Pest & Disease
Phytophthora Root Rot: The Water Mold That Loves Your Soil
Why Western Washington's wet winters create perfect conditions for Phytophthora, and how to protect your landscape.
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Identification, lifecycle, and management strategies for common pests and diseases in our region.
Pest & Disease
Anthracnose: Two Diseases, One Name
Learn the difference between cosmetic leaf spot anthracnose and destructive dogwood canker disease. Regional strategy for the Pacific Northwest.
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Pest & Disease
Aphids: Why Spraying Is Usually the Wrong First Move
Aphids are everywhere in our region's gardens. The best response is usually no response at all. Here is how to tell when that changes.
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Pest & Disease
Armillaria Root Rot: Prevention in a Fungus-Loaded Landscape
Armillaria root rot kills trees silently for years before symptoms appear. There is no cure. Learn what happens underground, why prevention is your only option, and how to protect your plantings.
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Pest & Disease
Eriophyid Mites: The Invisible Pest Behind Galls, Blisters, and Distorted Growth
Those strange galls on your maple leaves and blistered pear foliage are caused by mites too small to see. Most of the time, the plant does not care. Here is what you need to know.
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Pest & Disease
Fire Blight vs. Pseudomonas: Diagnosing Spring Shoot Blight
Most spring shoot blight on pears and apples in the Pacific Northwest is Pseudomonas, not fire blight. Learn to distinguish the two and manage them correctly.
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Pest & Disease
Leafminers: The Pest You Can Almost Always Ignore
Those winding trails and blotches inside your leaves look alarming. On most landscape plants, leafminers are cosmetic damage that requires no treatment. Here is how to tell the difference.
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Pest & Disease
Root Weevil: The Night Shift Pest in Every Western Washington Garden
Root weevils are the most common landscape pest in this region. The notched leaves are cosmetic. The larvae eating your roots are not. Here is what to do about both.
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Pest & Disease
Spider Mites: The Pest That Thrives When Your Plants Are Already Stressed
Spider mites explode in hot, dry conditions. In this region, that means July and August are your risk window. Here is how to spot them early and what actually works.
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Pest & Disease
Verticillium Wilt: The Soil Disease That Outlasts Everything
Verticillium wilt lives in soil for decades and has no cure. In Western Washington, it dominates maple disease diagnoses. Learn to recognize it, manage around it, and choose plants that resist it.
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Pest & Disease
Black Spot on Kelsey's Dogwood: Diagnose, Treat, Prevent
Kelsey's dogwood is one of the most reliable native shrubs you can plant in Western Washington. This compact cultivar of red-osier dogwood thrives in rain gardens, mass plantings, and riparian...
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Pest & Disease
Dormant Oil Sprays: Timing, Products, and the Window You Cannot Miss
You're standing in your orchard in mid-March, watching your apple and pear trees prepare to leaf out. The buds are swelling, and you remember that dormant oil spray you meant to apply. You pick up...
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Pest & Disease
Invasive Plants in the Puget Sound Region: What to Watch For and What to Do
If you've noticed your landscape getting harder to manage or watched a single plant gradually take over a section of your yard, you've likely encountered an invasive species. In Western Washington,...
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Pest & Disease
Powdery Mildew: Why Your Climate Gives You an Advantage
Powdery mildew in the Pacific Northwest: why it is naturally suppressed here, which plants need treatment, and how to manage it without overspraying.
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Pest & Disease
Crane Flies: What They Are and What They Actually Do to Your Lawn
You're looking at your lawn in late February and noticing irregular brown patches. The grass is thin, dead sections are expanding, and you're starting to panic. Someone tells you it's crane flies....
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