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Garden

Cuttings

News of note for the gardening enthusiast.

By JUDY STARK
Published September 23, 2006

Dug up anything spooky?

Unusual things can happen in the garden, from creepy encounters with critters and plants to freaky accidents with your tools and supplies. Send us a short description of your strange gardening tale by Oct. 9 for a Halloween story on weird happenings in the garden. Include your name and daytime phone number. Send e-mail to newsfeatures@sptimes.com; put GARDEN in the subject line. Or send snail mail to Yvonne Swanson, Newsfeatures Department, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Mark your envelope GARDEN. No phone calls, please.

Say bye-bye to little bugs

Where'd those insects come from that are suddenly attacking your houseplants? They may have been dormant, or maybe you've inadvertently introduced an infested plant. Two common pests: fungus gnats and springtails. Adult fungus gnats are small, dark-brown to black insects. They fly near windows and around potted plants when they're disturbed, often when you water. Gnats like moist soil, so their presence is a sign of overwatering. Let the soil dry out for a few days or a week. Springtails are small, white insects that crawl or hop on the surface of potting soil. Use sterilized potting soil to avoid them. Here again, letting the soil dry out will help control them.

Roll away the mess

Time to clean up the summer debris and get the garden ready for fall planting. The Garden Caddy from GardenWay holds 80 pounds of leaves and debris. Fill 'er up and roll 'er away no need to do more heavy lifting than you have to. The caddy is made of powder-coated steel, and the collapsible vinyl bag removes for easy dumping. The tray provides a handy spot for tools. It's $69.99 at www.gardenway.com.

- Compiled by Homes editor JUDY STARK

[Last modified September 22, 2006, 09:21:29]