![]() ![]() ![]() My approach to placing the smaller plants and groundcovers is pretty basic – pick spots behind or under the larger anchor plants and trees. They also work great on slopes, covering a lot of… ground… for a small cost. They will be the predominate form of undercarriage – the lower layer – beneath the trees. The groundcovers provide some cover and flexibility. In this case I like the variation in height and how smaller plants – visible from the deck – will peek through between larger grasses and shrubs. If the main aim of this space was to act as a visual backdrop, it would be arranged differently. To help form some of the undercarriage and add layers to the space, I’ve added smaller plantings beneath the trees, along with groundcovers here and there. He has been the host of the nationally syndicated Public Radio show “You Bet Your Garden” since 1998 and Garden Editor for WTOP since 1999.Smaller shrubs and groundcovers, providing a second and third layer beneath the trees, and behind the larger grasses – inviting you to push through and explore their touch and smell. Mike McGrath was Editor-in-Chief of ORGANIC GARDENING magazine from 1990 through 1997. Instead, schedule a core aeration later this month or next to improve the drainage on your lawn. So, don’t reach for a fungicide if your grass goes ghostly. Feel the tips of one of these discolored areas, and if a white powder comes off, you’ve got mildew, which is more common on Kentucky bluegrass.ĭiseases like this are hard to avoid when lawns have to handle excessive amounts of water - especially lawns that drain poorly. Several diseases of lawn grass will cause this discoloration, the most common of which is good old powdery mildew. (Photos courtesy of Jenn Flora and Ruth See) On the right, Ruth See noticed the grass around her Herndon, Virginia, community. On the left, Jenn Flora sent a pic of the “white grass” she saw in Reston, Virginia. Ruth in Herndon and Jenn in Reston are among the many reporting what I’m going to call “ghost grass” - lawn grasses that have turned more white at the tips than the little bit of hair that’s left on top of my aging noggin’. Similar to the other members of the “Bt family,” BTG is very specific: It only harms its target insects (in this case, beetles and weevils), and it’s very effective. The mail-order firm Gardens Alive sells it as “ Grubhalt,” and it’s available at retail under other brand names.Īpply BTG now and it will kill any grubs feeding underground - without harming birds, bees, people, pets, frogs, toads or wombats. There’s also a new nontoxic grub control in town: a new strain of the bio insecticide “Bt” known as BTG. Some lawns that were treated properly decades ago are still grub free after just that one application. ![]() This is happening now and will continue through September, making this the perfect time to apply milky spore powder.Įvery grub that ingests a spore of the biocontrol will not only die but become a living factory, making more milky spore. ![]() The eggs hatch into nasty little grubs that proceed through several stages to become nasty big grubs that feed voraciously on the roots of your lawn. The females then deposit their eggs in lawns - especially wet lawns that are cut too short. Life cycle of the Japanese beetle: Eat, mate, eat some moreĪs every gardener knows, Japanese beetles feed on plants such as roses and raspberries in the summer. To be effective, the soil has to be 70 degrees (as measured 4 inches deep), which is darn warm, and grubs must be actively feeding, which they only do in the late summer and fall.Īh, but the soil is now at the perfect temperature and little baby grubs are now feeding on the roots of your lawn. Those points are important.Įven though milky spore is sold in the spring, but it does not work in the spring. Milky spore powder is a biological control - a naturally-occurring soil organism that is deadly to Japanese beetle grubs that ingest the spores in warm soil. One application should control grubs for many years to come, as long as there are lots of grubs in your lawn for the powder to infect. There aren’t a lot of lawns in that country to begin with, and many of the lawns that do exist are loaded with this natural control.Īpply milky spore powder according to the package directions. It’s the reason that Japanese beetles aren’t a serious problem in their native Japan. Well, Steve, now through the end of September is the perfect time to apply milky spore powder, a naturally occurring soil organism that is deadly to Japanese beetle grubs. Stephen in Ellicott City writes: “ When is the best time to apply milky spore to control Japanese beetle grubs in the lawn? How should it be applied, and how often should it be applied?” Business & Finance Click to expand menu. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |