October Outlook

Seeding

It is getting to be a little too late for seeding. October is considered to be the last month to be able to seed, but with the types of winters we have been having, it will most likely be a fruitless endeavor at this point. Even if the seed came up quickly, there would be little time for it to establish itself firmly enough to make it through winter. Planting now, will give the grass 2 months to prepare for winter. Planting in spring, will give the grass 7 months to prepare for winter. Needless to say, 7 months would be much better than 2 months. If the lawn is an ‘eye sore’ then throw a little grass seed out to cover it up for the winter but don’t waste a lot of money doing it. Save the money for Spring and do it right then!!!!!

Cranefly

Attached below is a brief fact sheet on the Cranefly life cycle. The cycle begins as an adult, then an egg stage, then a larvae stage, and finally a pupa stage then back to adult. The only practical time that the insect is vulnerable to insecticides is in the larvae stage. Therefore, treatment is either in Autumn after the eggs have hatched (First two weeks of November would be the most secure application time if it is warm enough), or spring as the soils are heating up again, which will be in the last ½ of March to the first ½ of April. By April 15th you should be seeing damage if you have a large enough population. As the larvae are cold blooded insects, they will dive deeper to avoid freezing (at which time they will not be doing any damage to the grass) but will come to the surface as it warms up.

REMEMBER: Timing is much more important than how many chemicals you throw at the critters. One application, well timed, is 1,000 times better than 5 applications off timing.

Lime with Aeration

This in one activity you really do want to take full advantage of here in the Northwest. Aerate, rake up the plugs, spread lime at a maximum rate of 25 pounds per 1,000 square feet and let the rains take it in. We also have a new product which combines lime plus humic acids. This will amplify the results from the lime application which is limited by the maximum of 50#’s per 1,000 per year. If compaction and heavy clays are a problem, Pro Choice Red can also be applied to the lawn after aeration along with the lime. Pro Choice Red helps percolation of water through the soil profile and retains ‘humidity’.

Other miscellaneous items

Other activities that can be pursued in October are:

·         Winterize the irrigation system. Shut off the water and drain!!!!

·         Cut back perennials such as Hemerocaulis, Iris, hostas, etc…. Add material to compost pile!!!

·         Reduce the height of the grass. Reducing the height (slowly) will help reduce fungal infections over winter.

·         You can plant trees and bushes at this time, bulbs for spring flowering and transplant various perennials.

EUROPEAN CRANEFLY

Crane fly larvae feed on the roots of grasses. Usually very little damage is done as plants have a remarkable ability to compensate for minor root damage. However, when populations are high (estimated to be about 25-30 larvae per square foot) damage to turf areas can be extensive.

The adult crane fly is found in the late summer and early fall. It has long legs and looks very much like a large mosquito (body alone is about 1" long). One common name for these insects is "mosquito-hawk". The adults are harmless. They do not bite nor do they attack like mosquitoes. They are very common at night around lights.  The Larvae, sometimes called "leather jackets," live in the soil. Larvae hatch from eggs laid in the late summer (Late Sept. through Early October). They feed during the fall and into the spring of the following year. They stop feeding in May. Damage generally starts to be noticeable during the spring, caused by feeding that occurred the previous fall and winter. Damage can also occur when birds scratch at the lawn surface attracted to larvae. Birds are important predators of crane fly larvae and great care should be taken not to poison birds if insecticides are used.  European cranefly are relatively new to western Oregon. In the past we've not had many important turf pests, only occasional insect problems. Now that European crane fly has arrived, it is likely to be a permanent inhabitant of our lawns. Severely damaged lawns may need renovation. It is probably not necessary to treat these lawns with insecticides prior to renovation as normal site preparation (tilling and rotovation) controls larvae.  For less severely damaged lawns, treatment should consist of fall (October - November) applications to control larvae before damage is done or spring applications to prevent further damage. If you wish to scout your lawn in the spring, dig a patch about 12" square and about 2 inches deep. Count the number of larvae in this patch. More than 10 - 15 larvae is a sign of trouble. The presence of large crane fly adults in late summer and damaged turf are a good indicator of this pest.

Visit us at www.shbark.com for more information or to place your order today.  We are at your service and we appreciate your business!