July 11, 2014

Grasshoppers in the Home Garden

Red-legged grasshopper

Grasshoppers are an occasional pest in Iowa farms and gardens.  The number of grasshoppers varies greatly from year to year and from place to place.  This appears to be one of the y

Strange-Looking Fungi in Landscape Mulch


Wood chips and shredded bark are commonly applied to landscape areas to control weeds and conserve soil moisture.  Wood chips and shredded bark are organic matter.  The decaying organic

Emerald Ash Borer in Tenth County – Henry


A larva collected from a tree in Mt Pleasant Iowa has been positively identified as an emerald ash borer (EAB).  Henry County is the tenth county in the state where the destructive pest of ash

Periodical Cicadas: And Then They Were Gone


Sigh.  It's hard to believe but the periodical cicada emergence of 2014 that we waited 17 long years to see is over.  They came, they sang their song, they perpetuated the species

Growing Successful Summer Squash


Summer squash such as zucchini, yellow crookneck, yellow summer, and pattypan are a fun and easy crop to grow in the home garden.  These bush-type squash take up little precious real est