One Indicator That You May Have An Insect Problem In Your Lawn

The sooner a homeowner realizes that a potential insect problem exists in his lawn, the sooner he can take action to mitigate any possible damage.

Certain insects, such as grubs, do their damage unseen while chewing on grass roots. Another insect - Sod Webworm - may go unnoticed until the homeowner mows their lawn. Fortunately Mother Nature can often provide the alert homeowner with an early warning system that there may be an impending insect problem. This early warning system involves birds.

If you notice more birds than usual on your lawn, and they seem to be sticking their beaks down into the lawn, they can very well be going after grubs. If you walk out to the area where all the birds were pecking and you notice small openings down to the soil below in a concentrated area of your lawn, that’s a pretty good indication of a grub problem. Keep in mind that I’m not talking about an occasional bird, pecking here and there. I’m talking about several birds in one area of your lawn with behavior as noted above. In other words, if you occasionally see a robin searching for worms, you have no reason for concern. Also, if you suspect a grub problem due to increased bird activity, you can always cut into your sod and take a peek underneath. If you see more than two or three grubs per square foot underneath your sod, you may want to consider treating affected areas with milky spore disease.

Another example of birds giving a homeowner an early warning of an insect problem is the gathering of small birds (such as sparrows) in large numbers on your lawn. If you notice these birds just standing around, not really doing much of anything, spend a few minutes watching them very closely. These birds may be watching for mature Sod Webworm moths to flutter up out of your lawn, flutter off a few feet and then drop back into the lawn. Apparently, when there is a large population of Sod Webworm moths in a lawn, rather than seeking out the moths while they’re in the lawn, these small birds prefer to wait until the moth is airborne and then chase after it in the hopes of it providing a meal. So if you notice small birds chasing small moths on your lawn, you should investigate further to determine whether or not you have an infestation of sod webworm. If you take the back side of a leaf rake and gently brush the top of the lawn in the areas with the heaviest bird activity, and you notice several lawn moths fluttering up, you may want to apply liquid dish soap in a hose end sprayer. (See previous post, “Your Lawn Loves A Good Lather”.)

And finally, I’d like to suggest that if you notice large numbers of birds on your lawn, that you not scare them off or discourage them. After all, they are preying on insects that will cause harm to your lawn.

NEXT TIME: Defining A Weed




Photo Author: kittenpuff1

Your Lawn Loves A Good Lather

Many homeowners are very reluctant to use any of the various pesticide products available at most lawn and garden centers. Although there are some new “supposedly” safer products on the market - one example being the insecticidal soaps - most pesticides are by their very nature toxic. And they are toxic not only for the intended target, but often they are toxic to people, pets, and other animals not intentionally targeted. Unintentional targets may include birds, fish, and beneficial insects.

My personal feeling with regard to these toxic pesticides is that if a homeowner can get by without using them or find a way of using anything less toxic then that’s a better way to go. There was a time when DDT was hailed as the best thing to ever come along for battling a wide variety of destructive insects. And then later it was realized that DDT had long term harmful side effects all through the environment, particularly with birds. DDT was removed from the market and replaced with another chemical that was considered safe. Again, some time later, it was found not to be safe and it too was removed. Some of the common pesticides used today (including diazinon, 2,4-D and dozens of others) are labeled as being safe - if used properly. I wonder which pesticide will be pulled off the market next. I guess what I’m asking here is that if you can kill a fly with a fly swatter why use a sledgehammer?

One of my own personal favorite pesticides is called liquid dish soap. Another is rubbing alcohol. And a third is ammonia. I have used all of these at one time or another - either by themselves or in different combinations - in my own yard. For example, liquid dish soap does not sit well in the digestive tracts of insects that may be chewing on your grass or chewing on its roots. Dish soap is very inexpensive, it makes insects very sick, and it is non-toxic. So the next time you find undesirable insects in your lawn, consider using one cup of dish soap mixed with three cups of water in a hose-end sprayer to treat your lawn. If you are going to try this as an insect control, I suggest doing so when your lawn will not be receiving any water or rain for several days. That way the residual of soap will remain on your lawn for a while instead of being rinsed off too soon. The idea here is to give the insects plenty of time to “enjoy” the soap. This simple recipe probably won’t actually cover your lawn with suds or lather, but there will be enough residue covering the blades of grass to affect chewing insects.

If you would like to get away from the use of highly toxic lawn and garden chemicals, you may want to consider reading some of the lawn and garden recipes put out by Master Gardener Jerry Baker. Although I am not an avid fan of Jerry Baker, I do believe he offers a breath of fresh air when it comes to remedies for the lawn and garden. You can always use your favorite browser to do a search on “Jerry Baker recipes” or “Safer lawn and garden chemicals”.

NEXT TIME: One Indicator That You May Have An Insect Problem In Your Lawn

The Use of Stepping Stones In High Traffic Areas

Sometimes there are areas of a homeowner’s lawn that receive so much foot traffic and become so compacted that it may be better to install stepping stones than to bear the frustration of trying to grow quality turf in those areas.

Sometimes these high traffic areas are pathways to the garage or shed. Sometimes these pathways provide a shortcut to a car parked in the driveway or just lead to a common destination in your yard, like a flower or vegetable garden. When stepping stones are placed into a frequented pathway, you will have fewer concerns about compaction and the wearing of an unsightly path through your turf.

It is now common to find stepping stones in garden centers in a wide variety of shapes, colors and materials. Whatever type of stepping stones you decide to go with, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. First and foremost, you want to avoid stepping stones that may become slippery when wet. Another consideration is to avoid stepping stones that may have a relief (or raised pattern) if you want to use them along a path that will frequently get shoveled in the winter. When selecting stepping stones look for stones that will be easy to install, easy to maintain, and will last for many years.

When installing stepping stones, always be sure that the top of the stepping stone is level with the top of the soil. Stepping stones with top surfaces that are above the soil level not only become a tripping hazard, but can make mowing difficult and possibly even dangerous. An old butter knife can come in handy when recessing a stepping stone. By running the butter knife along the raised edge of the stone and pushing down as deep as your stepping stone is thick, you will be left with a tight outline of the stone. Then it is just a matter of removing all of soil inside the pattern you have cut. So that your stepping stone does not wobble, your finished hole should have a very flat bottom. Once this hole is finished, it is just a matter of dropping the stone in.

So the next time you’re considering what to do about those worn pathways through your lawn, consider installing stepping stones.

NEXT TIME: Your Lawn Loves A Good Lather

Why It’s A Good Idea To Alternate Your Mowing Patterns

Most gasoline powered lawn mowers are relatively heavy. By always mowing your lawn in the exact same pattern you can unintentionally cause the compaction of the soil underneath your turf.

It is better for your lawn and the soil that it grows in for you to vary your mowing pattern whenever you mow. For example, for one mowing you might mow back and forth from the house to the street. The next time, you can mow side to side (from one neighbor’s side to the other neighbor’s side). A third time, you may try mowing on diagonals running in one direction. And a fourth time, mow on diagonals running 90 degrees to the previous diagonals.

The larger and heavier your mowing equipment is, the more important it is to vary your mowing patterns. But regardless of the size and weight of your mowing equipment, compaction is more likely to occur when the soil under your turf is more wet than dry. If it has rained recently, or your lawn has received a good watering, it will be more susceptible to compaction.

The reason you want to avoid the compaction of your soil is that once it is compacted water and air do not penetrate as well. And thus the roots of your lawn will not be as healthy as they could be. With enough compaction, grass will not grow at all. A case in point is a footpath that has been constantly walked on so that grass won’t even try to grow there any more. Or take the classic two-track road where you notice the grass grows on both sides and the center but not where the weight of the tires has rolled.

You will benefit the most from varying your mowing pattern at the beginning of the mowing season. At this time the soil is usually looser due to the recent heaving and the more recent thawing of the previous winter’s freeze.

NEXT TIME: The Use of Stepping Stones In High Traffic Areas

Your County Extension Office As An Information Source

One of the most overlooked - and yet most useful - sources of information for a homeowner can be obtained from their local County Extension Office.

The agents and personnel who work in these offices have basically one mission. That mission is to answer questions and to provide information to the residents of their County pertaining to the plant life in their County. If you live in a rural farming County, your County Extension Office will have lots of information on crops that farmers grow in the County. If, on the other hand, you live in the big city, your local County Extension Office will be able to provide you with extensive information on such things as: lawns, trees and shrubbery, and vegetable as well as flower gardening. Not only are they experts regarding the plant life, they are experts on the type of pests that are commonly found in the County. They are experts on plant pests such as dandelions, crabgrass, poison ivy and many others. They can often supply you with valuable information regarding insect pests such as mosquitoes, gypsy moths, fire ants and many other nuisance insects. Your local County Extension Office would probably be able to help you if you also had problems with animals such as deer eating your roses or moles tunneling through your lawn.

Your local County Extension Office is there to help you. If they can’t answer your question, there’s a good chance they can point you in the right direction. If you find an insect chewing on your tomato plants or your cabbage or your roses (or whatever it is you GROW), you can even take a sample insect to your County agent and ask for help in identifying what the insect is and how best to prevent its damage. And although you can find the phone number and call your agent (look under County Government in your phone book), I highly recommend that you pay a visit to your County’s Extension Office. I say this because most Offices are filled with small booklets and pamphlets regarding dozens and dozens of topics such as local soils, local pest alerts, local climate conditions, and how-to guides that cover everything from growing a beautiful lawn to proper rosebush pruning.

There are a lot of books about lawn and garden care and there is a lot of information that can be had over the internet regarding lawn and garden care. But these two sources will rarely be specific to the place where you grow your lawn or garden. Your local County Extension Office, however, is about as specific as you can get. Again, I highly recommend that you pay them a visit. I know they will be happy to see you and try their best to answer any questions you may have.

NEXT TIME: Why It’s A Good Idea To Alternate Your Mowing Patterns

Is Your Lawn Growing In Clay Instead of Topsoil?

With enough care, a homeowner could probably lay sod down on top of a large slab of concrete and get it to stay green. Of course, no one in their right mind would try this. And yet there are thousands upon thousands of people living in subdivisions who are just about trying to do the same thing.

All too often when a subdivision is being developed and massive re-grading is being performed, large amounts of topsoil are removed and sold at a high price for the rich topsoil that it is. Later, when it’s time to apply seed or sod to the landscape of a newly built home in such a subdivision, it will be applied to what is basically a subsoil. Unfortunately, all too often this subsoil contains a very high percentage of clay. Now mind you, clay has its benefits. Because it perks slowly, it will hold water and remain moist longer than a very sandy soil. Clay also tends to hold beneficial nutrients better than sand. However, between a heavy clay content and a very sandy content of the soil, there lies a much healthier content known as topsoil. Topsoil is ideally suited for growing grass, and in an ideal world your lawn would be growing in four or more inches of topsoil.

Topsoil contains extremely fine particles (such as those found in clay), very coarse particles (such as those found in sand), and - most importantly - lots of organic matter. Topsoil is very well-rounded and, as such, is perfectly suited for growing grass and many other plants. If you are trying to grow turf in soil that has too much clay or too much sand, you can (over time) make applications of topsoil and thus amend your soil, making it more suitable for growing turf.

There are a couple of things that will indicate you have a very high clay content in your soil. One is severe and persistent ponding after a heavy rainfall. Since the very tiny particles of clay do not allow water to drain through (or perk) very quickly, the water will stand on the surface for a long time. If the surface is sloped, another indication of high clay content after heavy rain is that the water will run-off quickly rather than soak in. One more indicator of high clay content in a soil is that once the soil has had most of its water dried out of it, it is hard and brittle - similar to concrete.

If you suspect that the clay content or the sand content of your lawn’s soil is too high, you can always apply topsoil. One dramatic way of doing this would be having large trucks deliver large amounts of topsoil and having this applied evenly all over your turf areas and then reseeding or restarting your lawn. This is NOT a method I recommend. I believe a much better approach would be to have just a few yards of topsoil delivered and dumped in an inconspicuous spot in your yard. Then from once a week to once a month, you can take a bit of this topsoil from the pile and scatter it throughout your lawn using a broadcast type spreader. It will be important to keep your pile of topsoil covered with a tarp or large piece of plastic so that when it is time for your to apply your topsoil it will be dry enough to fall through the hopper of your spreader. When topsoil is applied in this manner (small amounts on a regular basis), it will not destroy or damage your existing lawn.

Special Note: If you’re going to take the time, spend the money and go through the above amendment process in order to get more organic matter into your soil, then you should also be mulching when ever you mow. As I have stated in prior posts, mulching is one of the easiest and least expensive ways of putting organic matter back into the soil. Running a close second is applying compost, particularly if it is compost you have made yourself.

NEXT TIME: Your County Extension Office As An Information Source

How To Tell If Your Lawn Is Suffering From Lack of Water

There are many homeowners who would just as soon let the grass in their lawn go dormant through the heat of the summer months. With the high cost of water, the rationing of water, and a busy lifestyle that just doesn’t allow much time to water, it’s understandable that so many homeowners feel this way.

Keep in mind, however, that a decision to allow a lawn to go dormant does not mean that it no longer needs water, even though when a lawn is dormant, it usually loses that lush green look. During dormancy, a lawn may look a duller shade of green, a bit more brown, or it may even appear thinner with a slightly silvery-blue color. But when letting your lawn go dormant, you must still provide occasional water in the absence of periodic rain. I would say, at a minimum, try to see to it that your lawn receives at least one-half to one inch cumulative water per week.

I have had homeowners ask me, “How can I tell if my lawn is too dry?” There is a very simple method to determining if your lawn is overly dry and needs water soon. Most people understand that when they walk across a healthy lawn they do not leave “footprints”. The grass normally springs back, leaving no trace that somebody has just walked on it. However, when your lawn and the soil it’s growing in are in desperate need of water, footprints across the lawn will remain visible for more than a few seconds. In fact, the footprints may remain visible for five to ten minutes or more.

So, if you decide to let your lawn go dormant but there has been no rain and no water applied to your lawn and you start noticing footprints wherever someone has walked - it’s time to give your lawn some water. Now keep in mind, I’m not suggesting heavy watering. Your aim here is not to make your lawn look lush again. Your aim is to provide enough water to keep the roots and the crowns of the grass plants in your lawn alive. Although your lawn may not look its best during dormancy, as long as it does not die due to excessive heat and extended periods without water, it will come back again and look fine once cooler temperatures return.

NEXT TIME: Is Your Lawn Growing In Clay Instead of Topsoil?