Backyard Gardener Publications
Updated and Reformatted Content
The Backyard Gardener was a weekly newspaper column written by University of Arizona Extension Agent Emeritus, Jeff Schalau. It was published between 1998 and 2021 and covered a range of horticultural and natural resource topics. Jeff retired in July 2021 and is in the process of consolidating, updating and reformatting the content. As the content of each topic is updated it will be posted on this webpage.
Ongoing research and changes in regulations will occur and inform best practices. Please use this site accordingly and know that pesticides and legal statutes change over time. Horticultural practices also vary from region to region and state to state. For the most current horticultural and natural resource information, consult your local Cooperative Extension office: https://nifa.usda.gov/land-grant-colleges-and-universities-partner-website-directory
Landscaping
Construction Damage #122
Erosion Control #63
Greenhouses #6
Hoop Houses #84
Pruning Sealants #17
Raised Beds #26
Sanitizing Pruning Tools #125
Sustainable Landscaping #93
Transplanting Plants #104
Wildlife Habitat #109
Windbreaks #44
Insects
Aphids #1
Bacterial Insecticide - Bt #116
Bagworms #51
Beneficial Insects #67
Blister Beetles #21
Borers in Landscape Trees #52
Centipedes #53
Conenose Bugs #54
Earthworms incl Vermiculture #58
Earwigs #57
Fall Webworms #56
Feral Honeybees #119
Flea Beetles #76
Flies #66
Grasshoppers #35
Green Fruit Beetles #5
Harvester Ants #16
Indoor Pests (Stored Product Pests & Carpet Beetles) #38
Leaf-footed Plant Bug #36
No-See-Ums #59
Oak Galls #61
Odorous House Ants #15
Paper Wasp/Yellow Jacket #39
Peach Tree Borer #49
Pest Management #91
Pinacate Beetle #55
Root Knot Nematodes #60
Sequoia Pitch Moth #19
Snails and Slugs #124
Solitary Bees #42
Sopulgids #8
Sphinx Moth (Hornworm) #37
Squash Bugs #18
Tarantulas #90
Thrips #2
White Grubs #11
Wildlife
Badgers #114
Beavers #97
Black Bears #98
Bobcats #99
Coatimundis #65
Cottontail Rabbits #100
Coyotes #101
Deer #3
Discouraging Wildlife #110
Elk #115
Feral Hogs #118
Gophers #45
House Mice #102
Javelinas #32
Mountain Lions #126
Porcupines #31
Raccoons #111
Ravens #113
Ringtails #112
Rock Squirrels #24
Skunks #120
Ultrasonic Pest Control #46
Voles #33
Woodpeckers/Sapsuckers #13
Woodrats (Packrats) #23
Edibles
Cover Crops #27
Brambles #75
Fruit Tree Spraying #50
Fruit Tree Chill Hours #48
Figs #4
Gooseberries/Currents #77
Grapes #127
Harvesting Vegetables #22
Heirloom/Hybrid #86
Mushrooms #107
Pomegranates #71
Pruning Fruit Trees #121
Seed Starting #85
Thinning Fruit Crops #47
Vegetables A to Z #74
Weeds
Herbicides #7
Puncturevine #14
Weather, Irrigation
Plant Diseases
Crown Gall #34
Curly Top Virus #20
Sunscald #25
Sycamore Anthracnose #106
Texas Root Rot #43
Soil / Fertilizer / Compost
Compost #29
Mulches #30
Mycorrhizae #105
Nitrogen #88
Organic Fertilizers #89
Phosphorus #87
Soil Solarization #28
Plants
Agaves #79
Bermudagrass #108
Buffalograss #103
Creosote Bush #95
Deciduous Trees #68
Dodder #64
Invasive Trees #92
Manzanitas #73
Native Oak Trees #62
Native Trees from Seeds #123
Non-native Conifers #69
Ocotillo #80
Onionweed #82
Penstemons #72
Propagating Plants #96
Sacred Datura #41
Sedges #81
Wildflowers #70
Yuccas #78