Q. I read in lots of magazines about watching for "sour mulch," but no explanation as to what it is and what to look for.A. "Sour mulch" is a term used to describe a mulch that has a strong acid or "sour" odor. Some say it smells like alcohol. I don't imagine many are in the habit of smelling "good" mulch, but it should have an "earthy" humus-like odor similar to compost or freshly-cut wood. Sour mulch can kill plants within days, or at the least turn them yellow. In some cases, grass on the edge of the sour mulch can be killed. Keep on the look-out! The mulch can be salvaged if spread out in a thin layer (like on a driveway or patio) and aerated until the odor is gone. Be careful that it does not stain the hard surface. Check a small area before attempting this. Q. I am trying to pick plants for a new landscape. I am quickly becoming confused. Are there any suggestions to help? A. Sure, you can refer to Home Yard and Garden Fact Sheet #1055, "Drought-Resistant Plants for the Landscape" and/or HYG #1242 "Perennials for Specific Sites and Uses." These can be obtained by stopping in our office, calling us at (330) 264-8722, or going on-line at http://ohioline.osu.edu. Talk with people at your local garden center or nursery; they can also offer a lot of help. Q. I seem to have an abundance of earwigs this year. Any particular reason why? A. Wet weather and cover (mulch) generally deeper than 2 inches promotes their hiding and attraction. They need moisture, food, dead, decaying material (mulch, leaves, etc.) and a place to hide. If you provide that, then earwigs will come and so will millipedes, sowbugs, and the like. One OSU entomology student studying insects and mulch found that cypress and hardwood mulch contained more insect species and more total insects than bark mulch. Stands to reason, since it packs tighter and provides more places to hide. He also found that the thicker the mulch, the more insects. Inorganic mulches (stones and the like) had fewer species and insects. The recommendation for reducing insects is usually to keep mulch eight inches from the house and maintain only one to two inches of mulch. Q. I squashed one of the many bugs on the side of the house this week. It was good-sized and was red when squished. Any way you could tell me what that was? A. One guess would be a box elder bug. They love the sunny side of a house. They are kind of ugly-looking (causing alarm) and when squished, stain red. These guys are sapsuckers, but cause no real harm to people or trees. The "gathering" is what is annoying. If you can shade the sunny walls, they will not gather, but that could be easier said than done in the short term. Q. How easy is it to spread bacteria leaf spot in peppers?A. This is a disease of peppers that is real easy to spread. It can be spread right down the row by brushing wet pepper leaves after touching infected plants. It can spread over to tomatoes the same way, if hands are not washed after working among infected pepper plants. Obviously, don't work in the peppers when they are wet. Be sure you have the disease correctly identified before you panic.