Pests & Weeds

Light up a gazing ball, make a trap for fruit flies, plus more news

November 22, 2011
gazing ball in Kenmore NY

This is another one of those articles I like to think of as potpourri– a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I hope you find something that’s useful or entertaining. Light up a gazing ball. These instructions for making a lighted gazing ball, like the one you see at left,...
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Keep deer and rabbits out of your garden in the Buffalo area

November 15, 2011
deer eating in Buffalo NY winter Jan 2011

The image at left is lovely if it’s on a Christmas card, but aggravating if it’s actually happening in your garden. I’ve written before about ways to keep deer and rabbits out of your garden. Even if you read those articles when they were published, take a second look and make sure you take...
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Quit smoking now– it’s bad for your plants

November 15, 2011
Quit smoking now– it’s bad for your plants

“All plants are sensitive to smoke,” David Clark said in answer to a question during a recent horticulture class at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. Thursday, Nov. 17 is the 36th Great American Smokeout. Protecting your houseplants is one more reason for you to use the date to make a plan to...
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Dealing with tar spot, plus two other timely tips for fall

November 8, 2011
tar spot on leaves in Buffalo NY

Here are three helpful tips for autumn, courtesy of the free newsletter from Heimiller Greenhouses. Tip #1: How to deal with tar spot When it comes to tar spot, there’s bad news and good news and more bad news. The bad news is that tar spot is an ugly black fungus that seems to...
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Garden slugs prefer Budweiser to other American, Canadian beers

August 30, 2011
slug photo from Kathryn Olmstead

If your garden has ever been bothered by slugs, you probably already know this great tip about beer. Take an old pie tin, splash in some beer, and set the tin near  your affected plants. The slugs crawl in and meet their doom. What you may not know is that slugs prefer Budweiser. At...
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Buffalo area gardeners can take steps to prevent pest invasions

August 23, 2011
Japanese beetle in Buffalo NY area

Buffalo-area gardeners are familiar with the Japanese beetle. These bugs are pretty, but so damaging to our gardens. As you might guess from the name, Japanese beetles come from Japan, where they’re not much of a nuisance because their natural enemies keep them in check. In our area, grubs damage lawns by feeding on...
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Lush Buffalo garden with full-grown trees was planted on top of asphalt

August 2, 2011
blue spruce on Summer Street in Buffalo NY

A 20-foot blue spruce, along with a birch, crab apple, dogwood and Japanese maple, are part of what is essentially a giant container garden built on top of a narrow asphalt driveway in Buffalo. Ellie Dorritie of 415 Summer St. shared her gardens during Garden Walk Buffalo on July 30 and 31. More than...
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Niagara Falls gardener shares tips on starting tomatoes from seed

July 19, 2011
front yard in Niagara Falls NY 2011

First you notice the color, then you notice the fragrance when you visit the gardens surrounding the home of Barbara and Howard Sperry on Ashland Ave. in Niagara Falls. Sometimes Barbara likes to shake the lavender and other plants to better enjoy the aroma. The Sperrys shared their garden, along with many gardening tips,...
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Country boy and city girl get best of both worlds in Lockport

July 12, 2011
front yard at 570 Locust St

A huge front yard is outdone in size by the even larger backyard at the home of chiropractor Dr. Kenneth Kurbs and his wife Michelle at 570 Locust St., Lockport. The property is just under two acres. “To get a lot this size in the city is very unusual,” Kenneth said. “I’m a country...
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Emerald ash borer detected here: what you should do

June 21, 2011
emerald ash borer

In January, we told you that the emerald ash borer had been detected in regions surrounding the Buffalo area. Now the beetle has been detected in the Olmsted Parks in Buffalo. By the time the beetle has been detected, it has probably been living in the area for three to five years, said Jeremy...
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