Ruth Nakamura · June 17, 2026
I’m standing over my harvest basket with a colander in both hands, water running cold across my palms, when I catch them—those translucent specks that weren’t there when I picked the fruit an hour ago. Tiny, threadlike things moving through the wet berries. My first instinct is to dump the whole basket and never grow … Read more
Ruth Nakamura · December 7, 2025
When the Leaves Start Whispering: Recognizing Spider Mite Damage Early What I actually use: The tool that catches mite infestations before they spread across your tree — A quality magnifying loupe on Amazon → That afternoon walking through my grandmother’s backyard left an impression I couldn’t shake. Mulberry trees are deceptively tough — but that … Read more
Ruth Nakamura · December 5, 2025
What’s that fine, powdery material collecting near the base of your branches — and why is the wood just above it dying even though the rest of the tree looks perfectly fine? You’re probably looking at the work of mulberry borers, one of the nastiest internal tree pests you’ll ever encounter. Unlike the insects that … Read more
