Plant Problems

Learn how to avoid the many plant problems you'll run into when gardening - pests, diseases, and more. We provide treatment and prevention tips!

Close-up of purple tomatoes among green foliage with large white, dry sunburn scars, highlighting the need to heal sunburned plants.

Plant Problems

Are Your Plants Sunburned? How to Heal Them

It’s the time of year when many of us need extra sun protection, including our plants that have the potential for sunburn. With peak summer rays and temperatures, a little extra care helps maintain health and production. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe explores how to heal sunburned plants for rebounding growth.

A lush field of vibrant green grass blades interspersed with small, star-shaped, pale yellow-green seed heads, highlighting native sedge.

Weeds

15 Native Sedges That Outcompete Invasive Weeds

Barren landscapes can flourish with growth! Simply plant some native sedges in the genus Carex. These grass-like plants thrive in low-water conditions, require minimal mowing, and can withstand harsh weather. Pull out those invasive weeds and plant one of these 15 native sedges instead.

Black aphids heavily infest a nasturtium trap plant, clustering along the stems and near a bright orange flower.

Garden Pests

How to Use Nasturtiums as Trap Plants for Pest Control

Most gardeners spend years battling aphids, beetles, and other destructive pests with sprays and treatments that offer temporary relief. Thankfully, there's a smarter approach that works with nature instead of against it. Gardening expert Madison Moulton explains how to use nasturtiums as trap plants for pest control.

Dying rose bush with drooping green jagged foliage covered with black spots, and large withering rotting flowers of a dark burgundy hue.

Plant Problems

9 Reasons Your Rose Bush is Dying

Roses have a reputation for being finicky, but with the right selection in the appropriate spot, they’re mostly carefree and long-lived. If your beauty is in decline, cultural adjustments may be in order. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe explores reasons your rose is ailing and potential remedies for restoring vigor.

A close-up and overhead shot of several developing allium crops, showcasing why onions are not forming bulbs

Plant Problems

7 Reasons Your Onions Aren’t Forming Bulbs

Putting time and energy into a patch of onions can reap great rewards, but it’s a bummer to pull one at harvest only to find a tiny bulb. Experienced gardener Sarah Jay covers 7 reasons your onions haven’t formed those luscious, layered bulbs.

Close up of diseased corn cob with dry open husk showing bright yellow plump kernels rotting with black spots.

Plant Problems

7 Corn Diseases to Watch for in the Garden

Corn, in its tasty, sugary goodness, brings us the taste of summer after awaiting peak readiness. Gardening expert Katherine Rowe outlines corn diseases to keep an eye out for, as well as prevention, for the sweetest, plumpest kernels.

A man's hand holds both an underdeveloped and a healthy corn cob close up, showing a clear contrast in size and kernel development.

Plant Problems

5 Causes of Underdeveloped Corn Cobs in the Garden

Sweet corn brings the juicy, hallmark taste of summer. If you’ve waited patiently for your ears to reach peak ripeness, only to find them underdeveloped and lacking the sweet kernels, explore common causes with gardening expert Katherine Rowe. You may be able to remedy them for another round of sowing.

A gardener in grey gloves holds a cracked, split carrot with jagged edges, black soil clinging to its surface, and a tuft of green leaves on top, in the garden.

Plant Problems

Cracked, Split Carrots: Why It Happens & What to Do

Pulling up a cracked, split carrot is always a disappointment. These unsightly cracks often indicate underlying growing issues that you’ll want to avoid during the growing season. Gardening expert Madison Moulton explains what causes carrot splitting and how to prevent it from happening.