Tips on how to effectively derail an ant attack

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• Edible gardens will pay for themselves in produce

  Edible gardens will pay for themselves in produce

  Does your home landscape deserve the time, water and money you put into it? Consider increasing your rewards by developing an edible landscape — incorporating plants that can be eaten, with or without plants that are purely ornamental.

  The ongoing scarcity of water on the Central Coast, the rising cost of grocery store produce and the importance of conserving energy make it difficult to justify spending resources on gardens that do not pay their way in some fashion.

  Having a variety of beautiful, edible plants, trees and shrubs among the ornamental ones can add an element of beauty, functionality and fun to your landscape.

• Breathe easy with air-scrubbing indoor plants

  Breathe easy with air-scrubbing indoor plants

  Q. I’ve heard that indoor plants actually clean indoor air. Is this true?

  A. Houseplants can be beautiful and help to clean the air we breathe. Research shows that common houseplants, and some potted blooming plants, fight indoor air pollution. They absorb pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene — commonly found in building materials, household cleaners, and carpets — and render them harmless. The leaves in these plants absorb the pollutants, sending them to their roots where they become food for microbes.

  NASA has been conducting extensive experiments to find which plants are most effective in removing toxins from our indoor environment. Flowering plants such as gerbera daisy and chrysanthemums were found effective in removing benzene. Spathiphyllum (peace lily), Pothos (anyone can grow it), and Dracaena were found to remove pollutants and gasses. Also effective are Areca and reed palms, dwarf date palms, Boston and Australian sword ferns, English ivy, rubber plants, Sansevieria

• Minnesota will hold two wolf hunting seasons; 6,000 licenses offered

  Minnesota will hold two wolf hunting seasons; 6,000 licenses offered

  Details of Minnesota's first wolf hunting and trapping season released Monday didn't please everyone.

• Fight pesky olive fruit flies with bait sprays

  Fight pesky olive fruit flies with bait sprays

  Q. I’d like to preserve olives from our tree, but last year each fruit had a little worm in it. What is this pest? — John B., Templeton Appreciated for their beauty and historical importance, olive trees are a beloved part of many gardens. However, an imported pest has become a severe problem for all growers.

  Your crop was probably attacked by the olive fruit fly. This small (about 1/4-inch long) fly of Mediterranean origin was first noted in California in1998 and it has spread rapidly. Female flies pierce olives and lay eggs in the fruit. When eggs hatch, larvae (small whitish maggots) begin eating the fruit and when they have grown large enough they pupate and later emerge as adult flies to repeat the process.

  Olives thus attacked are unsuitable for preserving. If the damage is 10 percent or less, they may be used for lower grade oil. If you are bringing your olives to a community press, you should contact them first to find out their tolerance level.

• A Gardener's Notebook: If gardeners had a crystal ball

  A Gardener's Notebook: If gardeners had a crystal ball

  Gardeners use science and experience to plan and carry out gardening tasks. If only we had a crystal ball to see around the seasonal corner. This winter, data clearly shows that our rainfall was far below normal. The sun shone throughout the winter, making it difficult for deciduous plants to sleep. We had few mornings where frost was visible on our neighbor’s roof, depriving deciduous plants their necessary “chill” period and allowing insects to overwinter comfortably. Blustery spring winds have come early, drying out topsoil.

  I see some potential problems arising in the seasons ahead. First of all, no matter what the rainfall will be this spring, we will obviously be in the first year of a drought. We’ve all gardened in drought years and it is not fun. Gardeners, as well as gardens, will have to “go with the flow.” (That is, if there is any!)

  Since we had a mild winter, fruit trees may be affected with less than normal fruit set. If the “chill hours” requirement was not met (hours under 45 degrees),