Treating diseases and pests

Green lacewing also goes by more dramatic and telling names: golden-eyed fairy, aphid lion, aphid wolf… and each name reveals how much of a beneficial insect this is to a gardener trying to control pests. Larvae from this insect family seem to have a single goal in life: to devour aphids.

A 10th century legend, over a thousand years ago, relates the story of a man condemned to death for having murdered someone. As he claimed his innocence, a ladybug landed on his neck and the executioner stayed his ax.

Septoria is a species of fungus that infects vegetables, trees and ornamental plants. In some cases damage is insignificant, in others there’s no hope.

The Russian Olive tree, as opposed to the native American silverberry, is considered a highly invasive species in some parts of the United States and Canada.

When leaves are covered with a blackish substance, similar to black soot that would have collected overnight, it is a sign of sooty mold.

European brown rot or rotting fruit is a disease caused by fungus that attacks fruit trees and can seriously impact harvests. 

Chlorosis isn’t actually a disease. It is actually a physiological deficiency that plants endure when certain minerals or trace elements are found lacking in the soil. This occurs often when there is too much active lime.

Fireblight is a fast-spreading bacterial disease. It’s crucial to cut off and remove any infection before it spreads too far.

The Good Lord’s beetle is an incredible bug that feeds on aphids. It is the best of the gardener’s friends.

Aphids are fearsome insects that attack leaves and feed on plant sap. There are natural ways to treat against them. Leaves curl up and become sticky.

Fermented tea from weeds is an effective and environment-friendly resource to fight most insects, pests and plant diseases.

Photinia shrubs sometimes contract a disease called Photinia leaf spot or Photinia black spot. Leaves are dotted with black spots that slowly spread

Red spider mite is a tiny mite of the Tetranychidae family. It attacks leaf and flower plants, indoors and outside.

In these days of sustainable development and environmental protection, attracting animal and insect life in your garden is a necessity.

Appearing in eastern France in 2003, allium leaf-mining flies have continuously spread West and are today among the most devastating enemies of leek overall.

Prepare your own magic potions! Infusions, decoctions, fermented tea… take advantage of natural plant properties to easily prepare organic fertilizer and treatments at a very low price.

This fungus impacts the leafage and forms black spots on the topside of maple tree leaves. Black fruiting pods may appear on these leaves,

Septoria has often caused many a gardener to wail in desperation. What plants does it affect? Which host is it hiding on over winter?

Scale insects like mealybugs are among the most common parasites on indoor plants.

Silverberry is quite a resilient shrub, but there are cases when something as innocuous as a tiny sparrow will bring it down to its knees…

Does your Sunpatiens look wilted? Does it seem like it’s rotting away?

Bordeaux mixture is an effective fungus treatment authorized for use in organic farming.

The Boxwood tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis, is an insect of the Crambidae family in the Lepidoptera order.

Tomatoes are often infected with fungal diseases (related to mushrooms). A typical gardener’s first reaction is to blast the whole plant with chemicals.

Whether in the vegetable patch, around fruit trees or near rose trees,

Cabbage moth (Pieris brassicae) is a large white butterfly species that naturally reproduces in cabbage leaves. It uses those leaves as food for caterpillars of the next generation. Wings have a few black spots on them.

Caterpillars are butterfly larvae that come in many different shapes, colors and sizes, but the damage they do is always the same.

Thrips are a class of extremely tiny insects – almost microscopic – that either destroy or protect plants. They can be found both in the

Rose trees are most certainly among the most beautiful flower-bearing shrubs, but they are also among the most vulnerable to diseases.

Infecting most ornamental plants such as cypress, willow or fruit trees such as peach trees, apricot trees or cherry trees, canker is a fungal disease that

Black spot disease is diagnosed when black or brown spots appear on leaves. It impacts many trees, but doesn’t usually present any critical

Thrips can cause different types of damage to your plants. This depends both on the plant species and the type of thrips. Key thrips damage symptoms Sunken streaks and patches – leaves and stems Colored spots or patches – usually silver-white Stunted growth – buds (flower and leaf) Often combined with – plant virus, fungal […]

Though it loves water, in cases where drainage is bad you’ll have to fight off root rot because your Vinca is

Every Spring season, it’s the same old story. You’re strolling through the garden, soaking in that frenzied feeling of nature waking up. Ka-POW, disaster strikes! Everywhere, slugs and snails chowing

Thanks to fermented stinging nettle tea, create your own 100% organic fertilizer and parasite repellent! Discover fermented stinging nettle tea

Weed tea, prepared by simply fermenting weeds in a pail, is excellent to treat plants against diseases. Here are the different types of weed tea and their uses.

Fermented horsetail tea is an effective fungicide that helps avoid most fruit tree and vegetable patch diseases.

When seedlings die off at a very early stage in life, chances are it’s due to a fungus in the soil. “Damping off” is the term that describes this infection.

Many houseplants come from tropical areas where air moisture levels are very high. In apartments and homes, increase air moisture

Transplant shock is a combination of three factors. Upon moving a tree or plant, it undergoes:

Natural organic ant control is possible and effective. Here are a few tricks to fight against these tiny insects.

Have you sprayed too much insecticide on your tree? Applied too much fertilizer? There may still be a chance to save your plant. Here is how to save a poisoned tree.

A natural pest control solution, use fermented rhubarb tea during the plant’s entire growth phase. It is also possible to keep using the fermented tea after maceration for

What do a vacuum, aluminum foil, and a hose have in common? They’re great tricks to get rid of thrips – naturally! Thrips are teeny-tiny bugs that are sometimes dangerous for your plants. When you’ve got a small colony on a houseplant or just the start of an infection in the vegetable patch, these handy […]

Codling moth is often called “fruit worm”. It is actually a type of caterpillar that feeds on the fruit’s flesh.

Very small flies score the fruits with their ovipositor to deposit their eggs inside. These eggs will hatch inside the fruit, and the larvae will eat

A fungal disease that strikes terror in the heart of orchards, scab can be diagnosed when brown spots appear on the fruits.

Often called apple scab, this fungus is responsible for important damage to this fruit tree, but also to plum trees and pear trees.

Powdery mildew is a fungus that belongs to the Erysiphaceae family and frequently colonizes certain plants. This mold appears in the form of a light velvety white layer or white spots on leaves, which is what makes it immediately recognizable.

Thrips species exist by the thousands, but they can all be sorted out into three major types of thrips: pest thrips, predatory thrips, and

Thrips reproduce through egg-laying. Learn to recognize these tiny egg nests to prevent the pests from spreading across your plants!