If you like the fragrance of magnolias and gardenias, what a
great time of year to work in the yard or take a walk. Two weeks ago, I was
smelling the thick intoxicating smell of banana shrubs, and now, the clean
smell of the gardenias and magnolias. The weather has been cool enough to make
those outside jobs enjoyable.
1. I
have already seen the nasty rascal chinch bug in St. Augustine grass, grass
feeding worms, and at Possum’s, we are already selling a lot of flea killing
products (fleas loved the moist fall).
If you have St. Augustine grass, be sure to put out a product labeled
for chinch bugs such as Allectus, Bug Blaster, Bifen or Lebanon Insect Control.
Pulling into your driveway to a dead
lawn after a family vacation is not the “welcome home” you want.
2. The
cool, dry nights make powdery mildew on plants and large patch on lawns a
problem. Roses, Crepe Myrtles, Dogwoods,
Verbena and Gerber Daisies are a few plants that I would check for powdery
mildew. Powdery mildew is a white
substance that grows on the tops of the leaves.
As the lawn tries to figure out whether it is still winter (nighttime
temperature still in the 60’s), or summer (daytime temperature in the high
80’s), Large Patch (Brown Patch) is prevalent.
For powdery mildew, Honor Guard, Fertilome Systemic Fungicide, or Neem
PY (organic) will do a good job. For
Large Patch consider Cleary’s 3336, Fame or Serenade (organic) in active
areas.
3. While
driving through neighborhoods localized dry spots were very evident when we had
that dry spell. These are areas in the
yard that turn that bluish gray color from lack of water. New neighborhoods with young grass and poor
soils seem to be most susceptible to these dry areas. Exposed areas with lots of wind and areas at
the beaches also are good candidates for these localized dry spots. Adding organic matter to the soil (Cotton
Burr Composts or SeaHume), wetting agents, or adjusting sprinkler heads will
help with these dry areas. Remember to
water in the early a.m. before the wind picks up, so the grass will dry by
nightfall.
4. Moles
seem to be particularly active this spring.
They just had their young in April and now they are tunneling up a
storm. The young moles are hungry! Manage the food source in your yard (grubs,
mole crickets) with Lebanon Insect Control and go after the mole with Mole
Patrol. Repellex will do a good job of repelling them, if you would rather go
that route.
5. As
with all products, you should read and follow product labels. More is not better when dealing with control
products. Know your square footage and
watch overlapping when applying your products.
You also need to watch the weather forecast to ensure the products have
a proper amount of time on your target pest prior to any rain. If the product needs to be watered into the
ground, a slow watering by a sprinkler is better than a gully washer from the
sky. A very hard rain can wash products
into the storm water drains which are bad for the environment and you have
wasted a lot of money.
6. Also
sweep or blow fertilizers or control products off of hard surfaces when you
finish
applying them. In the case of fertilizer this may prevent staining, and most importantly it will keep
products from washing through storm drains to the marshes.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The
product label is a Federal Law.
