Common Garden and Landscape Problems

Learn how to care for your garden and landscaping for each season in Jefferson County.

Click on the corresponding picture below for seasonal garden and landscape resources.

Spring and Early Summer

Trees and Shrubs

1. Brown needles on evergreens, happened quickly
2. Brown needles on evergreens, happened over winter
3. Scattered brown branches in low-lying junipers
4. Brown branches on crabapple, apple, pear, mountain ash
5. Small sticky clusters of insects on branches/leaves
6. Sticky areas on branches/leaves
7. Balls or knobs on aspen or poplar branches

Lawn

1. Dead areas, particularly on south, west exposures
2. Dead appearing patches of grass, particularly before warm-up
3. Dead areas of grass, scattered or in pattern
4. Grass blades cream to tan-colored from tip down
5. White circles of damaged grass appearing after lengthy snow cover melts
6. Irregular tunneling in grass
7. Dark green rings or arcs of grass
8. Lawn grasses flowering

Vegetables

1. Seeds don’t sprout, sprout slowly or appear to be missing
2. Bean seedlings look like green sticks
3. Seedlings cut off at soil line

Summer

Trees and Shrubs

• Balls or knobs on aspen/poplar branches
• Leaves turn brown around the edges
• Leaves are pale green or yellow with green veins
• Cottonwood/poplar/aspen branches dead
• Resinous sunken area on spruce branch, needles may be brown
• Dead branches, possibly gum oozing on trunk on plum, cherry
• Aspen leaves with brown spots of various sizes
• Spruce browning from top down

Lawns

1. Brown/tan areas of grass, scattered or in pattern
2. Grass blades cream to tan from tip of blade down
3. Large (over 3 feet) dark green rings or arcs of grass

Roses

1. Blooms not opening
2. Flower buds/petals with small holes

Fruit and Vegetables

1. Tomato problem
2. Blotchy patches in leafy greens
3. “Shotholes” in leaves of cabbage family, tomato/potato, squash, beans and/or lettuce
4. Holes in cherry or plum fruit
5. Tips of raspberry canes dying

Late Summer and Early Fall

Trees and Shrubs

• Aspen leaves having brown spots of various sizes
• Interior pine, spruce needles turning yellow or brown, dropping  
• White or gray substance on leaf, stem surfaces 

Insects

• Black insects with red coloring, 1/2 inch long, found in or near home
• Brown to tan, 5/8 to 3/4 inch long insects, found in home

Fall into Winter

Trees, Shrubs and Turf

Fall and Winter Watering

Throughout the Year

• Recognizing Drought Injury Symptoms 
• Ips Beetle 
• Mountain Pine Beetle