2018 Lawn and Landscape Thread

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

1 hour ago, Gourmand said:

Not sure if this goes in the gardening thread or not but I'll just ask it here....

Do y'all compost? I have one tumbler bin going along with two big storage bins that I fill on a regular basis from our food waste and whatnot in the kitchen. It's really amazing to see how much "garbage" is actually compostable foods and paper stuff at home. The difficulty I have is that I can't seem to keep my browns up to the same pace as the greens and for a long time I was just turning a big wet pile of mess that constantly created flies everywhere and were a huge nuisance on our back porch. Since then I realized that I needed to overdo it with the browns-- any dry dead leaves and sticks I now collect around the yard and I try to keep a pile of grass clippings off to the side to dry up and deaden to add to the compost. The biggest difference-maker lately was getting a 50 lb bag of sawdust pellets from Tractor Supply used for horse bedding and constantly adding it to my compost whenever it's too wet and nasty. I still see some of those soldier fly larvae but it's not as bad as before. Maybe start throwing some water-based anchovies in there as well?

 

We should, but haven't been able to settle on a place to put it. We don't have a very large lot. We do compost our leaves, sort of. We rake them and then mow them back into the lawn in the trouble spots. It's amazing how much that helps. The rest we bag and then stash in a corner by the shed--two or three bags and then in the spring I turn them into the fallow parts of the beds.

 

With respect to vines; morning glories etc. I thought about it some more, and really my rule of thumb is protect your investment. What I mean, is that vines can be a wonderful addition to the garden but I try not to lose sight of the investment we have in our house and other structures. For example, we have a stockade fence and I have a few trellises where morning glories run up the trellis and then grow along the top of the fence. Our neighbors were asked first, and they enjoy the flowers so it was a win for us because they do brighten up a long stretch of fence. The vines are pulled down in the fall and the morning glories themselves, being an annual don't seem to affect the fence. Other perennial varieties such as wisteria, trumpet vine, and clematis, however, are heavy and can pull down a fence if left unchecked, or can rot a wooden fence if the growth is thick and moisture cannot escape. The money for the fence is a greater cost so we keep that in mind. The same thing would be for a vine growing up our oak--the tree is more valuable to us than the vine--or for any greenery that is on the house. I enjoy our plants and am loath to rip them out sometimes, but I've had to harden my heart and be a little more judicious when weighing the pros and cons. We have a friend who lives in a mega mansion with a pool and he constructed a gorgeous pergola running adjacent along one side and it has a beautiful wisteria vine. He planned it that way, and that pergola is very stout and provides shade without being directly over the pool. I used to be a much more impulsive gardener, but I very much appreciate the planning now--it saves learning some of the hard lessons and heartbreak.

[cactusflinthead 27598]

A couple of observations on armyworms.

They prefer fescue and bermudagrass. The remnants of bahia and the tiny bit of zoysia are largely untouched. The same for the St. Augustine at one of my properties. Zero hits from those damn caterpillars.

I've let my yard get hammered. I wanted to watch the progression. It's time to kick their ass before all the green is gone.

[Stinkpalm 687]

Yep. Just switched our lawn to Bermuda this spring, while the rest of the neighborhood still has St.A. They crushed my lawn, while the rest of the neighborhood still looks pristine. They came out of the one area of the lawn that was already Bermuda and spread out to the new stuff. Luckily I caught them in time (relatively) and the granular/spray applications last night and this morning appear to have done their job quite quickly. Couldn’t find a single live one this evening

[El Tri 412]

12 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

A couple of observations on armyworms.

They prefer fescue and bermudagrass. The remnants of bahia and the tiny bit of zoysia are largely untouched. The same for the St. Augustine at one of my properties. Zero hits from those damn caterpillars.

I've let my yard get hammered. I wanted to watch the progression. It's time to kick their ass before all the green is gone.

well that explains why i see those fuckers on my deck and pool but my yard is untouched as i have zoysia.

[cactusflinthead 27598]

18 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

We should, but haven't been able to settle on a place to put it. We don't have a very large lot. We do compost our leaves, sort of. We rake them and then mow them back into the lawn in the trouble spots. It's amazing how much that helps. The rest we bag and then stash in a corner by the shed--two or three bags and then in the spring I turn them into the fallow parts of the beds.

 

With respect to vines; morning glories etc. I thought about it some more, and really my rule of thumb is protect your investment. What I mean, is that vines can be a wonderful addition to the garden but I try not to lose sight of the investment we have in our house and other structures. For example, we have a stockade fence and I have a few trellises where morning glories run up the trellis and then grow along the top of the fence. Our neighbors were asked first, and they enjoy the flowers so it was a win for us because they do brighten up a long stretch of fence. The vines are pulled down in the fall and the morning glories themselves, being an annual don't seem to affect the fence. Other perennial varieties such as wisteria, trumpet vine, and clematis, however, are heavy and can pull down a fence if left unchecked, or can rot a wooden fence if the growth is thick and moisture cannot escape. The money for the fence is a greater cost so we keep that in mind. The same thing would be for a vine growing up our oak--the tree is more valuable to us than the vine--or for any greenery that is on the house. I enjoy our plants and am loath to rip them out sometimes, but I've had to harden my heart and be a little more judicious when weighing the pros and cons. We have a friend who lives in a mega mansion with a pool and he constructed a gorgeous pergola running adjacent along one side and it has a beautiful wisteria vine. He planned it that way, and that pergola is very stout and provides shade without being directly over the pool. I used to be a much more impulsive gardener, but I very much appreciate the planning now--it saves learning some of the hard lessons and heartbreak.

@El Diablo wisteria would look cool on that old smoker. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

I put some fungicide on the lawn today. Earlier in the season when the rain was plentiful was the first application and so far the lawn looks good.

In central Texas, is now the optimal time window to apply Amaze? For some reason, I am thinking it is, and I have that plus I'm thinking of doing a little treatment of cinchbug spraying in one section by the drive to support an earlier application since the temps have been in that hot hot hot range.

On a sorrowful note, I killed *Pete with the lawn mower today and that was a sad moment.

 

*Film goers who have seen O Brother Where Art Thou will understand.

[cactusflinthead 27598]

Yes, now is the time for pre-emergent. They are making me wait until 9/1. As if a week on the goddamn calendar is gonna be a big fucking difference other than pushing the end date further in to the late fall. 

Dear God, deliver me from aggy.

[Gourmand 7774]

How is your fight vs army worms? I'm still trying to kill all those mfers and have sprayed with bifenthrin multiple times but they keep creeping over from my neighbor's yard. 

Okay to put down Barricade pre-emergent right now with all the other stuff I've put on my grass this week (fertilizer, bifenthrin spray, pesticide granules, fungicide, chelated iron..) or should I hold off a few days?

[cactusflinthead 27598]

@Gourmand I'm gonna wait until I see some regrowth before I throw the brakes on with pre. I can clean up strays with post as needed. 

It's impossible to kill all of the surrounding areas. All I can do is make sure mine is covered when they arrive. 

[hookemATL 11707]

What the fuck. Luckily no damage to the hizzy. 

[ZanTheFan 49]

Holy. Shit! Is that from lightning? Glad your house wasn't impacted

[Pdawg88 1115]

18 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

I put some fungicide on the lawn today. Earlier in the season when the rain was plentiful was the first application and so far the lawn looks good.

In central Texas, is now the optimal time window to apply Amaze? For some reason, I am thinking it is, and I have that plus I'm thinking of doing a little treatment of cinchbug spraying in one section by the drive to support an earlier application since the temps have been in that hot hot hot range.

On a sorrowful note, I killed *Pete with the lawn mower today and that was a sad moment.

 

*Film goers who have seen O Brother Where Art Thou will understand.

“We thought you was a toad”

[hookemATL 11707]

1 hour ago, ZanTheFan said:

Holy. Shit! Is that from lightning? Glad your house wasn't impacted

Nope. Out of nowhere at like 8pm. Was finishing up bathtime for kids and heard weird loud wooshing sound. Nothing like a little arbor work in the evening.  Beer and weed helped. 
 

also, I will put in a plug for my little electric chainsaw. I’ve had it for years and it hasn’t never broken or not been able to get through even larger logs. I use the big echo saws out at the farm but the electric is perfect for shit around the house. Saved my ass during the winter storm and allowed me to help out some neighbors as well. 

[Surly Bevo 24908]

My 14 year old mows our lawn (I usually do the edging/blowing) but the last week before school started he says "man dad I don't feel like the front yard grew a lot this week, is it slowing down already?"  We have Bermuda in front and St Aug in back around our pool deck and along the side yards.  I thought hmm that is strange but feel like he was right, we had to move our daughter down to UT last weekend so didn't think much more of it.  He started back to school Wednesday and so Friday I had an early end to the day and so I mowed.  Sure enough same thought and a lot more looking drought stricken.  Sure enough I stopped the mower and saw those bitch armyworms you are all talking about.  Laid down granules Saturday morning and hit it all with Triazicide this morning so hopefully that does the trick.  I guess the question is what the hell is bringing this on?  I live in Keller (DFW) area and been in this house since 2008 and never seen anything like this.  Reading up on armyworms sounds like they are usually more of a deep south problem and don't often overwinter where it freezes.  Since it was -2 here in February and below freezing for a week and many of you others on this tread are ATX centric and it sure as shit got cold there for multiple days what gives?

[Viper 12104]

On 8/21/2021 at 2:44 PM, cactusflinthead said:

Yes, now is the time for pre-emergent. They are making me wait until 9/1. As if a week on the goddamn calendar is gonna be a big fucking difference other than pushing the end date further in to the late fall. 

Dear God, deliver me from aggy.

Isn't it a month early for pre-emergent according to Randy Lemon's chart? Would Houston (where it's been wetter) be the same time as central Texas?

[cactusflinthead 27598]

4 minutes ago, Viper said:

Isn't it a month early for pre-emergent according to Randy Lemon's chart? Would Houston (where it's been wetter) be the same time as central Texas?

It's September for everyone I know. I would rather get ahead of the poa. It has been a while since I saw his calendar. Is he saying wait until October?

[Viper 12104]

13 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

It's September for everyone I know. I would rather get ahead of the poa. It has been a while since I saw his calendar. Is he saying wait until October?

yeah his schedule is saying Oct - https://ktrh.iheart.com/content/2017-06-26-randys-lawn-fertilization-schedule/

[cactusflinthead 27598]

1 hour ago, Viper said:

yeah his schedule is saying Oct - https://ktrh.iheart.com/content/2017-06-26-randys-lawn-fertilization-schedule/

Houston yeah. Consensus is mid-September for Central Texas. They would like soil temps to be in the 50s. Yeah, good luck.

Here is Emerald Lawns

"When applying weed pre-emergents, geography, Mother Nature and soil temperature are just a few of the factors. In Central Texas, you should be applying weed pre-emergents for crabgrass and grassburs  in the middle of March. A second spring application should occur right before spring turns into summer – about June 15^th. Fall application of weed pre-emergents should be applied if you’re working with cool-season grassy weeds in mid-September. Your soil should be in the low to mid 50s if at all possible when applying weed pre-emergents."

https://emeraldlawnsaustin.com/importance-weed-pre-emergents

Winter weeds might be out of sight and out of mind, but not is the time to think about
applying pre-emergent herbicides to lawns, according to a Texas Cooperative Extension expert. 
September is the best time to apply the herbicides before the weed seeds begin to
germinate, said Dr. James McAfee, Extension turfgrass specialist in Dallas. If applied too late, the
pre-emergent material won't control weeds. 
"Most homeowners don't think about winter-weed control until the weather starts to cool,
but by then it's too late," McAfee said. In North Texas, including the Panhandle, pre-emergent
herbicides should be applied in early September, McAfee said. In Central Texas, apply the
material by mid-September. In communities farther south, it can be applied toward the end of the
month, or early October. 
Water lawns immediately or at least within a day or two of applying the herbicide, he said.
A soaking of about a half-inch of water would be necessary. "You need to water it in as soon as
possible so that the sunlight doesn't get a chance to start breaking it down," he said. 
Before buying pre-emergent herbicide, read the label carefully to determine if the material
is appropriate for the type of grass that will be treated, McAfee said. Each label will tell you
which types of grasses that that particular herbicide is safe to use on.
During a mild winter with rain, it may be necessary to apply the herbicide a second time, in
late December or early January, he said. "Last winter was a prime example of excessive rainfall
and mild temperatures causing winter weeds," he said. 
For annual winter broadleaf weeds, apply a post-emergent herbicide for that type of weed,
McAfee said. Allow the post-emergent material to dry on the foliage for about two days before
mowing. The best time to treat for the winter broadleaf is in the fall and early winter while the
weeds are actively growing. Don't wait until spring to apply the herbicide. By then the weeds
would be mature and difficult to control.
Continue using "best cultural practices" to maintain a healthy lawn through the fall and
winter, he said. The practices include regular mowing, irrigation and fertilization. 
"Remember, a dense healthy stand of turfgrass is our best defense against weeds," McAfee said.

nr8272007-pre-emergent_11.pdf

 

Edit: McAfee is the same old boy I heard say in CEU class if they made it a federal law you could only fertilize once a year he'd do it in the fall.

Edited August 23, 2021 by cactusflinthead

[cactusflinthead 27598]

Here is Sperry. I wonder how many times he has had to answer this question.

https://neilsperry.com/2018/02/pre-emergent-weedkillers-schedule/

This topic confuses gardeners. Maybe it’s how I present it. This time I’m going to try a slightly different approach. Maybe I can do a better job.

 

BWAHAHA! GOOD LUCK OLD BEAN!

 

When should a pre-emergent be applied?
Before the weed seeds start to sprout. It’s better to be a week too early than a day too late. The old axiom is, “With pre-emergent weedkillers, if you can see the weed growing, you’ve blown it for another whole year.”

• For summer weeds such as grassburs (sandburs) and crabgrass: 2 to 3 weeks before the average date of the last killing freeze for your area. In South Texas that would be late February. In Central and North Central Texas it would be the first two weeks of March. In North Texas it would be the middle two weeks of March. In the Panhandle it would be late March.

• Because these granules are effective for about 100 days you will need to reapply three months later as a “booster shot.” Mark the calendar so you won’t forget. Without this second application the weeds will still germinate later in the season. That second application should be late May in South Texas, early June in Central and North Central Texas, mid-June in North Texas and into the Panhandle.

• For winter weeds (the ones you can see in your lawn in February and March), apply one of the grassy pre-emergents as well as Gallery the last week of August or the first week of September. (Gallery is not commonly needed in the spring applications, since broadleafed weeds are less of a hot-weather issue than they are in the winter and early spring.)

 

[Viper 12104]

11 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

They would like soil temps to be in the 50s.

ok so I have a few weeks in January to put down pre-emergent. good to know.

[cactusflinthead 27598]

33 minutes ago, Viper said:

ok so I have a few weeks in January to put down pre-emergent. good to know.

zackly. It's rare that conditions are optimum. 

I'm feeling great if we get a couple of nights with the air temp in the 50s in September. 

[Gourmand 7774]

Fwiw I applied my fall season pre-emergent on Oct 6th last year and I feel like it might have been a few weeks too late. We definitely got some winter weeds iirc, mainly patches of poa and henbit, maybe a little chickweed and spotted spurge. The poa was probably the worst. We weren't invaded with winter weeds but if I'd applied earlier I think it would've made a big difference. I applied my spring/summer pre on Feb 24th, April 9th, and June 3rd and haven't had many weeds at all until a recent small outbreak of spotted spurge which I nuked with quinclorac/2,4-D combo. Most of my neighbors have yards teeming with the annual weed scourges (either dallis or johnson grass) and I'm always battling those from creeping into our lawn. If these folks would just think ahead and  put some pre-emergent down, they'd have better looking yards. I guess a lot of tenants just don't care.  

[NoName 16351]

any specific pre-emergent recs for st aug?

Edited August 23, 2021 by NoName

[Gourmand 7774]

3 minutes ago, NoName said:

ant specific pre-emergent recs for st aug?

I've had good results with both Pendulum 2G and Anderson's Barricade DG. Both are prodiamine-based and can be used with St Augustine grass.

[NoName 16351]

11 minutes ago, Gourmand said:

I've had good results with both Pendulum 2G and Anderson's Barricade DG. Both are prodiamine-based and can be used with St Augustine grass.

TYVM appreciate it!

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

23 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

zackly. It's rare that conditions are optimum. 

I'm feeling great if we get a couple of nights with the air temp in the 50s in September. 

We're at 75 most nights and I don't see that moving much. I just know that too late is too late, so I'm laying it down this week. We mowed twice a week during the growing season this year and with the ample rain earlier, it has had an effect.

19 hours ago, NoName said:

any specific pre-emergent recs for st aug?

We have used Amaze as that is what our local Coop has. We've had good luck with it but I may compare it to the ones listed above.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

On 8/22/2021 at 3:47 PM, Surly Bevo said:

  Reading up on armyworms sounds like they are usually more of a deep south problem and don't often overwinter where it freezes.  Since it was -2 here in February and below freezing for a week and many of you others on this tread are ATX centric and it sure as shit got cold there for multiple days what gives?

I grew up north of the Red River. My folks had a bermudagrass lawn and one of the worst things ever was stepping outside onto the lawn barefooted and discovering that, yes, it was army worm 'season.' That was back before most people in our area did much in the way of lawn care (beyond mowing and watering). There were definitely worse years than others in my memory.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

@cactusflinthead--I'm an idiot and ran out of the Amaze which was what we had in the shed but couldn't locate more so grabbed some of the Pendulum mentioned above. I think we've used it before so I just need to adjust the spreader differently and begin where I stopped on the lawn correct? And then reapply around December (per the post above) to give the pre-emergent a boost. Sound okay? I think I recall this dance last year only it was the Pendulum that ran out and we bought the Amaze. Or maybe that was in the spring, lol.

[cactusflinthead 27598]

1 minute ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

@cactusflinthead--I'm an idiot and ran out of the Amaze which was what we had in the shed but couldn't locate more so grabbed some of the Pendulum mentioned above. I think we've used it before so I just need to adjust the spreader differently and begin where I stopped on the lawn correct? And then reapply around December (per the post above) to give the pre-emergent a boost. Sound okay? I think I recall this dance last year only it was the Pendulum that ran out and we bought the Amaze. Or maybe that was in the spring, lol.

Yep. It will be an interesting test to see which one does a better job by December or if there's no discernible difference.

[Celery Man 20933]

Is this thing just a bigass weed? First year with this yard in North Carolina, not a big yard guy, just realized that this might not be part of the landscaping or whatever

[Gourmand 7774]

Yes that looks like a broadleaf weed to me. Maybe Buckhorn?

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

W/o a closer look, maybe evening primrose?

[Gourmand 7774]

have you tried Picture This app? 

[Celery Man 20933]

Ah, wasn’t aware of that app, I’ll check it out. Thanks y’all. More isolated picture but yeah I think I should just pull these guys

 

[El Diablo 4232]

Tobacco? J/K

I've got a situation with a pecan tree I'd like to throw out here to get some thoughts. Live in Waco so you probably know that we had a wetter than normal spring/early summer and temperatures have been a few degrees overall lower than average. The rains finally stopped a few weeks back and the temps warmed up to more normal for this time of year. I started to notice a lot of pecan leaves on the back patio and didn't think to look up. I just assumed that they were coming from all of the pecan trees that I have, my thoughts were that possibly the trees had put on more leaves than they could support and once conditions changed they needed to shed some of that leaf load. Well, yesterday I was out in the yard and looking back towards the house I realized that it was all coming from one tree. I snapped this picture and would appreciate anyone's thoughts on this odd leaf drop. Tree in question is in the middle, upper left and right are the other two pecans in the back yard. 

 

Edited August 28, 2021 by El Diablo

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

I don't see any webworms, so that's a plus. I'm not super great with tree stuff so maybe someone else can chime in. I did look around on some hort sites and saw this:

Quote

Changing environmental conditions can also trigger this leaf drop. We’ve had 6 months or so of pretty saturated soil conditions. This can sometimes lead to the death of a few feeder roots. As the soils dry out and the temperatures heat up, the tree often responds by letting go of a few leaves. At any rate, this early summer green leaf drop by ‘Desirable’ is largely inconsequential and doesn’t really pose a problem. It is simply a physiological response of the tree and is not related to a nutritional problem. It occurs each year and if you do not notice the defoliation when looking at the tree from a distance, but only see it when you look under the tree, there’s no worry.

'Desirable' is a variety although I don't know what you've got there. You could also take a look at the dropped leaves and see if there are any fungal spots or other disease signals, look around the trunk for insect damage, etc. although your other trees seem okay, you'd want to know that in case it spreads.

 

Good luck!

[El Diablo 4232]

Thanks for finding that. It is pretty noticeable from a distance now and it's been steady dropping leaves for a couple of weeks. As I mentioned I was thinking initially that it was just dropping leaves in response to the weather change but now I'm not so sure.  I have no idea what variety it is or the age but the patio judging from the inscription was built in '83 and from appearances the tree was allowed for in the construction so it's a middle aged pecan tree. One thing I see is that much of its canopy is over the patio so I'm not sure where the root system is or where it's drawing water from. I'll just keep an eye on it. 

[ZanTheFan 49]

So premergent goes down this weekend.... What's the next thing I have to add to my list? Am I waiting a few weeks and doing grass seed like my neighbor suggests.... or is that wrong? Seems odd to lay down a growth stopper and follow soon after with a growth starter.... What says my friends here on the internet?

[cactusflinthead 27598]

49 minutes ago, ZanTheFan said:

So premergent goes down this weekend.... What's the next thing I have to add to my list? Am I waiting a few weeks and doing grass seed like my neighbor suggests.... or is that wrong? Seems odd to lay down a growth stopper and follow soon after with a growth starter.... What says my friends here on the internet?

Wait what?

Your instincts are correct. Either put down the pre or seeds. I don't put any pre in areas that will be seeded, post only.

 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

4 hours ago, ZanTheFan said:

So premergent goes down this weekend.... What's the next thing I have to add to my list? Am I waiting a few weeks and doing grass seed like my neighbor suggests.... or is that wrong? Seems odd to lay down a growth stopper and follow soon after with a growth starter.... What says my friends here on the internet?

 

3 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

Wait what?

Your instincts are correct. Either put down the pre or seeds. I don't put any pre in areas that will be seeded, post only.

 

I put down pre last week and the instructions were very clear about what not to do if you had plans to seed an area. Since we have St. Augustine, it's not so applicable to us as i don't put down any rye, etc, but yeah the pre then seed is a 'don't make no sense' even for amateurs like me.

 

And, dadgum brown patch. I have two basketball sized spots in the area adjacent to my neighbors sprinkler heads even with putting a fungicide down twice (late spring) and mid summer. Can I give it a blast of liquid F-Stop or am I wasting my time? Any product that works better? I'm tempted to just dig up the grass and put a garden bed there, but it's adjacent to the property line and an awkward place to have one.

[ZanTheFan 49]

I put down pre last week and the instructions were very clear about what not to do if you had plans to seed an area. Since we have St. Augustine, it's not so applicable to us as i don't put down any rye, etc, but yeah the pre then seed is a 'don't make no sense' even for amateurs like me.
 
And, dadgum brown patch. I have two basketball sized spots in the area adjacent to my neighbors sprinkler heads even with putting a fungicide down twice (late spring) and mid summer. Can I give it a blast of liquid F-Stop or am I wasting my time? Any product that works better? I'm tempted to just dig up the grass and put a garden bed there, but it's adjacent to the property line and an awkward place to have one.

Am I wasting my time with this stuff? I'm reading the recs in this thread but I'm a little too preoccupied by toddlers to research the purchase tbh

[ZanTheFan 49]

That pic is grainy. It's this stuff

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

@cactusflinthead would know the best advice but personally I don't put any fertilizer on at this time of year in our location (Central Texas). Partially due to the abovementioned brown patch fungus. I think nitrogen makes the fungus worse or something like that. Or I could be completely off base. There is a winterizer similar to what you've got in the pic that we use later--more towards late Sept into October and it is lower in the nitrogen. Edit-spoke with my spouse and he said no, it is higher in nitrogen, so sorry for the miscommunication. I usually buy whatever he says is the one to get. He said it has more nitrogen and potassium.

 

I looked up the Scott's label, and it looks like that is 32% nitrogen and would probably be fine but the timing for application should be adjusted for where you live.

Edited August 29, 2021 by Mrs Whiggins

[cactusflinthead 27598]

3 hours ago, ZanTheFan said:

That pic is grainy. It's this stuff

It's good. Go for it. 

4 hours ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

 

I put down pre last week and the instructions were very clear about what not to do if you had plans to seed an area. Since we have St. Augustine, it's not so applicable to us as i don't put down any rye, etc, but yeah the pre then seed is a 'don't make no sense' even for amateurs like me.

 

And, dadgum brown patch. I have two basketball sized spots in the area adjacent to my neighbors sprinkler heads even with putting a fungicide down twice (late spring) and mid summer. Can I give it a blast of liquid F-Stop or am I wasting my time? Any product that works better? I'm tempted to just dig up the grass and put a garden bed there, but it's adjacent to the property line and an awkward place to have one.

Check the label, but if you are fighting a bad spot of stuff the re-treat interval can be 14-21 days. It's good to rotate products. 

[BabaBooey 131]

Anyone know what these little fuckers are? They seem to be sucking all the life out of my boxwood leaves. Never seen them in my life.


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[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

13 hours ago, BabaBooey said:

Anyone know what these little fuckers are? They seem to be sucking all the life out of my boxwood leaves. Never seen them in my life.


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What a weird looking little insect. I'm going to take a guess(!) w/o doing any searching that it may be a type of 'scale' insect? They're a diverse and large group that do what you describe--suck the sap out of plants and ornamental landscaping is a favorite meal. Have you noticed any sticky excretions on the leaves? Turned the leaves over to examine for eggs/juveniles? Until one of the experts comes along with a positive ID, all I know is we had a crepe myrtle that frequently was attacked by a small species and if we didn't get the 'babies,' control was difficult once they were mature. Insecticidal soap/pesticide has some effect but it was mostly just keeping them in check while they laughed at us. We had better luck when we sprayed in the spring before the bugs really get going--in the slightly evil hope that they would seek better accommodations at the neighbors' shrubbery.

[cactusflinthead 27598]

14 hours ago, BabaBooey said:

Anyone know what these little fuckers are? They seem to be sucking all the life out of my boxwood leaves. Never seen them in my life.


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Hard to tell. There are a few fuzzy ones. Try some neem oil to start. 

 

I heard from my counterpart in Austin that his golf course buddy has had to spray four times so far. One sample area had 4 different generations in it.

Keep slugging

 

[Post Oak 20209]

Neil Sperry said this week is the time to put out pre-emergent.  He said better a week early than a minute late.  Gallery and Dimension I think.

[BabaBooey 131]

Doing a little bit a research today it seems that I have a small infestation of Wooly Aphids. That pic I sent was of one bug. My phone camera just couldn't get a clear pic that zoomed in on something so small. Guess I'll give the neem oil a try. I was curious as to why I had a ton of ladybugs around too. Seems to be their natural predator. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

1 hour ago, BabaBooey said:

Doing a little bit a research today it seems that I have a small infestation of Wooly Aphids. That pic I sent was of one bug. My phone camera just couldn't get a clear pic that zoomed in on something so small. Guess I'll give the neem oil a try. I was curious as to why I had a ton of ladybugs around too. Seems to be their natural predator. 

Great sleuthing! Yes, ladybugs love aphids. I get the little yellow aphids on the butterfly weed and ladybugs zoom in to gobble them up.