Horticulture Hotline 08/10/20
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
Army worms, sod webworms, mosquitoes, gray leaf spot, chinch
bugs, nutrient deficiencies, weeds, heat, vines, fire ants, lace bugs, rats,
flies, fleas, termites and roaches seem to be dominating the question counters
at the three Possum’s.
Army worms will affect the aesthetic value of the green
grass on athletic fields, golf courses, and home lawns, and the worms thin the
canopy of the grass Prostrate growing weeds like spurge, lespedeza and Virginia
Buttonweed seem to come in the fastest.
The army worm female can lay over 1000 eggs. She usually
lays them in groups of 50 to several 100. The eggs hatch in 2 to 10 days. The
larva then eats your grass for 14 to 21 days before they return to the soil and
pupate. New egg laying moths emerge in 10 – 14 days. With several hundred
larvae eating your grass at once, you can imagine how quick army worms can ruin
your grass.
What bothers me the most is you work all summer on your
grass to have it looking nice, and once it starts to slow down for the winter,
fall army worms and then sod webworms attack the grass. Look for areas that
appeared to have been mowed low and with a dull blade. You can see that the
leaf blades have been chewed. Also thatch type debris will be churned up on the
surface. Birds and low flying wasps are also predators of army worms.
Since army worms are in direct contact with the ground, they
are very easy to control. Bug Blaster, Bifen, Sevin, Cyonara and Acephate will
all put a hurting on army worms. Thuricide (Bt), EcoVia EC and Spinosad are
organic products that will also work well if you get them while the worms are
small. Since the population of worms is so high and hit so hard, keep your eye
out for a second hatching.
For those of you with St. Augustine, zoysia, bermuda, bahia or
centipede, keep your eye out for the sod web worm. Watch for moths in your yard
around dusk. If you begin to see a moth that gets out of the grass, flies for
6-10 feet then lands again (like a bobwhite quail for you bird hunters) you may
want to consider using one of the above-mentioned products. Usually sod web
worms would not come out until September / October; however, with the crazy
weather we are having, scouting for them could not hurt.
We just had a wind event that came up from the south. The moths
of these worms will often catch a ride on wind currents from areas that they
are active year-round. Watering first to bring the worms to the surface and
applying products in the evening when the larvae are about to feed, will often
help your success depending on the product.
Now is the time to put out preemerge products in the lawn
and beds to prevent those small seeded annual weeds. Henbit, chickweed, Poa
annua (annual bluegrass), cudweed and lawn burweed are a few of the winter
weeds that would like to occupy your lawn and flower beds. Poa annua (the green
grass that is very visible in February and March) and lawn burweed (the
prostrate growing weed that develops a sticker) are usually the most hated of
the winter weeds. Some people use profanity while describing them at the
counter of Possum’s!
If your yard has thatch, drainage, or compaction issues, now
is a great time to aerate your lawn (and beds where possible) before you apply
your fall preemerge. Aeration is a great cultural practice, which will among
other things help your roots grow throughout the winter giving you a head start
for the spring.
The “nasty rascal the chinch bug” is still sucking the life
out of many lawns. Gray leaf spot is still alive and doing well. With the rain,
fire ants are mounding up everywhere – be careful where you step! Mosquitoes
are out and biting especially in the evening. Flies are causing many backyard grill
masters grief.
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.
