Some not so good things! This month I was going to talk about some of the things to do in September like it being the best month to put down grass seed and the different herbs and vegetables to plant now. But with all the calls and emails lately I thought I should focus on their content. #1 Does your lawn look like this? 
If so, your problem is this nasty, nasty weed called "nutsedge" or "yellow nutsedge". You may not be familiar with this weed but you will be if you have recently seen it growing in your yard. And here is why!  | |
hand of paid actor. |
See that tiny little nut-like tuber? That is underground and it is where it stores all its food. Each of these tubers can germinate and produce new plants. Then each new plant produces rhizomes ( underground runners ) which can ultimately produce even more plants. Ok you say....so I'll just hit them with Round-up! Well, the problem with Round-up is that although it will kill the stuff above ground it won't get the storage facility underground. So, all you are doing is zapping the green on top and it will still continue to send out its little brothers and sisters, their husbands and wives and all of their umpteen thousands of children for you to contend with. Same goes for trying to pull it out. Good luck! You would need to be absolutely positive that you pulled ALL of the roots and tubers etc. Anything left behind is probably going to re-sprout. If you only have a tiny amount of this in your lawn you may be able to get rid of it by continually pulling and digging until you have all of it. As it re-sprouts, pull and dig some more. This could be a somewhat lengthy process. So, How "DO" I get rid of it you ask? First of all you need to attack this baby in the spring while it is still young and tender. Once it gets to the stage it is in late July, August and September it is too late. Yep, too late now to do anything about it. So, why am I telling you about this now? To hopefully not only keep you from wasting your time and money now but also so you can be ready for next spring when you "begin" to see it. Unlike most weeds in your lawn, nutsedge cannot be controlled by traditional lawn weed control products. You need to apply a herbicide specifically formulated to control nutsedge such as "Sedgehammer". And, yes we will again have it available for sale in the spring. Follow the directions carefully and exactly, knowing that you will need to make at least 2 applications ( or more ). Again, while it is in its infant stage to get to the tuber. One more thing. Nutsedge is an annual weed meaning it will die off once we get cold weather. However, the tuber is not going to die, so not to worry, you will have plenty of new nutsedge to play with next spring. #2 Do you have a Tulip Poplar with branches that looks like this?  Well, if you do, you are not alone. This particular insect is known as Tuliptree Scale. It is the largest soft scale insect in the U.S. ( aren't we lucky? ) It can attack Tulip Poplar, Magnolias, Hickory, Redbud, Walnut and sometimes Linden. It usually appears when there is excessive moisture and/or fertilizer available. The scale secretes large amounts of sugar-like "honeydew" which allows black, sooty mold to develope on the branches and leaves and beware, it even drips down onto whatever may be beneath the tree. As you may also have noticed this "honeydew" besides attracting the mold, also attracts bees, wasps and ants among others. Basically, the life cycle is this. The scales go unnoticed and overwinter on the tree and mature during the spring. Around June the males emerge ( tiny, reddish, waspy looking ) and mate with the females ( the warty looking. pinkish, grayish, reddish, immobile bumps on the branches ). Somehow ( hmmm ??? ) babies appear in late August - September and are called "crawlers". Each female can produce as many as 3000 of these crawlers one time per year. Probably worn out!! Hahaa! As the name implies, these "crawlers" crawl around looking for a good place ( a host ) to start sucking on and to keep comfy for the winter. Because they are so young and tiny they can be blown by the wind or carried by birds to other nearby hosts. Due to this life cycle control measures must be accurately timed to rid your trees of this pest. Controls: When infestations are high use broad spectrum insecticides ( labeled for use against scale ) to kill the crawlers in late August - September. This product should contain acephate, carbaryl, imidacloprid, or pyrethroids and will be printed on the label. Be aware that these are "broad spectrum" and will also kill beneficial insects as well. A less destructive approach would be to use a horticultural oil to try to suffocate the immature females, crawlers and any remaining exposed eggs. Then, in the early spring when the temperature does not go below 40 degrees overnight, spray the tree with a dormant oil to smother the remaining females and overwintering young. Or, as licensed pesticide applicators, we can spray for you. As usual, I hope you all find this information to be helpful and instructive. Hope you all had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. Ken P.S. Don't forget to check your plants and trees. They may need water! | 
