Monday, May 20, 2024

 

                                                     Powdery Mildew


                                              




Horticulture Hotline 05/20/24

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

Walking through the Lowcountry and smelling the Magnolias and Gardenias must be right up there with smelling the Tea Olives in the fall. The Tea Olives indicating cooler weather still is number one with me, but the Magnolias and Gardenias are a close second.

 

Japanese Beetles have emerged from the ground and are munching down on our ornamental plants like there is no tomorrow, leaving behind lacelike foliage everywhere they dine. I answered the phone three times in Possum’s on Saturday and two questions were about Japanese beetles and one was about fleas.

 

Japanese Beetles come out of the ground earlier this year as beetles. In parts of the country, they are the number one damaging insect to ornamentals, and they seem to be gaining a stronghold in the Lowcountry. In the 1990’s, I can remember talking to friends in Charlotte, whose plants were getting devastated by this ferocious eater, and they would say how lucky we were not to have them down here in the Lowcountry. At the time we were using products for mole crickets that are off the market now that might have kept them in check. In the 1990’s Charlotte did not have mole crickets. Roses and Crepe Myrtles are some of their favorite plants.

 

Once the Japanese Beetles come out of the ground, they eat and mate. A female returns to the ground to deposit between 40 and 60 eggs (you can see how the populations can grow rapidly). The female beetle must burrow in the ground to lay eggs and the eggs need moisture to survive. A well-irrigated landscape is a lot easier for the beetle to dig in than a dry, hard, area. The adult beetle dies off and the eggs turn into grubs over the summer. By mid to late August, the grub is full-grown and overwinters in the soil. In late May to early June, the adult (beetle) emerges again and the life cycle starts over.  

 

The grubs from this beetle damage grass and other plants by eating the roots. Using a product like Grubz Out in late August or early September (if your grub populations warrant treating) or in April will help your turf; however, do not fool yourself into thinking all your beetle problems will be solved.  The adult beetle can fly for miles to chow on your precious ornamentals! Milky Spore is an organic option that seems to do a good job now that our grub population is high enough for the spores to have a steady food source.

 

Using a ground drench systemic insecticide in the early spring like Dominion will help protect your plants, and you might get lucky and kill a few grubs while you are drenching! Once the beetles are eating your plants, use a good contact insecticide to kill them. Cyonara and EcoVia EC (National Organics Program Compliant) are two of the many products that will help control these beetles. Since contact insecticides have limited residual activity, plan to reapply the product according to the label.

 

Traps for Japanese Beetles are a little controversial. The attractants they use (one is a virgin female beetle scent) can lure more beetles to an area than the trap can trap! Many ornamentals on the way to the trap and near the trap can suffer extensive damage. For this reason, place the traps away from the plants you are trying to protect.

 

Now that we are getting some rain, which is a great thing – free water, large patch fungus is popping up as well as grey leaf spot on St. Augustine. Mosquitoes and fire ants are biting.

 

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 possumsupply.com. You can also call in your questions to “The Garden Clinic”, Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, or listen to the replay of Saturday’s show, Sundays from 11:00 to noon on 1250 WTMA (The Big Talker). The Horticulture Hotline is available 24 / 7 at possumsupply.com. 

 

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Dry Spring / Windy

 

Horticulture Hotline  05/07/24

 

Irrigation has been very important this spring since many lawns are so dry due to the lack of rainfall.  We had a whole lot of rain in the beginning of the year then it stopped.  Many of these places have irrigation; however, due to the wind and lack of good coverage; they are still experiencing dry spots.  This is the type of year that companies that install and maintain irrigation systems are very busy. 

 

This dry weather also helps hide fire ants.  With plenty of moisture, fire ants usually have a visible mound.  As dry as it has been, fire ants are still out there foraging even though they do not have a distinct mound.  Be careful, they are harder to see and they will still bite the fool out of you! The soil temperatures have warmed up enough that bait products will be very effective in managing this pest.

 

The dry weather also makes the damage from mole crickets much worse. Moisture usually helps the roots of the grass stick to the soil. With the soil being dry, the roots separate from the soil, drying out the grass and killing it. 

 

The dry weather has also brought the nasty rascal, the chinch bug, out on St. Augustine grass earlier than usual.  In the old days, it did not seem like we worried about the nasty rascal until July 4th; however, anytime there is a dry spring, they will be out early. 

 

Fleas also have come out in full force this spring. Fleas like a wet fall / winter. They were bad last year, and it appears they will be bad again this year.  Nylar growth regulator will help control these guys inside and out.  Also, include an adulticide with this growth regulator. 

 

Water, water, water!  A lot of grass and trees are severely stressed from the lack of rain.  Adding organic matter to your yard or a wetting agent will help improve water retention.  Many people will see a 30-60% reduction in their water bill from applying these products to their lawn.  Trees don’t show stress as obvious as your grass does; however, trees are very important to the landscape and are expensive to take down and replace.  Trees that are under drought stress usually die from borers or some other secondary insect, when all they really need is a little water.

 

With fresh fruit and vegetables being consumed, drain flies are making their presence known. Run your disposal regularly, empty the trash (or compost), and pour some Invade BioDrain down your sink so the microbes can eliminate organic debris.

 

As humans need to drink a lot this time of year, so does your grass!  Water, water, water!  The nighttime temperatures are finally warming up to the point where grass should grow and start filling in bare areas. Trees and shrubs need water also.