Dirt "Tunnels" in Your Lawn?

A Ryan Lawn & Tree turf manager points out vole damage in Kansas City.

We have gotten quite a few calls from homeowners in the area who have bare "tunnels" in their lawns.

Most likely, this is vole damage. Voles, closely related to field mice, cause more damage in winters where there is snow on the ground a lot of the time (we've discussed the snow that never seemed to end this year).

During these chilly, wet winters, the voles create meandering tunnels in the snow, on top of the lawn. Because it takes a lot of energy to build these snow tunnels, the voles run the same path over, and over, and over. As a result, they wear a path in the lawn and kill the grass.

Take a look around the hard surfaces in your landscape - next to a sidewalk or driveway. Voles will make their nest beneath these surfaces. If you want to rid yourself of these pests, stick a bait station under your driveway in the vole nest (if you can find it). (Be careful, these bait stations can be harmful to pets.)

If you have some bluegrass in your lawn, the bare areas should fill in this April or May. You can also seed this bare spots sometime in the next few weeks.

*The difference between mole and vole damage? Moles actually tunnel beneath the grass creating raised mounds. Voles travel on top of the grass, creating worn paths.

Mushrooms on Your Tree?

If you have mushrooms coming out the side of your tree, it is a sign of decay. (These "mushrooms" are actually called shelf fungus.) Trees with decay are hazardous--an emergency waiting to happen.

What does this mean for your tree? You need to have it evaluated by a professional arborist. There is a good chance it will need to be removed. The International Society of Arboriculture has a certification program that can help narrow your search for a qualified tree professional. You can search for an ISA Certified Arborist here.

Tree removals can be expensive. However, the cost isn't going to go down much if the tree fails and falls on your house. (We can all recall a time after a bad storm when we have seen huge trees completely uprooted--it happens.)

Take care of your home by looking over your trees and looking for signs of decline. And if you have a picture of weird things going on with your tree, send them my way: tarapatty at ryanlawn dot com

Sand Plum Farm

The freeze this spring was enough to reduce the fruit production on my Dad's sand plums at Sand Plum Farms. During a normal growing season, the trees are covered in white blossoms like the tree pictured above.

Sand plums are native to Kansas and their fruit is used in jellies and wines. It has small, red fruit (in most cases). Prior to planting his orchard, my dad scoured the countryside looking for wild trees to harvest.





Sand plum jelly is delicious. It is a touch tart, but very good on toast, pancakes or served as an appetizer with cream cheese.

Did any of you have fruit tree damage this spring?

Follow Up on Bradford Pears

As a followup to Wednesday's post, I wanted to show you this picture of a Bradford Pear that was damaged by the wind and ice a week ago. It really drives home the idea that if you REALLY want a Bradford Pear, you should plant it far away from your home and driveway, and your neighbor's personal property.

High Winds Damage Bradford Pears

Photo by Martin LaBar

A query on our local Q & A gardening blog asked if there are pear trees that are less likely to split during high winds.

All pears are weak-wooded and susceptible to damage. Bradford Pears are hit especially hard. In fact, tonight as I was driving down a street lined in Bradford Pears, I was reminded of a fabulous pair of high heels. They're pretty, but not exactly practical.

If you live in any area that routinely gets ice or high winds, it is best to avoid planting this tree. If you absolutely have to have one, prune it regularly and aggressively to keep it from getting too top heavy.

Were any of your pears damaged during last weekends storm?