| I had by front yard xeriscaped last October. My Russian Sages grew and were beautiful. I had my landscaper come by when I notices some of the leaves were turning yellow and the flowers were drying out. He said there were small spiders on the plant and I needed to spray with insect repellant. I did and one got better but the others are now doing the same and I have sprayed them as well. What do I need to do? |
| What your landscaper found on the plants are probably spider mites. These pests love hot, dry conditions, which is what you'll find in xeriscape landscaping. You can use one of many products to rid your plants of spider mites. To discourage the pests, you'll want to hose your plants off once a week to dislodge any that are there, and to keep others from taking up residence. Russian Sage is quite resilient and should recover without too much difficulty. These plants tend to outgrow their garden spaces in a hurry and should be cut back to a few inches above the ground each spring, just as new growth begins. Next spring, cut your plants back and remove all the prunings from the garden. Hose them off periodically during the growing season and they should grow lush and healthy. Enjoy! |
