Master Gardener Newsletter – Fall 2026
Now is the Time to Inspect for Mountain Pine Beetle
What to look for:
- Pitch tubes in trunk
- Tunnels under bark
- Woodpecker damage
Mitigation includes:
- Remove dead and dying trees.
- Prevent spread of beetles with solar treatment by cutting wood into short logs, laying it out in a single layer, soaking thoroughly, and covering with plastic. The heat should kill the pests.
Deterrents include pheromone packets like Verbenone. Plan to order in late winter/early spring to apply before beetles fly in early June.
There are also many companies offering preventative insecticide sprays.
Check the resources below for more information:
Praying Mantises
Native ground mantids are only 1.5 inches long and brown. A popular introduced species is the European mantis. These are 3-4 inches long and bright green or brown.
They can be considered a “good bug” to have in gardens because they eat pests. However, mantids eat all other bugs, good or bad, including each other.
You can find them on tall grass or climbing warm, south-facing walls. They have wings and fly short distances.
The egg cases of the European mantises protect the eggs from the cold, and nymphs hatch in the spring.
Check the resources below for more information:
Liatris punctata – Gayfeather
Photo credit: Alan Shadow (via USDA Plants Database)
A lovely native wildflower, Grayfeather very prolific right now.
- Shades of purple
- Rocky or sandy soil
- About a foot tall
- Deer resistant
- Attracts pollinators
- Xeric in our EC meadows
- Several other species in CO, but different habitats
Ripening Produce
As the threat of cold weather looms, there are things we can do to get the most out of our garden before winter.
Prune branches with small or no fruit and cut off any small blossoms to redirect energy to fruiting.
Remove excess leaves to let light hit fruit.
Cut back water as days grow shorter and cooler to spur ripening.
Keep warm overnight. Use row covers to keep ambient temperatures over 50 degrees.
Planting Perennials in Fall
End of season bargains on perennials, trees and bushes abound right now. Fall is a good time to plant them, before the end of October, when plants have an opportunity to establish some roots before a hard frost.
Check the resources below for more information: