The Citizen, 1999-05-05, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1999.
J lon ie <f Garden 1999
Detect lawn problems early
By Pam Charbonneau
Turfgrass Specialist, Guelph
There were some reports of mole
and vole damage earlier in
February.
Moles are a pest that becomes
evident in the fall and spring. They
live underground in burrows and
produce conical earthen mounds
arranged in a row. They are
insecti vores, preferring
earthworms, but will also feed on
grub larva.
They must consume up to 80 per
cent of their body weigh daily
during the winter and are most
active in the spring and fall. Mating
occurs during February and
with a single litter of three
born later in the spring.
Moles do not cause
damage to the turf but the mounds
that they leave behind are
unsightly. They can be controlled
by trapping. Once trapped and
removed they may move back into
a lawn or other turf areas.
A sign of voles infestation is
visible runways on the surface of
March
to five
direct
the turf that interconnect to tunnel
openings amongst the vegetation.
Voles are herbivores and must
consume large amounts of food
during the winter to stay alive.
They eat grasses, weeds and girdle
vegetation.
Provided the turf is adequately
fertilized in the spring, the runways
will fill in quite quickly.
Because voles are rodents they
can be killed with rodenticides.
As usual one of the biggest
concerns so far this spring are the
European chafers. Many people are
now just realizing that they have
grubs. In many situations, the grub
damage was not evident in the fall,
but now that the snow is gone so is
the turf.
The other problem that occurs is
the secondary pests such as skunks,
raccoons and starlings feeding on
grubs. This feeding causes
extensive damage to lawns and
other turf areas.
1 have already had dozens of
phone calls regarding what to do
about European chafers this time of
Most commonly asked
wood care questions
year.
It is well known that as European
chafers grubs get larger, they are
more difficult to control with
insecticides. At the moment, the
grubs are as large as they get. Also,
if you look at the insecticide labels
they only recommend a fall
application for grubs. This is
because the spring applications are
not effective.
The question then becomes
"What to do about the grubs?" The
best thing to do is to reseed the
damaged areas. This can be done
anytime now. Rake up the damaged
areas and drill or broadcast the
seed.
If there are large areas to repair, a
lawn mixture containing Kentucky
bluegrass, a fine fescue and
perennial ryegrass works best. By
the time the seed germinates and
the seedlings become established
the grubs will be pupating.
Keep in mind that the best time
to treat for grubs is in later
summer/early fall. The insecticides
work better if they are applied to
well watered turf and the
insecticides need to be watered in
immediately to get to the grubs
before the sunlight breaks down the
insecticide.
We’ve got what yoi
need for all your VN
DSCAPING'
I
as
li Box Plants
■ Shade Trees
■ Ornamental Trees
B Fertilizers
■ Garden Tools
VIf4.
I
’ ■ Fruit Trees
■ Rose Bushes
■ Perennials
■ Flowering Shrubs
■ Evergreen Shrubs
■ Sprayers
■ Huge selection of Packaged Flower and
Garden Seeds and Bulk Garden Seeds
■ Spring Bulbs - Great Selection including
Dahlias, Lilies. Glads, Calla Lilies and many
more.
■ Peat Moss, Bark Mulch, Coco Shells,
etc.
New Stock arriving daily - shop our
NURSERY STOCK
DISPLAY AREA
Located behind our store
Farm
22 Isaac St., CLINTON
482-9333 /
I1
Q. How can I remove nail stains?
A. Wood often darkens and streaks
around nails. Chemicals in the
wood react with iron in nails,
leaving 6 nasty stain. A deck
cleaner will remove the stains.
Q. My deck has turned gray,
what do I do?
A. Wood turns gray because
sunlight breaks down the "glue"
that binds wood cells together,
leaving behind a very thin mat of
loose wood fiber. Dirt collects and
changes the wood's appearance to a
light then darker gray. Cleaning
with a deck cleaner, will restore the
natural color. Graying can be
controlled with a protective finish.
Q. What can I do about water
spots?
A. Washing with a deck cleaner
will remove unsightly water spots
caused by sprinklers, hot tubs and
swimming pools. A finish will
restore the natural colour.
Q. What do you do when the
wood colour is uneven?
A. Wood can weather unevenly for
many reasons including uneven
application of the original finish,
foot traffic patterns, unequal
exposure to sun and weather, etc.
Touch up light areas with the
original finish. Allow heavily
coated areas to continue to weather.
Q. What kind of nails should I
use to minimize staining?
A. Stainless steel or aluminum
nails are best. However, hot tipped
galvanized nails work as long as
the coating is not chipped during
installation. It is best to set nails
and putty the holes to reduce the
likelihood of staining.
- News Canada
I
A
Ih'
I
i
...and create the garden of your dreams
At Maitland Manor Nursery we have
everything you'll need
||||
o
JOHN D. PENNINGTON
HEATING & COOLING LTD.
OIL - NATURAL GAS - PROPANE
CLEANING - SALES - SERVICE- INSTALLATION
Union Energy
Dealer
1J
7
1
i ■
X5
IP1* >
Extraordinary Savings On
• Large caliper trees
• 80+ varieties of Shrubs, shrub roses, standard trees
• Perennials, Annuals & many unusual plants
20 acres of plants & shrubs to choose from
Potting soil, fertilizers, stones, pond fountains
Large number of water plants, all reasonably priced
wWater lilies $15 - $30
ii inionenergy
II DEALER ASSOCIATE
A V 7? J
Browse through our display gardens, and enjoy the sights,
sounds and fragrances of nature.
• Hi-efficiency oil and gas furnaces
• Oil and gas hot water heaters
• Gas fireplace sales and installations
• Sheet metal • Gas Piping
• Furnace cleaning and repairs
• Air Conditioning Systems
z /
Serving Brussels, Wingham, Goderich, and surrounding areas
Brussels
1-(519) 887-9233
Fax 1-(519) 887-9654
Licensed Professionals
AVI
....../ F/
Often 7 days a week
"3tap-p.g Me.thu'1. Slag"
NURSERY
z \ , & Landscaping
x R-R- #1 Bluevale
335-3240 &//
\
1
■ ■
0
fi
T ' I
’G "I
I
jui
><■