Monday, July 9, 2007

Japanese Beetle

Several people have reported the adults eating the leaves of their grapes vines and other home landscape ornamentals. Japanese adult beetle will feed on a wide range of ornamental plants. They skeletonize foliage giving it the characteristic lacy look


Adult beetles can fly. This mobility makes it harder to control them. There are several insecticides registered for the adults. Treatments may need to be repeated to ensure adequate coverage of the plants' foliage.

Japanese beetle traps are one way to eliminate the adults. Rittenhouse says their trap is to attact male beetles, but they suggest not using the trap if you don't have a problem. This trap uses sex
pheromones to attract the male beetle.

Upper Canada and Natural Insect Control have a tr
ap that uses a floral attractant as well as a pheromone that lures both sexes.
We can also use an organic foliar feed/spray containing Neem. Neem oil does not directly kill the beetles but disrupts their feeding and reproduction.
Also the Japanese beetle larvae are the White grubs which can wreak havoc on a lawn. I would recommend considering a Merit application to control the larvae.
Also nematodes are a consideration to control white grubs.


If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:
or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)
If you would like more information, please Contact us
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Copyright 2007 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.


Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Rain at Last

Today, we have finally gotten some much needed rain.

Last evening around 6 pm, we were at a picnic. Just as we started to eat, a few rain drops splattered here and there. It can rain all it likes in a couple of hours, I thought. It held off for the benefit of the picnickers.

This morning early, there were a few more drops, just enough to wet the ground everywhere. Then as I got to the office, it has been raining fairly steady all day (at least until mid afternoon).

This slow steady rain will be much more useful than a quick thundershower that pours down buckets in a short time. Much of that type of rain will not soak into the ground- much will end up running off into the storm sewers. An all-day rain will penetrate deeply.

Just in case the summer continues to be hot and dry here are some watering guidelines for your lawn. On the other hand, if giving you these tips help the rain to fall on a regular basis (once a week, preferably at night) then so much the better.

When watering your lawn, it's best to water at least one inch (2.5 cm) per week, preferably all at one time. Deep watering will encourage deep rooting which will help the lawn in dry weather. Frequent shallow watering discourages deep roots.

Watering in the mornings before the sun gets too hot is more efficient than watering during the heat of the day. A lot of water will be lost to evaporation. If you are paying for your water, why waste it.

Too much water can lead to fungus disease problems. Excessive moisture encourages soft succulent leaf blades that are more susceptible to disease infection.

Mow your lawn high. Set the blade so that it cuts the grass at 3 inches (7.5 cm) high . The longer leaf blades will shade the soil and the roots so less water is lost to evaporation. The cooler soil temperatures are also beneficial to the lawn.

Aerate your lawn each year (spring or fall) to improve water penetration. Apply a high-quality grass seed after the aeration to increase the lawn's density.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:
or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)

If you would like more information, please Contact us

Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen

Join our Facebook page  

Copyright 2007 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.