MYTH BUSTERS SERIES
THE FACTS
ALL plants NEED WATER.
Drought-tolerant plants are those that, once established, will survive receiving low levels of rainfall or watering.
Plants considered drought-tolerant typically have EXTENSIVE root systems.
Newly-installed trees or shrubs, drought-tolerant or not, LACK the root system needed to draw in sufficient moisture, thus require adequate irrigation to establish sufficient root systems.
MYTH BUSTERS SERIES
THE FACTS
Adding organic matter, fertilizer or other substances to the planting hole of a LARGE TREE or PERENNIAL SHRUB can REDUCE plant growth
Adding amendments to backfill promotes root growth, but
- Roots and water DO NOT move well across the interface between amended soil and native soil
MYTH BUSTERS SERIES
THE FACTS
Buried Banana Peels or Banana Peel Tea
Banana peels are essentially just another form of plant-based organic matter – there’s nothing unique about them
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Foe!You might have played with this harmless beetle as a kid: turning it upside down so that it would flip itself back onto its feet with a click.
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Friend!There are more that 1300 diverse species of parasitoid Tachinid flies in North America – most look like a bristly house fly.
Adults feed on nectar and pollen but it’s heads-up when they smell the volatile chemicals from pest-infested plants!
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Friend!The genus SCYMNUS includes many species of small black, brown, mottled or spotted beetles. The larvae are usually covered with a white wax and are often mistaken for mealybugs. They feed on mealybugs, scale insects, aphids, red spiders, mites and insect eggs. Adults are about 1/12 inch (2 mm) long.
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Friend and Foe!There are many species of parasitoid wasps, some of which are FRIENDS and some of which are FOES. Many are so tiny you may not even notice them!
ONE OF OUR FRIENDS –
APHIDIUS WASP
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Friend or Foe?It’s good to know who is creating the leaf damage in your garden!
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Friend!Lady beetles are active hunters of prey and lay their eggs close to the food source. So as friendly gardeners let’s leave prey to attract them to our gardens!
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Friend!Adult lacewings forage on pollen and nectar-rich flower: yarrow, coriander, daisies, Queen Anne’s Lace, and dill. The larvae of lacewings are enthusiastic predators of aphids, thrips, and mites.
They are attracted to lights so protect them by turning off your outdoor lights at night.
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Friend!This gorgeous caterpillar will grow into a beautiful butterfly, so we can happily give up a bit of dillweed.
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Friend and Foe!You might see insects nesting in the ground. Is it a friend or a foe?
BEE: FRIEND!
There are almost 500 bee species in BC and approximately 70 percent of them nest in the ground!
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Foes!APPLE MAGGOT and CODLING MOTH
Whether it is a fly or a moth, the backyard gardener does NOT need to use pesticides – organic or not!
Seattle Tree Fruit Society has a great explanation on how to apply barriers for pests. And you can:
FRIEND or FOE SERIES
Friend and Foe!Ambush bugs are perfectly camouflaged and can change colour to match their surroundings. They sit, motionless, in a flower, and wait for an insect to come near. They prey on aphids, flies, caterpillars, beetles, wasps and, unfortunately are very successful in catching bees. So, we sometimes see them as FOES.
WHAT'S THAT WEED? SERIES
Wild buckwheat is sometimes called black bindweed and is OFTEN CONFUSED with field bindweed. Both have arrow-shaped leaves and vines that grow along the ground and twist around other plants.
HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO?
WHAT'S THAT WEED? SERIES
The nightshade family includes tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplants. Atropa belladonna, or deadly nightshade, is NOT a common weed in British Columbia. Several different nightshade weeds are found in Kamloops.