SNJ Landscaping Landscapers

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Rick's Tip

This page is designed to give you an opportunity to pick Rick's noggin and to ask questions or to read his suggestions. As our owner and fearless leader, his vast experience and expertise in all things outdoor makes him Greco Landscaping's most valuable piece of equipment. Besides that, he signs the checks!

You can email Rick at rick@grecolandscaping.com

Crabgrass Prevention!!

Crabgrass is a warm season annual grass which grows best in the heat of midsummer when desirable lawn grasses are often semi-dormant and offer little or no competition. Crabgrass overwinters as seed, comes up about mid-May or later, and is killed by the first hard frost in fall.

Crabgrass grows best in full sun. It does not grow in shady places. Crabgrass can be controlled in a number of ways, but the best defense against crabgrass is a thick vigorously growing lawn that is mowed no closer than 2 1/2" for cool season grasses.

Fertilize the lawn in late summer or fall and again in spring to develop a dense, healthy stand of grass. Fertilized bluegrass does not go into midsummer dormancy as soon as unfertilized bluegrass.

Pre-emergent applications made when soil temperature are still below 60 are the best prevention. Pre-emergent applications are not recommended for areas where new grass seed is going to be planted during the first half of the growing season. Pre-emergent applications lose their effectiveness if the lawn is raked or disturbed during the first half of the growing season.

There is a new product that allows for pre-emergent crabgrass control over areas that have been seeded. We use this special formulation to prevent crabgrass, barnyard-grass and foxtail and to seed your lawn at the same time. This product and others containing Siduron™ are most commonly used.

Post-emergence crabgrass herbicides are now available. These are products that are applied after the crabgrass seed has sprouted. The herbicide (ACCLAIM) gives excellent crabgrass control with one application. This product should be applied when crabgrass is in the 3 to 4 leaf stage of development. Once crabgrass has become established during the growing season, it is best to leave it alone and it will die back in the fall. Next season, apply a pre-emergent herbicide to control it. Overseed areas that were heavily infested with crabgrass in early fall to help fill in those areas.

Grubs & Japanese Beetles

Grubs are now the sleeping giant. They have burrowed deep ready to emerge in approximately 4-6 weeks from now.

In April, they rise from the winter rest and begin feeding on your lawn’s roots.

May to June is the time the grubs change to pupae then emerge from the ground as adult Japanese beetles.

The Japanese beetle is probably the most devastating pest of urban landscape plants in the eastern United States. Japanese beetles were first found in the USA in 1916, after being accidentally introduced into our own backyard, New Jersey. Until that time, this insect was known to occur only in Japan where it is not a major pest.

Japanese beetles feed on about 300 species of plants, devouring leaves, flowers, and overripe or wounded fruit.

Egg laying begins soon after the adults emerge from the ground and mate. Females leave plants in the afternoon, burrow 2 to 3 inches into the soil in a suitable area, and lay their eggs--a total of 40 to 60 during their life. The developing beetles spend the next 10 months in the soil as white grubs. The grubs grow quickly and by late August are almost full-sized (about 1 inch long). Grubs feed on the roots of turf grasses and vegetable seedlings, doing best in good quality turf in home lawns, golf courses, parks, and cemeteries. However, they can survive in almost any soil in which plants can live.

Control

From a management standpoint, it is important to recognize that both the adults and grubs can cause damage. Moreover, since Japanese beetle adults are capable of flying in from other areas, controlling one life stage will not preclude potential problems with the other. Options for protecting trees, shrubs, and flowers from adult Japanese beetles are presented below. Control of the grub stage requires properly timed applications of a soil insecticide to infested turf.

Plant Selection

Careful selection of plant species when replacing or adding to your landscape is the key to avoiding annual battles with Japanese beetles. Some species and cultivars are highly preferred by the adults and should be avoided where the beetle is abundant. Plants that are especially prone to damage include roses, grapes, lindens, sassafras, Norway maple, Japanese maple, purple-leaf plum, and others (Table 1). Many varieties of flowering crabapples are also severely attacked by the beetles, although some cultivars are resistant.

Fortunately, many common trees and shrubs are much less attractive to Japanese beetles (Table 2). These differences in susceptibility should be considered when selecting plant species and cultivars for use in Japanese beetle-infested areas.

Japanese beetles are also fond of certain weeds and non-cultivated plants such as bracken, elder, multiflora rose, Indian mallow, poison ivy, smartweed, and wild grape. Elimination of these plants whenever practical destroys these continuous sources of infestation.

Although plant selection is important, other approaches must obviously be used to protect susceptible plants that are already established in landscapes.

Physical Removal and Exclusion

Removing beetles by hand may provide adequate protection for small plantings, especially when beetle numbers are low. The presence of beetles on a plant attracts more beetles. Thus, by not allowing beetles to accumulate, plants will be less attractive to other beetles.

One of the easiest ways to remove Japanese beetles from small plants is to shake them off early in the morning when the insects are sluggish. The beetles may be killed by shaking them into a bucket of soapy water. Highly valued plants such as roses can be protected by covering them with cheesecloth or other fine netting during the peak of beetle activity.

Chemical Control

Many insecticides are labeled for use against adult Japanese beetles. Examples include pyrethroid products such as cyfluthrin (Tempo, Bayer Advanced Lawn & Garden Multi-Insect Killer), bifenthrin (TalstarOne, Onyx), deltamethrin (Deltagard), lambda cyhalothrin (Scimitar, Spectracide Triazicide), esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gon Garden & Landscape Insect Killer) and permethrin (Spectracide Bug Stop Multi-Purpose Insect Control Concentrate and other brands). Carbaryl (Sevin and other brand names) too is effective. The pyrethroid products generally provide 2-3 weeks protection of plant foliage while carbaryl affords 1-2 weeks protection. For those seeking a botanical alternative, Neem products such as Azatrol or Neem-Away (Gardens Alive), or Pyola (pyrethrins in canola oil) provide about 3-4 days deterrence of Japanese beetle feeding. Insecticidal soap, extracts of garlic, hot pepper, or orange peels, and companion planting, however, are generally ineffective.

With all products, foliage and flowers should be thoroughly treated. The application may need to be repeated to prevent reinfestation during the adult flight period. Follow label directions and avoid spraying under windy conditions or when bees are foraging. Be sure the insecticide is registered for use on the plant or crop you intend to spray. If it is a food crop, note the minimum number of days that must be observed between the date of the last application and the date of harvest.

Because Japanese beetles are attracted to favored host plants from a considerable distance, controlling white grubs in the lawn will not protect landscape plants from adult feeding.

Japanese Beetle Traps

Japanese beetle traps are sold in many garden centers. Commercially available traps attract the beetles with two types of baits. One mimics the scent of virgin female beetles and is highly attractive to males. The other bait is a sweet-smelling food-type lure that attracts both sexes. This combination of ingredients is such a powerful attractant that traps can draw in thousands of beetles in a day.

Unfortunately, research conducted at the University of Kentucky showed that the traps attract many more beetles than are actually caught. Consequently, susceptible plants along the flight path of the beetles and in the vicinity of traps are likely to suffer much more damage than if no traps are used at all.

In most landscape situations, use of Japanese beetle traps probably will do more harm than good. If you experiment with traps, be sure to place them well away from gardens and landscape plants.

Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.

 

Dear Rick,

We love the job you do each spring. We also appreciate your quick response to our snow plowing needs as well. However, sometimes, I have noticed that the blades of the snow plows can beat up the grass and some of the wonderful shrubbery you planted 2 years ago.

My question; is there something we can do to help you make it less damaging to lawn and limb?

Thanks,

Wendy H.

Dear Wendy,

That's a great question and I am glad you asked! A very simple solution is the purchase of flexible boundary markers. They come in many forms and can be easy found at all the Big Box stores, garden centers, or local hardware stores. Of course, Wal-Mart, Target and the like also would carry the markers, but I don't think they need any more advertisement from me!

Use the markers to establish a boundary line where the driveway meets the turf or bed. These markers usually stand over 3 feet tall. Place them at the base of the driveway and then at 15 foot intervals. This way, my men can see where to plow and to keep the turf and shrubs out of harms way.

Dear Rick,

I would love to know the secrets of watering my lawn. Help!

Diane from Sparta

Hello Diane,

Here's everything you need to know about complete and proper hydration of your lawn.

Rick

Watering efficiently

A healthy lawn makes a very good filter for absorbing many things that can be washed into our streams. The ideal lawn is one that will grow best in your environment without lots of supplemental watering. We have all probably read about people living in desert areas in the country trying to grow lawns that require almost daily watering just to survive the summer heat. This is extremely foolish and short-sighted. Turf grasses were never intended to be grown everywhere.

That being said, there are parts of the country where various turf grasses are well suited without the need for daily watering. In many places, grass can be grown without any supplemental watering, or only very minor supplemental watering. The following information is specifically intended for those areas.

How much water does a lawn need?

In general, turf grasses need about 3/4" — 1" of water per week to maintain green color and active growth. However, during certain times during the summer when high temperatures are the norm, you should allow lawns to naturally slow down in growth during those extreme conditions. You may let the lawn go almost completely dormant in hot weather. Many factors such as the soil and weather all have a role in the lawn's water needs. Here are a few guidelines to follow:

• Decide before hand.
  Decide before summer heat and drought conditions arrive, to either water lawns consistently as needed throughout the season, or let lawns go dormant as conditions turn hot and dry. Do not rotate back and forth. In other words, don't let the grass turn totally brown, then apply enough water to green it up, then let the grass go dormant again. Breaking the lawns dormancy actually drains large amounts of food reserves from the plant.
• When is it time to water?
  The first few warm days of summer does not automatically mean to water lawns. In fact, allowing lawns to start to go under mild drought stress actually increases rooting.
  Watch for foot printing, or footprints remaining on the lawn after walking across it (instead of leaf blades bouncing back up). Grasses also tend to turn darker in color as they go under drought stress. Sampling the root zone soil could be another option.
• Water as infrequently as possible.
  Thoroughly water when you do water so moisture soaks down to the roots. Exceptions to this general rule would be for newly seeded lawns where the surface needs to stay moist, newly sodded lawns that have not yet rooted into the soil, or when summer patch disease is a problem. Otherwise, avoid frequent waterings that promote shallower root systems and weeds (e.g., crabgrass).
• Water early in the day if possible.
  Given a choice, water early in the day when lawns are normally wet from dew. Avoid midday watering due to excessive evaporation, and at night due to potential increased chances of some diseases gaining a foothold. The exception to this guide is when you are in extremely hot weather and nighttime temperatures don't go below 68 degrees. Then it is better to water in the late afternoon or early evening, providing you don't have watering-time restrictions. Early or late in the day reduces the amount of evaporation that takes place during the very hot day, allowing more water to reach the root zone.
• Spread the water uniformly across the lawn.
  Sprinklers vary in distribution patterns, and require spray overlap for uniform coverage. Placing coffee cans or similar straight-sided containers on the lawn can help measure water application rates. Avoid flooding areas, or missing other spots. On heavy clay soils and slopes, watch for excessive runoff; it may be necessary to apply the water in several applications to allow for adequate penetration.
• Water conservation.
  To help conserve water, mow your lawn at a higher than normal height, avoid applying an excess of nitrogen as warm weather approaches, limit traffic over the lawn, improve turf rooting, control thatch and soil compaction, and avoid pesticide use on drought stressed lawns. Don't allow water to hit the driveway or into the street. This is just wasteful.
• Avoid overwatering
  Use a rain gauge to measure how much water you're applying. Overwatering does more than deplete the water supply, it also makes plants prone to pests and adds to storm water runoff, which pollutes our water systems. By choosing and operating a watering system correctly, you can reduce water bills, insect and disease problems, and maintenance requirements. For example, the more you water your lawn, the faster it grows and the more it needs to be mowed.
• Hold off watering after fertilization and hold off fertilizing if heavy rains are expected.
  To reduce the possibility of having fertilizer wash into our water system, don't water heavily soon after fertilizing. Use light waterings to give the fertilizer the opportunity to be absorbed by the soil. Also, if heavy rains are in the forecast, hold off fertilizing until the heavy rains have passed.
• Monitor rainfall
  Don't water the lawn if rains are expected soon. Keep track of rainfall for the week. Don't apply more water to the lawn than what is absolutely necessary. The guide of about 1" of water per week is only a guide. If your lawn doesn't get that 1" of water, it's not going to die.

 

Sparta NJ Landscaping Landscapers

Sparta NJ Landscaping Landscapers

Send mail to russ@grecolandscaping.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 06/24/10

parta NJ Landscaping Landscapers

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