For The Love Of Grass

 

Horticulture Hotline   7/19/21

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

Mowing season is in full swing. Next time you are mowing your grass in 100-degree weather, or controll

ing weeds, insects, or diseases in your lawn remember some of the benefits of turf grass include:

 

·         soil erosion control;

·         stormwater runoff reduction;

·         organic pollutant decomposition;

·         groundwater recharge and filtration;

·         soil restoration;

·         carbon retention and storage;

·         natural cooling effect;

·         oxygen production;

·         air pollution reduction and filtration;

·         dust suppression / capture;

·         reduced pest and allergy related problems;

·         physical and mental health;

·         relief from stress;

·         human productivity;

·         noise abatement;

·         glare reduction;

·         heat dissipation;

·         increased property value;

·         complements landscaping / defines bed lines;

·         quality of life;

·         crime control;

·         fire barrier;

·         recreation and social harmony;

·         community pride;

·         visible safety barrier from uninvited guest (Snake! / Alligator!);

·         outdoor activity; and

·         spectator entertainment.

 

Healthy turf grass can capture four to seven times more carbon than is produced by the lawnmower’s engine, so feel good when you are caring for that lawn!

 

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

 

Nasty. Bad Worms

 

Horticulture Hotline 07/13/21

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 questions at the counters at all three Possum’s. That Elsa brought us more than rain and wind!

 

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. I have seen or heard reports of these worms from Summerville to West Ashley to Isle of Palms.

 

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.

 

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. 08-00-08 with Acelepryn is a long residual product with a little fertilizer to help the grass recover quickly.

 

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.

 

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 master’s grief.

 

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

 

A Money Saving Tip

 

Horticulture Hotline 07/07/21

 By Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

Possum’s Wetting Agent with Biostimulants (PWAB) is a product that helps water move deeper into the soil. PWAB will help soften clay for water penetration and get rid of those localized dry spots in your lawn. Sandy soils will hold water longer and prevent those localized dry spots. Wetting agents have shown to reduce watering needs from 33% to 66% in Arizona and other areas where water is limited. If you could go from watering three times a week down to once a week or not at all, think of the savings!

 

 The benefits of using a wetting agent would be far greater than just the savings with the water company. Since the water would penetrate deeper into the soil, the root systems of your grass and plants would grow deeper. As the roots of your grass and plants slough off and are replaced by new roots, organic material is increasing in the area where these roots are shed, creating a deeper topsoil area.

 

 A deeper root system will help in times of drought and can collect more nutrients from the soil. If you use fertilizer, a deeper root system can absorb more nutrients before they leach away; therefore, you can use lower fertilizer rates. If you use root absorbed systemic fungicides or insecticides, a deeper root system will also “catch” these products more efficiently giving you more “bang for your buck”.

 

When it rains, a yard treated with a wetting agent like Possum’s Wetting Agent with Biostimulants has less runoff. The rain penetrates the ground much easier, keeping the rain in your yard and not in the storm water drains. If you have ever poured water out on a dusty dirt road, and watched the water bead up and not penetrate the road, you have witnessed a hydrophobic soil condition. If you add a little wetting agent to this water and poured it on the same road, the water would penetrate the dusty dirt road. By keeping the water in your lawn, you will have the benefit of the water and we will have less runoff into our marshes.

 

The biggest savings from using a wetting agent will come from reduced use of fungicides. Most fungi like water. By watering less fungus populations should decrease.

Brown patch / large patch and gray leaf spot definitely comes to mind.

 

Many people travel over the summer. PWAB is great to add to hanging baskets or pots. Whether you are travelling or just want to increase your intervals between watering, PWAB should help you with a more uniform distribution of water and better hydrated plants.

 

If you prefer a granular product over a spray, try HumGranWet. HumGranWet is very cost-effective product that combines a wetting agent and humic acid. If you would rather spread than spray, check it out. HumGranWet has a very low use rate and long residual making it very affordable!

 

People come into Possum’s and say that the savings on their water bill more than pays for the Possum’s Wetting Agent with Biostimulants. All the other benefits are an extra (free) bonus!

 

Worms that eat the grass that you have worked so hard to grow, fire ants, mosquitoes, gray leaf spot, aphids, scale, chinch bugs, white flies, sooty mold, snakes, ticks, rats, palmetto bugs, fruit flies, heat, humidity – ahh the Lowcountry!

Wasp eating Armyworm