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Reviving blueberry bush attacked by apple moth

I don't know how to treat my 7-year-old blueberries, which were severely damaged by this pest. If pruning is suggested, what time of year is best? Should I give them more fertilizer to encourage new growth? I never had to fuss with the blueberries and ...

From PAM PEIRCE, San Francisco Chronicle,  6 Nov 2009

Family-friendly, low-maintenance sedge

Between the watering, mowing and allergies, we never really liked the grass much. About a year ago, we replaced it with creeping thyme, which hasn't done well, especially once we started subjecting it to a bit of foot and paw traffic. So now we're ...

From PAM PEIRCE, San Francisco Chronicle,  1 Nov 2009

Squirrel-fighting tactics don't work for all

"I have been trying to outwit squirrels for the last 25 years, and so far, the squirrels are winning the battle of wits. The worst fruit 'victims' are my oranges, figs and grapes. Take my word for it, pepper spray doesn't work. I cooked up a tasty ...

From PAM PEIRCE, San Francisco Chronicle,  25 Oct 2009

Safe ways to control pampas grass

It appears that removing or suppressing pampas grass is very expensive and labor intensive. Could you comment on the possibility of flaming off the flowering fronds (with careful control to avoid starting wildfires) and even possibly the foliage and ...

From PAM PEIRCE, San Francisco Chronicle,  18 Oct 2009

You can control the bud mite, save lemons

A: As you can see from the accompanying photo, the fruit becomes truly bizarre when tiny bud mites get to it. They infest the flower bud, sucking out the sap so that the resulting fruit is twisted and lobed. The problem is more common in cooler, ...

From PAM PEIRCE, San Francisco Chronicle,  11 Oct 2009

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Begonias likely beset by powdery mildew

A: It sounds as if your plants were infected with powdery mildew, a fungus disease that grows over the leaves and produces white spores. It first appears as small powdery spots, but these soon join to make the whole leaf a dusty white. A number of ...

From PAM PEIRCE, San Francisco Chronicle,  27 Sep 2009

Chemical-free ways to eliminate field bindweed

Would it work to cover it with black plastic weighted down at the edges? Would that take months or years to work, and wouldn't it just send up its sprouts outside the tarped area? I'm very reluctantly contemplating Roundup, but this is an area that I ...

From PAM PEIRCE, San Francisco Chronicle,  20 Sep 2009

Ailing canna lilies? Divide to conquer

A: Big, bold canna leaves are pretty dramatic even without the flowers, but it's a pity not to have those bright flowers atop the plants. You are right that your plants need to be divided and fertilized. They have become so crowded that each can't get ...

From PAM PEIRCE, San Francisco Chronicle,  13 Sep 2009

Where to find 'glorious monster'

A: I call this plant the glorious monster. It's beautiful and drought-tolerant, but it can grow up to 7 or more feet tall and wider, if not restrained. The yellow-centered white flowers can be 9 inches across. I tie my plant's stems into a narrow ...

From PAM PEIRCE, San Francisco Chronicle,  6 Sep 2009

Best not to use suckers to grow redwood trees

A: I spoke with Matt Teel, propagator at Yerba Buena Nursery in Woodside (yerbabuenanursery.com; 650-851-1668). He says they grow all of their redwoods from seed, and that another method that works well is stem cuttings. He says he would not want to ...

From PAM PEIRCE, San Francisco Chronicle,  30 Aug 2009

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