Aphids on Plant Sprouts
I was just getting ready to plant some vegetable starts and realized they have aphids all over them. Should I just throw them out and get new starts, or should I try to get rid of the aphids? I don't want to infect the rest of my plants.
Christmas Presents for Winter Birds
Wild birds will often have a hard time finding energy-filled food during the winter. And you may feel stuck indoors when the weather outside is frightful. So why not entertain yourself and make a homemade Christmas present for winter birds that may visit your balcony garden? After you offer the wild birds your gifts, you can sit in your favorite chair and stare out of the window and watch the birds while you sip a hot chocolate!
5 Tips for Aphid Control
Aphids, tiny insects that look like tiny pear-shaped dots on plants (they come in different sizes and colors), are a fact of life for gardeners. Aphid control should be a part of your regular garden maintenance routine. While these are one of the most hated of garden pests, aphid control can help you cut down on their numbers and stop them from killing the plants in your container garden. Aphids are difficult to get rid of, and they do a lot of damage by sucking the sap out of plant stems and new leaf growth. Here are 5 tips for aphid control.
Thrips: Common Garden Pests
Thrips (the singular form of thrips is also “thrips”) are tiny and slender winged insects that suck the sap from your plants (they suck sap from flowers, leaves and stems). These garden pests are so small that you may not notice them, and they can do a lot of damage before you even realize they’re affecting your balcony garden’s container plants. Of the 5,000 thrips species described, most are considered pests, but some species feed on other insects or fungal spores, and they are considered beneficial insects.
The Best Birdseed and Birdfeeders for Winter Birds
When flowers are no longer in bloom, and bugs and fruits are hard to find, winter birds benefit from birdfeeders filled with nutritious birdseed. To provide for all different types of wild birds in need of food in the winter, offer many different types of bird foods. The following types of birdseed will attract many common wild birds to your balcony garden during cold winters when there’s not much other food to be found.
