July was cooler than normal and we are all grateful for that! It was also drier, and finally the TV weather people are acknowledging that fact!We have dodged the Japanese Beetles this year for the most part, as a combination of a dry 2013 and a real winter reduced their population. Unfortunately we can't say that for all insects; chinch bugs have been bad all over town, not just in zoysia lawns but in fescue as well. The damage usually starts with a small circle that starts to yellow then gets larger, with the middle sometimes greening up as the bugs spread out for new grass plants to attack. There are a number of controls, but you need to be sure it's chinch bugs and not just drought stress or fungus. The easiest way to tell if it is chinch bug is to dig a 4" square of sod that is mostly green (from the point where the green and brown come together) and shake it on some white paper. If you see a large number of small black insects running around, it's chinch bugs. If not, bring that section into the nursery and let us try to determine what the cause might be. There have been customers reporting flea, chigger and tick problems, as the dry weather makes them more aggressive. We have solutions that control them without harming your pets or yourself. Weeds and dry, dormant grass are making our lawns look bad, but hopefully a week of rain is on the way, because nothing makes our lawns and plants happier that a thorough soaking rain! St. Louis City or County water, though better than nothing, is not good for plants. The chemicals that are used to make it safe for drinking, especially chlorine, can build up in the root zone of plants, especially potted plants, and cause yellowing of leaves, discoloration, and even spotting of foliage. These symptoms become worse the longer we go without rain to wash the chlorine out of the soil. Something good you can do for your potted plants is to fill your watering containers the night before and let the water stand so the chlorine will evaporate off. Collect rainwater or treat the soil with gypsum a couple of times a year. Gypsum will help neutralize the chlorine and other salts that build up in the soil. Gypsum works both in pots and gardens. When it comes to weeds, mid to late August is the time to start removing them from your lawn so that you are ready for reseeding in early to mid September. Regardless of whether you are pulling, digging or spraying weeds, make sure that they are fully hydrated before you do anything. If you are using a weed killer, be sure you use the proper product, and watch the daytime high to be sure it is going to be under 90 degrees for at least 24 hours.Topic: Timely TipsSeason: Summer
