Crape Myrtle Diseases & Insect Pests
Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) are essentially trouble-free small trees. The most common problems include powdery mildew, Cercospora leaf spot, aphids, Japanese beetles, and sooty mold. More...
Author: Janet McLeod Scott
Loropetalum
Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense), also known as Chinese fringe-flower, is a member of the Witchhazel family (Hamamelidaceae). The genus name, Loropetalum, is derived from the Greek words for strap...
Glyphosate Damage on Tomatoes
Tomatoes are easily the favorite vegetable grown in South Carolina home gardens. However, when their potential diseases, insect pests and physiological disorders are considered, it’s understandable...
Galls & Outgrowths
Galls are abnormal swellings or localized outgrowths (tumors) of plant tissue. They are extremely variable in size, shape and their location on the plant. Some are little more than a blister on the...
Plagas en las “Azalea” y “Rhododendron”
Aunque muchas personas ven a las “azaleas” y “rhododendrons” como plantas completamente diferentes, en realidad ellas pertenecen al mismo género, Rhododendron. En término de las plagas que atacan a...
Mulch
Mulching is one of the most important ways to maintain healthy landscape plants. A mulch is any material applied to the soil surface for protection or improvement of the area covered. Mulching is...
Boxelder Bugs
Boxelder bugs (Boisea trivittata) get their common name from their primary plant hosts, boxelder trees (Acer negundo). They have piercing-sucking mouthparts and feed mainly on seeds produced by...
Chestnuts
When growing chestnuts at home, it is important to distinguish between the “real” chestnut trees (Castanea species) and those trees producing horsechestnuts and buckeyes (Aesculus...
Sowbugs & Pillbugs
Sowbugs and pillbugs are commonly found outdoors in South Carolina, especially under rocks and boards. They are not insects but are more closely related to lobsters and shrimp. They breathe with...
Silverfish & Firebrats
Homeowners usually see silverfish and firebrats when a cabinet door is opened, or a book or other object under which they were hiding is moved. Silverfish and firebrats are pests because they feed...
Springtails
Description and Habits Springtails are tiny, jumping, soft-bodied insects that live in very moist conditions. They are usually between 0.04 and 0.08 inch, and white, yellowish with black markings or...
Fuchsia
The genus Fuchsia includes about 100 species. The most commonly grown, Fuchsia x hybrida, or ladies’ eardrops, is a hybrid derived from Fuchsia fulgens and F. magellanica, natives of Mexico...