Know problemo

With the increasing heat and humidity, not to mention excessive downpours we've experienced, it is no wonder we are starting to see problems on the lawns.

Identifying the issue and knowing what to do are the most important elements.

Seeing spots?

Because of this specific weather mixture turf disease has been more prevalent than in recent years, dollar spot, brown patch and leaf spot leading to melting out have all caused lawns to lose uniformity.

Really, fixing these issues are quite easy. A shot of nitrogen from fertilizer and growing the area out is the best way to deal with it. Just be careful to dial back the application otherwise you run the risk of burning the lawn. Also annual aeration is a good preventative measure.

Nymphomania

I am now starting to see damage from Chinch Bug nymphs. There hasn't been a lot of activity but what I've seen thus far has been enough to advise treatment.

Chinch love the heat and as a top feeding insect will procreate in your lawn's thatch layer while sucking the juice out of the grass blade, reducing it to a straw-like appearance. Often this damage is mistaken for drought until it's too late.

The insects are easily spotted in the morning sun by getting on your knees and parting the grass blades on the edges of the infected area. It is here you can see them scurrying about.

Treatment these days, is more preventative than target specific since "Sevin" is no longer available. Annual aeration and over-seeding with endophytic grass like Eco Lawn is key. STAY AWAY FROM KENTUCKY BLUE GRASS! However, soap flushes and products with eucalyptus do help and can convince the insect to pack-up and leave.

Feeling crabby?

Remember when I told you earlier this year to raise your mowing height, but you still wanted that golf course feel and ignored me? Well, you should now be seeing crabgrass germinating on the edges of your lawn and perhaps in the sunniest areas of your turf as well.

Like chinch, crabgrass loves the heat and has exploded seemingly overnight.

The reason I recommend a higher setting for the mower is to keep the grass drought tolerant and the soil temperature cooler so crabgrass germination is less likely.

Perhaps you'd feel better to know that even with my mower on it's highest setting I still have crabgrass on some edges of my lawn near the pavement, but it is minimal and easily pulled.

Some will preach corn gluten as a pre-emergent in May, but I am not one of those people.  Having used this product in various forms, I am here to tell you, it simply isn't effective enough and in my opinion a waste of money.

Your best plan is to either pull it out now, or wait until this annual weed dies in the fall. Then reseed the area with predominately perennial rye grasses. Personally I'm really taking a shine to a product called CPR (creeping perennial rye).

Wow, that's a lot on your plate, but remember we still have August and the next wave of grubs to deal with. Have a great summer.

Ladies and gentlemen....THE BEETLES!

I'm not sure which of these is George, but let's hope this year they are both the quiet one.

Suffice it to say, this is not your parent's Ed Sullivan performance and the only screaming I've heard in recent years is that of the home owner crying to the heavens as their lawn slowly became a grub buffet.

Last year lawns disappeared faster than political approval ratings.

The good news? With the cooler weather this year, insect development is a month behind schedule. However, vigilance is key and you should be on the lookout for excessive night flights by the European Chafer and Japanese Beetle as they prepare to mate and lay eggs...yes, in your lawn.

Now, four grubs per square foot is no big deal and damage will not be evident until you hit the 10 psf threshold. At that point treatment is highly recommended.

Although there are new controls on the horizon, currently your only defense are nematodes and believe me, I'm not happy about it either.

As stated in previous posts, mid August to the end of September is your best window of opportunity to allow second generation nematodes to do their thing and hopefully eradicate up to 70% of the larvae before they can over-winter in your soil.

But you must remember timing isn't everything in this case.  UV, expiration dates, proper storage until use and water, water, water must be taken into strong consideration when applying.

As far as damage is concerned, you should see it come August. Look for circular bled patches of grass that do not respond to watering. In time, these patches will snake outward and the grass will lift quite easily like a carpet.

The best advice I can give you, if you see this damage don't Let it Be, otherwise your turf will have a Long and Winding Road to recovery.

Not my Cullen-ary choice

Finally we have come through the toughest part of our season and I have to say, the weather has been pretty good to the lawn care industry thus far. The mostly cooler temps, timely rainfall and...unlike last year...we haven't had to play catch-up with the weeds.

In all, the lawns we've been servicing for a few years are lush and green with few weeds.

The grass with the help of seeding and aerations have recovered nicely from earlier grub issues. The Guelph Turf Grass Institute doesn't seem to think grubs will be much of a nuisance this year...and definitely not the destruction we saw the past two years for sure.

However, I was troubled when I received an email from a frantic customer a couple of weeks back. She was one of the unlucky ones who lost a good portion of her lawn to grubs last year and booked a nematode treatment for mid August this season.

Why was she panicking now? Because Mark Cullen said the time to apply nematodes was mid June. She even sent me the link so I could see for myself, but the damage was done. Her trust in me was gone because Cullen is her guru, her god, her Gordon Ramsey to my short-order cook.

First of all, Mark Cullen should know better...that's right Cullen...I'm calling you out!
I am surprised you are not more versed in nematode application.

So I sent my customer the link for the Guelph Turf Grass Institute, the one that said unless you were exempt under the bylaw there was nothing you could do until mid August at the earliest when treating grubs.

Even my supplier asked me if I'd like to order my nematodes now for August- not purchase- order.

So who to believe?

I'm not saying Mark Cullen isn't knowledgeable, but he is wrong on this point and could have cost me a customer with the B.S. entrée he's serving.

Since nematodes are currently the only product on the market to combat grubs it is important that the consumer be made aware of proper timing and application. Yet, strange as it may seem, the following information was not present on Cullen's news letter.

You must first understand you are dealing with a living organism with nematodes. They have a shelf-life. So pay attention to expiration dates.
Keep refrigerated until use.
Do not apply in sunlight. UV kills them.
Must, must, must water after the application for 3 to 4 days to flush these microscopic worms into the soil.

The unfortunate casualty in all this, is the misinformed consumer who is being spoon-fed this erroneous gruel as well as being told they need different strains of nematodes for various problems--- grubs, chinch bug, sod webworm, leather jackets.

By the time you've picked up all four products that's about $200.00 out-of-pocket for 3,000 square feet of turf.

And even if you follow application instructions, to the letter, you are still only looking at 30% control, if you're lucky, for a June application.

Tell me, would you drop two C-notes on a hockey game if you knew you'd only see one period?

The best case scenario in all this would be if there was a more effective grub control on the market. One where you don't have to worry about timing, weather, refrigeration etc.

Oh, wait a moment! I forgot to tell you about Met 52!

A new product for insect control which is being fast-forwarded through the approval process. 

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is the Canadian regulatory body responsible for registering pesticides for public use.  Among other things,  they determine to what extent the pesticide may be effective for the Canadian market and whether it provides an additional pesticide option that adds to the products already available.  In this case, the PMRA is quite attentive to the lack of viable insecticides for the landscape and retail market and has sped up the approval process for a new insecticide that is environmentally friendly.

This insecticide is currently called  MET  52 but will probably go to the market under another name.  It is effective against both grubs and chinch bug but needs to be applied separately to control these pests.  Chinch bug is a surface feeder and grubs are root feeders, so the first application would need to be left on the surface and the second would need to be watered in.

Under normal due process, this insecticide would have become available in 2014 or 2015.  However, results to date demonstrate that the insecticide is insect specific and environmentally friendly so there is a very real likelihood this product will be on the market in the next 2-3 months.  Indications are that it will certainly be available as a liquid and there is some chance, but maybe not immediately, that it will also be packaged as a granular. 

So beware manufacturers of nematodes. Your days may be numbered. I for one believe I speak for many in the industry, it can't come soon enough. Remember Sarritor the first great organic weed control that wasn't. That's right....Sarritor who?

So fleece the unsuspecting while you can, soon there will be a new item on the menu. It's about time we had a product that was more palatable.

If it smells like manure...

This week I came across a few startling revelations I would like to share with you.

A young man approached me while I was doing an application and asked if we were hiring.

As I took his information he told me he currently worked for one of the bigger lawn companies and wanted to find employment elsewhere.

There's no need to tell you which one, because some of the things he told me were practiced by my former employers as well and they were much smaller. You are either reputable, or you're far from it if you ask me.

I then asked him what he was looking to make pay-wise and he said he and all his fellow employees worked on commission only.

Commission only!

Ever wonder why your hear of a lawn technician running through the application? Well now you know. The more work the more pay.

In fact he said, "there's a lot of Ghosting going on too."

For those of you who aren't familiar with this term, it's when you find an invoice in your mail box but no application was ever performed.

Does that answer the question about how the technician got over your locked gate to the back yard with a spreader and why your weeds look just as bad?

Come to think of it, the lawn company I used to work for never questioned, not even once, when one of our guys came back to the office daily around 2:00 PM with 40 jobs done.

The young man also informed me on all the products they used- mostly the same as us- yet, the one I found interesting was the spring fertilizer -36-0-5.

WOW! That's a lot of nitrogen to feed the lawn out of the gate, but don't take my word for it.

FERTILIZING: A few of the biggest mistakes made when it comes to using fertilizers is not only using the right mixture, but using the right quantity and applying it at the right time of the year. Often times when spring comes around people feel a need to fertilize their lawns in hopes of seeing a green plush lawn as soon as possible. Too much fertilizer, especially with high levels of soluble nitrogen fertilizer, tends to increase thatch problems and leaves lawns more prone to insect and disease. Or, worse yet, you will literally burn your lawn.

I guess that's when the grub, surface insect and aeration up-sell kicks in?

I asked him with all this going on weren't they worried about their image. I mean there are a ton of sites dedicated to informing potential customers through the reviews of others.

However, when you see several positive reviews followed by some that are not so favourable you have to ask questions. Especially when there are sites like this one:
http://www.ReviewShowcase.com  for Reviews and Reputation Service.

1. Positive reviews increase your business rank by linking important and relevant websites to your website.

2. A constant stream of positive reviews improves your online reputation.

3. Positive reviews drive traffic to your business.

4. Positive reviews restore a tarnished reputation by pushing down negative reviews and links.

5. Helps protect against competitors or anyone else from attempting to run your ranking.

So that's how some companies have been able to improve their reputation in only the past few months on sites like Homestars? They've been paying for it! Some, are getting positive reviews from areas they don't even service.

With the ever changing landscape of the lawn care industry where social media plays an increasing roll in success, or failure, it's no wonder everyone is looking for any trick, or gimmick to gain the upper hand on the competition.

That said, in my opinion, there is no replacement for hard work, honesty and excellent customer service.

Remember it is up to you, the potential customer, to do your homework before choosing a company that fits your needs. Otherwise you might find yourself standing it in the midst of a most unpleasant olfactory sent.

Organic...yup...it's still a dirty word for 2013

Normally this is where I'd start applying corn gluten, but it is missing from our programs this year with exception of the organic package. The reason is, like most other lawn companies out there, we've become fatigued by the song-and-dance of how well this application actually works.

Take for instance last year, an anomaly I know, but the forsythia was blooming 2nd week of April. On a normal year that would be early May and the corn gluten would have to be applied prior to this event.

That said...you are looking at- if you're accurate in your application (20lbs per 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn)- an effectiveness of four to six weeks as a pre-emergent.

Even on a normal year that takes you to early/ mid June. Then we get drought and heat like we've had the past few years and Bingo everyone gets crabgrass. Cue the unhappy customers and the angry calls.

With the few products that are approved for use these days we've had to do some fancy dancing of our own.

Take for instance Nematodes. On the heels of the worst grub damage I've ever seen, you may be tempted to buy a sponge, or two to treat your battered lawn this spring.

Well- Let me just tell you what the Turf Grass Institute says about spring applications.

Grubs are up and feeding now. There isn’t a lot of grub damage per se. The secondary pests such as raccoons, skunks and starlings are doing their usual spring damage to turf that is infested with grubs. As far as control goes, there is very little that can be done this time of year. Last spring Dr. Michael Brownbridge and I conducted a spring applied nematode trial and neither Hb or Steinernema glaseri were effective. To help recovery, rake the dead areas and plan to over-seed in a couple of weeks. Whether it is home lawn turf where you are relying on insect parasitic nematodes or golf course turf where you are relying on traditional pesticide chemistry, now is not the time to control grubs. Make a note of the damaged areas and plan to apply grub control in the mid summer on golf courses or in August for home lawns.

We've also stopped buying product from any supplier whose sole purpose is to make money off people like you and I with products that do not work effectively

So go out and get your 20kg bag and apply it if you wish. Load up on Nematodes. But right now these products are dead weight I can do without.

Today we're on the links

Happy Earth Day.

In previous years I have admittedly spent a little time on my soap box preaching, but I made a commitment to not do that this year.

This blog is meant to be about information regarding lawn care and since I'm not a politician, nor would I choose to be, I  prefer to stay away from that arena.

However, I do believe we are all entitled to as much information as we are willing to handle and for that reason I have chosen to post some links that make for interesting reading to help you formulate your own opinion.

One of the sites I subscribe to is Force of Nature. This is a site with very strong opinions concerning the pesticide ban, but also an excellent source for seeing the truth about the political agenda. I have come to see, sadly, this isn't about protecting the public and creating carcinogens where there weren't any. It isn't about how chemicals are evil and phosphorous in fertilizer may eat your children. It's all about the almighty dollar and who profits the most from these decisions.

Frequently asked questions about the Ontario pesticide ban.

MPP Ted Chudleigh's opinion on the OPB.

Cross-border shopping.

And then there's grubs.


Really, as I see it, you have three choices, do nothing, do it yourself, or have someone do it for you.

As far as the need for lawn care under any prohibition, unless you are really familiar about what to do, or you're cheating with outlawed products, you probably need lawn care more than ever. Sure you could surrender the turf to weeds and insects but we need grass to filter our air and if we lose it to infestations, artificial turf and rock gardens somewhere down the line there will be an impact.

It seems to me, every time someone implements a better mouse trap it ends up creating more problems in the long run. One of my favourite sayings is, "to see eternity in a seed one needs vision rather than eyesight."

Wake up and embrace the vision before all you're left with is hindsight.

The cut above

Maybe it's just me, but I've been having trouble getting motivated for the 2013 lawn season. I understand why that is with the unforgiving weather we've had the past few years. It's like building a beautiful sand castle on the beach with the tide constantly pounding the shoreline and destroying any existence of your efforts.



Eventually, smacking your head against that wall is going to affect your thought process.

So what to do?

Soldier on I guess. But there are things you can do as a homeowner to help and one of the most important practices is raising your mowing height.

Now I understand I'm approaching this subject a little early, but the earlier the better in this instance. I still find it confusing that there are dudes out there still scalping their lawns when they cut it.

Is it they don't know? Laziness perhaps? Memories of chemical days gone by?

Let me ask you this, would you cut off most of your hair and then walk out into the blistering sun without any protection?

Well, your lawn is hair for your property. And like hair, if you don't take care of it, it's not going to look very nice.  Your split ends are simply going to be weeds, drought and insects.

Higher mowing allows for you to grass-cycle and return essential nutrients to your soil. It will also alleviate- hopefully- the chances of you removing too much (no more than 1/3) of the blade of grass and stress your lawn out. You'll find the lawn more drought tolerant in high temperatures.

Mowing at around the 3" mark also helps keep the soil temperature down and potentially the crabgrass/ weed-seed germination to a minimum.

I could go on, but let me just say, keeping your mower on a high setting, blades sharp for a precise cut and changing the direction you cut each time, will create a healthier lawn able to withstand what Mother Nature throws our way.

Perhaps this year we can spend less time kicking over sand battlements and ruining a perfectly good day at the beach. Fingers crossed.