Summer Is Ending

 

                                             Aphids on my Milk Weed

                                               Large Patch / Brown Patch just starting

                                                     Large patch getting larger

                                                          Future Monarch Butterfly

Horticulture Hotline 09/16/24

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

Brown Patch / large patch fungus is in the attack mode. The shorter days, moisture and finally the cooler weather has given this fungus all the conditions it likes to destroy the yard you worked hard on all summer. Disarm the fungus with Strobe Pro G fungicide!

 

Scout your yard for sod webworms and army worms. It is amazing with 3 stores (Possum’s) the stories you hear from lawn care people and homeowners about these worms. They can eat so much so fast it is amazing. Whether it is the professional or the DIY homeowner that has worked hard all summer to grow a uniform stand of turf, the worms just do not seem to care.

 

To scout for this varmint, look for scalped grass that has bite marks on the leaf blade. Moths flying around in a zigzag pattern in and out of the turf at dust is also a dead giveaway. Moths in plants that border your turf areas is a sign of bad things to come. The grass looks dry and brown.

 

Scale, aphids, and lace bugs are still out there sucking the life out of plants. My milk weed plant is covered in aphids that I leave for the lady bugs since these are the Monarch Butterfly’s plants. On evergreens you could use a drench product like Dominion. If your plant or tree is losing leaves for the winter, horticultural oil might be a better choice, depending on the infestation.

 

Winterizing your turf and shrubs should also be considered. No one likes to go to sleep hungry! Possum Minors, 00-00-25 Sulfate of Potash + minors, SeaHume, Cotton Burr Compost and / or Excell are a few excellent options for turf. Shrubs and trees are flushing growth now so 17-00-09 or Perk would put them to bed nicely along with SeaHume and Cotton Burr Compost. Watch out for the national marketing campaigns that promote ‘winterizing’products that were not designed to be used in this area.

 

I am sure you have put out one round of preemergent herbicide by now for winter weed control in your beds and turf. If not, better late than never. Weed seeds germinate pretty much year-round here, so you will stop any future infestation of weeds.

 

If you are changing out flowers in containers or hanging baskets, consider incorporating Soil Moist or HumGranWet. These products help manage water and your plants will not dry out so fast.

 

Fire Ants are out in big numbers after all the rain we had earlier this year. Two bait products that work very well and are very reasonably price are Surrender Fire Ant Bait (not the smelly white powder) and Extinguish Plus. These two products contain growth regulators that extend the period of control. Bait products or contact killers usually work best if spread over the whole yard.

 

I was working on an order of rat and mice control products last week and I mean to tell you, people of the Lowcountry, we have rodents! Rodents like to come inside this time of year.

 

Roaches, moles, fleas, earwigs, lawn shrimp?

 

Always read, understand, and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.

 

Debby Leftovers

                                                     Great Sand Bags! No Storage/No Lines

                                            Army Worm Damage

 

                                             Bring Soil Back to Life

 

Horticulture Hotline 08/31/24

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

For the new readers of the Horticulture Hotline, my “To Do Lists” are designed to help you target a few activities in your yard and in your home that will benefit you in the future.  These lists are not designed to interfere with high school, college, or professional football games, soccer, volleyball, sunset boating, shrimping, hunting, golfing, eating chicken wings at a local sports bar, oyster roasts, collecting oysters or clams from the local waters, or watching NASCAR on the couch with closed eyes! Shopping the sales (saving money), getting a foot massage, and going to the movies should not be interfered with.  This is not designed to be a “honey do” list.

 

Debby was the guest that came and flooded the house and left. She left behind mosquitoes, flies, army worms, depleted soils, trees that need to be inspected, fungus, and water damage.

 

Mosquitoes seem to be getting a little better as the water in ditches and other places dry up, and the County has done a good job managing the population. In the northeast the elevated risk of West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) were so great, some towns were closing public parks at dusk and rescheduling public events. There have been several confirmed cases and at least one death from EEE. Scout your property for anything holding water. Cyonara RTS, Mosquito Pro RTS, Inzecto Traps (organic) and EcoVia (organic) are good products to help you manage your populations.

 

Army worms were bad before Debby and only have exploded in the aftermath. Army worm damage moves across your lawn very quickly – much faster than fungus. The grass will look brown and dry. Moths are very visible in the yard and in the shrubs or ornamental grass that borders the lawn, especially in the evening. They say each moth lays about 1000 eggs in groups of 50. These eggs become the worm that eats your grass!

Cyonara RTS, Mosquito Pro RTS, and EcoVia (organic) are good products to help you manage your populations.

 

When our landfill had to dry out after Debby, many of our trash cans became fly breeding areas. Cyonara RTS, Mosquito Pro RTS, and EcoVia (organic) are good products to help you manage your populations.

 

Nitrogen and potassium, two of the big three, nutrients (Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) leech with heavy rains. We (Possum’s) are already getting soil test back that indicate low potassium levels. Potassium is very important in a plant whether it is a grass plant, tree, or shrub. Drought stress, wear damage, cold hardiness, disease resistance, and heat tolerance are just a few things that potassium has been linked to in plants. Potassium acts as a catalyst in the plant for many reactions. Perk, SeaHume, and Cotton Burr Compost will help to replenish your soil. This is a great time to take a soil test also.

 

I was going to get some sand bags for my house and the line to get them looked a little long and I remember we sell bagged sand at Possum’s. When I got to Possum’s, I decided I would use Cotton Burr Compost bags. Another great use of Cotton Burr Compost! Now I do not have to store sand bags until the next storm (driving around I see sand bags stacked up around many houses). Cotton Burr Compost bags did a great job of protecting my house, and now I can revitalize the microorganisms and nutrients in my soil with the bags I already have at my house! By chance, one of the smartest things I have done in a while!

 

Since it is getting near planting time, Back To Natures’ Nature’s Blend has proven to do a superb job in our Lowcountry soils. The special blend of composted cotton burrs, composted cattle manure, humate and alfalfa meal has the best of gardeners coming back for more. Alfalfa contains Triacantanol, a natural growth enhancer, and is high in organic Nitrogen to get your plants growing. Nature’s Blend may also aid in the suppression and control of certain fungal diseases.

 

Here is what the late Dr. Herman Daniell had to say about his experience with the product, “The Nature’s Blend has been a superior product for my rose garden. I have had healthier bushes with more blooms since I began using this product.”

 

Many of you will also be changing out containers, hanging baskets and potted plants. If your plants are in an exposed place requiring daily watering, consider adding soil moist or other water holding gels to your soil. These gels and the use of a wetting agent like Possum’s Wetting Agent with Biostimulants can make your life much easier. If you go away for the weekend, your plants will hardly miss you.

 

Now is the time to apply preemergent products for your winter weeds.

 

Always read and follow product label.

Fall?

 

                                           College of Charleston Softball

                                                     Annual Bluegrass - most disliked

                                                     Henbit - Coming Soon

Horticulture Hotline  08/20/24

  Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

Summer is over! School traffic! Cool weather is on the way! Riverdogs! Charleston Battery! Soccer! Football! Fall fishing! Deer Hunting! Shrimping! Golfing! Volleyball! Pickleball? Time to put out your fall application of preemergent herbicide!

 

Before giving you a product name and time to put it out, I want to explain a little bit about the life cycle of the weeds you are trying to control and how preemergent products work. 

 

What you are targeting now are small seeded winter annual weeds.  These are weeds that germinate from seeds last summer, grow into plants during the winter, then flower and produce seed for the following year in early spring.  The seeds lay dormant over the summer, and then germinate late summer to begin another life cycle. 

 

Some examples of the most common winter annual weeds are annual bluegrass (Poa annua – the most disliked), chickweed, Carolina geranium, and Henbit.  The weed that we get the most complaints about is annual bluegrass.  It is the grassy weed with the white seed head in late March, early April.  If you control your winter weeds, you usually will not have to mow your grass until later. Winter weeds germinate under the canopy of your green grass and often go unnoticed. These weeds are very visible once your grass is brown and dormant. These weeds also compete with your existing turf when it tries to come out of dormancy in April. 

 

A couple of weeds that are not annual weeds that are visible at the same time are Dollar weed and Florida Betony (rattlesnake or artichoke weed).  These weeds require different control methods since they are not coming up from seed. 

 

Preemergent products do what their name implies.  These products kill the weeds seed before it can emerge from the ground.  By killing the weed before it emerges from the ground, you are making your life a lot easier.  Killing weeds after they emerge (post-emergent) is much harder on you and your grass. 

 

Be careful to read and follow product labels so that you do not over-apply products.  Since a lot of people put out preemergent products as a granular, be careful not to overlap too much or you can damage your turf. 

 

Now is the time to put out preemergent products (two weeks before the soil temperatures are ready for winter weeds to germinate).  There is an organic product, Corn Gluten that received rave reviews from the people that tried it.  Various fertilizers such as; 15-00-15, 15-00-05, 00-00-07, and 23-00-08 combined with preemergent will give your lawn and shrubs (don’t forget the shrubs!) one last feeding for the year while controlling the weeds.  Usually, you will want to come back with another preemergent in 6-10 weeks depending on the products you use and the weather conditions. If you plan to plant ryegrass, make sure you understand about the rates to use and timing.

Mosquitoes have been crazy bad! At Possum’s we can help, so you can enjoy the outside in the Lowcountry.

 

Always read, understand, and follow product labels.

 

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 possumsupply.com. You can also call in your questions to “The Garden Clinic”, Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, or listen to the replay of Saturday’s show, Sundays from 11:00 to noon on 1250 WTMA (The Big Talker). The Horticulture Hotline is available 24 / 7 at possumsupply.com.