Q. I have grown tomatoes since I was a child but have never seen this — big, green, menacing caterpillars that are defoliating my plants and leaving black poop all over the deck. I looked them up on ...

Q. I take exception to your recommendation on the use of Sevin in your column Jan. 13. While you are correct in recommending the use of any pesticide at dusk to minimize the exposure to bees, the use ...

It’s evident from the calls I’ve received this week that home gardeners are having problems with aphids or “plant lice” on their young tomato plants. While Sevin dust generally doesn’t kill aphids, ...

Q: My zinnias are really being wiped out this year. I'm suspecting a bug. Sevin dust has helped somewhat. Some of the leaves have holes in them, and a few plants are turning brown and dying. I have ...

Q: Is it harmful for my sprinkler system to hit my flowering tomatoes every other day? I’ve been covering them with black plastic, but it’s a hassle. I’ve also put Sevin dust on them. — C.M., Houston ...

A few questions that I have been asked recently: What is a good all-purpose insecticide besides Sevin? Sevin is great on turf because it kills both above ground (ants, ticks, chinch bugs, sod webworms ...

Q: Is there any hope for a bottlebrush tree that looks like it was hit by a flamethrower after this winter? A: No. A few types of shrubs, notably oleanders, resprout from their roots when they freeze.

I took a look at my snap bean seedling recently and noticed the dreaded bean leaf beetle, a yellow-to-red beetle with black spots and a black band around the outer edge of the body. The adults feed on ...