Field and Garden: Earthworm mounds, roseslug sawfly, hollyhocks

Last week I noticed potatoes blooming in some of the community garden plots.

The next four to six weeks are critical to prevent the development of potato scab, the most common disease affecting potatoes in gardens.

Scab is caused by the bacterium Streptomyces scabies. The bacterium occurs naturally in many soils.

Dry soil increases the ability of the microorganism to form colonies on tuber skins....