Wood and Carpenter Bees
I recently found myself in need of information on Carpenter Bees. The house next door to mine is up for sale and has been empty for about a year. Last fall I noticed a congregation of large bees hovering around the back porch. Well now that spring is here there are least 20 bees hovering over there at all times of the day. I’m thinking about treating it myself but wanted the low down first. Here is what I found.
Controlling Clover in Fescue Lawns
Here is the scoop on clover that I promised a few post back. Hope this helps
Controlling Clover in Fescue Lawns
Organic Do’s and Don’ts
There are so many compelling reasons to be as “green” as possible when considering lawn care. Most people that really care about their lawns are naturally outdoor type people. I haven’t discussed organic lawn care much. Personally I find some organic practices to be just common sense and very sound ideas. However when you get recommendations to replace certain lawn chemicals with various household cleaning goods, that is where I draw the line.
You may not think that adding a teaspoon of dish soap to a gallon of water and spraying your plants could cause any harm. It may not harm anything, but it could also be doing things that we’re not aware of. When you buy any lawn chemical there is a label for what it does and how to effectively use it. You know that if you want to kill the weeds and grass in the driveway that the bottle that says it will work on weeds and grass will work. This product has had extensive test to make sure that it works as efficiently as possible and with as few side effects as possible. I have yet to find a bottle of dish soap that is labeled for insect control.
Not only is using any chemical for something other than its intended purpose dangerous because of the unknown side effects, It could also be illegal. (granted I don’t know of anyone who is in jail for putting soda on their lawn)
Bottom line is that I won’t be putting my lawn chemicals up any time soon. I do however believe on some of the physical practices that are utilized for organic lawn care.
Weed Control - Clover
Some people enjoy some clover in their lawns, also a field of clover is a unique thing to see.
However, most lawn caretakers despise the look of clover in their well manicured lawn. Clover for this purpose is no better than any other weed marring up your view.
I plan on doing a full paper on clover control in the lawn. Until then remember these tips.
1. Clover is very hard to kill any time of year, but you will see the best results in the fall.
2. Broadleaf weed killers that are based on 2 4-D will have a very hard time controlling clover. If you can find a mixture containing Dicamba, I have seen good results with it.
3. The easiest way of taking care of a larger patch of clover is to spray with glyphosate (i.e. Roundup) and reseeding the area. Be sure to leave the amount of time stated on the label of your product to see appropriate replant time.
Here is the full article that I hinted at during the first of this post. Controlling Clover
Lawn Irrigation
Here in the midwest we’ve had plenty of rain during this past month or two (and a week long hard freeze). Very few of us have had to worry about lawn irrigation. However, soon the temperatures will be back into summer mode and the rainfall will be sparse. Many lawns do just fine without extra water but others just would not know what to do without their irrigation plans.
The first thing to remember when it comes to watering your lawn is that frequent watering can do much more damage than not watering at all. The key is infrequent deep waterings. As a general rule of thumb, 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week is what is required by most lawns. This amount of water should be applied all at once or during the hot months twice weekly. With frequent watering the water never penetrates the down through the soil. When the water is readily available at the surface level the roots of your grass never strive to go deep in the soil. With a shallow root system you will find that your lawn is much more susceptible to hot weather and drought.
You can apply any chemical or substance to the top of your lawn, but without a healthy root system you will never see your lawns full potential.
Sharpen your blades
With us right into the mowing season, the best tip of all is to start off with a sharp blade. Blade sharpening can be done yourself with a file or angle grinder. There are also specialty tools sold that can be put on the end of a drill for sharpening. If you do not want to venture into this yourself, then there are more than likely several local shops in most areas more than happy to sharpen your blades for a fee.
There are two benefits to having a sharp blade. The first of which is prolonging your mowers life. A sharp blade cuts easier with less strain on the engine. Secondly, a sharp blade will cut the blades of grass much more cleanly leaving you with a manicured lawn look. If the blade is dull it is more likely to rip or tear the blades which usually leaves you with brown ends on your grass.
You can goto Lawnbloggers April 7th entry for the inspiration on this post.
Granular Vs Liquid
Are you using a fertilizer and weed control all in one package? This is usually fine for most maintenance applications, but not ideal for single identified problems. Granted granulars are much easier to apply with the use of a standard lawn spreader, but liquid usually provide better results and can be better targeted to only correct the problem you have not create new problems. Over use of fertilizers, especially during summer months, can bring to light a problem you didn’t even realize was there.
New Forum
I’ve installed a new forum that is super simple to use and works great with the site. Go sign up and say hello to the other members.
The good fight, weed control
It is time to start contemplating weed control in your lawn. The number of practices and products are numerous. The most common practice is spraying with a broad leaf herbicide. This will usually contain a chemical called 2 4-D, this is a great choice for control of dandelions, wild garlic/onion and some other broad leaf weeds. However a product containing Mecoprop or Dicamaba or both will generally have greater results against a much wider variety of weeds.
None of the above chemicals will control crabgrass or bermuda grass, two of the biggest threats to fescue lawns. For those pest other chemicals will need to be applied.
Grub Control??
Right now isn’t the best time to be fighting it out with the grubs that seem to be the bane of your lawn nirvana. Most of the products available come in two forms. A 24-hour or “instant” kill and a “season long” form. The 24-hour should definately not be applied at this time and should be kept for late summer to be most effective. The season longs can be put down anytime during the growing season. Always consult the label on any product you are applying to your lawn to make sure you put it down for maximum effectiveness.
Check the “Best Practices” tab above for my complete aricle on grubs and moles.
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