Hopefully, you have put out your preemerge for winter weeds
by now in your beds and on your turf. On your home turf, you should be done
with nitrogen fertilizer (watch out for national brand winterizer fertilizers
designed for fescue sold in national chain stores in the area). Potash, iron
and other minor nutrient products can (and should) be used into the fall. A
soil test should help you with any rates to apply.
Some 17-00-09 (slow release and loaded with minors) or
08-02-04 (organic) would be great for your trees and shrubs this time of year.
Put them to bed with a full belly.
Stinkhorn fungi (devil’s backbone) has been smelling up new
mulch beds all over the Lowcountry. The
conditions have been perfect for the growth of this fungus with all this rain.
This fungus has an awful nasty odor that smells like rotten flesh.
Some plants in nature attract insects with sweet smelling
nectar to spread pollen to other plants.
This fungus; however, exudes a slime over part of its fruiting body (the
mushroom) attracting flies that like rotten flesh or feces. The flies then spread the fungus because
spores attach to their bodies. Nice! You
have mushroom that exudes a smell like rotten flesh and feces to attract
flies. I guess this is the opposite
approach of a gardenia.
The way I control stinkhorn is with a plastic bag like
picking up dog poop. Put a bag on your
hand, lift up the mushroom pull the plastic bag over the mushroom and try not
to drop too many spores. These mushrooms
are the fruiting body of a fungus that is beneath the soil. The orange fruiting body is attached to
hyphae that are underneath the ground decomposing organic matter. In nature, most fungi are good for your soil;
however, this can be an unwelcome guest in your yard because of the dumpster
smell. Fungi, in general, tend to like
acidic soil as do most plants, so I wouldn’t try to control them by adjusting
the pH. Hopefully, the environmental
conditions that cause them to pop up all over the place will go away soon.
There is something that looks like an egg that the mushroom
pops out of that some people (mainly in Asia)
consider a delicacy. No thank you, I’m not
interested in something that smells like rotten flesh or feces.
With fall arriving, look for mole crickets tunneling near
the surface. Mole crickets do a lot of damage in the fall that often goes
undetected, leaving big dead areas in the spring.
The moisture, the shorter days (causing the grass slow down)
and the nighttime temperatures in the 60’s has really has caused an increase in
fungus in turf. Brown patch and gray leaf spot seem to be the most common
diseases.
The cooler weather has made it nicer to work in the yard;
however, the mosquitoes seem to enjoying the cooler weather as well. Be sure to
protect yourself from these disease carrying insects, and eliminate their breeding
areas in your yard.
Fire ants are very active with all the rain. Bait products a
very inexpensive if you use them properly. The better new baits (Extinguish
Plus) are formulated with growth regulators and can give you long term control.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The
product label is a Federal Law.
