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Question
My lawn has large dead patches in the front. I thought it was dying
crabgrass. But as I was raking it up, I found many grubs. Now that it is
mid-October, what should I do? Should I kill the grubs with, say Milky
Spore? I have also read that using a soap mixture might kill them. How
would I do this? Do I fertilize? Seed? Could you give me some advice on a
schedule?
Answer
You need to kill the grubs now before you have no lawn left. Time is
of the essence. I have no expectation that soap will work. Milky Spore is
expensive, takes 2 years to become fully effective and only works on a few
types of grubs, particularly Japanese beetle grubs. But it is
environmentally friendly and long-lasting. I suggest you apply Dylox now.
Be sure to water it in. You should re-seed now; otherwise you will have
mud all winter. Be sure to add a little annual rye grass because you are
seeding after the deadline. Expect to touch-up seed in the early spring,
because the seed was planted late. If you haven’t fed the lawn, do so now
with
Turf Trust®. If you fed in
September, wait until November to apply the
Turf Trust®.
Question (Part II)
Thank you so much!! I have occasionally listened to
your show, but now I work when the
show is on. I used to listen to “the garden of Eden” when I lived in D.C.
While surfing the net, I found the Eden web site. They also recommended
Turf Trust and listed you as a source. I am not one to use the internet to
ask questions, but I am so happy with your answer — I was really in a
quandary! (I think my grubs came when I put down sod a few years ago. I
thought I saw a few, but didn’t complain or do anything; because I really
didn’t know much and it never occurred to me it would develop into such a
problem. Learned my lesson).
Another question — if I apply Dylox now, should I use Milky Spore also in
the spring/summer for long lasting results, or will Dylox do the whole
trick? Again, thank you Alan!!
Answer
Did you see many Japanese beetles this year? If you did, you probably
have Japanese beetle grubs, in which case applying Milky Spore now or in
the spring would be a good investment. Dylox will kill all of the grubs
that are now in your lawn and the life cycle of most grubs is such that
you will not have a re-infestation until next summer. As I stated before,
Milky Spore takes a couple of years to become fully effective, so starting
soon is a good idea. Even though you have killed every Japanese beetle
grub in your lawn, in neighborhoods where there is a heavy infestation of
Japanese beetles they will hatch out from the grubs that were in your
neighbor’s lawns. Then they will fly into your yard and lay eggs in your
lawn that will hatch into grubs that will attack your lawn next fall. Even
with Milky Spore you will have to be watchful for grubs for another year
or so.
Question
Alan, I purchased rose bushes from you in August, but never got them
planted. Can I do it now? Is there anything special I need to do? Where I
want to plant them is a very exposed part of the garden with no wind
buffer. Or should I plant it in its pot up against the house until spring?
Thank You.
Answer
You stand a much better chance of survival if you plant your roses now
using
Chesapeake Blue Crab Compost, but no
fertilizer. Plant deeply with the bud union 2 inches below the soil
surface.
Cover each rose to two-thirds of its height with mulch in very late
November or early December. Remove the mulch in early spring.
Question
I purchased two butterfly bushes from you earlier this year (a
davidii Nanho Blue and a
davidii Nanho Purple)—they have been
spectacular. What do I need to do for their fall/winter care? Fertilize?
(When and with what?). Generally, what do I need to do to insure they do
as well next year? (I’ve never had butterfly bushes before). Thank you and
have a nice day.
Answer
Butterfly bushes get pruned three times a year. The most important pruning
is the cut-back to about a foot from the ground in early spring. Second: a
light haircut to remove the faded flowers in the summer right after the
initial bloom. This encourages a nice re-bloom. Keep removing the flowers
as soon as they fade for continual re-bloom. But stop pruning by September
15th so the plant will stop producing flower buds and start going dormant
for winter. Third: a similar light-pruning in early December, as
protection against wind-rocking in the winter winds. (Especially in
clay soil, butterfly bushes sometimes do not root in sufficiently to hold
themselves erect in a strong wind).
Never mound up the crown of a butterfly bush with mulch, but put 2-3
inches around the roots. Feed only once in early spring, when you cut it
back to a foot, with a gentle 100% natural organic fertilizer like
Plant-tone®
or
fertileGRO™ — no fast release chemical
fertilizers, please. Be sure to sprinkle the fertilizer near the drip
line. This will encourage broad rooting.
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