Blueberries
General recommendations for mulching trees and shrubs call for a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer of organic mulch, such as bark chips, around the plant. Mulch piled deeper than this may lead to root rot and provide a home for mice and voles that love to ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Blackberry Essentials
Plant upright varieties at 3-foot intervals in rows 8 feet apart. Set trailing varieties 5 to 8 feet apart in rows 6 to 10 feet apart. Set plants 1 inch deeper than they were grown in the nursery. Mulch with a thick layer of shredded bark, wood ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Animal Trapping
If you've tried repelling, excluding, and scaring away a pest animal and it's still causing problems, you can trap and release it, or use a lethal trap. Trapping is an effective way to remove a specific pest animal, but isn't useful against a ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Animal Fencing
Fencing is the most reliable defense against garden-raiding deer Fencing is the only sure-fired way to keep wild and domestic animals out of a prized garden long term. Although it can be expensive for large animals such as deer, it may be the ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Bears
In bear country, these lumbering creatures can cause extensive damage to berry patches and gardens, and can be a threat to people if crossed. Although they are considered inhabitants of rural, mountainous, wilderness areas, bears are being seen ... [... more]
National Gardening Association |
Blueberry Prescription
Talk about an easy fruit! Backyard blueberries have few -- often no -- insect or disease problems. The bushes are easy to prune. No need to harvest crawling on your knees (as with strawberries) or fighting thorns (as with brambles). And no need ... [... more]
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