Slugs, Worms, Insects and Pests

June 22,1998 Many of my zinnias are being eaten almost as soon as the seedlings emerge by i'm not sure what. i've seen slugs and beetles on them occasionally but not to excess. i've seen other zinnias around town with the same problem. Any ideas what it is and what i should do? thanx nancy Lawn prawns (slugs) have no purpose in life other than to eat. One medium size slug can easily devour an entire row of seedlings in a night. If you have seen even one of them, you can be certain that there are more of them lurking about. Personally I use 'Deadline'(draw a perimeter around the plants), it works very well because the slugs will have to cross the bait to get to the plants and it is less attractive to other critters. *** I have lots of rose bushes in my garden that were here when I bought my house. The plants look healthy but they don't bloom. Is there a way to get them to bloom? I will assume that you have applied a good 'rose' food to the plants.(all purpose fertilizers tend to be formulated for foliage over bloom) Your roses probably just need a good pruning, so that the bloom producing tips are closer to the root system and food. For help in pruning go to: pruningroses.htm *** Hi, I am new to howse plants. Needless to say I have killed every plant I have ever own. Since I do not like artificial plants, I am determined to learn how to upkeep live plants. Here is my question. I recently bought a small plant that I believe is in the philodendron familiy. Each leaf is creme color in the middle and green on the outside. Some of the leaves are beginning to brown. I have watered the plant twice since I have had it. I normally wait until the leaves are beginning to wilt before watering. The plant sits in my bathroom so it gets indirect sun. What is causing the browning? Your plant is more than likely a 'Golden Pothos' (Scindapsus aureus). My guess would be that you are not giving your plant enough water. In theory it is a good plan to wait until the leaves slightly wilt before watering. However, Scindapsus is on species which will also wilt when it is overwatered. A better method is to push your finger into the soil about 2 inches and feel for moisture (or purchase a moisture meter), and then, if the soil is dry, place the pot in a saucer of water overnight. With Golden Pothos, the variegation will become more intense if the plant receives 2-3 hours of sun each day. *** My Mother lives in Caldwell, Idaho. this years she is having problems wiith worms on her geraniums. Can anyone please help her figure out how to get rid of them without using commercial pestisides. Thank you for any information. Spraying or drenching the plants with a mild solution of soapy water should send the worms scurrying on their way! ***