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| Landscape Alert newsletter | |||||||
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| Vol. 23, No. 17, September 5, 2008 |
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| In this issue Landscape and nursery Webbed tents on branch tips are caused by fall webworm Lecanium scale may be the cause of thin-looking honeylocust trees and dripping honeydew “Out of the Ashes – What we know about EAB” workshop September 24 – 25Turfgrass Watch for grub problems in home lawns this fall Turf establishment primer Fall fertilizer application Michigan growers invited to submit proposalsOther news Weather newsLast issue September 19 |
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| Webbed tents on branch tips are caused by fall webworm If you see lots of webbing covering the branch tips of some of the trees in your neighborhood, it's probably fall webworm. Walnut, hickory, ash, and crabapples are some of the favorite targets, but many other types of trees can also serve as an adequate food source. The small yellowish-gray webworm caterpillars hide in the webs during the day. Some trees have actually been defoliated from having a tent on nearly every branch. But in most cases, each tree has three or four tents. They look bad, but cause little harm to the trees. Tree health is not affected unless more than 50 percent of the foliage is consumed in the spring or early summer. Late summer and fall defoliation have little effect on trees and they will look just fine next spring. Pruning-out infested branches is a good strategy if you can reach the branches. Spraying the foliage around tents with B.t., Sevin, Orthene, or a pyrethroid insecticide will prevent further feeding injury, but the old tent will remain visible. We have many natural parasites and pathogens of fall webworm that will bring these infestations under control. Places with lots of fall webworm this year may not have much next year. Outbreaks usually last two or three years.
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| Lecanium scale may be the cause of thin-looking honeylocust trees and dripping honeydew Guerin Wilkinson of GreenStreet sent me an email saying that he is getting calls about Lecanium scale problems on honeylocust trees in Canton, Plymouth and Northville, Michigan. Last year we also had some reports from Troy. Populations of Lecanium scale naturally go in cycles and rarely cause any harm to landscape trees. However, the scale infestation sometimes becomes much worse when the trees are sprayed for other reasons (like the mosquito control program in Saginaw and Midland counties) because the insecticide kills predators and parasites that keep the scale insects under control, while the scales are resistant to the insecticides that has been sprayed for many years. Usually honeylocust trees do not need to be treated with insecticide for scale insects, but sometimes mosquito sprays or a localized outbreak becomes severe enough to cause noticeable branch thinning and dieback. Even more of a problem is the honey dew (the sugary excretions of scale insects and aphids) raining down on cars parked below the trees. This can cause some aggravation. In those situations, I recommend using an imidacloprid (Merit or Tree and Shrub Insect Control) basal soil drench for small trees (less than 15-inch trunk diameter) in May, or contact an arborist about imidacloprid trunk injections and imidacloprid soil injection for larger trees. Lecanium scale can infest many different tree species. Cottony maple scale causes the same problem on silver maple and honeylocust trees. |
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| “Out of the Ashes – What we know about EAB” workshop September 24 – 25 Do you work with ash trees, and need an update on regulations and concerns related to emerald ash borer? If so, then come to this workshop September 24-25 in Dayton, Ohio. This workshop is designed for people who work with ash trees to learn the most up-to-date information on management of the emerald ash borer (EAB), current quarantines regulations and utilization of ash wood.
Cost for the workshop is $70 per person, $80 for those who would like to participate in the field tour. Lunch for both days will be provided. Hotel accommodations are available at the Hope Hotel and Conference Center located on the Air Force Base. A block of rooms is reserved for the group at $65 per night plus tax. Reservations may be made at http://www.hopehotel.com/ To register, please download the registration form and return to the address provided. Reservations for the meeting and hotel should be made by September 19. If you have questions, please contact one of the organizers: Robin M. Usborne (MSU) at: robinu1@msu.edu or (517) 432-1555, ext169. Amy Stone (The Ohio State University) at: stonea@postoffice.ag.ohio-state.edu or Jodie Ellis (Purdue University) at: ellisj@purdue.ed |
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| Watch for grub problems in home lawns this fall The dry weather we had in August was not good for Japanese beetle grubs, but is just wonderful for European chafer grubs, and European chafer is our most important lawn pest in Michigan. European chafer can now be found just about everywhere in Michigan south of a line from Muskegon to Bay City, and in many isolated locations north of that line, including Traverse City and Alpena. Watch for patches of your lawn that stop growing and wilt, or turn off-color in September or October, especially during periods of dry weather when the soil is very dry. Also watch for flocks of starlings on your lawn or patches of turf that have been dug-up by raccoons or skunks feeding on the grubs. Right now is a good time to check because the dry weather in August has stressed lawns in many parts of the state. Even though we have had rain the last couple days, you will still be able to see where your lawn was the most stressed. Turf infested with grubs will not grow as fast and may turn brown and die in patches because the grubs are eating turf roots, making the turf more susceptible to drought. European chafer grubs are only about a half inch-long right now, but if you have enough of them they can still damage drought-stressed turf at this time. The amount of feeding injury from European chafer grubs will increase in September and October as the grubs grow larger and consume more turf roots. The peak time for grub feeding damage is usually in October, but you will see the damage any time in September or October when the soil is dry. Moist soil will mask turf injury by grubs until the soil dries. If you find grubs in your lawn you can use the following guidelines to predict if they will damage your lawn:
Lawns with more than five grubs per square foot can be treated with insecticide and irrigated to prevent turf injury. In the fall lawns canbe treated with Sevin (carbaryl) or Dylox (trichlorfon). The insecticides are usually applied with a fertilizer spreader, and must be watered-in by rain or a half-inch of irrigation. You can tell how much irrigation water or rain is received by putting out coffee mugs at several different places in your lawn and checking to see how much water is in them (a half inch in the bottom of the mug is a half-inch of irrigation). Irrigating grub-infested lawns helps the turf to grow new roots and recover from the turf injury.
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| Turf establishment primer Now that summer stress has started to fade into the review mirror many turf managers are pursuing reestablishment projects for damaged turfgrass areas. Whether the choice is sod or seeding, autumn weather is typically favorable for establishing turfgrass due to cooler weather and hopefully regular rainfall. Reseeding damaged areas The first decision you need to make is whether to spot-seed the bare areas or if the whole area needs to be reseeded. This decision is basically one of practicality. Many turf areas made it through this summer relatively unscathed and turf death tended to be scattered. If the turf was simply thinned or there are small patches of dead grass, a fall fertilizer application and favorable weather conditions should facilitate the existing turfgrass stand to recover and fill in those bare spots. If the damaged areas are large, for example lawns that essentially have only sporadic green turf plants, then overseeding is going to be necessary to restore the area to turf. Tools to renovate There are a number of different methods to ensure that reseeding efforts are successful. First and foremost you must ensure that you get good seed-to-soil contact, i.e. seed sitting on top of the soil or simply broadcast spread onto the turf without creating any holes or slits will not be successful. There are several options for creating the holes and slits to ensure seed-to-soil contact. Machines such as core aerifiers, power rakes, slit seeders, or even hand raking small areas should get the job done. For established areas that may just need a light overseeding to improve density, a core aerifier is a viable option. It’ll also give you the benefit of improving soil aeration which is critical for many sites that have compacted soils or high clay content soils. For areas that need lots of help, I really like slit seeders, these machines operate by creating a slice in the soil that the seed falls directly into and ensures the seed gets to where it needs to be. Many lawn care companies offer this service or if you’re a do-it-yourselfer these devices might be available at a local rental store. Species, seeding depth, and rates Making sure you have the correct species and cultivar, especially if you are overseeding an existing lawn, is a critical step to ensure satisfaction. One common frustration many home owners have after overseeding is that the newly seeded turf has a drastically different color/appearance than the existing turf stand. To avoid this problem I would suggest you do your homework to try and find out if you know the specific species and cultivar that was originally established. In most areas if you’re not sure of the turfgrass species on the lawn, odds are its Kentucky bluegrass. Therefore, obviously you should select Kentucky bluegrass cultivars to reseed the turf. If you are completely renovating an area and are looking for something a little different that might be able to withstand drought conditions better, I would give tall fescue a try. Look for catch words such as “Turf type”, “Improved”, or “Dwarf” when selecting tall fescue cultivars. I would avoid the standard Kentucky 31 (K-31) tall fescue for use in home lawns due to its wide leaf blade. However, if you’re looking to spruce up a minimal maintenance or acreage type landscape, K-31 can be a good choice. Turf type tall fescue is now being mixed with Kentucky bluegrass and is more widely available to consumers than it was just a few years ago. Please see our fact sheet on “Purchasing Quality Turfgrass Seed: Read the Label” at www.turf.msu.edu under the Homeowner section for more tips on purchasing seed. Overseeding rates for Kentucky bluegrass are 1.5 – 2 lbs./1000 sq. ft. For mixtures containing perennial ryegrass or fine fescues, rates should be increased to 3 – 5 lbs./1000 sq. ft. For tall fescue the seeding, not overseeding, rate is 6 – 8 lbs./1000 sq. ft. Strive to incorporate the seed to a depth of about one-quarter inch. Deeper planting depths may result in some of the germinating plants not making it to the surface. Consider mulch for moisture retention Spreading a light mulch cover on top of the newly seeded area will help the soil retain moisture and keep the seedlings from drying out. The recommended rate for using straw mulch is one bale of straw/1000 sq. ft.. Be careful with how much mulch you apply, you don’t want to end up smothering those young seedlings. Apply enough so you can still see about one-third to one-half the soil underneath. There are also numerous, more sophisticated mulch products that are easier to spread than straw and expand with moisture to cover the soil. Even something as simple as turf clippings can be used as mulch, just don’t spread them too thick over the area. Fertilizer, irrigation, and herbicides At the time of seeding, apply a starter fertilizer at a rate of 1 lb. N/1000 sq. ft. to help those young seedlings get established. A starter fertilizer is a fertilizer with a N:P2O5 ratio similar to 1:1 or 1:1.5. Make sure to keep the seeded area moist throughout establishment. In many cases this may require watering several times a day. A good mulch cover will help the area stay moist so the site may be watered less frequently. Water lightly when irrigating, there is no need to see water puddling or running off the site. To be safe, avoid applying all herbicides this fall, i.e. no weed and feed products. Young seedlings don’t tolerate herbicides very well and the guideline is usually to wait three “real” mowings before applying any herbicides or in some cases at least 60 days. By "real" mowings, I mean you’re actually cutting significant grass, not just running over the area to trim down any weeds. Finally, don’t be afraid to get out there and mow the new turf. It’s always challenging to set absolute guidelines when talking about when you should start mowing new seedings. My recommendation, don’t wait until the seedlings are so tall they’re starting to fall over. If you typically mow your lawn at three inches, start mowing the newly established areas when the seedlings get to or slightly exceed the three inch height. Mowing turf helps it spread laterally and fill the area, so start those engines as soon as you start to see the grass creep up to your established cutting height. Hopefully, these tips will help you reclaim those bare areas and get the turf off the blocks quickly this spring. |
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| Fall fertilizer application If you missed putting down a fertilizer application last weekend you’re not too late. Now that the temperatures are feeling more like fall and we’ve had some rain to revitalize the turf, fertilizing in September will help the turf recover from summer stress. A fertilizer application will help by stimulating tillering and rhizome growth (lateral spread of turf) which help the turf fill in bare areas. Consider applying a slow release fertilizer that will feed the turf through September and October. There are numerous fertilizers that are considered slow release including: natural organics, sulfur or polymer coated ureas, methylene ureas, and IBDU. |
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| Michigan growers invited to submit proposals The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) is announcing its 2008 Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals. All needed documents are available online at http://www.sare.org/NCRSARE/prod.htm. The web site also offers state-by-state data for past recipients of the grants. Farmers and ranchers in the North Central Region can submit proposals for grants to support sustainable agriculture project ideas initiated by growers. Projects should emphasize research or education and demonstration. Grants can range from $6,000 for individual farmers and up to $18,000 for groups of three or more farmers. NCR-SARE expects to fund about 50 projects in the twelve-state North Central Region. Producers can submit proposals via email. NCR-SARE is now asking applicants to complete a brief budget narrative in their project proposal. Also, beginning farmers and/or youth may apply. The deadline for proposals is Monday, December 1, 2008 at 4:30 PM. Potential applicants with questions can contact Michigan’s NCR-SARE coordinator Dale Mutch at 1-800-521-2619, mutch@msu.edu. Or send questions to the regional coordinator, Joan Benjamin, NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Program Coordinator, at jbenjamin2@unl.edu or 402-472-0809. The NCR has funded more than 650 farmer rancher grants worth more than $4,300,000 since the inception of this program. |
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| Weather news Significant weather changes are in progress for the Upper Midwest following the passage of Hurricane Gustav=s remnants through Michigan Friday, September 5 with the expected formation of a troughing feature across central North America this weekend. In general, this change is expected to lead to a cooler, wetter, and unsettled weather pattern across Michigan for much of the next one to two weeks. In the short term, the remnant circulation of Hurricane Gustav (located over the central Lower Michigan Friday morning) will move northeastward into Canada, bringing an end to rainfall chances at least temporarily. Weak high pressure is expected to move into the region Saturday, with partly sunny and dry conditions likely for most of Michigan. A few showers will still be possible across northern sections of the state, but areal coverage and amounts should be limited and light. By late Sunday, September 7, a second area of low pressure will approach the region, bringing the threat of more rainfall. This system is expected to bring showers and some embedded thunderstorms to much of the state overnight Sunday and during the day Monday, with widespread rainfall totals in the one-quarter to one-half category and some one-inch or greater totals possible. Given upper air troughing across the region, scattered showers will remain a possibility on an almost daily basis for much of next work week. Temperatures during the next few days will fall back to below normal levels with highs Saturday from the low 60s north to the mid 70s south and lows generally from the 40s north to the low 50s south through early next week. Slightly warmer temperatures are likely by the middle of next week. In the medium range time frame, the forecast is based primarily on the upper air changes mentioned above. The National Weather Service 6 ‑ 10 day, covering September 10 – 14, and 8 ‑ 14 day, covering September 12 – 18, outlooks both call for below normal mean temperatures and above normal precipitation totals across Michigan and the Great Lakes region. However, given differences in the some of the computer forecast guidance used to create the outlooks, forecaster confidence is considered lower than normal. |
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