Spider mites are common pest problems on many plants around yards and gardens. Spider mites, like all mites, are not insects. They are related to spiders and therefore fall into the class of arachnids, which have eight legs, not six.

These tiny creatures cause injury to foliage as they feed, bruising the cells with their small, whip-like mouthparts and ingesting the sap. Damage to the foliage gives a speckled appearance to the damaged tissue sites. They also leave a cottony web material between leaf stems.

Spider mite infestation tends to occur during periods of dry, hot weather and hit plants that have not been well watered. A good lesson to learn from this would be to keep your plants healthy and watered at all times, especially when hot, dry weather strikes your gardens.

But if you still have spider mites, even after your best precautions, what can you do? Because spider mites are not insects, insecticides will not work on them; and worse, such a spray will just kill the beneficial insects coming to the plant to eat the spider mites.

Fortunately, the spider mite, like other pesky bugs on our plants, has several natural predators. One important one is the ladybug larva. Other less well-known predators of the spider mite are pirate bugs and predatory thrips.

Another easy physical control is simply to spray them off the foliage with water. Sound familiar? That is also a treatment for aphids, mealybugs and other garden insect pests. If the natural predators haven't come to the rescue, or the improvement of plant health and water control techniques is not solving the spider mite problem, talk to one of us and we will further direct you to a spray oil or miticide product. For example, if you have mites on your tomatoes, sulphur dust will work to kill the spider mites.

But remember, if you decide to use an insecticide or miticide control, first double check for the beneficial insects coming in to gobble up the mites!

Go into the Nature or Garden section of your local bookstore and you should be able to find Mac's Field Guide to Garden Bugs. It is a two-sided laminated card, 7 x 11 inches. (There are four different regional cards: California, Northwest, Northeast, and Southeast.) One side contains sketches and descriptions of the "Good Garden Bugs" of the region and the other side contains sketches and descriptions of the "Bad Garden Bugs."

This informational card provides the common name, size, habitat, and food needs of the bugs displayed. You will learn that the "Good Garden Bugs" are the predators eating many of the "Bad Guys" on the reverse side. Every gardener should have one of these field guides. Tuck it into the front flap of your favorite gardening book.

Ladybugs, praying mantids, lacewings, microscopic wasps, mealybug destroyers, dragonflies, damsel bugs, many different beetles, centipedes, and robber flies -- the "Good Guy" list goes on and on. Some are predators to very specific pests. For example, the lady beetle loves aphids and other small insects; the mealybug destroyer eats mealybugs and aphids; but others on the list eat any soft body insects, and some are simply general predators to all insects.

Gardeners, this handy field guide will help you distinguish who is your "Garden Friend" and who is your "Garden Foe" in the world of insects. It is a great, must-have resource, along with your other garden books.

Some gardeners shy away from growing plants in containers because of endless "failure" stories buzzing in their heads. Container plantings are not difficult, but you do need to keep these few things in mind: selection of the pot, type of planting mix, and watering needs. These are the three main variables differentiating growing plants in the ground from growing them in containers.

Plants in containers can often suffer from dehydration, especially in the summer months of the year. Water them frequently, especially if your container plant is a water-thirsty fellow. A drip system can save time, plus save all the water that's wasted when you go from plant to plant with a hose. In very hot weather, containers seem to dry out almost as soon as they're watered. It's not only the heat; dry air literally pulls moisture out of the soil, right through the sides of porous pots.

So we need to be mindful of the types of containers that we love to have in our gardens and adjust our watering according to their needs. For example, terracotta pots are probably the most porous of the clay pots. This porosity allows the soil to dry out more quickly.

Glazed pots are next in line. The glaze on the outside of the pot actually helps to keep moisture in, at least more than a non-glazed clay pot would. Large and/or thick cement containers probably fall in line together with the glazed pots.

Finally, there are plastic and some of the new composite material containers. These materials do not 'breathe' at all, except at the top exposed-soil surface area. This container will hold the moisture far longer than terracotta.

Now, this watering rule must also take into consideration the type of potting soil that you have used and water needs of the plant in your container. Drought-tolerant plants will like a pot that dries out quickly. But perhaps a water-needy plant would not be so happy.

The soil mix itself should breathe. It should be light and airy, which can be accomplished by adding perlite or sponge rock. We want our potting soil to have this capability of "breathing"; however, this will also cause us to be more vigilant about watering.

If you let your potting soil dry out too much, the next time you water, even though you see water coming out of the container at the bottom, the water has really only taken the path of least resistance...along the outer margins of the soil, along the inside edge of the pot. You think that you have watered, but you have only "shown the water" to your poor dried-out plant.

If this happens, you will need to leave the water dripping into your container for a long enough time to "rehydrate" the potting soil. If the container is small enough, dunk it into a big bucket of water and let it sit there until you hear happy sounds from your plant—or at least until you can see your plant has perked up! Then remove it and let it drain as normal—you don't want to risk root-rot either.

Container gardening is a wonderful way to add splashes of plants and color in all areas of your outdoor rooms, and for those with only small patios, container gardening is the only way to go. Just be mindful of the water needs -- pay attention to the container type, the soil type, and especially the needs of your plants.

You have young, physically active children. They like to hit the ball, play basketball and football, climb, ride bikes and skateboards, and roll, tumble or sprawl on the grass. Wow, those activities just don't seem compatible with also having a beautiful nice garden with outdoor spaces welcoming the parents.

But the possibility is there!

Several basic garden design concepts will guide your planning. Sit down and consider what is important to you and to your family.

1. Outdoor living spaces for sitting and/or dining.
2. Open spaces for play: swing set, trampoline, and perhaps a pool or spa.
3. Grass for kids and dogs, or just because you love grass.
4. Trees, shrubs, flowers, and maybe a vegetable garden.

Each of these considerations should be prioritized based upon your family, of course. But, believe it or not, all things are possible.

These basic concepts all overlap and intertwine. One can be combined with another. All can be interactive with each other. What do I mean? Let me describe one yard, garden, and outdoor space. Picture this:

A small lap pool lies along about half of the back wall of the property, beginning near one of the lot corners. A small planter in the corner contains a queen palm under-planted with a pigmy date palm. A stone-floor pool decking about a third of the length of the lap pool lies between the pool and the back door of the house. The decking is covered with a wooden structure and sailcloth. On this small poolside terrace, a teak table and chairs are ready for dining any time of day. The back wall or fence is painted a soothing forest green (or perhaps a warm Tuscan hue of orange or gold).

The remainder of the lap pool and the poolside terrace is surrounded with a combination of an Umbrella tree (Tupidanthus), variegated Schefflera arborcola, and Philodendron 'Xanadu'. These offer a living border separating the pool/terrace areas from the rest of the yard. They are also all relatively clean plants that will not drop litter into the pool. In addition, they are an attractive visual shield, hiding the low pool security fence that is required in many states. Also, they are sturdy and able to withstand children playing with balls or dogs playing freely outside the pool area.

Outside of the pool and terrace area, a narrow (2-3 foot) raised planter follows the outer perimeter of the remainder of the backyard. In the center of this space is grass, upon which is placed a vertical climbing frame for the kids. This grassy play area is on the side of the yard opposite the best view of your backyard from the inside of the house. Not the only view, but arranged so that you look out of your home to see the terrace, garden and pool. The play area will incorporate the opposite side of the backyard.

The planters placed along the outer perimeter of the rest of the backyard can hold ornamental shrubs, a vegetable garden, or both. If this planter is raised, it is less likely to become trampled during child and dog playtimes.

These ideas can be adapted to suit your needs, using plants that grow best for you.

Are you beginning to get the picture? This is just one description of a backyard setting, and we haven't even considered the front yard. Already we have begun to develop a landscape plan to take many of the family needs into consideration in a relatively small space. Does this sound like a lot in a relatively small back yard? As you visualize this, remember to keep in mind everything must be designed and implemented to fit the scale of the property.

Perhaps your home is situated more toward the back of your lot, leaving the larger plot of land in your front. There are many possibilities that include play areas and still a beautiful front entry. For instance, fence in the larger side of the front yard. An attractive wrought iron fence works beautifully. If you want to place a climbing tower in the front yard but think that would be an eyesore for your neighbors, plant a tall hedge just inside the wrought iron fence. A simple wooden or wrought iron arch covered with a spectacular blooming vine or climbing rose can be placed off the front entry walkway into the outdoor playroom. The rest of the front yard design can focus on an inviting landscape that catches the eye of even the strolling-by, dog-walking neighbors. Place a fountain near the front door and front windows to let the delightful water sound bring the outdoors into your home (and maybe even minimize some of the squeals and screams from the child play in the front).

A family friendly landscape including outdoor living spaces can be as simple as a little French café table and two chairs on your front porch or as elegant as a hidden garden seating area in the back corner with a small fountain emitting a soothing water sound. Prioritize the points suggested above and they will help you define your needs for the gardens surrounding your castle, your home away from work. You will discover what is best suited to you and your way of living. We all can have beautiful garden spaces and privacy, and still provide a yard where it is fun and safe for children and pets to play.

• Listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in organic production.
• Vital component of 2-step organic fire ant control treatment program.
• Not harmful to beneficial insects.
• For use in vegetable garden, fruit trees, lawns, and ornamentals.
• Controls ants, fire ants, beetles, caterpillars, worms, fleas, leafminers, spider mites, thrips and other insects.