Beetle Or Weevil Pupa

/Beetle Or Weevil Pupa/

Beetle Or Weevil Pupa

Sorry but we can't ID these insects to species from the photo (not enough detail is visible), but they are the pupal stage of a beetle or weevil species. Many of these kinds of insects pass their pupal stage in the soil until they emerge as adults to start feeding, laying eggs, and producing the next generation. They are not likely beneficial organisms, but are more probably insects that could feed on plants. We recommend you dispose of them. If you know what plant(s) you had in the planter box, that might narrow down the possibilities as some beetles and weevils feed on particular plants, or types of plants; when the larva stage was ready to morph into the pupa stage, the larvae dropped and burrowed into the soil for this particular stage of metamorphosis.

By | 2016-04-06T10:02:06-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Eggplant General

Eggplants are cold-sensitive and require a long warm season for best results. Plant in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil. Do not permit seedlings or young plants to suffer from low temperature or drought. Mulching between plants is useful. Space plants 18 to 24" apart with 30 to 36" between rows. Plants thrive in the heat of summer. These robust-sized plants up to 3' high and almost that wide can have purple-tinged green leaves, drooping violet 1 1/2-inch flowers and depending on the cultivar, fruits from grape to almost football size in white, yellow, red, green, violet or purple. For mature fruits, harvest after some color appears but always while fruits still have their glossy shine.

This white variety may be the one sold as 'Casper."

By | 2016-04-06T08:23:09-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Moth Orchid

The photo is a bit distant, but the top left and middle plants are moth orchids. Phalaenopsis is one of the easiest orchids to grow indoors. To get it to rebloom, make sure it gets enough light (bright east or west window), but not direct sunlight and feed with a slow release or organic fertilizer formulated for orchids. It does not tolerate temperatures below 60-65 degrees F. When in bud or bloom, the plant must be kept above 65 degrees or the buds will turn yellow and drop. Do not overwater and water at the base of the plant rather than overhead. Also do not allow to sit in water as this leads to root rot. Water until it flows out the drainage holes in the bottom before setting it another container if it is in a pot within a pot.

By | 2016-04-06T05:46:07-07:00 April 6th, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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Tomato Hornworm With Parasites

You have found Nature in action, controlling a pest! The green worm is a tomato hornworm, the larvae of one of the sphinx moths. Tomato hornworms can do significant damage to tomato plants, so should be hand picked for fastest removal. However, when you find one with these white bodies on them, take it off of your tomatoes but leave it nearby in a patch of weeds. Those are the eggs of a parasitizing wasp called a Braconid Wasp - they will soon kill the hornworm and then go on to develop into more Braconid Wasps which will keep other hornworms in check. So this is an example of how Mother Nature prevents one pest from getting out of hand! Save any hornworm with those white eggs, but either smash others or put them on your bird feeder and let the crows find them.

By | 2016-04-06T04:41:17-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Silver Carpet

This is a slowly spreading, very flat (just a few inches tall at best) groundcover with 1-2 inch long narrow leaves, that are a gray-green on top with white tomentosa beneath. Though flat to the ground, the white undersides are exposed to view as the leaf margins edges roll up and inward, particularly, when grown dry and thus giving the plant an appearance of being variegated. Small yellow daisy flowers bloom amongst the foliage in summer. Plant in full sun to light shade in a well-drained soil. This plants grows rapidly with irrigation, but it has deep succulent roots and can be very drought tolerant, though notably slower growing. It is hardy to about 25-30 degrees F. About the only things that this plant does not tolerate well is a heavy or otherwise non-draining soil and gophers.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:01-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Ground Cover Plants|0 Comments
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Rose Rainbow Sorbet

This looks like it could either be a 'Rainbow Sorbet' or a 'Joseph's Coat' rose, but there are many others that are also similar in shape and coloring. Unfortunately we cannot positively identify the cultivar of rose because there are thousands of different garden forms of varying growth and flower types divided into two broad categories Old Garden Roses and Modern Roses. However, you could contact your local rose society such as the Pacific Rose Society or a horticulturist at your local garden center that specializes in roses and hopefully they can identify further for you. Also there are many helpful websites including: www.helpmefindroses.com. All roses do best in full sun with regular water and feed with a slow release or organic fertilizer formulated for roses.

By | 2016-04-06T02:01:31-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Black Sooty Mold

The black sooty mold is probably the result of sucking insect damage such as aphids, mealybugs or scale. For sucking insects spray with a suffocant such as a horticultural oil but spray in the early evening to avoid burning the foliage during the heat of the day. There are also chemical systemics specifically formulated for citrus plants as another option, but you would need to get rid of the current problem first and the systemic would be for future control. Also look for ants as they farm the sucking insects for their honeydew, excreta from the insects that leads to the black sooty mold. Use a bait that ants take back to their nests to kill the entire colony and the queen. You can also apply tanglefoot around the trunk of the tree to keep ants out of the tree.

By | 2016-04-06T00:38:11-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Poison Ivy

This is poison ivy. The adage "leaves of 3, let it be" is important for poison ivy because it can be a shrub or a woody vine. Found most everywhere, it adapts to sun or shade conditions, various soil types, as well as wet or dry environments and can have different leaf shapes. When the plant is young, its stems are a light reddish-green to red and can be hairy or hairless. When the plant matures more, the stems become brown and woody. In the summer, the leaves tend to have a shiny coat, making it difficult to spray with a product to kill it. Also forms tiny flowers in the summer followed by berries. If it is growing in your garden , we suggest you dig it out and wear gloves. Dispose in the trash, not a compost pile, and do not burn as the toxins will become airborne.

By | 2016-04-06T00:19:49-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Weeds|0 Comments
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Moth Orchid

The flowers are a bit hard to see the details straight on from this picture. However from the foliage we feel this is a Phalaenopsis. Phalaenopsis s one of the easiest orchids to grow indoors. To get it to rebloom, make sure it gets enough light (bright east or west window) and feed with a bloom booster fertilizer (a fertilizer with a higher middle number or a slow-release fertilizer formulated for orchids). It does not tolerate temperatures below 60-65 degrees F. When in bud or bloom, the plant must be kept above 65 degrees or the buds will turn yellow and drop. Do not overwater. Do not allow to sit in water as this leads to root rot. Water until it flows out the drainage holes in the bottom before setting it another container if it is in a pot within a pot.

By | 2016-04-06T00:02:27-07:00 April 6th, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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Classic Downy Mildew On Cucumber

If I were ask for a photo that would show me what downy mildew on a cucumber looks like I would use this photo. This is a classic case of the disease known as Downy Mildew on cucumbers. Short of spraying with Daconil ever 7-10 days from the time it sprouts out of the soil until the time it dies, the only alternative, especially here in Florida, is to grow downy mildew resistant cucumbers. They may still get it but it will take longer. Dasher II and Indio are only two cucumbers on the market right now that show any sign of being resistant. Go to "Vegetable MD" on your search engine and look for "cucumber diseases." There will be a matrix showing all of the varieties on the market and those that resistant to a particular disease.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:01-07:00 April 5th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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