Gardener’s Corner

     The weather lately has been beautiful.  Cool, no humidity, plenty of rain.  It has been wonderful.  In my opinion it could stay this way the rest of the summer.  Unfortunately as we all know, it won’t last.  Soon the humidity, and hot dry weather of summer will be here.  That’s good for those who want to go swimming, but for those of us who work outside it’s not so fun.  It is also not so fun for those of us who want to have a nice lush lawn.  In June between the 23 through July 5 the European Chafer Beetles will be emerging.  If you had any damage last year or this spring in your dryish lawn, you will be a prime target.  The females love to lay their eggs in dry lawn.  The adults emerge from the soil at night, mate and lay eggs.  One way to avoid damage from Chafer Beetles is to water your lawn with 1″ of water per week for the next 4 weeks.  If it stays moist and mother nature gives us 1″ of water per week you probably won’t have to irrigate.  If watering your lawn that much is not an option, you can always treat your lawn with GrubEx.  If you have a professional apply the insecticide, we have many more options of chemicals to use.

Let’s talk about some mistakes that can be made in the garden and lawn.  Now that its June and we are all going to be doing a lot of lawn mowing, we need to consider the height at which you cut your grass.  The healthiest height to keep your lawn during the summer 2 1/2″ to 3″ tall.  This may sound long but unless you have a golf green in your yard, in which case you would keep the blades at about 1/4″, you do not want to cut your lawn that short.  The reasons to keep it longer are the following.  The grass is able to tolerate drought much easier, it will be more competitive against weeds, it will be able to withstand foot traffic, it will be able to compete against bugs better.  Cutting the grass too short in the summer, can lead to scalping which can invite pests to gather there.  Longer grass in the summer helps to shade the grass crown so not as much water is needed.  As we move toward Fall you can shorten up the height and make it easier for the sun to get to the ground. 

Irrigation techniques are another area where homeowners make mistakes.  Many people believe that the more water the better.  Unfortunately this is not true.  Many homeowners actually overwater their plants and lawn.  Most lawns just need about an inch of water per week.  The best time to water is in the morning so the plants and lawn have all day to dry.  This is especially important for plants that suffer from black spot, like roses or powdery mildew, like lilacs.  The only time plants need more water is when they are first installed.  They have a small root capacity when they are first planted and so they dry out quickly.  Building a saucer around the plants when they are first put in helps to collect rain water or the water from irrigation and holds it in the root zone so it can soak in rather than run off.  New plants should be watered once or twice per week depending upon how much rain we get and wether or not the soil is sandy or tends toward clay.

Enjoy the summer.  Keep gardening.

     I once was involved with a television program called “Ask the Professional”.  It appeared on public television through Delta College.  My husband Chuck, a horticulturist at Dow Gardens, was one of the moderators and I was behind the scenes answering the phone.  Homeowners would call in and ask a question and the phone answerers (there were three of us) would write down the questions and  a runner would take them to the studio where the professionals would answer them on live T.V.  I can say without a doubt the question most asked was, ” how do I get rid of moles?”     You have all probably mowed your lawn at least once this season.  It’s usually that first mowing that gets us groaning about the damage done by those tiny but destructive creatures the moles.  Every time I hear the word mole, I think of Austin Powers, but I digress. 

     Anyway, we received so many phone calls about moles, the phone answerers would just start answering people ourselves.  In this article we are going to discuss the best way to get rid of the cute little beasts.  The best way, according to Christopher Solomon of MSN Lawns and Landscapes, the three Reder brothers, and the mole trapping guy from the Midland Country Club is to trap them.  In other words, use some sort of mechanical device that kills the moles.  Moles are solitary creatures who don’t like other moles around. Usually this means that all the damage done to your lawn has been done by one or two moles.  If you trap and kill one or two you have solved your problem….almost.  The problem remains that if you kill one mole, another one will sniff out the empty tunnels and take them over.  You will have to keep killing them until they stop moving in.  You will probably have to kill several moles.  The most efficient way to trap them is to put the trap in an active tunnel.  You will have to squish down the tunnels and see which ones pop back up.  Place your traps in those passages. 

     The downside to this is dealing with a dead mammal.  I personally do not like to kill anything so I am glad I don’t have moles in my yard. The up-side to leaving the moles in your lawn is that their diet of worms and grubs causes their excrement to be a valuable soil additive.  Great huh? If you tramp the tunnels down often enough the moles will burrow deeper and you can live in harmony with them because you won’t see the tunnels anymore.  So if your a non-killer like me you can reach a compromise.

     In the nursery, we have finally filled the nursery with many beautiful plants.  We have quite a nice assortment of unusual specialty plants and the greenhouse is full of wonderful perennials.  Stop out and see us.  We have had some beautiful, warm days great for strolling through the nursery.

     We’ve been attacked!!  Not by aliens but by bugs!  This winter has been simply horrendous for white grubs.  Our lawns have been decimated by the little beasts chewing on the roots and crowns of our grass plants.  Homeowner’s have until May 15th, according to Michigan State Entomology Department, to kill the little culprits before they pupate into beetle’s.  Products containing Sevin or Dylox are the two pesticides that will do the best job. These chemicals kill on contact.  Water the chemical into the ground by setting up a sprinkler and watering for 60 min.  Then rake up the dead grass and re-seed with grass seed.  The cool weather we are currently having is perfect for seeding.  Grass seed germinates best when temps are cool.  Don’t forget to water it in and keep it watered.  If you would like more information on these grubs, how to identify which grubs you have and how to get rid of them go to http//ohioline.osu.edu/hygfact/2000/2510.html.  A better approach to grub control according to Michigan State Extension, is to prevent them.  Their suggestion is to apply preventative products at the time of egg hatching or when grubs are small.  The first critical issue is to determine what active ingredient the product contains by looking at the label.  The best preventative grubicides contain Merit or imidacloprid and cyfluthrin in partnership.

     In the garden, watch out for frost.  Our first frost free day in Michigan does not occur until May 15th.  We have been having some very cool temps and frost this past weekend and the first part of this week.  Keep your annuals, tender perennials, and any young seedlings or house plants you may have set out, covered in the evenings until the threat of frost has passed.

Happy gardening!