Desert Blooms

 By Bethany Abrahamson, with special guest, Dr. Leslie Beck!      Photo by Marisa Thompson     It's important to pull weeds while they're young, but how can I identify weeds as seedlings?  --Sandoval County   Many weeds are most easily controlled by physically removing them before they have a chance to become established. But staying ahead of these undesirables is no small task in any garden: just when you think you've removed them all, monsoons germinate a whole new crop of weed seeds that were just lying in wait. Weed seeds can germinate well into the end of the year if temperatures are warm. And if you are starting garden from direct seeding, such as a native pollinator garden or meadow, it may be difficult to tell the "goodies" from the "baddies". Weed identification can be difficult and may take practice, as well as the use of field guides or your local Cooperative Extension office . Identifying baby weeds is also complicated by the f...

    Japanese beetle. Photo credit: David Cappaert,Bugwood.org , CC BY-NC 3.0 US   How do I know if I have Japanese beetles in my garden, and what’s the difference between them and other beetle friends that I may find? Who do I call if I suspect Japanese beetles in my landscape?  Japanese beetles ( Popillia japonica ) are common in the Eastern part of the US, but not so in New Mexico. In fact, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) works hard to ensure this destructive agricultural pest does not establish itself in New Mexico. In our increasingly globalized society, there is a real threat that it will be accidentally introduced into the New Mexico landscape. Given all of its commonly found lookalikes, we want to know what to look for. With the right knowledge, even someone without much experience can learn to identify this important pest and help keep New Mexico safe from infestation. What does the Japanese beetle do in the landscape that makes it such a ...