stephenbrueggerhoff

Groundcovers for Garden Beauty

August 10, 2026 by stephenbrueggerhoff

Stephen Brueggerhoff, CEA – Horticulture, Brazos County AgriLife Extension; published 8/04/2026

All images unless otherwise noted by Stephen Brueggerhoff

Groundcover is a generic term referring to any plant that is growing low and spreading atop the surface of the soil. There are environmental and practical benefits using groundcover plants such as reducing soil erosion, moderating soil temps, suppressing weed seed germination and minimizing landscape maintenance. Nature abhors a vacuum and the use of a single species with an aggressive growth habit has been the go-to method in landscape design for quickly filling in visual dead space. One plant commonly used as a groundcover is evergreen Asiatic Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum). Favored for its dark green, leathery foliage raising up to 2 feet tall, Asiatic jasmine spreads rapidly and can form a dense mat to 12 feet long. It can be grown in well-draining to fertile soil. The upside to using this plant is its rapid establishment and can be maintained at a level height and spread with a string trimmer. The obvious challenge is its aggressive growth habit – I wasn’t paying attention one year and had this plant twining up to 3-feet on the trunk of my Crepe myrtle tree. A combination of hand pruning bunches of stems off the trunk and broad whacking with my trusty string trimmer at ground level resolved the issue. Remember to wear appropriate protective gear when trimming this plant; Asiatic jasmine produces a milky latex-like sap from cut stems and may cause contact dermatitis.

Diversify Groundcover Choices for Visual Appeal

While there can be advantages cultivating plants like Asiatic Jasmine or Wedelia (Sphagneticola trilobata), an herbaceous creeper offering daisy-like yellow flowers, I propose exploring plants through a much broader lens and consider plant combinations that provide the same function while increasing diversity in your garden. Your success in cultivating any plant is matching choices to local climatic conditions, soil texture and pH, water quality, and nutrient availability. Visual appeal also matters, and there are plants that can peak interest and enhance an existing design through foliage and complimentary flower color. The following are a few plants that you may consider broadening your plant palette:

Heartleaf Skullcap (Scutellaria ovata) produces dainty blue flowers along 2-foot-tall spikes from April through June, providing contrasting color with silver-green herbaceous foliage. The flowers offer a nectar source for butterflies and hummingbirds. Heartleaf Skullcap is naturally distributed in open woodlands from East to South Texas found growing in part shade in variable soil types. This perennial is somewhat vigorous, spreading from fleshy roots. While the foliage has died back to the ground in my front yard garden after flowering, I am confident it will emerge in mid fall. Cover any bare areas with a 3-inch layer of mulch until the plant emerges.

Purple heart (Tradescantia pallida) is a sprawling cold tender herbaceous plant that can be used as a groundcover in a protected area. This plant expresses deep purple foliage with small, trimerous lavender-pink flowers. The plant hails from Mexico in tropical and semi-tropical climate, traditionally grown in containers but also gaining traction in home landscape beds.

Obedient plant (Physostegia intermedia) literally stands up in a crowd, with terminal flowering spikes rising to 4 feet and blooming from spring through summer. A variety of pollinators visit these flowers as a nectar source. Obedient Plant will die back to the ground in winter but will revive as soil temps warm in mid-Spring. Obedient Plant will perform well used in a rain garden and can grow in shallow, standing water.

If you have spot in your garden that has well-draining soil, try Woolly Stemodia (Stemodia lanata), a Texas native found in dunes and sandy soils in the Gulf Coast Prairies down into Mexico. Once established, Woolly Stemodia can form a dense mat with silver-green foliage as soft as Lamb’s ear offering delicate lavender flowers from mid-Spring to Fall. It is a tender perennial adapted to USDA Zone 8 to 11 that is drought and saline tolerant.

You may consider Silver Pony’s Foot (Dichondra argentea), a plant growing from Texas Chihuahuan Desert to Big Bend into New Mexico. Variety Silver Falls™ is cultivated as a drought-tolerant vigorous trailing plant producing silver leaves and stems, an adaptation to withstand high summer temperatures. I invite you to share your thoughts using groundcovers by joining me for my live call-in garden show Garden Success airing weekly on Thursdays at 12 pm on KAMU-FM 90.9. Keep on growing my friends, and I look forward to seeing you in the garden.

The Joy of Composting

July 21, 2026 by stephenbrueggerhoff

Stephen Brueggerhoff, CEA – Horticulture, Brazos County AgriLife Extension; published 7/21/2026

All images unless otherwise noted by Stephen Brueggerhoff

Keyhole Garden image — Keyhole Garden at the DIG

I am delighted with the thought that in my lifetime the action of composting is embraced as a practical method of conserving resources. Our Brazos County Master Gardeners are actively bringing this practice to the masses, interpreting the process at our Demonstration Idea Garden, The DIG, located at 2619 West Highway 21 in Bryan. We have a compost demonstration area with open and closed systems, as well as a newly installed Keyhole Garden. A Keyhole Garden is an elegant method combining a cylindrical compost bin centrally installed into a raised cinder block bed, acting as a source of nutrients to the surrounding garden.

Composting Saves Dollars

There are benefits gained from composting as a household activity, primary is the fact that composting helps reduce waste that is sent to landfills. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension EarthKind program states ‘millions of tons of leaves, grass clippings, tree limbs, weeds, organic debris and other yard wastes end up in Texas landfills.’ It is estimated that 20 to 30 percent of household trash can be diverted from entering landfills with this simple activity. This also means that composting has the potential to lighten the fiscal load of taxpayer dollars spent collecting and disposing of household waste. In the garden and home landscape, compost can be used as mulch or mixed into the soil to aid in soil conditioning and supplement soil nutrition. The organic material in compost helps loosen the soil and provides improved aeration and drainage. The composition of compost also improves soil ability to hold water and can reduce the frequency of landscape irrigation.

From Organic Decay to Gold

When we compost, we imitate a natural process of decay to capture nutrient rich material that we can use in the garden. The materials needed to enhance this decomposition are carbon rich brown materials such as fallen leaves, nitrogen rich greens such as lawn clippings or vegetable scraps, water and oxygen. There are microorganisms such as different kinds of bacteria and fungi that assist in breaking down organic materials to form compost. The microbes use carbon for energy and nitrogen for protein synthesis. Water helps with decomposition and keeps the pile’s temperature regulated. Active composting is also an aerobic process, occurring in the presence of oxygen.

DIY Compost Bin

Here’s a few tips to making a compost system. Pick a location for your compost pile that is in a convenient place for transferring finished material to your garden as well as access to a water source. Placement should also take into consideration aesthetics – check on your HOA policy regarding line of site restrictions and have a conversation with your neighbors to help inspire and educate about your activity.

Three bin compost system image — Three-bin Compost System

You can purchase a commercially made compost tumbler made of molded plastic if you are limited in space. I recommend constructing a 3-sided structure that surrounds your compost pile, one end open to facilitate material turning, watering and eventually digging out. I have created a bin made from used wooden pallets and am currently using a prefab bin with panels made of coated wire. There are 3 bin composting units that are made of conjoined wooden panels, creating a system with one bin devoted to unfinished organic matter, central bin to turn in material in decomposition and the final bin for a finished product. Clear an area in your yard that is at least 4 ft x 4 ft. Begin by laying down three to four inches of carbon-rich browns such as corn stalks, straw and leaves. Top that with several inches of greens. Don’t forget to spray water on the layers before you add the next. Remember water is a vital component expediting decomposition. Continue to layer greens and browns until the pile is three feet high and add a thin layer of soil as a composting starter.

When thinking of the kind of appropriate materials to add, I offer a simple rule of thumb as advice that I once heard from a well-seasoned gardener: add nothing with eyes! This means not adding animal waste like meat products or dairy, materials that will emit foul odors as they decay and may attract unwanted pests such as rodents and fire ants. Use a ratio of two parts carbon-rich materials such as shredded leaves, brown paper bags, coffee filters, etc. to one part nitrogen-rich matter such as vegetable scraps and lawn clippings. When watering and maintaining moisture in your pile, the mixture should be as wet as a wrung-out sponge. Mix the entire pile occasionally and allow decomposition to occur for a few months, then incorporate finished compost into your vegetable or ornamental beds as appropriate.

Composting is an activity you can do solo or as a family and can be performed year-round. Aggie Horticulture (aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu) is a great resource with fact sheets and program information to help us use best practices in the garden. Take some time and see composting in action at our DIG in Bryan or join us at one of our many public education programs. Find out more about Brazos County Horticulture from the Brazos County Master Gardeners website: txmg.org/brazos. Compost away, my friends, and I look forward to seeing you in the garden.

Rosemary Delights the Senses

July 7, 2026 by stephenbrueggerhoff

Stephen Brueggerhoff, CEA – Horticulture, Brazos County AgriLife Extension; published 7/07/2026

All images unless otherwise noted by Stephen Brueggerhoff

My garden is a delight to walk through in high summer, with six rosemary varieties easily offering a welcome and pleasant fragrance as I brush by in morning walks. Rosemary is a joy to cultivate, a feeling of connection I imagine I share with ancestors over millennia for its fragrance, medicinal and culinary use. Rosemary is a versatile woody shrub that delights the senses that I am confident you can grow in your garden.

Successfully Growing Rosemary

Rosemary Hill's Hardy image — Rosemary ‘Hill’s Hardy’

Rosemary has a natural distribution in rocky, well-draining soil of the coastal hills in the Mediterranean region and has ancient roots from southern Europe to southwest Asia. Modern cultivation has popularized this noble species and is considered a foundational plant often seen in a dooryard garden in USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 7 and warmer. Depending on your soil texture and for those experiencing annual cold and wet winter, you may have to curate rosemary in a raised bed or in a container. Most varieties can manage through a minor freeze event. Rosemary performs best in slightly acidic soil measured from 6.5 to 7 pH. Successful growing is best in well-draining sandy loam. The plant is susceptible to root rot in saturated soil. Allow the soil to dry slightly between water application and always adjust for seasonal rain.

Rosemary performs admirably in full sun and may lean a bit toward the light if placed in dappled shade. Most varieties have an upright growth habit. While some of the species are reported to reach 6 feet, from my experience cultivated varieties seldom reach more than 4 feet tall. The exceptions are plants identified as prostrate rosemary, almost acting like a groundcover with stems that arch and creep along to over 2 feet long.

These botanical beauties have changed taxonomically to Salvia rosmarinus (ca. 2017) and are associated with the Mint Plant Family (Lamiaceae), offering clusters of needle-like evergreen leaves arranged opposite each other on square stems. Like their familial relatives, rosemary produces two-lipped flowers primarily in shades of light blue. Propagating rosemary from seed takes patience to grow to a reasonable size. They can be easily rooted from semi-woody cuttings and are often the ‘go-to’ plant for basic lessons in plant propagation.

A Fragrance to Remember

All rosemary has the unique characteristic of bold and spicy fragrance, with terms like pungent, camphor, and resinous like a pine tree. Technically, the scent is provided by oils contained in microscopic hair-like glands called trichomes that are distributed along stems and leaves. I think of the scent as being uplifting to the spirit. We have a variety in the backyard that my wife has claimed as the hugging shrub, a daily activity enticing a pleasing aroma and making daily stress fade into the background. The following is a review of a few varieties that may fit your growing conditions and gardening lifestyle.

Rosemary variety Blue Rain image — Rosemary ‘Blue Rain’

‘Blue Rain’ is a procumbent selection trailing to 2 feet, stems arching around 8-inches tall. This selection offers pale blue flowers and is purported to have a longer bloom period than most varieties.

‘Gorizia’, named after an Italian town where it was found, bounds with an upright growth producing long straight stems that can be used as a skewer for grilled vegetables. It is also called ‘Barbeque Skewers’ and adopted into the Texas A&M AgriLife Texas Superstar® program in 2021. Foliage is twice the size of the average rosemary and has the potential to create a waist-high hedge in the right place.

‘Hill’s Hardy’ and ‘Arp’, are two cold tolerant varieties that can manage exposed to short duration freeze events into the teens. ‘Hill’s Hardy’ has a silver cast to the stems and foliage, and in my backyard grows shrubbier and spreads a bit.

‘Spice Island’ is a culinary delight, offering lime-green foliage with a rich scent favored for use in the kitchen. It has an upright growth that can reach to 4 feet, manageable in a garden with ample space. There is a comparable variety named ‘Chef’s Choice’ that is described as more compact and appropriate for growing in a container on the patio for ease of access.

Rosemary Hill's Hardy and Tuscan Blue image — L to R – ‘Hill’s Hardy’ & ‘Tuscan Blue’

‘Tuscan Blue’ produces clusters of small periwinkle-colored flowers that can contrast well with its lime to dark green foliage. Note that all rosemary is attractive to pollinators when in flower.

Rosemary is an unforgettable shrub that you can fold into your landscape. Aggie Horticulture is a great resource focusing on individual herbs and accessed online: aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable. Choose the link to Easy Gardening Fact Sheets that hosts a library of publications reviewing herb varieties. The Herb Society of America – Pioneer Unit is an outstanding regional chapter that meets regularly in Brenham, Round Top and Burton and will host programs open to the public. Find more info about their activities at: www.herbsocietypioneer.org. I invite you to share your ideas and successes in your garden and join me for my live call-in garden show Garden Success airing weekly on Thursdays at 12 pm on KAMU-FM 90.9. Remember rosemary to bring flavor and health and I look forward to seeing you in the garden.

Fabulous Figs for Summer Harvest

June 24, 2026 by stephenbrueggerhoff

Stephen Brueggerhoff, CEA – Horticulture, Brazos County AgriLife Extension; published 6/23/2026

All images unless otherwise noted by Stephen Brueggerhoff

I’m delighted to report that fig fruit are beginning to ripen and are ready for picking. Fruit availability may seem to go by in a flash as fresh fruit is highly perishable. Unlike tomatoes that can be harvested at the breaker stage, figs will not ripen on the countertop until in the later stages of ripening on the stem. A crop of figlets from my in-ground variety Celeste developed about a month ago, and I am fortunate that it has produced almost four pounds as of this writing with more to come.

Figs Are Healthy and Tasty

Figs offer health benefits that include high dietary fiber content, a great source of calcium and potassium and easily digestible natural sugars. Fresh figs are favored for their jam-like, delicate texture. I smile when I read flavor descriptors like those used by a sommelier – the all-encompassing berry with hints of vanilla, or light cherry with a syrupy interior. I speak from direct experience and report on the sweet and sugar jam flavored profile of Celeste and Little Ruby, an aroma of fresh strawberries from green skinned Nagle, and the light honey flavor of LSU Gold. I have a variety called Smith that offers a rich taste, one that is difficult to describe but is outstanding in flavor.

Fig Varieties

There are hundreds of named varieties, each offering difference in taste, texture and harvest time. I offer a few recommended for ease of cultivation and consistent producers.

Diversity of fig fruit image — L to R: Celeste, Little Ruby, Smith, LSU Gold

Celeste, a popular dooryard tree, produces a light-bronze fruit averaging 1.5-inches in diameter with a closed eye. It has the capacity to produce ten pounds annually from mid-June thru July. Reddish pulp offers a rich, sweet taste when fully ripe. Celeste is a cold hardy tree, down to low teens with short duration freeze event.
LSU Gold was developed through Louisiana State University’s fig breeding program and reached commercial markets in 2001. The fruit is a large 2-inch diameter oblate form, offering a greenish-yellow skin when ripe and the potential to produce 24 pound in one season. The tree begins producing fruit in mid-June. The pulp is light pink to amber color with a honey-like flavor. Mature fruit has a partially closed eye (ostiole). One challenge is the fruit may split or crack with excessive moisture from rain events during maturation.
Smith was brought by the Becnel family to their nursery in Louisiana in the early 1900s. Reputed to be a classic southern fig, Smith produces from June through early July and expresses an exquisite berry taste. You know when Smith is ripe when the skin expresses prominent purplish ribs and an amber droplet emerges from the semi-open eye.

Cultivating Fig Fruit

If planting anew, wait until early spring and after anticipated hard freeze events in well-drained soil. Do not fertilize and prune newly planted trees to half their height, forcing shoots to grow from the base of the plant. The following late winter, select three to five vigorous leader shoots and prune back to one foot from the base. Ensure each leader is widely spaced to accommodate up to 3-inches of girth as it matures. Other than dwarfed varieties like Little Miss Figgy, Little Ruby and Fignomenal, all fig trees can become quite large at 20-feet or more tall and wide. Give them room to grow and prune annually mid-February to early March to keep at a harvestable height. Use thinning cuts, removing branches to their lowest point and avoid heading cuts that shorten branches and encourage vigorous, upright sprouts.

While annual maintenance includes fertilization, apply with caution as fig trees can respond vigorously with little to no fruit production. My advice is to submit a soil sample to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory (soiltesting.tamu.edu/) and determine any nutrient deficiencies for a more accurate measure of fertilization. For newly planted trees and after the first year in the ground to around three years, split approximately 3 cups into thirds and apply early spring, mid-May and mid-June. Mature established trees can be fertilized once in the spring annually. LSU Extension recommends annual application from half to one pound per year of plant age and no more than ten pounds per plant at maturity. Cut back on the fertilizer application next year if the foliage growth outcompetes fruit production. The fig season may seem to go by in a flash, but I encourage you to cultivate at least two for your backyard orchard to extend the bounty. Figs are truly a part of our southern culinary culture, and I look forward to sharing knowledge and supporting your urban orchard efforts. You can always chat with me about figs on Garden Success, my live call-in garden radio show every Thursday at 12 pm on KAMU-FM 90.9. Fig on, my friends and I’ll see you in the garden.

Celebrating Tomatoes

June 12, 2026 by stephenbrueggerhoff

Stephen Brueggerhoff, CEA – Horticulture, Brazos County AgriLife Extension; published 6/09/2026

All images unless otherwise noted by Stephen Brueggerhoff

I am delighted to announce that it is tomato harvest time, a season when homegrown tomatoes come to fruition and liven up our plates. A friendly reminder that you get to the harvest finish line with best practices – timed fertilization, strategic pruning of suckers, and most importantly consistent water application. Tomato availability and ripeness largely depend on the growth form and the specific variety.

Timing Is Dependent on the Variety

There are two basic growth forms called determinate and indeterminate. Determinate, or bush tomatoes, are varieties that grow between 3 to 4-foot tall and require modest staking for support. All fruits from determinate varieties ripen at approximately the same time. Indeterminate varieties will grow and produce fruit for a longer period. Cherry tomatoes like Sungold, Juliet or Sweet Million are indeterminate varieties that can be harvested well into summer. Indeterminates produce bountiful foliage, can potentially reach to 8-feet tall and often require a substantial cage or upright staking. We are trialing five determinate and indeterminate varieties at our Demonstration Idea Garden (The DIG) that include – Celebrity Plus and Tycoon (both determinate at 80 days); Independence Day (formerly known as Fourth of July, indeterminate at 55 days); Fred’s Tie-dye (dwarf hybrid beefsteak form, indeterminate at 75 days); and Green Zebra (semi-determinate at 78 days and trialed at our garden in 2025). Getting to know these two growth forms will help you make a better decision regarding future placement in the garden as well as predicting harvest.

Harvesting Ahead of the Leaf-foot Bug

Tomatoes ripening on the counter image — Tomatoes ripening on the counter

Your fruit may be forming up to its anticipated size, and you notice that your tomato patch is infested with the adult Leaf-footed bug or Stinkbug. There are limited methods of control available when these insects reach maturity. Pesticides are not a practical solution for homeowners as adult insects have formed hardened tissue over their body surface, are highly mobile and will have limited efficacy. You can surround your plants with a fine mesh screen, or row cover, to keep out these insects. You can spray kaolin clay mixed with water onto the developing and mature fruit. Kaolin clay acts as a physical barrier that deters insect feeding. Check your local retail outlet for availability. You can physically remove the insects and always wear gloves to protect yourself when considering using the TAF method – squishing between the thumb and forefinger. Thanks to Galveston County Master Gardener and tomato expert Ira Gervais for an explanation of TAF. There is hand-held vacuum devices specifically made for this gardening task. Once you get a collection of critters, simply dump them into a bucket of soapy water to bring them to a watery demise.

You can also harvest your tomatoes when you see a slight blush on the fruit, called the breaker stage. Slightly twist the fruit from the plant when they are at a 20 to 50-percent color change. Don’t fret because the fruit has developed its full flavor potential for finishing out on the countertop indoors. Do not store them in the refrigerator as they lose a bit of flavor quality at colder temps.

Attend the 2026 Tomato Tasting Event

To know them is to grow them, and our Texas Master Gardener Interns invite you to join us on June 13 starting at 9 am to 11 am for our Tomato Tasting Event at our demonstration garden The DIG, 2619 Hwy 21 West in Bryan. The program is free to attend, but seating is limited and we ask that you register on the Brazos County Master Gardener event webpage: txmg.org/brazos/event/2026-tomato-tasting-event.

This program features taste testing varieties from the research plots, a presentation on tomato culture, garden tours and review of ongoing research with select tomato varieties. The program will be held outdoors, tasting stations are placed around the garden and a mini seminar is under our pavilion. Brazos County Master Gardeners and yours truly will be on hand to answer your gardening questions and offer a smile and howdy back at ya. I know you have tomato pride, let’s share our knowledge and be a part of the alma ‘mater, and I’ll see you in the garden.

When a Stinkbug is Actually a Leaf-footed Bug

June 4, 2026 by stephenbrueggerhoff

Stephen Brueggerhoff, CEA – Horticulture, Brazos County AgriLife Extension; published 5/26/2026

All images unless otherwise noted by Stephen Brueggerhoff

Leaffooted Bug adult image — Leaffooted bug adult, Image by Texas A&M MARCOM

Our vegetable harvests should be in full swing at this point of early summer, and you may have noticed a gathering of insects we commonly call stinkbug on your tomatoes as well as bell peppers. Adult insects seem to appear from thin air on your veggies about mid-May and look like they are damaging your vegetables. I offer information that will help us understand the form, habit, function and potential control of these unwanted visitors.

Leaf-footed Bug in our Garden

Juvenile stage of Leaffooted bug image — Juvenile Leaffooted bug, image by Stephen Brueggerhoff

An insect that we commonly call a stinkbug is identified as a leaf-footed bug. Stink bugs retain a body shape that resembles a shield throughout their development from an immature stage, called a nymph, to adults. The Leaf-foot bug nymph is soft-bodied with orange to red coloring and what looks like two small black bumps on their backside. You will often see them clustered while feeding on your vegetables. Leaf-footed bug adults are almost an inch long with a gray to brown colored body and a distinctive white band across the front wings. The adult’s hind-legs will have prominent leaf-like bulges, a feature that gives the insect its common name. All stages have piercing-sucking mouthparts through which they suck plant juices, and feed on a wide variety of developing fruit that includes cotton, peaches and tomatoes, as well as seeds such as bean, black-eyed peas and sorghum. They have been known to feed on stems and tender leaves of some plants.

Leaf-footed bugs overwinter as adults in protected areas, such as in woody brush, barns or other buildings. They lay eggs in spring as the weather begins to warm, nymphs emerge after one week and then begin to develop into adults within five to eight weeks. There are typically two to three generations from the spring through summer. Adults migrate from weedy and brushy areas into vegetable gardens and landscapes, and often when the fruits of your labor begin to ripen.

Visible Cues of Damage to Vegetables

Leaffooted bug damage to beefsteak tomato image — Leaffooted bug damage, image by Stephen Brueggerhoff

Their damage is like that produced by stinkbugs: on soft-bodied vegetables like tomatoes, the damage initially appears as discoloration to the surface, depression or blemishes on the fruit. As a result of this activity, you may notice the skin of your tomato plants becoming a little corky or tough. The action of puncturing the fruit also allows secondary pathogens access and may be the cause of fruit decline or rotting. Small fruit may abort from the action of feeding, a potential problem for cherry tomatoes such as Sun Gold or Sweet Million. While damage can be a serious issue for commercial fresh market and processing businesses regarding visual appeal and marketability, home gardeners may be able to tolerate minor damage.

Scouting and Habitat Management is Key to Control

Use integrated pest management (IPM) principles to monitor for their presence. IPM principles are practical, easy-to-use investigative and action steps: observe and learn the pest/host life cycle, monitor or sample for pest population, determine an action threshold (economic, health, aesthetic), choose appropriate management tactics, and evaluate the results of your actions.

Leaf-footed bug populations can fluctuate from year to year due to natural factors such as hard winter freeze that disrupt overwintering, predation of eggs or adults from parasitic wasps, and predation from birds, spiders and assassin bugs. Pre-emptive control can be obtained by removing overwintering sites such as weedy areas. You may also use row covers to keep the critter from accessing the vegetables. Physical removal is also an option especially when the populations are just starting to build. Wear gloves when handling these insects because they will emit an unpleasant odor when crushed or provoked. Insecticides should only be your last line of defense, and are most effective against small nymphs. Broad-spectrum pyrethroid-based insecticides such as those containing peremethrin can be effective for these insects. These products, however, are toxic to bees and beneficial insects and should be used sparingly. Always follow pesticide label application information to the letter, observe the days-to-harvest period indicated on the insecticide label, and always wash the fruit before eating.

Don’t let a stinky situation get you down, learn more about best gardening practices for a fruitful harvest and I always look forward to seeing you in the garden.