Dry Spring / Windy

 

Horticulture Hotline  05/07/24

 

Irrigation has been very important this spring since many lawns are so dry due to the lack of rainfall.  We had a whole lot of rain in the beginning of the year then it stopped.  Many of these places have irrigation; however, due to the wind and lack of good coverage; they are still experiencing dry spots.  This is the type of year that companies that install and maintain irrigation systems are very busy. 

 

This dry weather also helps hide fire ants.  With plenty of moisture, fire ants usually have a visible mound.  As dry as it has been, fire ants are still out there foraging even though they do not have a distinct mound.  Be careful, they are harder to see and they will still bite the fool out of you! The soil temperatures have warmed up enough that bait products will be very effective in managing this pest.

 

The dry weather also makes the damage from mole crickets much worse. Moisture usually helps the roots of the grass stick to the soil. With the soil being dry, the roots separate from the soil, drying out the grass and killing it. 

 

The dry weather has also brought the nasty rascal, the chinch bug, out on St. Augustine grass earlier than usual.  In the old days, it did not seem like we worried about the nasty rascal until July 4^th; however, anytime there is a dry spring, they will be out early. 

 

Fleas also have come out in full force this spring. Fleas like a wet fall / winter. They were bad last year, and it appears they will be bad again this year.  Nylar growth regulator will help control these guys inside and out.  Also, include an adulticide with this growth regulator. 

 

Water, water, water!  A lot of grass and trees are severely stressed from the lack of rain.  Adding organic matter to your yard or a wetting agent will help improve water retention.  Many people will see a 30-60% reduction in their water bill from applying these products to their lawn.  Trees don’t show stress as obvious as your grass does; however, trees are very important to the landscape and are expensive to take down and replace.  Trees that are under drought stress usually die from borers or some other secondary insect, when all they really need is a little water.

 

With fresh fruit and vegetables being consumed, drain flies are making their presence known. Run your disposal regularly, empty the trash (or compost), and pour some Invade BioDrain down your sink so the microbes can eliminate organic debris.

 

As humans need to drink a lot this time of year, so does your grass!  Water, water, water!  The nighttime temperatures are finally warming up to the point where grass should grow and start filling in bare areas. Trees and shrubs need water also.

 

Rocks to Soil

                                                                Fungi and Algae = Lichens

                                                                 

                                           Charleston Battery - Possum's Official Supplier

                                           Charleston RiverDogs - Possum's Official Supplier

 

Horticulture Hotline 04/30/24

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

When I was a kid, I learned that rocks became soil. After many years, that was my memory of the process and not much of the details. A while back, I was talking to a friend of mine that is a naturalist and he works mainly in Alaska. We were talking about groovy, cool things that naturalist and horticulturalist talk about when given the opportunity. This evening, we were talking about mountains, glaciers, and soils.

 

The conversation about rocks becoming soil was of particular interest to me, since I spend most of my adult life dealing with soil. When he mentioned lichens growing on rocks was the first step, he really had my attention. I have written and talked about lichens many, many times, usually as they relate to plants:

It sounds like you have lichens.  Lichens are grayish-green organisms that are a cross between fungi and algae.  They make their own food and collect their own water and minerals, so technically they do not harm the plant or tree on which they are growing. They are a sign that the tree or shrub is not flourishing. Lichens do not hurt what they are growing on – they are a sign that what they are growing on is hurting!

 

Since lichens manufacture their own food through photosynthesis, they need sunlight to carry on photosynthesis. A healthy actively growing plant or tree is the best defense against lichens. If the tree or shrub has a thick canopy, the lichens will not survive since they need sunlight to manufacture their food. Culturally, the plant must be planted in an area that provides the conditions that the plant can thrive, so it produces a dense canopy that will shade out the lichens. Proper fertilization based on soil tests and proper pruning will help to keep the canopy thick. Think of trying to grow grass under the thick canopy of a tree – the grass needs sunlight for photosynthesis like the lichens and will not grow in the dense shade.

 

Lichens will grow on rocks, plants, the side of your house, and anywhere else that they get sun and water. When lichens grow on rocks, dirt and dust begins to collect on its scaly growth. A random seed might get in that dirt and dust and begin to grow.

 

When hiking in the foothills above Clemson, I would see little stunted trees growing in the rocks. I always called them nature’s bonsai trees. These small trees growing out of rocks, would collect leaves, small branches, and other organic matter coming down the mountain.  Roots from the plants find tiny cracks in the rock. As the roots grow thicker, they could crack the rock. Water would also get into these fissures and freeze, expand, and crack the rock.

 

In Alaska, snow melt running down the side of mountains plays a huge part in turning rock into soil. A drop of water, a stream, a river, a glacier…

 

After a few chicken wings, lichens start the whole process. Depending on the minerals that make up the rock that is broken down to make your soil, will determine the type of soil you will have. That is why soil testing is so important.

Soil Tests, pots, potting soil, soil moist, neem oil, horticultural oil, Cotton Burr Compost, gift certificates, rodent control, roach control, mole crickets, fire ants, moles, pruning (azaleas and camellias), grass coming out of  dormancy are just a few things that seem very popular right now.

 

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 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. 

 

 

 

Mole Crickets, Amaryllis - The Beast and The Beauty

 

                                                     Mole Cricket Tunnel

                                                     Mole Cricket Adult

                                             Amaryllis

Horticulture Hotline 04/23/24

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

With some products being removed from the market, we are getting more complaints about mole crickets. They are terrible right now because they are up near the surface, tunneling, and mating to continue their species. Between looking at them, soil test, weeds, and the beautiful amaryllis, it has been a busy spring! 

 

Mole crickets damage turf.  Their damage is not caused by them eating the roots of the grass plants, as many people think, but is caused by them tunneling near the surface and separating the roots from the soil.  When the roots are separated from the soil, the grass plant dries out and dies.  This tunneling can cause big problems when there is little rainfall like we are having now. When the soil is dry, it separates quickly from the plant’s roots.  Regular rains, irrigation or rolling the ground with a sod roller, can help keep the plant alive by keeping the roots in contact with the soil.

 

I worked with a property (Bermuda grass) several years ago that we fertilized extra to out grow any damaged, rolled the grass to keep the roots in contact with the soil, and watered extra to keep the roots from drying, so we would not have to use insecticides. This cultural way of dealing with the issue worked; however, a new boss was hired and they went back to using control products.

 

To control mole crickets, it is best to scout for them.  Get two ounces of lemony dish soap in five gallons of water and slowly pour it over a 2 x 2 area where you may think you have mole crickets.  The soap irritates their equivalent to our lungs, and brings them to the surface gasping for air. This will bring them to the surface (and other creatures) and depending on how many come to the surface, you can then decide whether to treat your yard or not.  A golf course green because of putting would have a less tolerable amount than a home lawn. 

 

This time of year, mole crickets are in their adult stage. Now they are tunneling near the surface and flying often towards lights. In late March early April mole crickets will be mating and flying. Often you will notice a little volcano with a hole in the center the size on a number 2 pencil. The male mole cricket uses this volcano to amplify his mating call. This is a good time to treat them because you will break up their life cycle before they produce new babies. 

 

Later, in June and July, if you use a soap flush again; you will see the baby mole crickets.  Baby mole crickets are easy to kill because they do not fly. Baby mole crickets look like little adults. You might also see some adults that are getting ready to die. 

 

In the fall, the small mole crickets will have grown into young adults, have wings, and will tunnel near the surface and fly around. In the fall and winter these young mole crickets do a lot of damage. The grass is going dormant so the damage is harder to see, people tend to cut back on their irrigation, and we have low humidity, windy days. Depending on the amount of mole crickets in your yard, these are the three critical times to treat for them. 

 

Many control products are available to kill mole crickets.  Some work better depending on the stage of life of the mole cricket.   There are baits, parasitic nematodes, contact killers, granular products, spray products, etc.  When going after the baby mole cricket, always be sure to use a product that goes through the thatch layer and into the soil where the baby mole cricket resides. A lot of the baits (Intice), you do not water in.  Depending on your population of mole crickets, type of soil (they like sand – easier to tunnel), and number of lights you have on your property that they attract to, the number of applications can vary greatly. Mole Crickets tend to inhabit the same area of a landscape year after year (usually because of lights or soil type), so with good mapping, you can concentrate your efforts in these areas and save money by using less product.

 

Amaryllis are much prettier than mole crickets, unless you are a mama mole cricket!

 

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