Horticulture Hotline 10/17/22
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
We are having the beautiful fall Lowcountry weather; however, mosquitoes are trying to ruin it! Ian and the Hunter’s moon’s (full moon) high tides have created the perfect breeding areas for mosquitoes. Did you know that mosquitoes kill more people in the world than anything else? People are talking about them everywhere I go. It is hard to go outside without getting attacked.
If you live near the marsh, the high tides have also sent the rats looking for drier land (your house)! Fire ants are also popping everywhere you look and you better look before you step.
Thankfully, we have a bunch licensed Pest Management Professionals, Lawncare Professionals and Landscapers in the area that can help you with these situations. If you are a “Do It Yourselfer” there is Possum’s or some other stores.
One thing that I’m getting asked about right now is yellow leaves or discolored leaves on gardenias, azaleas, camellias, crepe myrtles, magnolias, viburnum, … For the most part these are old leaves that are falling off and are going to make room for new leaves. With the exception of the crepe myrtle, this list is all evergreen plants and tree. Just because these plants are evergreen doesn’t mean that they never lose their leaves. Evergreens will lose many leaves between now and April, just not all at once like the crepe myrtle. I have seen many azaleas that are almost naked when the new leaves appear in late February early March (depending on the weather).
Leaves are interesting in many ways. Chlorophyl is the green in leaves that captures the sunlight and by photosynthesis (probably the longest word ever used in a Horticulture Hotline – and I spelled it right – yes!) produces carbohydrates. Chlorophyl masks the other colors of the leaf. In the fall when chlorophyl is not being produced, the other colors of a leaf are visible. That is how we get fall color - reds (maples), yellows (sweet gum).
Due to changes in available control products, mole crickets have become quite the pest again. The populations have become so high that they are doing damage in areas that they didn’t really mess with before the availability of these products went away for certain uses. Mole Crickets overwinter as adults, so they will do damage throughout the winter. Since your grass will not have chlorophyl in the leaves, it will be harder to see the damage. Your grass will already be brown. With low humidity, drying winds during the winter, if mole crickets have separated the soil from the roots, the grass plant can desiccate and die, leaving big dead areas of grass in the spring. Mole crickets fly and are very mobile so even if you kill them today, they can return.
Did you put out a preemergent product to your lawn and beds for winter annual weed control in?
Large Patch / Brown Patch has exploded in many yards. Temperatures we are having and moisture make this disease flourish in the yard, especially yards that are already under attack. T-Methyl and Strobe are two good systemic fungicides with different modes of action to avoid resistance to the disease to apply now.
Check around the foundation of your house, especially around downspouts, for erosion that could affect your termite protection for your home. Look for water underneath your house as well. Check with your Pest Management Professional to be sure your home is protected from termites and moisture issues.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.
