Horticulture Hotline 06/15/20
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
Time is flying by once again! It is already mid-June. The
heat brings many situations in the landscape.
Right now, there is a great opportunity for those that love
fragrance. I know I have mentioned this several times this spring, but usually
the weather goes from cold to hot and these flowers don’t last as long. Magnolias
and Gardenias will stop you in their tracks with their fragrance! Either flower
is great to pick and throw in your truck, car or in a room of your house for
good smells all day long.
If you haven’t feed your trees, shrubs or turf since early
spring, it is probably about time to do it again. We have had some heavy
downpours!
I put out some organic liquid fertilizer yesterday morning
thinking it was going to rain by 11 am and wash the fertilizer into the ground.
Well it didn’t rain until 5 pm. Let’s just put it this way the walkers didn’t
think it smelt like Magnolias or Gardenias!
If you have a sunny St. Augustine lawn, it is time to get
some protection out there on your turf for chinch bugs. I don’t know how much
any of us will be travelling, but you don’t want to leave town without
protection. Chinch bugs do a lot of damage – FAST! Your nice lawn then gets
invaded by bermuda grass and other weeds where the chinch bugs attacked. EcoVia
EC is a NOP (National Organic Program) compliant
product. Allectus is a long-term control product. Bug Blaster, Cyonara, Bifen,
and Lebanon Sevin will provide short term control.
Speaking of sunny yards, remember to protect yourself from
the sun. Since I hang around mostly people that spend time in the sun, I have
witnessed and heard about many sun related horror stories. These stories
revolve around getting areas cut out and tested for sun cancer.
Drain flies are becoming an issue with all the good local
vegetables and fruits being consumed in our kitchens. Using the scum eating
microbes in InVade BioDrain will help eliminate the organic build up in drains
that harbor the drain flies and the citrus oil will help reduce odors as well.
The EcoVia EC (National Organic Program compliant) will
help if they are already getting active.
Mosquitoes are out and about looking for a blood meal. The
high tides and the heavy - rains we had, have ditches and other areas with
enough water for mosquitoes to breed. Scout your yard for potential breeding
sites. EcoVia EC (National Organic Program compliant) is great on mosquitoes
for an organic approach. LambaStar, Bifen, and Proflex for conventional
control. Proflex has a built in growth regulator which is nice.
Moles just have had their spring babies, so expect a surge
in their population – wonderful!
Japanese Beetles have emerged (pun intended) on the scene,
tearing up Crepe Myrtles, Roses, and many other plants. These heavy eaters are
easy to kill with a little persistence. Bifen, Cyonara, and many others will take
care of the Japanese Beetle. Traps also work if placed away from where the
preferred meal of the Japanese Beetle and are more of an organic approach.
EcoVia EC is a Botanical Insecticide that is NOP (National Organic Program)
compliant and works.
The baby mole crickets are hatching and the adults are dying
off. Now is a good time to ‘flush’ an area that you think you might have mole
crickets. Get two ounces of lemony dish soap in five gallons of water and
slowly pour it over a 2 x 2 area where you have tunneling damage by mole
crickets and see what comes out of the ground in the next 3 to 5 minutes. Depending
on your tolerance level, you can decide whether or not to treat. A golf green
would have zero tolerance because the tunnels would affect the ball roll. EcoVia
EC and Intice Perimeter are two NOP compliant products that should work good
for you. Allectus and Lebanon Sevin are conventional control products that will
‘kill the baby’ mole crickets.
These wet cool nights are keeping brown patch / large patch
/ zoysia patch around. Strobe G, T-Methyl, and Fame are good systemic
fungicides for this disease.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The
product label is a Federal Law.
Bill Lamson-Scribner can be reached during the week at
Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply. Possum’s has three locations 481
Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant (971-9601), 3325 Business Circle in North
Charleston (760-2600), or 606 Dupont Rd, in Charleston (766-1511). Bring your
questions to a Possum’s location, or visit us at http://www.possumsupply.com. You can
also call in your questions to “ The Garden Clinic”, Saturdays from noon to
1:00, on 1250 WTMA (The Big Talker). Saturday's show is replayed Sunday from
11:00 - Noon.
