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Aphid midge The aphid midge is a beneficial insect. Aphid midge larvae eat aphids; one larva can eat as many as 65 aphids in a day. Adult aphid midges are very small, black, flies—less than 1/8 inch long. They look like fungus gnats. Aphid midge larvae are tiny pale yellow to red or brown slug-like

Oxalis Oxalis is a perennial plant.There are 900 species of oxalis–some with yellow flowers, other with purple, violet, or pink flowers. Some species are known as wood sorrels. Some are called false shamrocks. Oxalis can reproduce by rooting stem joints, tubers, or small bulblets depending on the species. It can take years to eradicate oxalis

Shepherd’s purse Shepherd’s Purse is a cool-weather annual that is commonly found in lawns, gardens, orchards, vineyards, and along roadsides. It is also called lady’s purse and pepper plant. Shepherd’s purse is a member of the Brassicaceae or mustard family and so will grow easily where mustard grows. The young leaves of shepherd’s purse, like

Peach leaf curl fungus can be controlled by dormant spray Diseases and insect pests that often attack fruit and nut trees, grapes, and brambles in spring and summer can be headed off during the winter. Dormant sprays—which kill overwintering pests and some diseases—are best applied when plants are in the dormant stage—after leaves have dropped

Vegetable stew Here is an easy to make vegetable stew that you can cook up any time of the year. The combination of vegetables in this stew can vary with the season and harvest. Choose two or three vegetables from the longer-cooking list and two or three from the shorter cooking list. If you want

Stephen Albert is a horticulturist, master gardener, and certified nurseryman who has taught at the University of California for more than 25 years. He holds graduate degrees from the University of California and the University of Iowa. His books include Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide, Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner, Tomato Grower’s Answer Book, and Kitchen

Roasted roots: carrots, parsnips, potatoes, butternut squash Roasted root vegetables make for a sweet and savory side dish. Roots great for roasting are carrots, turnips, celery root, rutabagas, parsnips, kohlrabi, and fingerling potatoes. To these you can add garlic bulbs and thick slices of butternut squash if you like. Toss root vegetables with a bit

Stephen Albert is a horticulturist, master gardener, and certified nurseryman who has taught at the University of California for more than 25 years. He holds graduate degrees from the University of California and the University of Iowa. His books include Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide, Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner, Tomato Grower’s Answer Book, and Kitchen

Stephen Albert is a horticulturist, master gardener, and certified nurseryman who has taught at the University of California for more than 25 years. He holds graduate degrees from the University of California and the University of Iowa. His books include Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide, Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner, Tomato Grower’s Answer Book, and Kitchen