Many backyard gardeners don’t eat all the fruit that their trees produce. That’s where City Fruit comes in. The organization’s staff and volunteers harvest excess fruit from trees and donate it to local food banks and other food programs. You can help City Fruit feed the community in a few different ways. 1. Sign up… […]

The weather is hot again, with highs predicted in the 80s over the next few days. To help your plants survive in the summer heat, they need water. Don’t delay! How to water effectively Water slowly and deeply for healthy plants. The best practice is to water deeply and less often. Shallow, frequent watering creates… […]

With the prolonged drought this spring, and the recent record heat wave, your trees are likely suffering from drought stress. This makes them more prone to diseases and pests. You need to water your trees during hot, dry weather to keep them healthy and improve their resistance to insects and diseases. Over the last several… […]

The mind-boggling heat over the last few days has many people thinking hard about climate change. Here is a headline from last Friday’s Seattle Times: “‘Jaw-dropping’ forecast is warning sign of climate change’s future impact in Washington, scientists say.” The region has warmed nearly two degrees since 1900. “Now, when you have heat waves, when […]

Pollinators are critical to our food supply and natural resources. Pollinator Week is an annual celebration of these animals and insects. When we think of pollinators, we often think of bees. And yes, bees are the most important pollinator. But pollinators also include animals such as birds, bats and small mammals. Most pollinators (more than… […]

What are chafer beetles and why should I care? The European chafer beetle is a serious lawn pest that is spreading and causing lots of problems throughout the Seattle area. So far, the heaviest concentrations are in the South End, such as Rainier Valley, West Seattle and Burien. The chafer beetle “could pose the biggest […]

The Seattle area had a remarkably dry spring. From March through May we received just over half of normal rainfall. Plants are already feeling the effects. And we expect less rain in summer. While June is often rainy, July and September are normally the driest months in Seattle, with less than an inch of rain… […]

Roundup is the most widely used herbicide in the world. Is Roundup dangerous? How harmful is Roundup to your own health and to the natural environment? What can or should you do? Does Roundup cause cancer? Is Roundup dangerous to your health? There is no clear answer from research and health authorities on whether exposure… […]

How do you keep your lawn healthy during our hot, dry summers? In July and August the average Seattle rainfall is an inch or less per month, and the average temperature is about 75 degrees. Those conditions make it tough for lawns. Now is the time to adopt lawn care practices that will help your… […]

The weather in the Seattle area this spring has been warmer and drier than normal, creating favorable conditions for lace bugs. So our service techs are seeing lace bugs on shrubs in some of our clients’ landscapes, mainly on rhododendrons and azaleas. Here are tips on how to manage lace bugs. Taking action in spring… […]