Measure Up

Many of you will be fertilizing this fall--which is the perfect time according to most of the universities.

Before you start applying the fertilizer, measure your lawn so you know how much to put down (ditto for seeding).

Obviously, this is easiest for square lawns. (Area=Length x Width) If you don't have a measuring wheel, you can step it off. Calculate 3 feet for each step. (Ex. 19 steps equates to 57 feet)

To measure circular areas the formula is Pi(3.14) X (radius X radius)

For a triangular area the formula is base X height / 2

It is really fairly simple to get a general idea of the size of your lawn, so you know you are putting down the appropriate amount of product.

Spring Bulbs

It is WAY to early to plant spring bulbs, but if there are specific varieties of flowers you want to plant, consider ordering them soon.

Last year, much to my grandmother's chagrin, I went to the local Home Depot a bought some standard varieties. They turned out okay, and I fell in love, with this little beauty:

Photo from http://www.bluestoneperennials.com

Get Dressed

This is a new Japanese Maple, planted this summer. You can see the mulched border in the left of the photo, and the mulch around the Sycamore in the center.

Fall is a perfect time to top dress any mulch you have in your landscape. Take advantage of a cool day to cross this chore off your list.

I have A LOT of mulch in my landscape. I have a mulched border around my back yard and two mulched beds in the front. Likewise, I have a mulch ring around my trees.

Mulch holds moisture and keeps weeds down, naturally. It is a perfect way to cut down on mowing and watering needs in your lawn, while still creating an inviting landscape. I have planted several shrubs in my border and even added some trees last spring.

If you haven't used mulch in your landscape before, consider doing so now. You won't regret it.

(When mulching around trees, be sure to avoid piling mulch around the trunk. This can lead to rotting.)

Pruning Roses

Photo from: http://www.tamu.edu

I have a few knockout roses that are struggling right now. Part of the reason, is that they need to be deadheaded. (I know, I know, nurseries say you do not need to deadhead knockout roses, but I really think it encourages blooming!)

I use a pair of hand pruners to cut the spent bloom back to the first set of five leaves. (Follow the stem from the bloom and you will first encounter one or two sets of three leaves, wait until you reach the first set of five to make your cut.)

The second thing my roses likely need is fertilizer. I am going to put down a slow-release fertilizer this spring to see how it affects next year's growing season.

All-in-all if you are looking for a nice flowering shrub, it doesn't get any easier than knockout roses.

Seeding Reminder

Don't forget, if you are planning to seed Fescue or Bluegrass lawns, fall is the time.

Seed between Labor Day and October 15 for best results. Once you have put the seed down, water daily for 3 weeks. If the seed dries out, you won't get the results you want.

Basil

Photo from: www.tastefulgarden.com

Right up there with garlic, I have heard a lot of great things about home-grown basil. Basil is great for Italian flavors, and a main ingredient in Pesto.

I think the best plan of attack for growing basil in the Midwest is to grow it indoors in pots. To start, make sure your pot will get good drainage. A few pebbles in the bottom of the pot should do the trick.

Once you have planted the basil, thin out weaker plants. Pinch off any flowers that bloom to preserve the flavor of the plant and stimulate more leaf growth.

When watering, try to avoid getting water on the leaves. Fertilize once a month.

Basil is a pick and come again crop. It is best to pick a few leaves off a number of plants than picking all the leaves off one plant. Harvest the top most leaves first.

Garlic

Photo from i.ehow.com

I keep hearing about home grown garlic. Things along the lines of, "Once you've tasted home grown garlic, you'll never go back!"

Sounds great to me!

I have been pondering planting a fall crop this October, after the first frost. Apparently, you plant each clove 1 inch deep and 4 inches apart. Then, they will grow throughout the winter and be ready to harvest in early spring, once the leaves start to turn brown.

Garlic won't survive harsh winters, but can also be planted in the spring.

Elephant Ears

I planted my first elephant ears this spring, and it's official--I'm in love.

The large, green leaves bring a welcome tropical feel to this Midwest prairie. The leaves on my elephant ears are a light green, although my research of black-leafed cultivars has intrigued me. I may have to give "Black Magic" or "Jet Black Wonder" a try next year.

Zones higher than 8 can treat the plant as a perennial. Those of us in Zones 5-6, however, will have to dig them up every fall so they can overwinter indoors.

Garden Plans

Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ceiling/1041719721/

If you have a big, open space you want to convert to landscape beds, check out Better Homes and Gardens. They have a free garden design application on their web site. It is great for planning new landscape, or just fun to play around in for awhile.

You can see my garden here: http://planagarden.bhg.com/planagarden/index.php

Find some time to check it out!

Watch Out For Grubs

Photo from: http://forages.oregonstate.edu/index.cfm

Grubs can devastate your lawn. These little, white larvae feed on grass roots, and, in large numbers can do a lot of damage.

Signs of grub damage aren't unique--you'll notice a brown spot in your lawn. However, it is important to take a closer look. If you can pull up the grass like a piece of carpet, you have grub damage. (The presence of birds or other small animals digging in your lawn may also indicate a grub problem.)

Grubs are fairly easy to control with a lawn protection product available at your local garden center.

Letting them run their course is risky, because you will likely end up reseeding much of your lawn. (A very labor-intensive, and sometimes costly, process.)

Water!

Photo From: http://home.howstuffworks.com

August in the Midwest is HOT! This intense heat, coupled with very little rainfall, is tough on our cool-season lawns (especially in the transition zone).

It is imperative that we water regularly during dry periods, if we want our lawns to keep growing. (The alternative is not to water and let the lawn go dormant.)

Your lawn needs roughly 1" of water every 2 to 3 days when temperatures are above 90 degrees. (You can use a rain gauge or an empty tuna can to ensure you are watering enough.)

As a general rule, anytime your lawn starts to look "dull" or take on a bluish tint, it is time to water.

Watering is certainly an easier task for those with an automatic system. For the rest of us, it is worth the effort to drag out a hose and sprinkler to make sure we keep our lawn in good shape.

If we can all hold on another 6 weeks, we should see relief from the heat and our lawns will have a chance to shine for another month or two before they go dormant for winter.

Scorched Pear Trees?

Photo from: http://wrir4.ucdavis.edu/

If twigs on your pear or apple trees look burned or scorched, chances are the trees are suffering from a fungal disease known as fire blight.

Fire blight is a difficult to control fungal disease that popped up in more trees than normal this year because of above average rainfall this spring and summer. The best way to get rid of fire blight is through very careful pruning. (In the case of large infestations, where large portions of the tree are infected, control through pruning may not be possible.)

You will have to sterilize pruning equipment between every cut with a 10% bleach or 25% alcohol solution. Make your pruning cut 10 to 12 inches below the discolored area of the branch. Because the bacteria are so easily transmitted, care should be taken in disposing of infected plant material. Either burn or discard in the trash. Do not leave infected material where the bacteria might be spread to surrounding bushes or trees.

Getting Antsy?

Photo from: http://www.ent.uga.edu/

Carpenter ants are frequently seen crawling in and out of trees (Pin Oaks seem to be a favorite).

These little critters are fairly difficult to treat. You have to kill the Queen in order to entirely rid yourself of an infestation. Using ant bait, available at local hardware stores, is a good place to start. The idea is that ants are attracted to the bait, and then carry it back to their friends in the tree.

Carpenter ants are a secondary tree problem, as they only eat dead wood and do not damage the tree. However, the presence of the ants warrants a closer look at your tree for a more serious (primary) problem.

There is a chance that the ants will migrate to your house (again eating dead, rotting wood), so it is better to manage the problem than to let it go.

Reuse Soda Cans

Yesterday's post showed you how to create a scoop out of an old milk jug. Today's tip is just as handy. Instead of recycling all of your old aluminum cans, rinse them out and place them in the bottom of large planters to take up some of the space. They will provide extra drainage capacity and you'll need less potting soil!

Handy, Eco-friendly Garden Tool

This simple scoop is fashioned from a half-gallon plastic milk jug. It's great for distributing fertilizer granules or potting soil in tight spaces. To craft it, make two horizontal cuts on the sides adjacent to the handle, and two forward-slanting diagonal cuts in the other sides.

Breathing Room

Not for you, though that may be nice, I'm talking about breathing room for your turfgrass roots. The end of the growing season is the perfect time to aerate cool-season lawns, like Fescue and Bluegrass.

An aeration helps reduce thatch and compaction, and opens up the soil for better air and nutrient movement. During an aeration, a machine pulls cores from the lawn and deposits them on top of the soil. (These cores break down readily, so there is no reason to rake.)

Lawns with heavy clay soil are especially susceptible to compaction and should be aerated on a regular schedule. Likewise, if you cut a square in the lawn at least 6 inches deep, and the roots of your grass only extend 1-2 inches, it is time to aerate.

Fall Blooms

Dianthus from http://www.all-americaselections.org

Fall doesn't seem like a good time to plant new flowers in your beds, but it is actually a prime time for certain annuals. Snapdragons, pansies, ornamental cabbage and dianthus are commonly planted in the early spring because they have a tolerance for cooler temperatures. If you think about it, they should be great fall flowers, too.

Try planting them in your flower beds to add new color once your other annuals have bloomed out or become straggly. If you spread a light mulch around your pansies, they usually survive a mild winter to come back in the spring.

If you have a love for perennials, you may be disheartened when autumn falls unpon us, because most perennials are well past their bloom time once September arrives. If you want to add some fall perennial color, chrysanthemums, asters and solidago tend to bloom later in the year and add some great fall focal points to any perennial garden.

It may seem a little early to be thinking about fall, but I wanted to give you a heads up on these autumn gardening tips!

Planting Bulbs In Containers

Photo from www.bulbsdirect.com.au

Love this article about planting bulbs in containers from HGTV. It seems fairly simple, so I am planning on trying it out this fall/spring. I will have to post pictures of my results!

In the meantime, here is the article: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_sgn/article/0,,HGTV_3885_1506549,00.html

Brown Pine Needles

If you have ever wondered why some pines seem to grow poorly in the Midwest, you have already noticed the disease I want to highlight today--Tip Blight.

Tip blight is a fungal disease spread during spring rains. The disease only affects new needle growth, which turn brown, fail to develop fully and may form a "Shepard's Crook."

Tip blight is fairly easy to identify and treat. You will have to use plant protection products annually to keep the infection from coming back every year. If you do not treat, the tree will continue to decline and will eventually die.

The most common hosts of tip blight are Scotch pine and Austrian pine. Avoid planting these species when possible. If you already have some of these trees in your landscape, keep them healthy (this is the first line of defense). Water well during dry periods, including the winter season.

Sprinkler Systems

You have an automatic sprinkler system. All your watering problems are solved, right? Not necessarily.

Watering issues still result even with automatic systems. These issues include:
• Poor head placement, usually not enough heads or heads are too far apart
• Incorrect nozzles in rotors
• Improper setting of times for a zone or zones
• Watering at the wrong time of the day

Some of these issues can lead to too much or too little water in a portion of your yard. Improper design is usually the result of lack of experience by an installation company. Companies sometimes reduce heads to save money if the job was bid too low.

To be effective, sprinkler heads should spray to the adjacent head. This gives 100% coverage and avoids wet/dry, wet/dry spots across your lawn.

A major reason for new lawns to fail to come in well is improper coverage from poorly installed automatic systems. The second reason is not setting the controller correctly.

Summer Weed Control

http://extension.missouri.edu/

Weed control in the summer is more difficult than controlling weeds in the spring, because the growth rate during the hot, dry summer is considerably slower. When plants (including weeds) aren't actively growing, they don't intake weed control product as effectively.

Therefore, if you are going to treat weeds in the summer, be patient. It will take a few more applications to get the job done. Violets and nutsedge are particularly difficult to control.

Thankfully, once fall temperatures arrive, most weeds are finishing their life cycles and dying off. You may choose to apply a preemergent in the fall to prevent annual, grassy weeds (crabgrass) the next growing season. It is also acceptable to apply preemergent in the spring, before soil temperatures hit 55 degrees F.

Get Rid of Standing Water

Lawns need water, especially in the heat of summer. Effective watering keeps your lawn and landscape healthy and thriving. However, water standing in your lawn or landscape beds for more than 24 hours, is not good.

Allowing water to gather in your landscape may compromise grass or other plantings. Pay attention to your lawn next time it rains. If you still have standing water a day later, take note. The next step is determining what is keeping the water from draining.

It may be necessary to move some dirt around or install a french drain to take care of the problem. In the long run, it is worth it to do so, especially if water is standing in conspicuous areas.

Poison Ivy

Poison ivy is common throughout the United States, but many homeowners still have trouble identifying it. Let’s take a close look at identification, it’s irritating qualities and how to get rid of this pest.

The plant is a vine. It is very adaptable from dense shade to full sun. It can occur as a self-supporting woody shrub, as a thin trailing vine running along the ground, or as an aerial-rooted vine growing up trees, power poles or fences.

No matter the growing habits, all poison ivy has a distinctive leaf pattern of three leaflets occurring alternately along the stem. All forms of the plant are poisonous.

Poison ivy is irritating. The oil from the leaves produces an allergic reaction in many people that causes blisters and severe itching.

Poison ivy is spread through our landscape by birds eating the berries and passing them through their digestive systems. We often see small volunteer plants along fence rows and growing under trees. When you think about it, this is where birds like to congregate.

It is not hard to control poison ivy, especially when it is young. The best method is to spray the leaves with common broadleaf weed control products like Trimec or Weed No More. Use the regular spray rate. Poison ivy becomes more difficult to control when it becomes a thick vine. Cut or chop the thick vine close to the ground, then carefully pour a small amount of concentrated weed control product directly on the stump of the vine. Wait a few weeks or even a month. If there is no new growth from the stump, your plant is dead. If it sprouts new leaves from the stump, you probably need to use a brush control product. You can buy a small container of this product at a garden center or the lawn department of many chain stores.

Container Gardening

Photo from: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/gt/container/container.html

It is a little late to start a container garden...but it is a great time to buy containers for next year!

Container gardening can be fun and a dramatic way to accent your landscape and add dramatic color. New containers are stylish and last longer than the clay pots of a few years ago. Many are light in weight. Using a potting mix (vs. topsoil) keeps weight down even more.

Before picking the flowers for your container, will it be in full sun or partial shade? For containers on the west and south side of your home, consider begonias, petunias, coleus, geraniums, marigolds, nasturtiums, snapdragons, zinnias and other heat tolerant flowers. In partial to full shade, consider impatiens, begonias, ferns and even tropical plants.

In the front of your home, use containers to accent and create attention around your front door. In the back yard, containers make great accents at the edge of your patio or deck.

Make sure your containers have drain holes in the bottom. A layer of pebbles in the bottom of the pot will keep the hole open so excess water can drain away. Purchase potting mix because it holds more water and weights less than top soil.

Use slow release fertilizer every few months or small amounts of quick release plant food every 2 weeks.

Enjoy the color!

Weeds! Weeds! Weeds!

Photo from: http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/PPDL/

Nutsedge is growing like crazy!

Yellow nutsedge is often mistaken for grass plants when it is young, but can be identified by it's triangular stems. If you roll the stem of the plant in your fingers, you should be able to feel the triangular shape. The leaves are light green to yellowish in color, and the plants outgrow turf, making them especially noticeable in summer.

A healthy, dense, stand of turf that can compete with yellow nutsedge and other weeds is the best control method. Encourage a dense stand of turf by following proper turf maintenance practices.

Herbicides may be required when large patches of nutsedge are present in the turf area. For homeowners, a herbicide containing methanearsonate is recommended for controlling yellow nutsedge.

Purdue University offers these tips on treating nutsedge with a herbicide:

1. Be sure to read and follow all directions on the herbicide label.

2. One day before making the herbicide application, irrigate the turf area to moisten the soil profile to a depth of 6 inches.

3. Treat the area with the proper rate of herbicide based on the recommendations found on the label. Do not apply the herbicide if the air temperature is above 85^oF.

4. Two days after the herbicide application, irrigate the treated area with enough water to moisten the soil profile to a 6-inch depth.

5. Seven days after the first application, repeat steps 2 through 4. A third and possibly a fourth application may be necessary for complete control.

Swamp White Oak

Photo from http://www.extension.iastate.edu

Another one of my favorite trees is the Swamp White Oak. It has relatively few disease and/or insect problems, and it grows relatively fast. The obvious downside is acorn production, but don't let that stop you from planting this wonderful tree.

Swamp White Oak is a medium sized tree perfect as a large shade or street tree. (It can grow up to 82 feet in height, so be cognizant of power lines.)

These trees are long lived, plant one today and it may be around in 350 years!

Of all the members of the White Oak group, the undersides of its leaves are the most white, forming a stark contrast with the dark green of the upper part of the leaf. The leaves are broad ovoid, and are shallowly lobed with five to seven lobes on each side.

Moles

Photo from www.fcps.k12.va.us/index.shtml

Moles and the tunnels they dig are an unsightly nuisance. Unfortunately, removal of moles from your property can be difficult.

To get rid of moles, you can try using caster oil on the mounds. The oil is supposed to drive the moles out of their tunnels. A few lawn pros I know swear by this method.

Another alternative to get rid of moles is through trapping. There are three excellent mole traps on the market. Each of these, if handled properly, will give you good results. All of these traps depend on the same mechanism for releasing the spring. The brand name for these traps are Harpoon, Out O'Sight and Nash.

Local pet control companies may be able to help you get moles under control as well.

There are few things you can do to keep moles out of your lawn. However, moles are attracted to water sources. If you have areas of your lawn that pool water, try to correct the grade and install a drainage tile if needed. This may help keep these pesky rodents off your property and out of your lawn.

Witch Hazel

Photo from foundinthefells.com

Vernal Witch hazel is a fragrant, early blooming plant. It's tiny, spidery flowers vary from almost yellow through shades of orange to almost purple-red. This shrub will be the first to bloom every year, adding color as early as January.

The blooms are also very hardy. They can withstand temperatures as low as negative 10F. If it gets a little chilly, the blooms curl up, then unfurl when temperatures climb back up!

Witch hazel not only adds color to a winter landscape; the flowers also carry a pseudo-gingerbread scent. The plant is readily available at nurseries.

Renovate Your Lawn

A renovation after the grass has been killed.

I am so sorry I didn't post yesterday! I am new to this blogging thing, so bear with me as I work it all out.

On to the topic of the day--seeding your lawn. It is a little early to seed now (much too hot), but before you know it, it will be labor day and prime seeding time.

So...why the post now?

If you are TOTALLY renovating your lawn, now is the time to start, believe it or not. By total renovation, I mean you are killing your existing lawn and planting a brand-spanking new one. If you are attempting to rid yourself of a Zoysia or Bermuda lawn, get on a good watering schedule and apply a product containing Glyphosate (such as Roundup) to the entire area to be seeded within the next week or two. (Why water? Because actively growing grass will take in Glyphosate better.) It will probably take a few treatments to kill the grass, which is why you need to start early.

Here is a great how-to on renovating a lawn from Colorado State University:

How to Renovate a Lawn

Follow these steps to renovate a lawn.

1. Kill existing grass and weeds using a non-selective herbicide. The most effective products contain glyphosate.
2. Glyphosate is only effective on actively growing grass and weeds, so the area should be well-irrigated to encourage plant growth before applying the herbicide.
3. Allow the spray to dry for one day following application. Resume watering for 10 days. Spot spray areas or weeds that are still green.
4. When the existing vegetation is dead, mow the site to 1/2 inch and remove the debris by hand raking or using the bagging unit on your lawn mower.
5. If there is an existing thatch layer (a matted layer of organic matter on the soil surface) thicker than 1 inch, remove it from the lawn (a sod cutter makes thatch removal easier).
6. A thatch layer less than 1 inch is okay, but the soil must be exposed.
• Core cultivating provides an excellent seed germination environment. Holes should be 1 to 3 inches deep and 2 inches apart in all directions.
• A power rake, set deep enough to expose the soil, can also be run over the lawn in two different directions. Remove loose debris by raking or using a bagging unit attached to your lawn mower.
7. Spread seed on exposed soil to allow for good seed to soil contact.
8. Seed at the label’s recommended rate with a drop spreader in two different directions. Follow with a light raking to work the seed into the soil. Adding topsoil or sand after seeding is NOT recommended.

You will have an awesome lawn in no time...even if your neighbors think you have no knack for lawn care when your grass "dies" in July!

***This post is specific to the transition zone between zones 5 and 6. For specific instructions on how to kill out lawns outside this area, leave a comment and I will provide guidelines for you.***

Budworms!

Photo from: http://ag.utah.gov/

I am on a worm kick this week. (Maybe because I am planning a little fishing this weekend.)

At any rate, not only do worms hang from trees, they hideout in our petunias and geraniums. I love petunias for a bright splash of color in the yard. This year, I am paying especially close attention to them, because I am on the look out for tobacco budworms.

If your petunias or geraniums aren't blooming like they should, tobacco budworms may be spending some time around your house. Budworms settle into the buds of these pretty plants before they fully develop. Hence, the first sign of an infestation is a failure to bloom. If the buds do open, they will appear ragged and chewed.

How do you find these little guys? Check the buds of the plants for small holes. Also, keep an eye on them at night, when budworms are most active. If you are more of a day hunter, check out the base of the plants, where the budworms like to hide.

If you find them, you can treat the plant with a product containing a synthetic pyrethroid, such as bifenthrin and permethrin. You could also try your luck with new plants in another area of your landscape. Just tell neighbors that you are sponsoring a budworm hotel in the case of the first plants.

Down the road, I am hoping for cultivars that are resistant to this uninvited guest. In the mean time, ivy geraniums appear less susceptible than traditional types and there are some petunias that are less susceptible as well.

Bagworms

I grew up in the country, and our junipers were just covered in bagworms. My skin crawled every time I walked by the trees. Bagworms are not something I would put up with today.

Bagworms attack and defoliate most evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. However, they are particularly destructive to arborvitae, cedar, juniper and other ornamental evergreens.

You can take care of light bagworm infestations, particularly on shrubs and small trees, by picking the bags off. If you have taller trees, you may have to enlist the help of a tree care company.

Even if you can get over the creepiness of worms hanging off your trees, heavy infestations of bagworms are not good for your trees, so it is better to get rid of them.

Fringe Tree

Photo from About.com

If you are planning on adding to your landscape this fall, consider the Fringe Tree. Fringe tree is a beautiful, small tree that blooms in the spring, long after most flowering trees have finished their show. (As an added bonus, the flowers can be forced into early bloom indoors.)

The upright oval to rounded form of fringe tree adds dark green color in summer. (Dark green, glossy leaves emerge later in the spring than those of most plants.)

When not in bloom, fringe tree can be difficult to identify. One trick is to look at the size of the leaves. They are larger than most leaves and the veins are also very striking with a reddish stem.

Fringe trees are usually 10 to 15 feet tall in landscapes.

This is a great medium tree to plant if you are looking for a unique flowering specimen.

Soggy Roots

Spring is the time of year when turfgrass produces the majority of new roots. This year, we had a lot of rain, which hampered root growth. To properly produce roots, there must be oxygen in the soil. When our soils are saturated with water, the amount of oxygen is reduced. This, in turn, reduces the number of new roots that a plant produces.

Because of this root problem, we may start to see signs of wet wilt this summer. Wet wilt occurs during hot and humid periods when soils are waterlogged, or when the roots cannot absorb water quick enough to meet transpiration needs of the plant.

Affected grass initially appears brownish and water-soaked. Turf soon thins out in irregular shapes. Eventually, leaves and sheaths collapse and turn white. A week or two later, dead areas develop a blackish appearance. This condition is difficult to diagnose and can be confused with summer lawn diseases.

For more information, visit: http://www.usga.org/turf/green_section_record/2006/mar_apr/understanding.html

Yellow Leaves on Pin Oaks

Chlorotic Oak Tree

If you have a pin oak with pale green or yellow leaves, it is most likely suffering from a condition called Iron Chlorosis. Basically, this is an iron deficiency caused from a lack of usable iron in the soil. Iron Chlorosis causes the leaves of affected trees to turn yellow and prematurely drop from the tree. If left untreated, over time the condition can lead to branch die back, and, eventually, death of the tree. The condition is treatable, however.

The Utah State University Extension Office has a handy treatment table here: http://extension.usu.edu/forestry/HomeTown/care_irontable1a.htm

Beware of Brown Patch

Photo from www.oznet.ksu.edu

Brown Patch is a nasty fungal disease that attacks Fescue lawns. This is a huge problem in areas that are humid in the summer.

Initially the disease appears as roughly circular, as in the picture above. Eventually, the patches may come together and take over large sections of the yard.

There are some plant protection products available at your local garden store that will control the disease for a short period of time. These are worth the effort if you have a particularly brutal case of disease or if you seeded your lawn in the last year.

Small cases will run their course and leave dead leaf tissue that is easily removed through mowing. Because it is a foliar disease, treatment is not always necessary, depending on your expectations for your lawn.

To avoid disease, water in the mornings to give the lawn time to dry out before nightfall.

Welcome!

This blog will cover all aspects of lawn and tree care. I live in the Midwest, so most entries will focus on growing lawns in this area, although I will try to post about general lawn and tree care frequently for readers outside Zones 5 & 6. E-mail me any lawn care questions you have, and I will do my best to answer them.