REEVES: Summer lawn problems noted
By Randy Reeves
Sunday, July 19, 2009
It's that time of year again — time for another season of hot summer lawn problems. As if being able to put out enough water wasn't hard enough, now we add being able to afford to have a high water bill!
Through the first part of September, we will probably start seeing more damage from chinch bugs and grub worms.
Chinch bugs thrive in hot, dry weather and feed primarily on St. Augustine grass, but can also damage centipede, Bermuda and zoysia grass. They prefer areas of the lawn that absorb heat, like areas near driveways, sidewalks or a foundation of the house.
Chinch bugs are thought to insert a toxin that kills the grass while they are feeding. They feed on stems and nodes near the base of the plant, leaving brown patches of dead grass that will continue to grow if left untreated.
Chinch bugs are small. Adults are black with white wings that will show a triangular spot on the back. If you suspect chinch bugs, look at the outer edge of the infected areas and part the grass with you hands. You will have to look quickly, though, because they move fast. Yes, you will have to get down on your hands and knees to achieve this feat!
Some folks claim that they can use a coffee can. With both ends cut out, slip the can on the ground and fill it with water. The insects will float to the top. Well, when I do this, everything floats to the top — soil, small sticks, dead grass and everything but the chinch bug!
Your next question is what to treat with if you have chinch bugs.
There are several products on the market that do a good job — Carbayl (Sevin), Acephate (Orthene) and Bifenthrin (Talstar) to name a few. The first two should be readily available at local farm supply stores in the area. As always, be sure to read and follow the label instructions on mixing and applying these products.
White grub damage can also be one of the causes. Damage from grub feeding is easy to diagnose. They feed on the roots, and the grass will easily pull up like a carpet due to the lack of a root system.
For chemical control for grubs, you can use the products listed above. Products that contain "Merit," which is one of the newer target-specific products, will also work well on grub worms.
If you select and use a granular product, you will need to be sure and water the lawn well to move the product into the root zone where the grubs are feeding. This is another reason the read and follow label directions.
Another problem we are seeing in the area — and I have been to a few home lawns to see this — is our old friend the "Take-All Patch." This lawn disease or fungus infects the roots on the stolons of lawn grass. St. Augustine and centipede grass are the main targets here.
The disease will attack the roots and weaken the turf. When we have a dramatic change in the weather, like 102-degree days and lack of rainfall, the grass is stressed and will show signs of damage.
One method of controlling this disease is to lower the soil pH to a level that the disease finds hard to survive.
One way to do this is to make an application of peat moss at a rate of one 3-cubic-foot bale per 1,000 square-foot area now, then make two to three applications of an appropriate fungicide 14 days apart in the fall.
Fungicides that will or should do a good job are Myclobutanil (Immunox), Fenarimol (Rubigan), Azoxystrobin (Heritage) or Propiconazole (Banner Maxx). Some of these fungicides listed are really expensive and you may get a case of sticker shock. Immunox is readily available, works well and is one of the less expensive ones to use.
For further information on Extension programs, call us at 903-935-8413 or visit us on the web at http://harrison-tx.tamu.edu.
IIf you
have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF
GREEN:
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Summer lawn problems noted
Physical Ways to Avoid White Grub Infestation
Physical Ways to Avoid White Grub Infestation
By Jackie Tyler Platinum Quality Author
A healthy lawn can endure grubs feeding on it. The damage will not be as apparent as on a lawn that is weak or stressed. Such lawns can prepare themselves. Try to provide the best environment possible for your lawn, such as proper drainage. When moisture levels in the ground are elevated, more damage will result. Proper drainage for your lawn includes removing thatch, which can't be done manually with a rake or with a dethatching machine. This will help to aerating compacted soil, aiding in proper drainage.
The eggs that the beetles lay, generally in late July or early August, are done so in a short lawn. Therefore, it is advisable to raise your lawn mower in order to lengthen the grass and discourage egg laying on your property. The optimum height for grass should be between 21/2 -- 3 inches. Other benefits that come with longer grass shards are less watering, because the soil maintains hydration longer, reducing water consumption, hence, reducing costs.
With that said, water your lawn deeply once per week only. What you are trying to achieve is water going beneath the roots to encourage deep grass roots. If you are unsure as to how much water is enough, this tip will help: place a container near your sprinkler to collect water; once the container fills with about one inch of water, that's enough.
Clean your lawn in the fall, thoroughly. Don't allow it to winterize with dead leaves or weeds. Use a rake to remove the thatch as this can expose the grubs to animals that want to feed on them.
You can physically pick beetles by hand as well, although most of us don't have the time or the desire to do so. If you notice grubs, you must understand that they will and are feeding on the roots of your grass, therefore, apply fertilizer with high potassium and seed in those areas in order to keep grass healthy.
Another method to control grubs in your lawn is by applying milky spore. This literally kills them and it is an environmentally safe product which is a bacteria.
Does your lawn look like a tank drove through it or some people played golf on it while you were sleeping? If so, your lawn is probably infested by white grubs. You must act quickly, before they take control of the turf. Don't miss the optimum time to get a hold of the situation. Get all the information you need about treating white grubs at Milky-Spore, it has the solution.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackie_Tyler
Monday, July 20, 2009
New/Old Weed Control for Ontario
adfJapanese beetles have become an annual nuisance
Japanese beetles have become an annual nuisance in yards and gardens throughout the area. They are appearing on a variety of host plants and are likely to be around for the next four to six weeks.
Japanese beetles have several characteristics that make them significant plant pests. First, they are most active in mid-day in bright sunlight, usually in large numbers. Second, they have a very wide host range because more than 200 species of trees, shrubs and flowers have been documented as feeding targets. Favorites on the list seem to be linden, maples, crabapple, elm, grape and roses.
The other characteristic that makes them significant is their feeding habit. Adult beetles congregate on the outermost foliage in bright sun and consume tissue between the veins of the leaf. This damage is called skeltonizing. Leaves will turn a very visible brown and may drop.
Finally, these pests lay eggs in the soil that hatch into white grubs, potentially creating a concern for turfgrass damage later in August and September. Seeing beetles swarming now does not necessarily mean lots of grub damage later. There is still plenty of time before they turn their attention to lawns, so watch for details on white grub management next week.
In the meantime, what can one do to stop the beetles? Foliage damage can be lessened, but not eliminated, using insecticides such as carbaryl (Sevin), or products containing cyfluthrin (Tempo, Bayer Advanced Multiinsect Killer) or labeled insecticides containing pyrethroid. Read product labels carefully before purchasing or applying them. Treatment is most often suggested for smaller plants or new transplants, rather than large established trees. The earlier the better, so act as soon as beetles start feeding.
Research has shown Japanese beetle traps may draw more beetles into the area and not into the traps, so potentially, plant damage could increase. Another option on smaller plants is to hand pick the beetles off. Drop or sweep them into a container of soapy water.
• Send questions to Bruce Spangenberg, c/o the Features Department, Northwest Herald, P.O. Box 250, Crystal Lake, IL 60039-0250.
http://www.nwherald.com/columnists/columns/2009/07/17/r_qbxatmvvqq2fm6inkc2kzq/index.xml
Is White Clover a Weed?
By Paul Tukey / SafeLawns.org
Buzz up!
Once upon a time, before the advent of synthetic weed killers for the lawn in the late 1940s, most American lawns contained white clover. Because no formulation of weed control could be developed that left both grass and clover, but killed everything else, clover was then lumped in with the weeds in subsequent marketing campaigns.
The scientist who developed 2,4-D, the most common synthetic herbicide, was publicly apologetic because his new product had the unfortunate side effect of eliminating clover. "The thought of white Dutch clover as a lawn weed will come as a distinct shock to old-time gardeners," wrote Dr. R. Milton Carleton in his book, A New Way to Kill Weeds in 1957. “I can remember the day when lawn mixtures were judged for quality by the percentage of clover seed they contained. The higher this figure, the better the mixture.”
Today’s newfound emphasis on natural lawn care has folks taking a second look at clover as a primary lawn plant. The benefits are numerous:
Six Good Reasons White Clover Is Not a Weed
1. It’s low growing and needs little mowing.
2. It’s evergreen even in the coldest climates.
3. It’s drought tolerant, requiring little if any supplemental water once established.
4. It’s a fertilizer factory for grass and other plants since clover has the ability to store atmospheric nitrogen in its root systems.
5. It masks the presence of other weeds in the lawn.
6. It resists insects and diseases, especially the white grubs that can be a major lawn nemesis.
Paul Tukey is the founder of Safelawns.org. See all his Organic Lawn Care Tips.
Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/clover-lawn-weeds-47071703#ixzz0LoYzcLAd
See also GTI Newsletter about clover
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Early Fall Advice for Lawns
A Bit Of Fall Lawn Care Advice To Help You Keep Your Lawn Protected Throughout The Winter
As summer turns to fall the days will start to become shorter and the temperatures will begin to fall and this is that time of the year when you will do well to start your fall lawn care preparations. For most of us, the right kind of fall lawn care advice will ensure that we learn how to keep our lawns in proper condition despite the onset of the cool weather. In fact, only with the help of proper fall lawn care advice can you ensure making your lawn last through the fall season and in addition it allows you to prepare for the oncoming cold winter months.
Fertilizing Is Important
The fall season is the beginning of a time when your lawn is going to be dormant for the coming months and for this you need to ask the experts for proper fall lawn care advice. Fertilizing is an important aspect of fall lawn care as the addition of appropriate fall fertilizers will ensure that the roots in your lawn continue growing beneath the surface of the earth even in spite of the fact that the ground will be covered up with snow.
Another aspect to fall lawn care for which proper fall lawn care advice is needed is knows the correct way to go about doing power seeding which helps to increase density of the turf and which also ensures that your lawn remains in good overall health. One piece of solid fall lawn care advice that you will do well to heed is to use a power seeder that goes by the name of Turf Tamer ® that provides the turf with the right quantity of seeds that will then ensure that your lawn can easily recover from the ravages of the previous summer.
Another aspect to getting fall lawn care advice is knows how to aerate the lawn which is something that you need to pay special attention to as it helps to keep the lawn from suffering on account of compacting of the grass that will surely occur because of the heavy amount of traffic on the lawn. In addition, aerating the lawn helps ensure that the required nutrients and oxygen reach the roots and so ensures the safety of the lawn and its plants and grass.
Applying fall fertilizer is essential to maintaining the health of your lawn. It is therefore a good idea to seek a lawn doctor from whom you can get pertinent fall lawn care advice regarding fall lawn care fertilizer. You need to know the right time to apply the fertilizer and also the right quantities and remember that timing of applying the fertilizer is crucial to the health of your lawn. Only with the help of fall lawn care advice can you learn not to apply the fertilizer too early which could easily lead to winter injuries as well as to snow mold damage.
http://homeimprovement-advice.com/a-bit-of-fall-lawn-care-advice-to-help-you-keep-your-lawn-protected-throughout-the-winter.html
http://homeimprovement-advice.com/a-bit-of-fall-lawn-care-advice-to-help-you-keep-your-lawn-protected-throughout-the-winter.html
5 Tips to Remedy Lawn Care Short-Comings
5 Tips to Remedy Lawn Care Short-Comings
July 15, 2009-
With record low mortgage rates, expanded FHA loans and tax credit incentives, many Americans have plunged into first-time home ownership. In fact, the National Association of Realtors reports that first-time buyers accounted for 29 percent of existing home sales in the last month. But while taking advantage of the current incentives, many first-time buyers don’t think of everything that comes along with home ownership - including how to take care of their yard so they remain rightfully proud of their new castle.
Briggs & Stratton Corp., a leading manufacturer of lawn mower engines, offers these lawn care tips for even the most challenged green thumb.
Choose the right mower.
Purchase a mower with a quality engine. Elements to consider are torque, emissions and ease in starting. Briggs & Stratton engines are found in eight of the top 10 selling lawn mowers brands. To understand more about why engines make a difference, visit www.enginesmatter.com.
Never cut more than one-third of the grass blade during any one mowing.
By following this rule, the remaining two-thirds of the plant will develop deep roots and spread out, eventually creating a dense, healthy turf. Using this technique, of course, means shorter intervals between mowings during high growth times, but a healthy lawn is the best medicine for preventing weeds and disease.
Alternate your mowing pattern.
Try not to follow the same path each time you mow. Think of a clock. Start at the 12 o’clock position and mow to the 6 o’clock position. The next time you mow, begin at the 9 o’clock position and mow to the to 3 o’clock position. The third time, mow from 1 o’clock to 7 o’clock, etc. Changing the mowing pattern every time you mow will keep the turf and soil from compacting and prevent wheel patterns in your lawn.
Water early in the day.
Watering between 4 and 9 a.m. helps ensure that the sun won’t rob moisture from your lawn. It also gives your lawn the best chance to dry in the morning. Wet grass at night can lead to disease. Most lawns need about 1-2 inches of water a week to stay healthy.
Avoid a fertilizer overdose.
Even good medicine causes harm when used improperly, so avoid doubling the recommended rates of fertilizer as well as seed, herbicide, insecticide, etc. One pound of water-soluble nitrogen per 1,000 square feet is the maximum amount established lawns should receive at one time.
Read more: http://rismedia.com/2009-07-14/5-tips-to-remedy-lawn-care-short-comings/#ixzz0LS8lzLFG
USING BORAX TO CONTROL CREEPING CHARLIE
USING BORAX TO CONTROL CREEPING CHARLIE
Borax (sodium tetraborate, a white, crystalline mineral salt) has been found to be an effective herbicide for creeping charlie (Glechoma hederacea, also known as ground ivy, creeping jenny and gill-over-the-ground). Creeping charlie is an invasive perennial weed that vines throughout lawns and chokes out grass. Since the 1920s, borax detergent has been used as an herbicide to eradicate weeds, but it has only recently been tested scientifically for effectiveness on creeping charlie.
Borax contains boron which is an essential micronutrient that aids in sugar transportation in plants. However, in minute excess amounts, boron has a toxic effect on creeping charlie.
Borax must be applied with great caution because boron remains immobile in the soil and can accumulate to form a "hot spot" in the lawn. Boron toxicity results in yellow and brown spots around edges of leaves. Stems wilt and eventually the weed dies. Established grass appears to withstand the minute excess of boron needed to kill creeping charlie, though it may show brown discoloration temporarily. If the borax solution is applied in too high a concentration, or repeatedly, it will then be toxic to grass and many other plants.
This treatment can be applied only once each year for two years. If you still have creeping charlie problems, then switch to a standard herbicide.
Before applying borax as a herbicide be sure to test your spraying technique and the rate at which liquid sprays from the nozzle. Fill the sprayer with water and walk at a constant pace, passing back and forth over an area the same size as the one to be sprayed with borax. Your goal is to walk fast enough to empty the sprayer tank, spreading its contents evenly over the entire area.
Borax Solution for Creeping Charlie Control:
Dissolve 10 oz. Twenty Mule Team Borax in 4 oz. (½ cup) warm water.Dilute in 2.5 gallons of water.
This will cover 1,000 square feet. If you have a smaller area to treat, cut the "recipe" accordingly.
Apply borax when creeping charlie is actively growing in the spring, when no rain is expected for 48 hours. The borax treatment appears to be most effective during warm summers when soil moisture is ample.
Remember: The borax recipe has been tested only on creeping charlie and is not to be used on other broadleaf weeds. Be sure to use the borax spray only in the lawn because research shows established grass is tolerant of the spray. It should not be used in gardens.
If creeping charlie is growing in a very shady location, think about what you can replace it with before spraying this borax treatment. Unless you can establish other plants you'll find the creeping charlie sprouting again in the same location.
A healthy lawn is the strongest defense against weeds. Maintaining a regime of proper mowing practices, watering and fertilization will enable any gardener to combat weeds in a lawn. Contact your local County Extension Office or call The Yard and Garden Line for information on lawn maintenance and fertilization.
From http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h519borax.html
