TIMELY GARDEN TIPS FROM
OVER THE GARDEN FENCE
AUGUST 3, 2002
Let’s take a walking tour of the lawn and garden this morning to see what should be done to keep our grass green, trees and shrubs healthy, and the flower and vegetable gardens producing well.
Sod webworms are very active now in irrigated lawns. Moths can be seen flying low over turf, laying their eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae, which are now feeding at the base of the grass plants, creating circular dead spots in the turf. Control sod webworms with Diazinon or Sevin.
Crabgrass plants are growing rapidly in many lawns. Kill crabgrass plants now before they become any larger and crowd out good turf. Spray Ortho Crabgrass Killer mixed with spreader sticker on plants when temperatures are above 80 degrees, two applications one week apart. Be sure there is adequate moisture in the soil before spraying.
Well-irrigated lawns and gardens will attract ground moles, especially during a dry summer. Repel moles with applications of Mole-Med every three months. Mole-Med can be easily sprayed on or granules may be applied with a spreader.
Most patches of fescue grass growing in the sun are brown by now. Fine fescue will stay green when growing in the shade, but during the summer, it often will brown out in the sun. Take note of these areas and over-seed in September with Wedel’s Elite Bluegrass Blend.
To have a grub-free lawn for the next twelve months, now is the time to take action. One application of Grubex now will control all Japanese beetle grubs, May and June beetle grubs, and European chafer beetle grubs in all turf areas. Many grubs hatch and begin feasting on grass roots in early September through May of next year. For best results, Grubex should be applied several weeks in advance of the grub activity.
With all the irrigation needed this summer to keep lawns green, some turf has lost its dark green color. Scotts Lawn Pro Turf Food with iron will quickly restore turf to a vibrant dark green.
Now, let’s take a trip through the vegetable garden.
Checking the green bean plants reveals many brown leaves. Mexican bean beetles are the culprits. Mexican bean beetles skeletonize bean leaves, always working from the underside of the leaf. Spray beans with Sevin for good control. Discourage winter hibernating beetles by cleaning up all dead plant debris after harvest.
Flea beetles must be controlled if eggplant is to produce well. Flea beetles also inflict damage to tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Dust every ten days or when beetles are seen with Rotenone or spray with Pyrethrin.
Corn earworms are eating more than their share of our prized sweet corn ears. Keep sweet corn ears free of earworms with Rotenone dust or spray.
Fruits and vegetables beginning to ripen are often plagued with small, shiny, yellow-spotted black beetles. The sap beetle drills holes into, feeds, and spoils ripening melons, berries, sweet corn, tomatoes, and other produce. Control sap beetles with sprays of Rotenone, Pyrethrin, or Sevin.
Don’t neglect to irrigate potatoes frequently. For a good potato crop yield, it takes ˝ inch of moisture twice a week.
Those pesky Japanese beetles sure have a big appetite this year. Kill them quickly on vegetable crops with Pyrethrin spray.
A walk through the flowerbeds will show us that spider mites are infesting many of our choice plants.
Look marigolds over closely for Spider Mite damage. Hot weather encourages large mite populations. Marigold, impatiens, junipers, spruce, columbine, locust, and many other plants are exhibiting light brown foliage because of mite feeding. Control Red Spider Mites with sprays of Isotox.
To keep annual flowers at their peak health and producing flowers until frost, don’t neglect them now. Allowing plants to set seed heads will spell “The End” of blooms for this year. Pick spent flowers, pinch back stringy plants, and keep feeding Schultz Bloom Plus water soluble plant food every two weeks to keep your flower beds the envy of the neighborhood all fall.
If rose bushes are given good care during August, the best rose blossoms of the year can be expected in September and October. Feed roses for the last time this season now with Rose Tone, keep them thoroughly irrigated, and continue to spray Orthonex every ten days.
Just a reminder, when applying insecticides, either natural or man-made, be sure to follow the instructions to a “T”. Always measure the prescribed amount of chemical, never an increased amount, which could cause leaf burn or the death of a plant. Spray when temperatures are below 75 degrees; applying pesticides when temperatures are 80 degrees or above will no doubt cause leaf burn. If soil conditions are dry, always irrigate plants 24 hours before spraying. If in doubt as to what insect or disease is injuring your valuable plants, check with the plant professionals at Wedel’s.
Clematis vines are considered by many gardeners to be the most beautiful vine to grace our landscape. Compared to many other plants, clematis vines produce far more blooms and color in our gardens in return for our efforts. Clematis can be grown on trellises, fences, and walls. They bloom white, blue, red, pink, and purple in many shades of the above. Clematis will grow well if the following requirements are met. Clematis vines have deep roots, so condition soil deep with composed cow manure and bone meal, check soil to see that the required pH level of 7 to 7 ˝ is maintained, and provide shade for the root system by planting low shrubs around your clematis vine. Clematis are extremely cold hardy and endure our winters very well, but do require a sturdy support trellis to prevent wind damage to fragile stems. A mulch of peat moss is recommended to help stabilize soil moisture. Fertilize monthly April through August with ˝ cup of Rose Tone around each Clematis vine. Now sit back and enjoy some of the most beautiful flowers grown in Michigan.
Archive
09/21/02
09/14/02
09/07/02
08/31/02
08/24/02
08/17/02
08/03/02
07/27/02
07/20/02
07/13/02
07/06/02
06/29/02
06/22/02
06/15/02
06/08/02
06/01/02
05/25/02
05/18/02
05/4/02
04/20/02
