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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-04-22, Page 39Page 12 Bugs c . easily destroy your lawn_ such as • carbaryl or diazinon, to the browned -out patches. Before applying chemicals, water -the lawn thoroughly. Water the treated areas again after apply- ing the chemical to make sure it reaches the insects as they move into the thatch layer. "Best control is achieved in July and usually, one well -applied treatment is suffi- cient," she said. The rate of chemical application for lawn insecticides can be found on the product label. It is important that you apply the correct amount of chemical on the specified surface area; .if recommended insecticides are ap- plied at the correct rate and in the recom- mended manner, the treatment is not harm- ful to pets, birds or earthworms. Remove areas of grass killed by chinch bugs, and re -seed following chemical treatment. White grubs are the larvae of the June beetle. They have a soft white body, six legs and a brownish head. They are characteristically C-shaped and develop into an adult while feeding on the roots of grasses. The adults feed strictly on the foliage of deciduous trees. You may suspect a grub problem if ir- regular patches of your lawn gradually turn brown in summer. Check by digging up a small area of the lawn; if grubs are present treat brown pat- ches with an insecticide such as chlorpyrifos in early-too;;mid-July or in mid-September. Immediately -following the insecticide ap- plication, thoroughly water the sod. Again, it is important that you apply the correct amount of chemical, according to the product label, on the specified surface area. The young worm -like sod webworm, also called lawn moth, skeletonize grass blades; older worms cut the blades off completely'. They are easily detected by digging into the ground and turning over a small piece of sod. The worms eventually develop into white moths which can be seen flying up from an infested lawn — in profusion! Spray the lawn with carbaryl or di-azinon as soon as you notice damage. Do not water the lawn for several days following a spray for sod webworm. The rate of chemical application for lawn insecticides can be found on the product label. And by following the procedures recom- mended by the manufacturer of the chemical, the treatment is not harmful to pets, birds or earthworms. Turfgrass scale insects are a relatively new lawn pest. They are tan in color, with a darker stripe down each side — about five mm in length and similar in appearance to mealy bugs and sow bugs. PHOTO H LAWN CARE — Once you've treated those brown patches in your lawn with an effective insecticide, remove the areas of grass killed by lawn pests and then re- seed, says Horticulturist Ruth Friendship -Keller of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food's rural organizations and services branch. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food). They can be found crawling onto the tips of grass blades. The female turfgrass scale -insect lays cot- tony masses of pink eggs at the crown of the turf plant. The offspring are tiny red larvae, less than one mm in length and they are active crawlers. "They do not appear to be destructive but they are a nuisance and it is believed that these pests delay green -up in the spring," she said. Watering is important as a treatment for this pest; the chemical • control used for chinch bugs should also help control scale infestations. 4- ' The rate of chemical application and recommended procedure can be found on the product label. WELCOME to the HOME & GARDEN SHOW APRIL 24-25-26 - Drop by our booth GREENHOUSE GREENBACKS HURON RIDGE ACRES REDEEMABLE INMERCHANDISE Minimum $10 purchase per coupon - offer expires June 30, 1987 $1 GREENHOUSES -Bedding Plants -Flowers & Vegetables -Hanging Baskets -Patio Planters GARDEN CENTRE -Fertilizers -Chemicals -Peat Moss -Soil FLOWER SHOP Fresh Cut Flowers - Silk Flowers NURSERY -Shade Trees -Evergreens -Flowering Shrubs -Roses 2 URON RIDGE ACRES Follow- Our Signs 11/2 miles west, then 31/2 miles north of Zurich OR East off Hwy. 21 South of Bayfield at Stanley•Sideroad 15, then take first right- s DAVE & CAROL STECKLE AND FAMILY R.R. 2 ZURICH, ONTARIO (519) 565-2122 Fertilizing helps build lush weed- free lawn: By fertilizing your lawn this spring, you can give it a fighting chance against weeds_ and disease, says Turf Researcher Nancy Pierce of the University of Guelph's hor- ticultural science department. Three to five applications of nitrogen fer- tilizer per growing season is quite common. Apply the fertilizer in mid-April, late May, early July and early September and use no more than one kilogram -of nitrogen for every,100 square metres of lawn. "But if you regularly remove grass clipp- ings when you mow the lawn, higher rates of nitrogen may be used," she said. ` • Every five years, submit a soil sample for analysis and fertilizer recommendations. Contact your local Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food office or Agri- Food Laboratories, Unit 1, 503 Imperial' Road, Guelph, Ont, N1H 6T9 for further informa-. tion on taking soil samples. For even application, use a centrifugal spreader. 'Broadcasting the fertilizer by hand often causes leaf burn because of uneven distribu- tion," she said. • , - Wash the spreader after use,.because fer- tilizer is corrosive. -