Fall Fleas and other goings on

The great Lowcountry weather continues. We could definitely use some rain. The people that put out ryegrass in non-irrigated areas would certainly like some rain before the temperatures get too cold for the rye to germinate and thicken up. Fleas seemed to have exploded in population in the past two weeks. The never ending mole activity seems to have increased. On a positive note at Possum’s have been getting very positive feedback on Excellerator (Excell), Dog Rocks and SeaHume Granular.

Even though we are in prime Large Brown Patch season, the turf needs some water. These low humidity, windy days can really dry out turf, trees, and plants. Plants and turf that are dehydrated are not healthy, so it is more susceptible to disease and other damage. Wear damage from dogs is always an issue with dehydrated turf.

Speaking of dogs, something triggered fleas to get active again and terrorize our pets. The population exploded! The dry weather then the rain we had was most likely the trigger; however, we could say it had something to do with the full moon, high tide, and Halloween (blood sucking fleas).

Controlling fleas is a multi-step activity if you are a do it yourselfer, or a one step process if you like to let the professional handle the job (pick up phone and call a Pest Management Company).

For fleas the right product is crucial. Look for one with an adulticide and a growth regulator in it. Product names to look for include Precor 2000 and Ultracide. These products are easy to use aerosols that kill the adult fleas and prevent fleas that come out later into developing into adult fleas. Vacuum, spray, let dry, and vacuum again. The vibration from vacuuming brings the flea out of the larva stage and into the adult stage that the control products are designed to be effective against. Always empty your vacuum or the bag of your vacuum outside or your vacuum will be a source for spreading the fleas.

Treat your animal with Petcor or Bio Spot. Both of these products have an adulticide and a growth regulator and do a fabulous job compared to a much more expensive highly advertised product (at about one third of the price).

The yard should be treated with Cyonara and Nylar. Again, the Cyonara will knock down the adults and the Nylar is a growth regulator that will help break up the life cycle of the flea. Nylar also works on roaches and mosquitoes as a bonus.

Unless something major happens, I will continue these topics next week.

Always read, understand and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.

Fall Leaf Drop

A little cool some mornings, but the beautiful days continue. Oyster Roasts, Frogmore Stew, and Fish Fries are in full swing. What a great time to be in the Lowcountry. The Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park is just around the corner, so the holiday mode will take over. I have been to several other light shows in this state and in the Southeast and none of them have even come close to the spectacular show put on by Charleston County Parks and Recreation.

Gardenias, Azaleas, Magnolias, and many other evergreen plants are losing some of their leaves. Although these plants are evergreens, they still have some natural leaf drop this time of year every year.

Since the chlorophyll has left the leaves, people often mistake the yellowing of the leaves as a nutrient deficiency (most commonly iron) or think their plant is going into a decline. The chlorophyll is the “green” of the leaf, and usually masks the other colors of the leaf. Maple leaves turn red in the fall because the chlorophyll that usually masks the red color goes away leaving the red color behind.

As the chlorophyll leaves the leaf, bacteria and fungi grow on the leaf because the leaf is starting to drop from the plant and the leaf is not actively growing to ward off attack of these secondary invaders. At Possum’s we get a lot of calls from people that feel like their plant has a disease because of the leaf spots on the leaves that are getting ready to fall off of the plant. There is usually no reason to treat these leaf spot diseases that are attacking a leaf that is getting ready to fall off the plant anyway. These diseases are different from the diseases that attack an actively growing plant.

If you have a plant that is dropping leaves especially if it is a new plant, check to make sure it was not planted too deep. Established plants can end up being “planted too deep” because of mulch accumulation over the years. When I worked in Hilton Head, I was involved in a large project at the Lighthouse where azaleas were dying in large quantities from too much pine straw being applied year after year.

Most plants do not like wet roots. If you have a plant that is dropping leaves, check your drainage, and be sure the plant is not getting too much water or the soil is too clayey.

A well fertilized plant will usually have less leaf drop. Looking at crepe myrtles and azaleas really illustrates this fact. You have to be sure you are looking at the same varieties of plant, and you can see a huge difference in crepe myrtles in August and September depending on the fertility program they are on. Now is a great time to soil test to get ready for 2012.

I’ll leave you with that!!

Fall Time in the Lowcountry

The weather has been as nice as I can ever remember it the Lowcountry the past few weeks. Visiting the State, County, City, and Town Parks is a must this time of year. Walking through the peninsula of Charleston or other Lowcountry cities can be most enjoyable with the weather we have been having. The Plantations are another great place to spend a morning or afternoon. Shoot, Ol’Boy (my pound hound) and I have enjoyed just walking around the neighborhood. While walking, always keep an eye out for a cool plant, fountain, bird feeder, or other landscape item to bring into your yard or just enjoy in your neighbors.

As the leaves fall off the Crepe Myrtles and other trees, it is a good time to identify rubbing and crossing limbs. Pruning now can save you some work during the busy spring.

If you had aphids, white flies or other insect problems on Crepe Myrtles or other plants, now is a great time to get ahead of those critters with horticultural oil and Dominion Tree and Shrub drench. Dominion will be absorb into the plant and be ready to protect the new leaves in the spring.

Try to keep up with the leaves as they fall. Leaves on your turf can lead to disease by holding moisture on the grass blades. If you (or a lawn care company) are applying products, the leaves will prevent an even application. If you can, try to compost or mulch the leaves on site. Your soil will thank you and you will enjoy the money saved on fertilizer and water.

November and December are great months for planting bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers. If you have had trouble with squirrels in the past, try Squirrel Stopper.

The great weather has brought on Large Patch disease in many yards. With any luck an application of a good systemic fungicide (Cleary’s, Disarm, and Prophesy) should get you through these favorable environmental conditions.

Soil testing in the fall allows you to amend the soil over the winter and be ready for spring. The better soil testing facilities and the people who need to interrupt the results of the test (that would be me if you soil test with Possum’s) have a little more time in the fall to get your information back to you.

Always read, understand and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.

Transplanting Trees and Shrubs

This time of year is a great time to transplant and plant new plants. Many people are asking me the best way to transplant shrubs and trees. Here are my guidelines for successfully transplanting plants or trees:

· Decide the size of you root ball. For every inch in tree trunk diameter you want a foot of root ball. So if your tree is three inches in diameter your root ball should go in a circle one and a half feet from the trunk of the tree. You could tie a string around the tree leaving eighteen inches of string – then draw a line walking around the tree measuring with this string. Root balls can be very heavy so consider a hiring a professional. Be prepared to pay top dollar to move a plant because moving plants requires much more work than planting them out of containers. If your plants are way too crowded, get as much root ball as possible, and if they are so crowded that you cannot even get in there to work, you may have to sacrifice a few plants, so you do not kill them all. Always take as large a ball as possible.

· Spray the plant you are going to move with an anti-transpirant (Cloud Cover, Wilt Proof, or Transfilm). These products will hold moisture in leaves and stems.

· Drench the ground with BioRush and SuperThrive. These are bio stimulant products that encourage rooting. Repeat monthly until you move the plant.

· Root prune the plant. Go to the area that you determined your ball to go out to and push a shovel straight down – do not pry on the shovel – just cut the roots. Repeat this root pruning all the way around the plant. If the plant has been in the ground a long time, you may have to skip a shovel width each time you root prune to lessen the shock. Apply SeaHume granular (Humic acid and Seaweed bio stimulants) to decrease stress. Repeat monthly until you move the plant.

· Keep an eye on the plant for the next month. Be sure to water it as needed. When watering the soil, spray a fine mist on the foliage of the plant. Since the roots have just been severed, this will help the plant absorb the water through the foliage and water the roots as well.

· After thirty days or if you could wait until a cooler time (November, December, January, February), dig away from the plant in the area that you root pruned. Resist the temptation to pry up on the plant. You should have a ball in a mote when you are finished.

· Water the ball so the soil will stick to the roots.

· Severe the ball from the area underneath the plant.

· Always handle the root ball – do not grab the plant by its trunk.

· Move the plant onto a tarp or some burlap.

· Be sure when you move the plant to its new home, you plant it at or above existing grade. Plants buried too deep are the biggest problem I see in landscapes. A plant that is planted too deep is starved for oxygen which affects many other plant processes (ability to absorb nutrients or causes root rot).

· Be sure not to pile mulch up against the trunk of the tree or shrub as this will also kill the plant over a period of time. Consider using Cotton Burr Compost or Nature’s Blend as a mulch to get the nutrition associated with these products.

· Spray the leaves and stems with anti-transpirant.

· Use Diehard Transplant (contains a friendly fungus inoculum, wetting agents, water holding gel, humic acid, Sea Kelp, root stimulating vitamins and beneficial bacteria) should also be added to increase the surface absorbing area of root systems with the back fill. Spray foliage with BioRush as it is a special blend of natural organic ingredients designed to help transplant survival.

· Apply the right amount of water. Be sure to spray the foliage.

· Apply the right amount of Cotton Burr Compost or Natures Blend mulch.

· Apply granular SeaHume after you have moved the plant to encourage new root growth.

· Stake the tree or shrub if needed.

· Good Luck!

Fall Projects

If you are planning on transplanting a tree this fall, now is the time to root prune. For root pruning trees, a good rule of thumb is for every inch in diameter of tree, you want twelve inches of root ball. Sometimes this is not practical because you are usually transplanting an over-crowded tree or a tree located too close to a house or sidewalk. If this is the case, outline the biggest ball you can possibly move and just dig straight down severing the roots without actually removing the soil. Come back in a month and dig away from the area that you severed leaving your tree in a little moat. Spray the tree with Transfilm (anti-transparent) and remove the tree.

Spray horticulture oils now to kill over-wintering insects, this will put you ahead of the insect game in the spring. Try Neem Oil this year and you will control some diseases as a bonus.

Yes, it is time to winterize your turf. Look for a product with a 00 for the first number (nitrogen). A 00-00-25 with sulfate of potash and minors would be great. If you do not need the potash, consider SeaHume a wonderful combination of seaweed and humic acid. The seaweed has over 60 minor nutrients, amino acids, and bio stimulants. The humic acid is also full of bio stimulants that help make nutrients that are in the soil available to the plant, help with soil structure, grow roots, and feed the microorganisms in the soil. Both these products can be used together and will help your yard this winter and next spring.

Beware of the national ad campaigns talking about winterizing fertilizers. These products are usually formulated for cool season grasses (rye, fescue). I saw one over the weekend that was a 22-00-14. Not exactly what we want to put on our yard in mid-October in the Lowcountry.

When buying gas for your lawn mower, be sure to include a gas stabilizer to help prevent your carburetor from getting varnished over the winter. Try to purchase gas from a gas station that has ethanol free gas for your mower as well as your two cycle hand held equipment.

Hold off putting out pine straw or mulching the beds until the leaves in the trees have dropped, so the leaves do not mess up your new straw or mulch. If you recycle the leaves that drop in your yard instead of bagging them and setting them by the curb, you will gain some free nutrients and organic matter.

Always read, understand and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.