Nothing makes a gardener’s stomach drop quite like walking out to water one morning, only to find the leaves on the plants you worked so hard to grow are wilting and yellow — or worse. While it certainly feels like garden infestations pop up overnight, more often than not, they build slowly as well-intentioned gardening habits create an environment tailor-made for unwelcome pests and pathogens.

Without realizing it, even seasoned gardeners can create the perfect storm of shelter, excess moisture, stressed plants and predictable food sources that draw pests in like a moth (larvae) to a — well, you get it.

The good news? Small changes in how you care for your plants can keep your garden from becoming a bug-and-bacteria buffet. Here are five common mistakes to avoid, along with easy fixes. 

5 Common Gardening Mistakes That Attract Pests

1. Using too much — or too little — mulch in the garden

Mulch is the underappreciated workhorse of the garden. When applied correctly, it conserves moisture, moderates soil temperature, suppresses weeds and helps reduce the spread of disease.

Avoid these common mulching mistakes

However, misapplying mulch can create a host of problems. For example, excess mulch can trap moisture and create ideal habitats for slugs, fungi and rot — especially when piled against stems or trunks. “Mulch volcanoes” are a common culprit, as are heavy mulch layers around moisture-loving plants like hostas (Hosta spp. and hybrids).

Too little mulch can also stress plants by creating uneven moisture levels in the soil and allowing weeds to compete for water and nutrients.

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2. Watering plants at night

Evening watering often means foliage and turf stay wet overnight, creating ideal conditions for fungal diseases and some insects. Lawns are especially susceptible — diseases such as brown patch and dollar spot thrive with too much moisture.

Ornamentals aren’t immune, either. Prolonged leaf wetness can lead to powdery mildew, leaf spot diseases, root rot and increased pest activity on popular picks such as garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), bee balm (Monarda spp. and hybrids) and zinnia. (And if that wasn’t enough to deter you, nighttime watering can also increase mosquito activity.)

Watering earlier in the day, ideally in the morning, allows plants to absorb moisture while giving foliage time to dry before nightfall.

3. Replanting in the same spot after an infestation

Many pests and diseases are specific to certain types of plants and can hide in the soil between growing seasons. Replanting the same plants in the same location allows problems to recur and even intensify.

Avoid planting tomatoes or peppers where you previously had disease issues, and keep cucumbers, squash and melons away from the site of a squash bug infestation. And if you dig out your garden phlox because of a powdery mildew infestation, don’t plant more in the same spot. Same goes for black spot on roses (Rosa spp. and hybrids) or rust on hollyhocks (Alcea rosea).

Rotate vegetable crops to avoid recurring issues

Rotating crops disrupts pest life cycles by removing their preferred hosts. Even simple swaps — moving plants to a different bed or section each year — can significantly reduce recurring issues. See a simple crop rotation example in the illustration above.

4. Planting too early in spring

Many insects emerge and feed during early planting periods. While it’s hard to resist the temptation to get a jump on the growing season, plants put in the ground too soon may be exposed to peak pest activity before they’re strong enough to withstand the damage.

For example, bean leaf beetles often target early-planted green beans, while beans planted a few weeks later may escape the worst damage. Cucurbits planted at the first hint of warm weather can also be more vulnerable to squash bugs and cucumber beetles.

Early planting can negatively affect flowers, too. Tender annuals such as petunias (Petunia hybrids) or impatiens (Impatiens hybrids) planted when nighttime temperatures are still regularly in the 40s and 50s (F) may grow slowly, producing soft new growth that attracts aphids. Aphid populations can build quickly in the spring, before beneficial insects are abundant enough to control them.

Consider timing when harvesting crops

Harvest timing matters as well. Cool-season crops like lettuce, spinach and peas that linger too long in warm weather can attract late-season pests and disease, so be sure to enjoy your produce at peak freshness.

Adjust timing to help dodge garden pests

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5. Leaving diseased plant debris in the garden over winter

Many perennials, ornamental grasses and shrubs can provide critical shelter and food to animals throughout the colder months. However, sometimes leaving behind dead leaves and spent annuals provides insulation that allows insects, eggs, larvae and diseases to survive the winter. When spring arrives, those pests and pathogens are already in place to infest new growth.

For example, in vegetable gardens, squash vines left in beds can harbor squash vine borer eggs, while tomato debris may bring blight spores from one growing season to the next. Flower gardens face similar risks. Peony (Paeonia hybrids) foliage can contain botrytis blight (gray mold), and diseased rose leaves can carry black spot through winter.

Break the cycle by removing infected material

Removing spent plant material that is diseased or infested before the snow flies helps break pest and disease cycles. While you can compost or leave most healthy debris in place, you should discard anything that looks suspicious.

Plants that tend to harbor pests and disease overwinter

This list of edible and ornamental plants is especially prone to harboring pests and diseases if left standing over winter. Consider removing them if they show any signs of pests or disease during the season to avoid carrying those problems into your garden the following year.

Edible Plants

• Bean
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Melon
• Squash
• Pepper
• Potato
• Tomato

Ornamentals

• Bee balm
• Hosta
• Peony
• Garden phlox
• Rose
• Zinnia

Try these natural pest control methods for a healthier garden

A 2005 study at the University of Illinois found that bagworm-infested shrubs surrounded by flowering plants had 71 percent higher rates of parasitism on the bagworms than shrubs that didn’t have flowers nearby. And while it’s true that you can buy some predatory insect species, growing flowers whose pollen and nectar feed beneficial insects, such as lady beetles, hoverflies or predatory wasps, is a more reliable (and easier!) way to bring them in.

For example, if your peonies attract adult tiphia wasps, they’ll lay eggs on nearby adult Japanese and Oriental beetles. And the larvae of hoverflies and lady beetles are voracious predators of aphids, plant hoppers, caterpillars and other pests.

Natural pest control tips

Follow these tips and grow the plants at right to make your garden more attractive to beneficial insects.

• Grow long-blooming plants

That way there are always flowers for beneficial insects to feed on. While it’s often the larvae that feed on pests, adults can have a short lifespan and need food at just the right time to feed, reproduce and lay eggs.

• Beneficial insects need water too

Add a few stones to a birdbath so insects have shallow areas where they can safely access moisture.

• Flower shape makes a difference

Many beneficial insect adults feed on nectar and pollen but have small mouthparts. Make it easy for them to access by growing umbel-shaped and daisy-shaped blooms.

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6 Plants That Help Attract Beneficial Insects to the Garden

1. Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Type: Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms: Airy yellow flowers on top of long stems from summer to early fall; host plant to swallowtail butterflies
Light: Full sun
Size: 3 to 5 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 7 to 11
Attractive to beneficial insects including: Lady beetles, lacewings, ichneumon wasps

2. Goldenrod (Solidago spp. and hybrids)

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Plumes, spikes or long arching stems covered in small individual flowers from late summer to fall
Light: Full sun to part shade
Size: 1 to 6 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9
Attractive to beneficial insects: Hoverflies, leatherwing soldier beetles

3. Peony (Paeonia hybrids)

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Single or double pink, white, purple, yellow or red blooms in early to late spring
Light: Full sun
Size: 2 to 4 ft. tall and wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8
Attractive to beneficial insects: Tiphia wasps

4. Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis)

Type: Annual
Blooms: Daisy-shaped blooms in golden yellow, orange, pink, peach, cream or bronze from late spring to frost
Light: Full sun to part shade
Size: 12 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Attractive to beneficial insects: Lady beetles, hoverflies

5. Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota)

Type: Biennial
Blooms: White blooms in summer; be cautious of toxic sap
Light: Full sun to part shade
Size: 36 to 48 in. tall, 6 to 12 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 11
Attractive to beneficial insects: Hoverflies, lacewings, lady beetles

6. Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Type: Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms: Clusters of individual white, purple or lavender flowers form a mass of color from late spring to frost
Light: Full sun to part shade
Size: 3 to 9 in. tall, 6 to 14 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11
Attractive to beneficial insects including: Hoverflies

PHOTOS: stock.adobe.com, jonnysek (Dill); stock.adobe.com, Gerry (Queen Anne’s lace)

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From the Wild Side: Drinks All Around

One hot, sunny day last summer, I killed a bee. Not on purpose — I work hard to not kill bees — but it was my fault. I had walked outside to check the hummingbird feeder and to add water to the “ant well,” the little reservoir that keeps ants from reaching the homemade nectar farther down. And there she was: a bumblebee floating alone in the cup, looking terribly small and certainly dead. Her fluffy stripes were messy and matted, while the pollen she’d stored on her thighs was now melting into yellow sludge.

I’ve used that cup for years, not so much to discourage ants as to encourage chickadees. They and the goldfinches and tufted titmice all prefer to take private, dainty sips from the ant well rather than catch communal drinks at any of my birdbaths-of-the-masses. And who can blame them? Birds can’t take a bath or a dump in an ant well. But apparently, bumblebees can drown in one. I already use sticks as safety ladders in every other possible water source, but that was the day I learned that hummer feeders need one too.

Did you know?

A hummingbird’s diet is 80 percent meat (tiny insects and spiders), but fresh sugar-water is always welcome, especially during spring and fall migration. Clean the feeder every two or three days to avoid mold.

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Water for All Types of Wildlife

The thing is, no drowning should ever happen on my watch. Not when I pile bumpy stones in the birdbaths, angle sticks in the pond and heap gravel in the butterfly puddling dish. I cover water barrels with netting, tip saucers after rain and leave a scrap of chicken wire in the watering can. And I’ve spent untold hours tweaking ways to make it almost impossible for my Mosquito Buckets of Doom to doom anything but mosquitoes. I didn’t invent the mosquito-bucket trick, but I did invent the name, and my version was the first to feature an escape ramp, should anyone other than a mosquito fall in.

Simple solutions can save a life

Water is life, so I hate when my water kills things. I want every creature, whether bird, skink, snake, squirrel, possum, chipmunk or bug to come for drinks and then leave in one piece. Providing water, even one dish of it, is essential for adding habitat back to where we live. How did I fix the ant well? With a short stub of a stick rough enough for a bee to grab, but small enough for a chickadee to have room for his drink too. 

Secret water sources: Weeping plants

There is another source of water I should mention. Although it likely happens in everyone’s yard, it’s kind of a secret and kind of a miracle, and it never needs a safety ramp: plants that weep water. Some species have hydathodes, one-way nozzles that let extra water seep up and out of the leaf margins at night, and only when the humidity is right and the soil is wet, and only at leaves low to the ground. The process is called guttation.

Imagine the heart-shaped leaf of a wild violet rimmed with tiny, clear beads that sparkle in the sun. Or curvy columbine leaves fringed with droplets. I’ve seen guttation on tomato leaves, kale, grapevine, jewelweed, and bee balm, and some days on every single blade of grass.

Fireflies get thirsty too!

You know what else is low to the ground at daybreak? Thirsty fireflies. It’s now a highlight of a summer morning to run out and watch fireflies suck the violets and sip the grass. They must be tired after a night of trying to make more fireflies, and each guttation drop contains valuable carbs and protein — a breakfast of champions. And the best part is that no one can drown in a drop.

Joanna, author of "This Is How a Robin Drinks: Essays on Urban Nature," writes about everyday wonders in everyday habitat loss on Instagram @jo_brichetto and at SidewalkNature.com.

Q: I find seeds for brightly colored hostas being sold online, but where can I buy plants?

A: Well, as the old adage goes, buyer beware.

The advertisements selling seeds for vividly colored hostas (Hosta spp. and hybrids) like the one above are, at best, misleading. As of now there are no bright blue, vivid red or rich purple hosta cultivars. The images have been doctored. Want more proof?

Scroll to the site’s Terms of Use page and it will explain that the company is not responsible for plants that don’t match the images in the ad. It’s better to buy from local or reputable online companies who will stand behind their stock.

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Try these reliable & colorful hostas

So, what is colorful in the hosta world these days? The lists below show a few proven standards and new introductions to try.

Red-leaved hostas are still elusive

It's safe to say that true red-leaved hostas have yet to be found. However, several cultivars have red or burgundy petioles (leaf stems) that can add a colorful accent to the garden. Here are a few of our favorites:

• ‘Island Breeze’ hosta (above)
• ‘Cherry Berry’ hosta
• ‘Red Dragon’ hosta

Trusted blue hostas

Blue hostas are the most shade tolerant, in hues of gray- or blue green, often with a waxy coating. Try a few of these reliable blue varieties:

• ‘Halcyon’ hosta (above)
• ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ hosta
• ‘Blue Angel’ hosta

Love blue hostas? Enter our sweepstakes for a chance to win 3 unique varieties from NH Hostas this summer!

Hostas with yellow or gold foliage

Bright yellows and golds shine in the shade. But most show the best color if they get sun part of the day. Try these cultivars to brighten your garden beds and borders:

• ‘Coast to Coast’ hosta (above)
• ‘Lemontini’ hosta
• ‘Lipstick Blonde’ hosta

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White Mulberry (Morus alba)

How to identify the plant

Along with lots of birds and animals, you might think of white mulberry as a 20- to 60-foot-tall tree with tasty fruit. But its rampant seeding makes this non-native an invasive pest that squeezes out native species.

Leaves on young plants are heart shaped with toothed margins, but as the plant matures, they can be deeply lobed or mitten shaped. Unlike the native red mulberry (Morus rubra), the leaves of white mulberry have a soft gloss on top and are smooth on the underside. Pale green spring catkins are followed by red to dark purple blackberry-shaped fruit in early summer.

The root system is shallow and bright yellow to orange. Break a twig and it oozes milky sap. Older bark is furrowed with a slightly orange-gray color. Mature trees tend to break easily in storms.

Where to find white mulberry

Seedlings sprout almost anywhere in North America, in sun or shade, good soil or poor.

How to control white mulberry

Seeds are spread by birds and animals, so remove plants before they set fruit. Pull or hoe out seedlings. Saplings can be dug. Cut down larger plants. Repeat cutting new sprouts or cover the stump with black plastic to deprive the plant of food so it eventually dies. If you need to resort to a chemical solution, look for a nonselective herbicide that can be applied to a cut stump.

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Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi)

What this weed looks like

This fine-textured native perennial grass can grow up to 24 inches tall, but in turf areas the wiry stems are kept shorter because of mowing. However, you might not notice it in your lawn until cold weather arrives. Then the sprawling, densely branched mats of warm-season grass turn brown faster than most turfgrasses, as you can see in the photo above, and it remains brown until spring.

From midsummer into fall, narrow heads, or panicles, rise just above the leaves loaded with tiny flowers that form lots of seeds. Even if the plant is mowed, it will continue to produce seeds.

Where to find nimblewill

This weed hides best in lawns, but seeds also sprout in beds, borders and vegetable gardens. Tolerant of shade to full sun, moist to dry conditions, it’s happy almost anywhere.

How to get rid of nimblewill grass

You can easily pull or hoe it from beds and borders. In a lawn, rake over a cluster to gather stems before pulling or digging. Be sure you get all of the pieces or it will quickly regrow. Nonselective herbicides will kill it, but they also kill plants it has sprawled into. Selective herbicides, such as mesotrione, are effective in cool-season turfgrasses. Apply it in summer when the weed is actively growing. However, it’s best to contact a lawn professional to be sure it‘s safe to use on your turf.

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Nimblewill photo in summer by Emily Summerbell, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A smart mulching tip using old nursery pots

Like many gardeners, our reader Mary hangs on to nursery pots rather than tossing them in the landfill, confident they’ll be useful someday. While mulching a newly planted garden bed, she stumbled on a clever new use: turning those extra pots into protective covers that shield young plants and make mulching easier.

Use nursery pots as simple mulch rings

Mary simply inverts a nursery pot of the appropriate size over each new or emerging plant before mulching the garden bed. The upside-down pots act as protective covers, allowing her to spread mulch quickly and evenly without worrying about burying tender stems or damaging young growth. When you slip off the pots, the mulch falls almost perfectly in place, leaving it a couple of inches away from the plant crowns.

Mulching made easy

This trick is especially helpful in newly planted beds where small plants can easily disappear beneath a fresh layer of mulch. Once you’ve finished, just remove the pots and stack them up to reuse again next season. See the tip in action at our test garden in the video below.

Tip submitted by Mary Dickinson, IL

Try this easy mulching hack!

Submit Your Garden Tip

Did you know that we pay $50 for each tip we publish in Garden Gate magazine? Send us your smart ideas and photos using our online form. Please include your name, address and daytime phone number in case we have questions.

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Both types of garden fertilizer contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the nutrients all plants require. Plants can absorb these nutrients however they’re made available. Both types have their place:

• Packaged organic fertilizers will improve soil structure and give plants a steady feeding, which is what you’re looking for in a permanent planting, such as a perennial border.
• In a container or a bed of annuals, where you want fast growth, you might choose a faster-acting or time-release synthetic fertilizer.

Comparing organic fertilizer and synthetic fertilizer

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How to Buy Mulch, Compost and Topsoil by the Numbers

It’s always frustrating to come home from the garden center with what you think is plenty of mulch, only to find that your estimate fell far short. Save yourself extra trips when you use this simple calculation to determine how much mulch, soil or compost you need for any job. And we’ll help you figure out the best way to move it too.

Calculate how much material you need in cubic feet

Length × Width × Depth (measured in feet)
For example, a 36 × 6-foot bed with 3 inches (.25 feet) of mulch:
36 × 6 × .25 = 54 cubic feet

Need a lot? Consider buying in bulk

Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards
For example, 54 cubic feet ÷ 27 = 2 cubic yards

Download the printable guide!

How do bags and bulk garden materials compare?

*Know your vehicle’s load limits!

A cubic yard of topsoil can weigh 1,000 to 3,000 pounds, depending on how much clay or moisture is in the mix. A cubic yard of compost is usually 1,000 to 1,500 pounds and bark mulch, 400 to 700 pounds. Don’t forget to include your own weight and that of any passengers in your calculations!

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A high-value lawn fertilization program focuses on the right nutrients at the correct time for your specific grass type, not just the lowest price. When you match fertilizer to your soil and follow a smart schedule, you support stronger roots, fewer weeds and steady growth without wasting money. This guide is brought to you by the specialists at Ricci's Landscape Management (RLM, Inc.) — a full-service lawn care and landscaping company serving Northwest Indiana.

What should I look for in a lawn care program?

A fertilization plan should green up your outdoor space and support its long-term health from the soil up. Look for these core elements:

• Targeted nutrients: Use applications based on your soil and grass type, not a generic mix.
  
• Seasonal timing: Apply fertilizer when your grass can actually use it.
  
• Weed and pest control: Choose a service with built-in prevention.
  
• Soil support: Help nutrients reach the roots with aeration.

According to experts, healthy grass depends on a balanced approach that combines nutrients, weed control and proper loam care rather than a single treatment. If your yard has struggled in the past, a system can help.

Why Fertilizer Options Matter

The best-value program depends on your grass type and how it grows throughout the year. A simple, well-timed plan is your most effective strategy. Here’s a practical breakdown.

To stretch your budget more, focus on these rules:

• Test your soil before choosing products.
• Prioritize nitrogen unless your soil needs other nutrients.
• Use slow-release fertilizer for steady growth.
• Split applications instead of applying everything at once.

According to the RLM, Inc. fertilization program, pricing matters less than effective management. You should remember that “in the warm summer sun, weeds can take over if they’re not under control. Summer also provides ideal conditions for many types of pests that can become a bigger problem for your lawn if not treated or managed correctly.”

Are professional fertilizer programs worth the money?

You can fertilize your lawn yourself, but the results depend on timing, product choice and consistency. Professional systems often deliver better value over time.

Professionals focus on long-term lawn health by combining fertilization with specialized liquid aeration and grub control. If your previous DIY attempts haven't worked, a structured, cost-effective program prevents repeated trial and error.

FAQs

What are the best lawn care packages for my type of grass?
Choose an option based on how your grass grows. Cool-season types require full fertilization, while warm-season grasses need spring and summer feeding.

Where can I find affordable lawn fertilization services across the U.S.?
You can use sites like GreenPal to find lawn fertilization services near you.

This article was sponsored by Ricci's Landscape Management, a Northwest Indiana landscape management company that focuses on long-term grass health and sustained growth.

What is included in a typical lawn fertilization program?
Most programs include seasonal fertilizer applications, pre-emergent weed control, post-emergent treatments, and optional pest or grub management. Some providers offer optional services such as aeration.

Can you have a lawn that lasts?

A healthy lawn needs more than a quick fix. When you choose a fertilization program that fits your grass type, soil and seasonal needs, you’ll enjoy steady growth and fewer problems over time. Work with professionals to help you get greener grass and consistent results without the trial and error of DIY landscape management.

Article written by Eloise Badenhorst