§ Final issue for 2006
Turfgrass
§ Final autumn turf tips
Around the home
§ This old house: fall maintenance tips
Other news
§
New Ag weather station installed:
§ Too close for comfort: Hydrilla hunting now urgent
§ Weather news
This issue concludes
our publishing season for the 2006 Landscape
Alert newsletter. We welcome your suggestions for topics you’d like us to
cover in 2007. We also are interested in your ideas to improve our publication
and web site (http://www.ipm.msu.edu/land-cat.htm).
Let us know about any annoying glitches or helpful improvements.
Please send your
comments to catalert@msu.edu or mail them
to: Joy Landis, MSU IPM Program, B18 National Food Safety & Toxicology
Bldg.,
Thank you – Joy N. Landis, editor.
October is the ideal time to control broadleaf weeds because the weeds are storing carbohydrates in their root system and are more susceptible to herbicide applications. So if your turf is being overtaken by a wide array of broadleaf bandits, applying an herbicide now could make the difference for next year. Apply the herbicides on a sunny day when rain is not in the forecast for 24 hours. We want the herbicides to dry on the leaf surfaces and not be immediately washed off. Also, make sure the turf is actively growing, cool weather and timely rains in the last week should ensure active growth in most areas. The reason we want to see actively growing turf and weeds is that if they are sitting dormant those herbicide applications won’t be very effective. There are many different herbicides that could be used including the most common three-way broadleaf weed control mixtures. As with any pesticide application, always make sure to wear the appropriate safety attire and follow all label recommendations. The greatest shortcoming of killing broadleaf weeds at this time of year is that you really don’t get to watch them die. In many cases you may not see the obliteration of these weeds this fall, but next year they won’t be there or will at least be reduced in numbers.
Well it wouldn’t be the final issue of the Landscape Alert without talking about mowing leaves into turf – so here goes. The leaves are changing and soon they’ll be a falling, which means it’s time for you and me to start mulching. Okay, that’s a pretty lame rhyme, but you get the point.
If you’re still of the belief that you need to rake leaves, come on over to the mowing side. Here’s what you need to know to successfully mow leaves into the turf. First of all, make sure your mower has a sharp blade, after a long season of mowing, the blades may be dull at this time of year and trying to chop up leaves will be more challenging with a dull blade. Second, raise the mower as high as it will go and mow at your normal speed, don’t “rev” the throttle to the high jackrabbit setting and blaze around the yard. Try to mow the leaves when they are moist from the morning dew, but don’t mow them when they’re really wet. This will prevent the leaves from blowing all over the place and will help with your allergies. Finally, don’t let the leaves pile up too high before you mow: too high would probably be greater than 3 to 4 inches of leaf depth on the turf. Mulching leaves helps the turf by returning nutrients and organic matter. After a nice rain shower, you usually can’t even tell that you mulched the leaves into the turf.
One final thought, many people ask about lowering the mowing height for the final mowing of the year. When you get past the leaf mulching period in the fall and the turf has essentially stopped its top-growth, it is ok to lower the mowing height to clean-up the turf and prevent it from being too tall going into winter. I would recommend that you lower the mowing height no more than one notch on your mower (typically 0.5 inch). This will help you clean-up any left over leaf mulch or debris and give the turf a little trim before winter sets in. Enjoy the snow, I’ll be back here next spring for another season!
Editor's note: Tom Ellis retired from MSU, but his advice on home maintenance for the
fall is being reprinted for your information.
It's time for the fall
inspection of the old homestead. Winter weather will only exasperate the
problems you have now. Any repairs you do will also reduce the numbers of
insects and other critters that "magically" appear during sunny
winter days and early spring.
Many insects and similar
creatures seek out houses to spend the winter. Put yourself in the bugs place.
Would you rather spend the winter under a rock or bark flap of a tree, or would
you rather curl up and take a five-month snooze in an attic or wall void? This
is natural selection in action. Your household offers them a better deal.
Let's use my house as an
example. We'll take a walk around, in, and on top of it and inspect the
structure for possible minor maintenance needs. Every repair that I make will
dissuade one or several species of insects from becoming a member of my
household. Also, any repairs that I make will totally astound my spouse and
friends!
Keep in mind that no
house in this day and age will ever be 100 percent insect proof. In fact,
insect proofing, other than a termite barrier, is never a consideration when a
house is designed or constructed. Probably the last (and maybe only) insect
proofing innovation in new home construction was the invention of wire window
screen!
My house is a basic ranch
style with 1,300 sq. ft. It was built in 1957. It has three bedrooms: one for
my wife and I and two for our cats. It has a basement, attached garage and
scuttle-access attic. The basement is finished. There is a fireplace in the
basement and living room. The siding is vinyl over wood (probably cedar). The
insulation under the siding is Styrofoam. The insulation in the wall and
ceiling is fiberglass batting. The house had new asphalt roofing put on in
1986. The house has an attached deck in back running approximately two-thirds
the length of the house. The back of the garage has cabinets built in for
storage of screens, storm windows and miscellaneous junk.
So, grab, or borrow, an
extension ladder and let's take look at the gutters, roof, chimney and vent
pipes.
Gutters should be cleaned
out every fall after most of the leaves have fallen. At least three or four
species of mosquitoes will lay eggs in and on gutters. In addition to the
mosquitoes, we can find several other species of aquatic fly species in my eave
troughs.
Some are biting species, and some are not.
While we're here we'll check fascia and soffits. Wasps, carpenter ants and even
carpenter bees will be attracted to fascia and soffits that are not in good
repair.
Up on the roof, we'll
check for loose shingles and rotted boards. These areas are especially
attractive to carpenter ants and a variety of insects that overwinter as
adults. Prune back branches of trees and tall shrubs that hang over or touch
the roof.
Carpenter ants actively
scavenge for food on these plants and will move on to the roof if we provide a
"branch bridge."
While we are up here,
we'll check flashing around the base of the chimney and consider whether it
should be tarred soon. Check for loose bricks in the chimney. Both areas are
great spots for various wasp species to overwinter. Make sure there is a screen
covering the chimney opening. This will discourage squirrels, birds and
raccoons.
If you have a fire place,
you don't want to be roasting a dead raccoon with your first romantic fire of
the fall season!
One more stop and we can
go back to terra firma. Let's check to see if the vent pipes are clear of
debris. Check the flashing around the vent pipes too.
Back on the ground we can
now inspect siding, windows and doors for cracks, holes, and weather stripping
that needs replacing. Check boards for rot. Probe boards, especially around
door and window casings, with a pen, knife or an ice pick. Rotting boards will
puncture easily. If they are rotten, check for termite and carpenter ant
damage. If you discover termite damage, fall is a good time to find it. You
really don't need to take corrective action until spring. This will give you
ample time to select a pest control company and make the most favorable deal
(economically) for you. Be wary of companies that will try to pressure you into
taking quick action and those that do not find termites, but offer to sell you
a "protection" contract.
If you find an area that
you suspect was an active wasp or hornet nest, note where the exit/entrance
hole is and wait until March to caulk the hole. This will ensure that it has
been vacated for the year. Do not plug the entrance if you think there is any
chance of activity this fall. Wasps and hornets can chew there way out on the
other side and into your living area.
Insects commonly found
making their way into wall voids and other suitable areas by way of cracks and
crevices in the siding and through improperly sealed doors and windows include:
cluster and house flies, wasp and hornet queens (and an occasional worker that
has not yet died), honey bees, box elder and leaf-footed pine seed bugs, elm
leaf beetles, various ants, mosquitoes that overwinter as adults, crane flies,
and spiders.
As we look at the
foundation and basement windows, we will be checking for cracks, holes, cracked
and loose mortar, and weather stripping that needs replacing. The same critters
that attempt to enter through siding, windows and doors will also try to make
their way into your basement. Basements are favored habitat for pill and sow
bugs also. While you are at it, get rid of cardboard boxes and other items that
hold moisture and attract these beasts. Check the outside foundation for gypsy
moth egg masses. They should be removed and destroyed.
If you store birdseed or
dry pet food in the basement, keep it in a sealed metal container. This is a
good place to get a whole raft of pantry pests started.
If you have a crawl
space, be sure that there is plenty of air circulation through it. This will
discourage rotting and the buildup of various fungi and molds.
Check the attic vents.
This can be done by going into your attic or with the extension ladder. From
the outside, the screens should be in good repair. If they have holes, check
the attic for bird and rodent nests. They will probably contain bird mites, bat
bugs, and carpet beetles that will eventually find their way into the house
after they've run out of feathers and other goodies to feed on. Also, remove
nests from house eaves, gutters, etc. for the same reason.
We can't quit yet. The
procedure here is the same drill as the house proper.
Over the course of the
next month or so, insects like boxelder bugs, lady bugs and cluster flies will
accumulate on house siding and on the outside surface of windows, sometimes in
large numbers before finding their way under siding and into wall voids. This
will be especially conspicuous on the south side of buildings. Routine removal
and disposal of these insects is an appropriate pest management action.
Late last week a new
agricultural weather station was added to the statewide network maintained by
our Agricultural Weather Office at MSU. This station is in
The addition of the
weather station in
Information from
this station can be accessed at www.agweather.geo.msu.edu
. Click on the MAWN link.
The invasive plant Hydrilla
verticillata has been confirmed in a lake less than an hour’s drive from
Biologists from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently
confirmed the presence of the so-called “perfect weed” in
“The sooner we learn whether
Hydrilla has many adaptive qualities that allow it to outcompete and greatly diminish populations of native species. It can grow in low-light areas. It absorbs carbon from the water more efficiently than other plants. It is very tolerant to both standing and flowing water and can also grow up to an inch per day. Finally, its reproductive abilities make it particularly threatening. The tubers that grow from the roots can persist, in a viable state, in the lake bottom for several years. It can also reproduce through flowers, fragments and turions (cone-shaped growths) on its stalks.
Michigan Sea Grant Extension has spearheaded the Michigan
Hydrilla Hunt since 2004 in collaboration with the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality Office of the
Citizens can also obtain hydrilla indentification cards and a fact sheet from Michigan Sea Grant Extension offices at Michigan State University and in Grand Haven, Traverse City, Tawas City, Mt. Clemens, Detroit and Marquette, as well as MSU Extension offices in Barry, Benzie, Branch, Calhoun, Charlevoix, Clinton, Emmet, Genesee, Grand Traverse, Livingston, Macomb, Montcalm, Muskegon, Kent, VanBuren, Kalamazoo and Ottawa counties and the Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners.
“If someone thinks they've found hydrilla, we ask that they compare the plant with the image on our web site or the Hydrilla Hunt card, which provides illustrations to help distinguish it from the native aquatic plant elodea. If it has all the characteristics described there, send us a sample so that we can make sure,” Swinehart says.
It is illegal to possess hydrilla in
More information on invasive species prevention practices is available at www.protectyourwaters.net
Michigan Sea Grant is a collaborative program of
An area of low pressure over the Central Great Plains region
Friday morning will move through the
Temperatures during the next couple of days will average a
couple of degrees above the normals with highs increasing back into the 60s
north to mid-70s south on Saturday and low ranging from the 40s north to the
50s south. Somewhat cooler temperatures are likely by Monday. Another weather
system is expected to move into the region by the middle of next week with the
chance for rainfall again in
Medium range forecast guidance is consistent in calling for
an upper air troughing feature forecast across the central
The official