PEST CONTROL NEWSLETTER AUGUST 2011
CHINCH BUGS
Chinch bugs are the #1 pest problem in the summer months. If you see brown patches in the grass starting from your driveway or sidewalk please call us immediately. Chinch bugs can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time. They like it hot and dry, if you have a problem with your irrigation, they will migrate to that dry area. Now is the time to get your irrigation working properly.
BARKLICE
I am seeing a lot of bark lice in the oak trees. Bark Lice form webs on the trunks of oak trees, only on the bark not on the leaves. If you see the webs on the leaves this might be tent caterpillars or web worms, a more serious problem. Bark Lice are beneficial they are scavengers. They perform a valuable function in consuming excess accumulations of fungi, algae, dead bark and other materials that occur on tree trunks and limbs in-effect, they function as “barmaids” to help clean the bark of undesirable inhabitants. Bark Lice do not eat leaves or the bark of the tree, nor do they damage the tree by boring into the bark.
WATERING
July was pretty good month in terms of rain fall. We are coming into our rainy season. Make sure you are not over watering. Make sure your rain sensors are working. To check your rain sensor just try to turn your irrigation on manually during or just after a rain fall it should not turn on unless you by pass your rain sensor. Remember watering is the most important job you have to insure a beautiful lawn.
II. SCHEDULE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:
August October ~ Herbicide Treatment Insect spray on turf and shrubs
September ~ Fertilizer applied November ~ Inspection
December ~ Inspection
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
DRY SPOTS IN THE TURF
Most of our calls are for brown spots. Please water those areas with a hose and see if the blades open up and the grass looks better the next day. If it looks better you know its water, if it doesn’t look better please call the office for us to check out.
Most all irrigation systems have some deficiencies or a head that is not turning. Please check the system by watching it run and making sure all heads are operating properly.
Thanks, Dave.
Most of our calls are for brown spots. Please water those areas with a hose and see if the blades open up and the grass looks better the next day. If it looks better you know its water, if it doesn’t look better please call the office for us to check out.
Most all irrigation systems have some deficiencies or a head that is not turning. Please check the system by watching it run and making sure all heads are operating properly.
Thanks, Dave.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
WINTER KILL
Winter Kill is a general term used to describe the loss of turf grass during winter months. .Loss of turf grass during winter can be caused by factors such as: low temperature kill (freeze damage), desiccation (drying out of plant material), disease activity and compacted soil. Compacted soil causes a shallow root system which in turn makes the turf grass more susceptible to drought and freeze conditions.
I am seeing a good amount of winter kill. This year our recommendation is to wait until the end of May and what has not come back replace with plugs or sod.
If you are having problems with your turf coming out of winter, please call the office so we can advise you of what to do.
I am seeing a good amount of winter kill. This year our recommendation is to wait until the end of May and what has not come back replace with plugs or sod.
If you are having problems with your turf coming out of winter, please call the office so we can advise you of what to do.
Monday, April 5, 2010
10 Ways To Be "Florida Friendly"
04-05-10
UF University of Florida
Horticulture News
http://stjohns.ifas.ufl.edu
10 Ways To Be “Florida - Friendly”
1. Use a rain gauge to calculate the amount of rainfall your landscape receives. Take this into consideration as to whether your sprinkler system needs to come on or not. In the warm months lawn needs 1 inch of water per week and 1 ½ inch in the cool season. In Florida, we average 50 inches of rainfall per year.
2. Operate your sprinkler system manually. Apply water only when you determine it is needed. The landscape will use less water when days are cloudy, cool or wet.
3. Use only slow release or controlled released fertilizers in the landscape. In Florida, any fertilizer that is labeled as such must contain 15% or more slow release nitrogen.
4. Provide for wildlife by putting out a bird, bat or toad house. Keep an open source of fresh water out for critters to bathe and drink.
5. Opt to use only mulches that are by-products. Leaves, pine straw, pine bark, melaleuca and tree trimmings would all qualify.
6. Maintain a ‘no treat zone’ of 10 feet around water bodies. Apply no fertilizer or pesticides within 10 feet of water’s edge.
7. Insect your irrigation systems rain cut-off controller. These have a cork in them that usually needs replacing annually. Many people never check to see if the cork is still functional.
8. Keep impervious surfaces like drives and walkways cleared of leaves, fertilizer or spilled liquids. These surfaces funnel water directly into storm drains which in turn lead into water bodies. Prevent water pollution by keeping hard surfaces clean.
9. Mow your lawn at the suggested heights. Mowing too short creates a shallow root system and a lawn dependent on supplemental irrigation. Just because you have a lawn service, that does not mean they are mowing at accepted heights. Check for yourself.
10. When treating a pest problem use the least toxic control or select a pest specific bio- control. Soap and oil sprays are considered to be environmentally friendly. There are biological controls available for pests like mole crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars and beetles….
UF University of Florida
Horticulture News
http://stjohns.ifas.ufl.edu
10 Ways To Be “Florida - Friendly”
1. Use a rain gauge to calculate the amount of rainfall your landscape receives. Take this into consideration as to whether your sprinkler system needs to come on or not. In the warm months lawn needs 1 inch of water per week and 1 ½ inch in the cool season. In Florida, we average 50 inches of rainfall per year.
2. Operate your sprinkler system manually. Apply water only when you determine it is needed. The landscape will use less water when days are cloudy, cool or wet.
3. Use only slow release or controlled released fertilizers in the landscape. In Florida, any fertilizer that is labeled as such must contain 15% or more slow release nitrogen.
4. Provide for wildlife by putting out a bird, bat or toad house. Keep an open source of fresh water out for critters to bathe and drink.
5. Opt to use only mulches that are by-products. Leaves, pine straw, pine bark, melaleuca and tree trimmings would all qualify.
6. Maintain a ‘no treat zone’ of 10 feet around water bodies. Apply no fertilizer or pesticides within 10 feet of water’s edge.
7. Insect your irrigation systems rain cut-off controller. These have a cork in them that usually needs replacing annually. Many people never check to see if the cork is still functional.
8. Keep impervious surfaces like drives and walkways cleared of leaves, fertilizer or spilled liquids. These surfaces funnel water directly into storm drains which in turn lead into water bodies. Prevent water pollution by keeping hard surfaces clean.
9. Mow your lawn at the suggested heights. Mowing too short creates a shallow root system and a lawn dependent on supplemental irrigation. Just because you have a lawn service, that does not mean they are mowing at accepted heights. Check for yourself.
10. When treating a pest problem use the least toxic control or select a pest specific bio- control. Soap and oil sprays are considered to be environmentally friendly. There are biological controls available for pests like mole crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars and beetles….
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
03-31-10
Finally some warm weather. This weekend is suppose to be in the 80’s.Yeah ! Make sure all the dead in your yard is trimmed out ASAP. The new growth is starting to pop out and cutting the dead wood will help promote new growth. Do Not trim Azaleas and Indian Hawthorne yet for they are blooming later than normal this year.
Finally some warm weather. This weekend is suppose to be in the 80’s.Yeah ! Make sure all the dead in your yard is trimmed out ASAP. The new growth is starting to pop out and cutting the dead wood will help promote new growth. Do Not trim Azaleas and Indian Hawthorne yet for they are blooming later than normal this year.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Transition Period
DATE: 03/22/10
Thankfully winter is finally over! This winter was one of the coldest and longest that I can remember in a very long time. Because of this the lawns are starting to come out of dormancy a little later than usual.
We have to remember we do live in North Florida and do have a winter season. With this in mind, there is a transition period that our landscape goes through before reaching its full potential. Please try to stay patient during this transition period, I assure you we will get the lawns looking beautiful once again.
During this transition period you will also see more weeds than normal for several reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that the turf was dormant for an extended period of time, allowing sunlight to the weed seeds that are in your lawn. The number one way to reduce weeds in your lawn is to have a thick, plush lawn. Well….. during dormancy that is not the case, so the weeds really get a chance to grow. We applied a pre-emergent herbicide in October and also in January to help reduce the amount of seeds germinated. Another factor is the fertilizer application that is applied in March also helps the weeds as well as the turf. The positive side is that after we get the grass growing good, we apply a weed control (in April) and the weeds start dying at the same time the grass is filling in and by mid-May we should have your lawn looking great!
Thankfully winter is finally over! This winter was one of the coldest and longest that I can remember in a very long time. Because of this the lawns are starting to come out of dormancy a little later than usual.
We have to remember we do live in North Florida and do have a winter season. With this in mind, there is a transition period that our landscape goes through before reaching its full potential. Please try to stay patient during this transition period, I assure you we will get the lawns looking beautiful once again.
During this transition period you will also see more weeds than normal for several reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that the turf was dormant for an extended period of time, allowing sunlight to the weed seeds that are in your lawn. The number one way to reduce weeds in your lawn is to have a thick, plush lawn. Well….. during dormancy that is not the case, so the weeds really get a chance to grow. We applied a pre-emergent herbicide in October and also in January to help reduce the amount of seeds germinated. Another factor is the fertilizer application that is applied in March also helps the weeds as well as the turf. The positive side is that after we get the grass growing good, we apply a weed control (in April) and the weeds start dying at the same time the grass is filling in and by mid-May we should have your lawn looking great!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Time To Cut Winter Die Back
The last average freeze is February 26th and there are no freezes forecasted for the next 10 days in the St. Augustine area. We are now recommending that you cut back any dead foliage that may have frozen over the winter. For Example: Lantana, Hibiscus, Heather, Plumbagos, Crape Myrtle.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
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