Horticulture Hotline 05/17/21
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
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, making those outside jobs enjoyable. The cool nights also have slowed the grass where it is not actively growing in some areas (zoysia is extra slow waking up). In some areas it seems like the grass is a month behind.
1. The Citrus Leafminer Pheromone Traps have been doing a great job! If you put them out in February, it is time to put out new ones. They “last up to 15 weeks”. As good as my foliage looks, I’m not going to risk expecting them to last 15 weeks! 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 T-Methyl, Strobe 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.
