By Tim Alan, Eye on Gardening
As summer comes to an end across our nation, and the fall season is upon us, what you do now in the garden will insure the health and vigor of your plants. With winter on the horizon, plant nutrition is a key factor in assuring your garden plants have sufficient nutrients to recover from summer environmental stress and providing food for plant functions throughout the winter. I recommend you apply a complete fertilizer product in granular slow release form to all flowering and ornamental plant material. I have found across the nation that Lesco 8-10-10 50% slow release granular fertilizer to be the best choice for your garden ornamentals.
Lesco has a flowering plant product for your annual flowering plants. You should use the 8-10-10 product for all your larger ornamentals (trees and shrubs) and use their garden flower product for your annual color beds. Lesco also offers the 8-10-10 fertilizer formula in tree stakes for your large trees in the garden. Be sure to follow the label directions to prevent misuse of the product. Lesco products can be found nationally at most reputable garden centers and the Home Depot. To find a Lesco facility in your area you can visit their website at www.lesco.com.
Look for Bugs
Examine trees and shrubs closely for fall insects. Every Season of our weather cycles from coast to coast will produce an array of insect activity that can cause costly damage to our landscape plants, trees, and shrubs. Autumn in particular will be a challenge for most garden enthusiasts. If climactic conditions in your region of the country have been unusual (too wet or dry, and/or unseasonably cold or hot) plants are weakened and may fall prey to high insect populations. University research indicates that plant material “in stress” will emit pheromones in the atmosphere that actually promote insect activity and literally “ring the dinner bell” for the bugs in your garden.
Not all insect activity needs to be treated. Look for possible insect damage symptoms in your garden such as leaf yellowing, leaf drop, browning, and dieback. Thoroughly inspect the entire top and bottom of leaves and branches; much of the time you’ll find the critters hiding beneath the leaves. Consult a local garden center and your university cooperative extension office as to what measures you need to take further to eliminate your insect concerns. Many times a simple solution of soap and water will control many insects; other times, nature will provide a beneficial insect predator to control damaging insects. Take caution not to hastily head for the insect spraying mayhem isle at your local garden center to resolve your insect concerns. Random frequent use of many pesticides will be promote insect resistance to the products you are spraying. For further education on insect’s and their control I recommend checking out www.scotts.com online for a complete and extensive database of help for your garden concerns.
Inspect Your Lawn
Inspect your lawn carefully in the fall for disease. As we enter the cooler months of the year and transition from very hot, humid summer conditions, you may begin to see unusual yellow or brown patches beginning to form in your lawn. Each region of the country will have its own specific lawn diseases that will affect many varieties of turfgrass. For the most part “leafspot” and “brown patch” will be the most common diseases encountered in your home lawn.
Leafspot disease of turfgrass looks just like it sounds: Look for round and/or oblong circles or lesions on the leafblades, which will extend further to completely wilt and brown the leafblade. This disease will be most commonly encountered in very wet, humid environments. Leafspot disease is commonly controlled by using a contact fungicide spray, readily found at your local garden center.
Brown patch disease will be scattered in many areas of the lawn and looks like cloud shapes of yellowing to browning turfgrass. The affected leafblades will be rotted and mushy to the touch. This disease is present mostly during times of excessive rainfall and watering.
Poor soil drainage and over watering will contribute to the spreading of this disease. Extensive turf damage will occur if not corrected by improving drainage, reducing water, and treating with a systemic fungicide for lawn use. Contact your local university cooperative extension office for disease confirmation and identification and their recommendation for treatment in your area of the country.
Please note proper cultural practices such as mowing, fertilizing, and watering will greatly reduce disease issues in your lawn. Sharp mower blades and a proper mowing height will reduce turfgrass stress and minimize most disease and insect issues in most turfgrass varieties. For more tips on proper mowing practices check out www.scotts.com and www.lawn-boy.com.
A side of grits, please
Try grits to control fire ants in your home lawn. Nothing is more painful than a fire ant bite while relaxing in your home lawn and garden. Here’s a fun, inexpensive way to “zap ‘em” from your next outdoor event. Though you have many options to control or eliminate fire ant mounds, many are hazardous chemicals that you may want to avoid in your garden. The next time you see fire ant mounds in your home lawn simply apply approximately 1 cup of cooking grits readily available from your local grocery (instant grits for faster control ... just kidding!). Mix in 1/2 cup white sugar, then sprinkle over the mound. Be sure not to disturb the mound, or water in. The ants will gladly take your supplied meal down into the mound for the whole colony to enjoy. Since grits expand, once the ants have feasted on the morsels, they’ll die and no longer able to be a nuisance in your garden. Grits will take a couple days to control the mounds as opposed to other garden pesticides, but the results are excellent — and without harsh chemicals. For additional mounds, simply repeat the treatments as needed.
Battling White Moths
Small white moth’s in lawn mean big problems in the fall. During the late summer months, watch for small, white moths fluttering about in your lawn in the early morning or late afternoon hours. These little moths can bring about significant turf damage as they become sod webworms and begin feeding on your lush, green grass blades.
If you notice the moths and/or observe some scattered areas in your lawn that seem to have been randomly trimmed with a weedeater, infestation is possible. Sod webworms are actively chewing your grass blades down to the soil level. To confirm if you have sod webworms, locate the area along the outer perimeter where the chewed leaves occur, spread the grass apart exposing the soil surface, and look for a bright green worm. You will also find tiny green pellets the size of a pin head.
Visit your local garden center and purchase a granular insecticide; treat immediately to prevent extensive further damage. Follow the label directions thoroughly, then apply in the early evening hours and water lightly. Watch carefully over the next several weeks for subsequent sod webworm activity. For more detailed information, visit www.scotts.com online.
While checking for sod webworms in your lawn you may come across a large, thick, brown worm called an army worm. Take note: These worms feed non-stop, 24/7, until all your grass is gone. To control army worms, follow the same measures you take for controlling sod webworms.
Tim Alan is the host of the hit TV series “Eye On Gardening,” airing coast to coast on iLifeTV. Tim holds a B.S. in Horticulture and an A.S. in Turfgrass Management from the University of Florida. Tim’s career in the green industry directing, installing, and managing large scale commercial landscape operations spans over 20 years. For more information, visit the show website at www.eyeongardening.com.
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