- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
![Thinning canopy is an early sign of Bot canker. [Credit: J. Downer]](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/93035small.jpg)
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas

Looking for ways to manage weeds in your lawn or landscape? Join us on July 21, 2022 at noon for UC IPM's free monthly webinar to learn about how to control weeds using mostly nonchemical methods. We will discuss why weed identification is important, ways to prevent weed growth, and combining various methods for managing weed problems.
The webinar will be presented by Karey Windbiel-Rojas, Area Urban IPM Advisor and Associate Director for Urban & Community IPM with the UC Statewide IPM Program. Register today to serve your spot!
As always, the webinar will be recorded and...
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas

October is a perfect time to talk about spiders! People decorate for Halloween with scary images of spiders and webs. Many people fear spiders but what you may not know is that they are helpful in our homes and landscapes.
Spiders you might find wandering in your home or hanging out in your garden are beneficial predators, eating pest insects like flies, mosquitoes, and numerous other undesirable bugs in and around landscapes.
Whether you are curious as to what kind of spider you found or you are looking for ways to get rid of them, UC IPM has the information you need in the newly revised free publication, Pest Notes: Spiders. Author...

Roses in the garden can be infected with a variety of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, leading to diseases like powdery mildew and rust. Roses may also be damaged by nutrient deficiencies and other environmental problems.
Our Pest Notes: Roses: Diseases and Disorders was recently updated by University of California experts John Karlik, Deborah Golino, and Maher Al Rwahnih. This free publication provides an integrated approach to managing rose problems that includes careful variety choice, proper irrigation, correct pruning, and sanitation. Although some rose enthusiasts might consider regular application of fungicides a necessary...

(Credit: K Windbiel-Rojas)
Plantains are common weeds in lawns, athletic fields, ornamental plantings, roadsides, and pastures. Two species, broadleaf and buckhorn plantains (Plantago major and P. lanceolate) are commonly found throughout California year-round.
Plantains grow well in irrigated turf and lawns that are frequently mowed since they grow low to the ground. They can be a major pest for turfgrass managers since they grow in dense clumps, creating both an aesthetic and tripping hazard in turf. When plantains infest ornamental plantings, they can crowd out desired plants.
These weeds are difficult to control because they can resprout from the crown, even after it's cut off. Early removal of seedlings before they...