Most of the online discussion surrounding botany focuses on the varieties of species and plants that can be grown and harvested, but few mention the problems that can arise in an ecological setting.

This article is an ongoing reference of pests, weeds, and fungi that grow and attack plants and other organic matter, and the treatments I have adopted to address these problems.

[1] Virginia Creeper
The first image is an invasive vine. This picture was actually taken after I had treated the area. The vine was attacking another plant — bougainvillea. It leaves seed pods on objects, including organic matter, which sprout into further invasion. When the vine is physically removed, the seed pods sprout again and initiate further invasive attempts. This picture was taken after I had poured a pot of boiling water on the vine.

The seed pods attaching to the bougainvillea I sprayed with a mixture of water and vinegar, which killed them almost immediately.

The second picture is a common weed I see frequently in the grass. Treatment simply involves physical de-weeding.

The third picture is a common fungal infection. This was a problem that plagued my grass for a solid year before I discovered the cause.

The disease presents itself as drought, and the grass, when observed, appears to be suffering drought.

I noticed, however, that frequent rain or watering would spread this infection throughout the grass. After some diligent research, I discovered it is a common fungal infection to which grass is susceptible. The abundance of moisture spreads this kind of infection.

The treatment I had originally adopted, frequent watering, actually exasperated the problem. When I would re-seed the grass, the grass would not sprout from seed in these areas.

This problem has not been addressed yet, but it usually involves some kind of application of baking soda or vinegar throughout the yard every three(3) days, depending on the pH level of the soil.

The fourth picture I didn't take; however, this pest is a common occurrence on my property. Its household name is 'stink bug,' also 'degonetus serratus.'

It eats the plant leaves almost completely. For a very long time I left these pests alone, not realizing the damage they were causing to the health of the tree.

Apparently the pest feasts on the leaves, which severely stresses the tree's growth and immune system, and can eventually lead to the death of the plant. However, in this case, the tree was relatively hardy and I started to remove these pests when I became aware of the damage they caused.

The bugs are relatively large and a simple solution of squishing them is enough to get rid of them.

The fifth picture I also didn't take; however, this particular pest was attaching itself to the Muscadine grape vine I had recently planted. They congregate on the underside of the leaf and eat the foliage. They are known as aphids, but the particular variety of aphid I was not able to discern.

I caught this pretty quickly and used a solution of dishwasher soap and water, which quickly removed them.

Several species of weed appeared in my garden and throughout my hometown, mimicking the appearance and structure of tea plants, tobacco plants, and other herbs I had planted. I took photos around town to catalogue and distinguish between common weeds and garden herbs, to prevent uprooting genuine plants. I also encountered common diseases on my tea and tobacco and other plants, two (2) notable instances: leaf spot and ringworm, which I intend to treat.