Why so many roly poly bugs?
Q: I have raised beds in my hoop house where I grow a variety of veggies for our family. Several of the beds have those "roly poly" bugs that look like little armadillos. There are a ton of them in the soil. They're eating transplanted starts and the tender seedlings of kale, radishes, flowers, lettuces. Diatomaceous earth doesn't seem to be working. Please help! - Ann, in East Montpelier
A: Roly poly bugs are also known as pill bugs and they do roll up. They are actually not insects! They are closer in relation to crustaceans and like shrimp, they love wet and warm conditions. If you can increase the air circulation in the soil, and let it dry out, that can also help.
To control the roly poly bugs, try taking a newspaper, adding a dab of vegetable oil on it and roll it up. Place that rolled-up paper in your garden. That moist and dark environment will attract the bugs each evening. Then, in the morning, just toss the rolled-up paper full of bugs into the compost pile.
Is dried-out knotweed OK to add to compost?
Q: I live adjacent to the town forest. There's a trickle of a stream and a gully on their side of the border - knotweed's favorite habitat. I cut it back as best I can by regularly mowing a path between the knotweed and the meadow. I want to know if it's safe to add the dried stems and leaves to compost and use them as mulch. So far, I've been dragging the harvest to a paved area to dry out in the sun. - Marcia, in Bellows Falls
A: Japanese knotweed is a difficult weed to control. Once you cut down the bamboo-like stalks, letting the stems of this invasive plant dry out is very helpful in mitigating it. And you can use it in compost at that point. But if there is any life left in it, the knotweed will root again through its powerfully efficient rhizome system.
What is bugging garlic bulbs?
Q: I've never had trouble with my garlic. Some year;s yield is better than others. But a serious problem happened this year. The garlic scapes and some of the leaves are shriveled. At first I thought it might be frost damage, but some of the inner parts have crumbly white or pale orange masses. - Janet, via email
A: Originally I thought it might be a leek moth, but if there are orange masses, it's more likely that the critter bugging your garlic is the allium leaf miner.
The orange masses are actually the pupa of the allium leaf miner. They will tunnel down and can cause some damage on your garlic bulbs.
A couple of things to try are first, harvest your garlic fairly soon and use it up this year. Then, because some pupa might overwinter in the bulbs, plant fresh ones next year.
And then, try to rotate your garden beds by planting garlic in a different place. As soon as the garlic pops out of the ground next spring, cover the plants with a mesh floating row cover. The adult allium leaf miner fly won't be able to access your garlic to lay their eggs and that should help solve the issue.
What is causing Eastern redbud tree to drop leaves?
Q: Over the course of a week, the Eastern Redbud tree outside my bedroom window abruptly defoliated. The tree is about 10 years old. The bark does not appear to be diseased and another red bud is about 100 yards away and it's healthy. Any thoughts? - Elliot, Hanover, NH
A: This could be a root rot issue and due to wet weather earlier this spring and summer. And if you have clay soil, that holds a lot of moisture and redbud trees grow better in well-drained soil.
Also, check the trunk and see if there are any bore holes. Some pests might tunnel into the tree and weaken it that way. In fact, if you see yellow sticky sap, that's an indication of disease or boring insects.
If there is no insect evidence, try a bit of fertilizer and aerate the soil a bit to see if some new growth will come back.
What is cutting down the corn?
Q: Who is felling my young corn plants? They're nipped and cut at the base like a tree and then just left there to die. I suspect voles. - Katherine, via email
A: It probably is either voles or chipmunks! Next time you're planting corn, sprinkle some castor oil pellets. That is a great vole and chipmunk repellent.
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