Elk Grove Community Garden

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

Stories from the Garden: The Mealybug Destroyer!

Oliver sighed. The gig was up. He was surprised it had lasted as long as it did, since he couldn't blend in with these aphids the way he did with the mealybugs he usually hunted. But these two ants were definitely following him around now.

It had started when one of them prodded him, apparently looking for the sweet honeydew he'd produce if he really were a mealybug. Honeydew was the 'fee' aphids and mealybugs paid for ant protection.

Oliver wasn't too worried about his safety, though. His waxy jacket would probably be enough protection from these two idiots.

Then again, there were a lot of ants on this leaf, all tending the aphids. If they raised the alarm, things could get ugly.

Maybe he could just eat one more aphid and then find a leaf with some mealybugs where he could hide a little better.

—the reflections of Oliver, a young mealybug destroyer larva (or closely related dusky lady beetle (Tribe Scymnini))
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Photo and Story by Kimberly Steinmann, Master Gardener

Note: Mealybugs and aphids are common sap-sucking insects in the garden. As they feed on plants, they produce a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew, which is eagerly collected by ants. In return, ants may protect these insects from predators—creating a mutually beneficial relationship that can sometimes make aphid and mealybug infestations harder for gardeners to control.

Mealybug destroyers (and closely related larvae in Tribe Scymnini) are small lady beetles whose larvae are covered in a white, waxy coating that makes them remarkably similar looking to their mealybug prey. Both the larvae and adults are predators, feeding on mealybugs and other soft-bodied insects. They can be especially valuable biological control agents in the garden, although ants may interfere with their hunting by defending their honeydew-producers from these predators.

For more information about mealybug destroyers, see https://ipm.ucanr.edu/natural-enemies/mealybug-destroyer/ .tab=0

09/08/2026

Labor Day pear and Apple Harvest

09/08/2026

See hundreds of colorful pollinators during two weekends

09/08/2026

When are melons ready?

Melons may be at their peak this month, but when should they be harvested? Cantaloupe/muskmelon is fully ripe when it pulls off the stem easily (it “slips” from the vine). The cantaloupe photo below shows full slip on the melon on the right; the melon on the left needs a week or so before it will slip.

With other kinds of melons, a strong, pleasant aroma at the blossom (not stem) end is the best indicator of ripeness. These would include: the green-skinned ‘Persian’, the pink-fleshed ‘Crenshaw’, the yellow-skinned casaba, honeydew, and many European cross types.

A watermelon is a bit more difficult, but good indicators of ripeness include:

the ground spot (the underside where the watermelon laid on the ground) turning from white to pale yellow

the tendril opposite the stem of the melon has dried and withered

the skin of the watermelon has turned from shiny to dull

there is a dull “thunk” when you rap the melon with your knuckles in the morning.

Then keep your fingers crossed before you cut it from the vine!

Photo and information source:
https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-sacramento-county/monthly-vegetable-gardening-tips

(Photo: UC Sacramento County Master Gardener website UC Regents)

09/03/2026

Join us September 12 from 10am–11am

09/03/2026

Are you planning or planting a cool season garden already? Beets, carrots, greens, garlic, cover crops - what are you planting this year? Are you trying anything new?

If you need a planting schedule and some inspiration please take a look at our planting schedule for Sacramento County below.
https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-11/117117.pdf

Photos by Danielle Creedon

Collage of four pictures: clockwise, a bunch of red radishes and white turnips, a bunch of multicolored carrots, broccoli heads, and the leaves of a mustard green that are dark red with light green veins.

09/02/2026

Stories from the Garden: The Common Hover Fly Parasitoid Wasp!

This milkweed leaf was absolutely drenched in honeydew. Ani was starting to feel sticky all over—not her favorite feeling, but still a good sign. Lots of honeydew meant lots of aphids, and lots of aphids meant there were sure to be hover flies around. She needed a hover fly egg or young larva to lay her egg in.

Maybe she'd be lucky and find a hover fly egg. Eggs were so much more cooperative than the larvae - they couldn't move yet!

—the reflections of Ani, a Common Hover Fly Parasitoid Wasp (Diplazon laetatorius)
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Photo and story by Kimberly Steinmann, Master Gardener

Note: The Common Hover Fly Parasitoid Wasp (Diplazon laetatorius) is a small wasp that helps illustrate just how interconnected a garden ecosystem can be. Adult females search for hover fly eggs or larvae and lay their eggs inside them. The developing wasp eventually consumes its host, which means the wasp can reduce the number of hover fly larvae available to prey on aphids—something that may not be especially welcome to gardeners hoping those hungry larvae will control an aphid outbreak!

However, from an ecology point of view, this isn't a “good bug” versus “bad bug” situation. Diplazon wasps are part of the natural food web, helping regulate hover fly populations while also serving as a pollinator as an adult. In a healthy garden, predators, parasitoids, herbivores, and pollinators all interact in ways that help keep populations from getting completely out of balance.