Botanical buddies from different species bring array of benefits to your yard, from pest defense to soil improvement By DONNA MCCLAY (This article originally appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune June 12, 2021) My Sicilian grandmother always planted basil next to her tomatoes. She claimed the basil made the tomatoes taste sweeter. Grandma never spent […]
Question: I saw a large green caterpillar feeding on my green tomato leaves. Could it also be chewing on the fruit? Answer: Yes, the caterpillar on your plant is probably the tomato hornworm. It is a common pest in gardens. Tomato hornworms are well camouflaged among the leaves of their host plants. The body […]
Question: We removed several large eucalyptus trees and planted some bushes to replace them. Some of the bushes are doing fine but others have died. What do you think is happening? Answer: You should be able to grow a variety of shrubs in the soil where eucalyptus trees previously grew if the stumps and large […]
