http://creators.com/ Creators Syndicate is an international syndication company that represents cartoonists and columnists of the highest caliber. en Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:54:44 -0800 ece237ffea41121b9ce1b18eaefa9cda http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/check-to-make-sure-trees-aren-t-planted-too-close-to-septic-systems.html Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: What tree would be good to plant near a septic system? One that won't invade the tank.The tree would be around 10 feet from the tank.</p> <p>A: The main structural roots of a tree are designed to grow in all directions from the trunk to support the tree, and the smaller roots develop from each main root. If a root is rewarded by its efforts with dry soil, it won't survive or will remain smal ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Jul 23, 2008<br/><br/> 90b354c27bd6d0988d74c55f220ad4c8 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/check-plants-for-japanese-beetles-to-start-appropriate-treatment.html Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: My trees have been devastated by the Japanese beetles. They lost the top third or half of all the leaves. Will the tree be OK?</p> <p>A: A healthy tree can lose at least a third of its leaves without too much ill effect. It would be best if those leaves came from the inner, more shaded areas of the plant, but the Japanese beetles start at the top of the tree and work their way down.</p> <p>T ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Jul 30, 2008<br/><br/> 0eb9e1ccb86aa94287fdaaa955c155de http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/try-organic-mixture-or-bowls-of-beer-to-eliminate-slugs.html Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: One of my hosta plants has holes in the leaves. What can I do?</p> <p>A: Hosta leaves are a favorite food of slugs, which are also common pests (with snails) on many perennials, vegetables and trees (like citrus).</p> <p>Slugs need to stay moist: They hide in mulch and under logs, flowerpots and anything else that hasn't moved in awhile. Check your plants with a flashlight after dark, since ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Aug 06, 2008<br/><br/> 520350a48b2c9ea419a2f892ada3f84f http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/remove-dead-wood-to-keep-trees-healthy-and-accessible-to-sunlight.html Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: The recent thunderstorm winds blew many small dead branches off of my soft maple. Should the tree be pruned? I did not think the tree was dying, but now I am wondering how healthy it is.</p> <p>A: Silver maples, honey locusts and many other trees lost a lot of small branches during the storm. These are mainly the small interior branches that stopped getting enough sunlight over the years; th ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Aug 13, 2008<br/><br/> 710b1f37b48c75c212cca0add5fc3385 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/bagworms-can-destroy-trees-when-reproducing-in-protective-bags.html Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: I noticed that one of my evergreen trees has a bunch of small brown sacks hanging on it. I thought they were pine cones, but they were soft and hollow when I tried to pick one. What are these things? They are on a part of the tree, which is looking terrible because some of the needles are missing. Do you think this object is the cause?</p> <p>A: The bagworm, the caterpillar stage of a moth, ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Aug 20, 2008<br/><br/> e138293b99e94469537a0f05c1573621 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/be-careful-when-dealing-with-wasps-during-the-summer-season.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Wasp populations begin with a single female each spring, but by this time of year a wasp hive can have thousands of individuals.</p> <p>Some wasps make hives like bees and others are solitary. The inside of a wasp hive is similar to a beehive with individual cells for the young to grow in, but there is no honey; the hive is typically abandoned over the winter and is almost never used again.</p> ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Aug 27, 2008<br/><br/> 4d42e1c9bcfe451d1f7358e5963dae5c http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/dig-a-trench-with-barriers-to-control-growth-of-bamboo-trees.html Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>One of the reasons I enjoy writing this weekly column is being able to correspond with people from all over the country. Many times a question will come in from one region that will still apply to gardeners in other regions. For instance, today we have questions from California and New Jersey about bamboo and plum trees; it is great that the bamboo question is from New Jersey.</p> <p>As some of ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Sep 03, 2008<br/><br/> 78121dd56e3fdb99389dde16415d224b http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/catch-borers-before-they-develop-and-try-to-reach-the-stem.html Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: I read your answer to a reader regarding his dying zucchini plant, and I wanted to ask what we as gardeners can do to eliminate this pest. For the past two years, I planted pumpkins and have been frustrated with this bug. I read one article that said to make sure the garden is clean: I burned, raked and organized the garden. Then I planted barley in the fall, turned it under in the spring an ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Sep 10, 2008<br/><br/> 85663e9dc7d75689ea281d38b8628896 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/timing-is-everything-when-it-comes-to-bringing-outdoor-plants-in-the-house.html Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: Last fall, I think I brought my houseplants indoors too late. They lost a lot of leaves and languished for weeks before recovering. I almost didn't take them out this summer, but I enjoy them on the patio; they probably grow better with the summer sun rather than indoor lighting. What can I do to make this work better?</p> <p>A: Most people wait until the last minute before bringing in the p ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Sep 17, 2008<br/><br/> fd56ae85aa001600fff3b8dfae37e02a http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/watch-out-for-several-fruit-eating-pests-this-fall.html Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: My apple tree has fruit that are the right size, but the few remaining apples look awful. There seems to be many problems. Some of the fruit have worms in them, some contain brown tunnels and others are odd shapes. There are bumps and bruises on the surface of some, while others are smooth. A few appear shriveled and black; leaves and fruit are falling off regularly.</p> <p>What can I do bes ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Sep 24, 2008<br/><br/> d5cce091142102a6166d28b5fb676fd1 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/throw-eat-or-decorate-your-pumpkin-this-halloween-season.html Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>It is the start of pumpkin season as they are ripening in the home gardens and being found at the stores. A mature, ripe pumpkin with an undamaged rind and a few inches of attached stem can be stored between 50 and 55 degrees until next spring. It must not be exposed to a frost. After harvesting, a pumpkin should be kept at around 80 degrees for a week, before moving it into the low humidity co ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Oct 01, 2008<br/><br/> a546594fc61b47de3da9fdb3027beac8 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/try-decals-move-bird-feeders-or-buy-nets-to-reduce-window-collisions.html Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: Recently, we have had several birds fly into our windows. It has been very sad; some of them have not survived. We took the bird feeder down, but that didn't help. What can we do?</p> <p>A: Due to the timing of the question, I suspect the birds are migrants. They are not your usual backyard birds &mdash; they don't know all the right and wrong places to travel.</p> <p>The placement of bird f ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Oct 08, 2008<br/><br/> a8443be83b62810611cca8bdd992f976 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/tips-for-saving-geraniums-and-other-potted-plants-during-the-winter.html Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: My geraniums grew really well this summer, and I have some pretty ones that I want to keep for next year. How do I go about doing this?</p> <p>A: There are several kinds of geraniums, including some perennials that survive without coming indoors, but I assume you mean the zonal geranium that has a slightly two-toned leaf and a big cluster of flowers on the end of a stalk. These plants grow i ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Oct 15, 2008<br/><br/> 35377c44a982db369ed251d8950e2e71 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/new-devices-help-control-outdoor-insects-and-pick-up-fallen-leaves.html Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>I have been using some products that were sent to me for testing. The first is a group of devices from the Schawbel Corp. that repel mosquitoes. I tried the ThermaCELL Patio Lantern, the Mini Lantern and the Olive Appliance, which also comes in white and camouflage. If you want to work or play outdoors, but don't want to apply deet, this may be a good alternative.</p> <p>All three products use ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Oct 22, 2008<br/><br/> 320ab276681994c277733bdc4ee6180c http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/proper-pruning-method-needed-for-making-evergreen-wreaths.html Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 <p>Q: I enjoy making wreaths for fall and winter to hang on my door. I use parts from all kinds of plants in my yard, but I was recently told that I shouldn't cut the evergreens; I would harm them this time of year. I have removed evergreen branches for years and haven't noticed any problems, but I also don't want to hurt my plants.</p> <p>Where do all the evergreen wreath branches come from &mdas ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Oct 29, 2008<br/><br/> 8049abc773dfa793455572f3a08534dc http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/hawks-at-feeder-and-raspberries.html Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 <p>Q: I love birds. Two years ago I started with two birdbaths in my backyard. Today I have five bird feeders, including a squirrel feeder, for the different kinds of birds that visit my yard. Little by little the doves arrive to feed as well. I didn't mind; there is always plenty to go around. Two months ago, one hawk arrived and started killing the doves. This past week there were three hawks ci ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Nov 05, 2008<br/><br/> b3a3e6a882dfaea98b0f6d0b5e7e23c5 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/a-greener-view-book-reviews.html Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 <p>Call me old-fashioned if you want to, but I like books. I would rather read a book than look at a light-emitting screen. I hope it is a long time before there is a New York Times list of the best-selling computer screens, even though the Times itself is already available electronically.</p> <p>I have been reading some wonderful books lately and I think you may want to put them on your holiday s ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Nov 12, 2008<br/><br/> fc4363e4fcb71581a5423ff827e8e04d http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/tree-staking-and-proper-mulching.html Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 <p>Q: We recently had a couple of trees planted in our yard by a company. When they were done, they did not stake the trees. My husband called them and they said that they don't stake trees anymore. We want an outside opinion and were wondering what you think they should do. And one other thing: They only put down a few inches of mulch. How much is proper?</p> <p>A: Well, my suspicion is that they ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Nov 19, 2008<br/><br/> 08576226617d0944be4a732f14a05ed2 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/james-bond-and-other-bird-questions.html Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 <p>There is a new James Bond movie in theaters and I am not going to review it for you. I am going to give you some trivia that may help you at the office water cooler. There was a real James Bond. He wasn't an expert in terrorists or women. He was an expert on the birds living on Caribbean islands. He was a bird watcher; more than that he was an ornithologist.</p> <p>He was born in 1900 in Philad ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Nov 26, 2008<br/><br/> 7f9dcb1d9369db6d50c8eff703fcd187 http://creators.com/lifestylefeatures/jeff-rugg/live-christmas-tree-rodent-fencing-and-hawks-at-feeder.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 <p>Q: We were thinking of using a live Christmas tree this year instead of cutting one down. After the new year we want to plant it in our yard. Is there anything we should know about how to do this?</p> <p>A: There are many tree species that can be used as a Christmas tree depending on where you live. Pick a tree that is appropriate for your landscape in terms of size and growth requirements like ...<br> <br/>Updated: Wed Dec 03, 2008<br/><br/>