During the spring and summer, the Kemper Center for Home Gardening often get questions about galls, or growths found on trees and other plants. People want to know what they are, and what to do about them. The following information will tell you all you need to know about galls. What are galls? Galls are…
Tag: pests and problems
Protecting Plants from Fungus Gnats
As you wait for the winter to thaw so you can get back to your garden, you may be paying more attention to your houseplants. And, it’s possible, dealing with pest issues. One very common plant pest if the fungus gnat. Infestations of these small, flying insects can range in severity from just being a…
The Biggest Pest Problems of 2019
The Kemper Center for Home Gardening is the largest non-profit gardening information center of its kind in the nation. That means they get a lot of gardening questions every week. Many of those questions are about pests wreaking havoc on home gardeners. The type of pests doing the most damage varies from year to year,…
Protecting Houseplants from Pests
The cold weather may be keeping you away from your backyard garden, but it’s a wonderful time to focus on your plants indoors. Winter is also when houseplants are especially susceptible to issues like pests. The shorter days mean a reduced photosynthetic output, which in turn means plants can produce fewer protective chemicals. Reduced humidity…
Best Practices for Battling Pests
Gardening can be a gratifying hobby, with rewards in the form of beautiful flowers, lush plants and delicious produce, but it can yield frustrations. For many gardeners, pests are at the top of that list. If you are looking for some ways to deal with insects who are eating plants in your garden, the Kemper…
Time for Summer Planting
It already feels like summer outside, but mid-spring, around Mother’s Day, is actually the perfect time for summer planting. With temperatures warm enough by day and night, it’s a safe time to plant any summer flowers, like begonias, zinnias, marigolds, and impatiens, as well as summer vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. It’s even warm enough to…
Rose Rosette: The “Witches’ Broom of Rose”
Roses have been among the most beautiful highlights of the Missouri Botanical Garden’s living collections for more than a century, but the rose plants currently on display in the Gladney Rose Garden and Lehmann Rose Garden are relatively new to Garden grounds. Between 2012 and 2013, every rose rose plant in the Garden had to…