Garden Problem Solver

Keep your landscape attractive and water-efficient with good gardening practices and attentive care.

Wondering whether something in your yard is a cause for concern? We’re here to help!

Keeping an eye on your garden can help you spot any issue early, making it much easier to address any problems. The AgriLife Extension Service is also a good resource if you need help with identification and know that treatment is not always necessary.

Sometimes plants may not look their best due to the time of the year or they may be food sources for caterpillars that will turn into lovely butterflies. Managing plant problems may look like deciding to tuck host plants for caterpillars behind another plant or replacing a plant that is not well adapted to your soil with a better option.

Practice these five strategies for a healthy yard:

Choose tough plants and use a wide variety in your landscape to help prevent diseases or infestations from spreading.
Follow good gardening practices such as mulching to prevent weeds and avoiding evening watering which can result in fungal diseases.
Use biological controls such as predatory insects to reduce pest numbers. A classic example is releasing ladybugs into your garden to eat aphids on plants.
Try mechanical controls for a less toxic option, such as spraying the undersides of leaves to remove spider-mites.
Use the least-toxic solution first, but if chemical controls are necessary, read and follow label instructions carefully. Check warnings to see if the product is dangerous to pets or not for vegetables.

Finally, remember insecticides will destroy beneficial insects as well as pests and may disrupt the natural balance of predators and prey in your landscape, and could lead to other issues.