What Is Eating My Plants at Night? 6 Culprits to Check First TL;DR: If something is eating your plants at night, grab a flashlight 1 to 2 hours after dusk and check under damaged leaves, around stems, and beneath mulch to catch the culprit. Look for slug trails, caterpillar droppings, or cutworm-damaged seedlings, then act…
Tomato Hornworms: 5 Steps to Find the Pests Hiding in Plain Sight TL;DR: To get rid of tomato hornworms, look for stripped leaves and green or dark droppings, then check nearby stems and leaf undersides for hidden caterpillars. Hand-pick any you find, try a UV blacklight after dark if they’re hard to spot, and use…
Tomato Blight Identification: 5 Clues Before You Pull Your Plants Tomato Blight Identification: 5 Clues Before You Pull Your Plants TL;DR: Early blight usually starts with brown, target-like spots on lower tomato leaves, so remove infected foliage, mulch the soil, and water at the base to protect your harvest. Late blight causes fast-spreading, water-soaked patches…
Squash Vine Borers: 7 Ways to Stop Them and Save Your Harvest TL;DR: Stop squash vine borers by covering young squash plants before moths arrive, removing eggs, and checking stems for tiny holes and sawdust-like frass. If your zucchini is already infested, you may still save it by carefully removing the caterpillar and covering healthy…
Powdery Mildew Treatment: 6 Ways to Save Your Squash Harvest TL;DR: To control powdery mildew on squash and cucumbers, remove a few badly infected leaves, improve airflow, and treat early with a suitable horticultural oil or potassium bicarbonate fungicide. Milk spray may help with mild infections, but sulfur works best for prevention. If most leaves…
How to Use Neem Oil on Plants: 8 Steps for Fewer Pests, Healthier Leaves TL;DR: To use neem oil safely, choose a product labeled for your plants, mix it exactly as directed, and test a few leaves before spraying. Apply it on a cool, calm evening to pest-infested stems and leaf undersides, avoiding flowers and…