GTI Lawn & Garden Letter

2009-04-24T13:59:00.002-04:00

Hi Folks.

Just a notice that this blog is being discontinued on this site but can now be found on the Guelph Turfgrass Institute website by following this link.

If you have not already received a notification email with a summary of the latest posting and a link, please send an email to lawnletter@gti.uoguelph.ca to have your email address added to our list.

Sorry for any inconvenience as we move the GTI Lawn & Garden Letter to the Guelph Turfgrass Institute website.

Rob Witherspoon, Director
Guelph Turfgrass Institute & Environmental Research Centre
University of Guelph

2008-11-01T08:16:00.003-04:00

Putting the Lawn and Garden to Bed

Looks like we are headed into a nice stretch of sunny fall weather which will be perfect for getting the yard cleaned up for winter. Here is the checklist I use to get everything tidied up and ready for a quick start to the gardening season next spring.

1. Leaf Removal

I am proud to say that I have never removed a single leaf from my property. If you have a good quality mulching mower, with freshly sharpened blades, you can actually mulch your leaves right into the lawn. Recent research has shown that you can mulch your leaves into the lawn with no harm to the grass. Mulching means chopping the leaves up with a mulching mower fine enough that they do not mat and smother the grass. Adding a late fall nitrogen application will help the soil microbes break the leaves down releasing nutrients and building organic matter in the soil. The leaves do need to be on the drier side to mulch effectively. You also need a good quality mulching mower with sharp blades. An alternative is to designate bed areas in your garden as leaf composting areas and raking the leaves into these areas to as a natural mulch. Just be sure not to smother any herbaceous perennials. Tree and shrub beds make nice leaf composting areas. Alternatively, you can add the leaves along to your composter or compost pile with your other garden debris.

2. Final Lawn Mowing

I like to have the lawn go into the winter at the same height or even slightly lower than normal. The leaf mulching operation takes care of the final mowing and also makes sure that the lawn does not go into winter smothered by leaves. Unmown, more naturalized areas of the yard also get their once a year cutting at this time of year to reduce mice/vole habitat and remove some of the organic matter to the compost pile.

Damaged areas of the lawn can still be repaired this late in the season. Sod is generally available up until freeze up and if laid in late fall and rolled, will easily survive through winter. You just have to remember to keep an eye on it for water needs in the spring should natural rainfall be insufficient. Areas can be dormant seeded as an alternative. Follow the instructions on the bag and rake the seed in a bit and roll to minimize the chance of birds eating the seed. Again, watch for germination in spring and water if needed.

3. Fall Fertilization

Once the grass has stopped growing, it is time to apply perhaps the most important fertilizer application of the season. One pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet at this time of year aids in the breakdown of mulched leaves as indicated above, but more importantly provides the grass plants with the nutrition needed to survive the winter and green up quickly and establish deep roots next spring. Even though the grass has stopped growing, it is still photosynthesizing actively and the addition of nitrogen helps support this process. If you have been using a balanced fertilizer through the season you can use a straight nitrogen source like urea which is inexpensive and immediately available to the roots. Apply carefully to insure you are getting one pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. You can also use a regular turf fertilizer but try to find one that does not have a high slow release content as you are not concerned at this time of year with spreading the release time of the nutrients over a longer period.

4. Annual/Perennial Garden Cleanup

With the exception of annuals or perennials that have winter interest - ornamental grasses with their attractive foliage and seedheads or plants like coneflower whose seeds provide winter food for birds - I like to remove all excess perennial garden foliage so the bulbs show well and there is less cleanup in spring. You can go through the garden with a pair of garden shears but I find a "weed whacker" approach much faster and easier on my back. I use a manual cutter that has a blade attached to a handle that you swing to cut the material off at ground level but you could use a gas or electric string trimmer as well. Material is collected and layered in the compost pile. I like to finish things off by running the mower over the garden at its highest setting to tidy everything up and mulcing any remaining debris. If you have the time, you can also spread some compost or find some well rotted manure to topdress your beds, particularly if they looked a little tired this past summer. Throughout most of Ontario, continuous rainfall made everything look lush throughout the season so tiredness was not seen in many gardens.

5. Containers

Once container plants have faded for the season, remove them and clean up the containers for storage. If you used any perennials in your containers, lift them and plant in the garden somewhere as they will not survive in the containers unless you have a very sheltered and partly heated area to store them in. I have several large patio containers and remove only the top 10-15 cm of soil and roots leaving the remaining soil in the bottom of the container to reduce my need to purchase more soil next spring. These containers are stored in an old shed so they are not subjected to getting waterlogged from rain and snow which can cause freeze-thaw damage to the containers.

6. Watering Systems

Anyone with an inground irrigation system will likely have had it blown out by now. Empty any rain barrels, remove them from below your downspout and turn them upside down so they do not collect any water over the winter. I attach a length of solid plastic drainage pipe to the downspout to direct fall and early spring rains away from my foundation. Drain garden hoses and store in a dry area. I have an old plastic garbage can that I coil all my hoses into and it can stay outside the shed saving valuable floor space inside. If you do not have frost proof outside faucets, don't forget to shut them off from inside and open the valve to drain any water. If you don't use the faucets in the winter, it is not a bad idea to shut frost proof faucets as well.

7. Small Engines

Small engines in mowers, tillers and other outdoor equipment that will not be used should be properly winterized. Although draining the gas from the tank and carburator is one option, I find it messy with the potential for spilling fuel. I prefer to top up the tanks, add a fuel stabilizer according to the label instructions, and either shutting off the fuel line and running the excess gas out of the carburator or if there is no gas line shut off, running the engine for a few minutes after adding stabilizer to the tank to insure you have stabilized gas in the carburator. Clean any debris off the machine and sharpen blades if you didn't before mulching leaves. Pressure washers need to be winterized or stored in a heated area to prevent damage to the pump. Check your owners manual on instructions for proper winterizing of your pressure washer if you store it outside. I store mine in an unheated shed and winterize the pump by drawing some RV plumbing system antifreeze into the pump. If you have a snow blower, now is a good time to start it up to make sure it is working properly as opposed to waiting until you have a driveway full of the white stuff.

8. Hand Tools

The final task is to clean up all the garden tools. Use a wire brush to scrub any dirt or rust from metal parts and treat the metal with either an oil wipe or spray of penetrating oil to prevent rust. Wooden handles can be rubbed with a cloth soaked in linseed oil to prevent drying out and cracking. Any rough or splintering areas on handles can be lightly sanded prior to oiling.

That should just about wrap up lawn and garden cleanup for the fall. Head inside, make yourself a hot cup of tea and get on the Internet to start looking for the seed catalogues and new plants for next year. We are working on pulling together some new information to help gardeners deal with next year out on the lawn and garden and will let you know when it is ready. Right now I have to head out and actually do all of the above. Have a great winter!

Rob Witherspoon
Guelph Turfgrass Institute & Environmental Research Centre
www.guelphturfgrass.ca
University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario Canada

2008-08-07T09:35:00.007-04:00

GTI research plots - August, 2008

Mid-Summer Update

My apologies for the lengthy delay between posts to the GTI Lawn & Garden Letter blog. It has been a busy summer in the turf world. Here is a quick update on summer lawn maintenance issues. Farther down the page you will also find an announcement for our Trial Garden Open House which is taking place on Tuesday, August 19th. If you are in the Guelph area, please come by to see our facility and specifically the beautiful trial gardens. Each day I drive in the laneway to our research station I always make sure to roll down the window and breath in the marvelous scent of the thousands of annual and perennial flowers in bloom.

What's Up on the Lawn

The heavy rainfall this summer has resulted in a lot of mushroom growth on lawns. Mushrooms thrive on the moisture and grow on the dead organic material on the lawn. They are generally not a problem and are usually knocked down by regular mowing.

Good turf growth is masking most evidence of insect damage. Grubs are starting to become active. If you are considering nematodes for grub control, the application window is late August to early September. We have received some reports of chinch bug damage. Please refer to earlier postings about the method of detecting chinch bugs in your lawn using a coffee can with both ends removed. Damage is showing as fist sized dead patches in sunny areas of the lawn. There are no effective non-chemical controls for chinch bugs available. Consult with a local lawn care professional for control options available in your area.

Normally at this time of year lawns are dormant and fertilization is not recommended. This year is different as the turf has continued to grow through the summer. Now would be a good time for an additional fertilizer application to keep your lawn healthy and green through the rest of the summer and into fall.

It has been an exceptional year for crabgrass which is now showing as yellow-green coarse leaved turf in lawn areas. There is nothing you can do to control crabgrass now but make note of the areas of your lawn that are affected and plan to start a corn gluten meal program next year to control this annual lawn weed.

Broadleaved weeds are also having a banner year although they are usually less of a problem in well maintained lawns that receive adequate fertilization and are mown properly. You are likely aware that Ontario has introduced a cosmetic pesticide ban that will be coming into effect in the spring of 2009. It will severely limit your ability to control weeds and insect pests with chemical controls. There are some decent alternative controls on the market or in development. However, as this fall will likely be your last opportunity to use chemical herbicides, you may want to consider a final application to clean up your lawn as we move into a new era of lawn maintenance.

It will be very interesting to see how private and public lawns and gardens fare under a pesticide free regime. Most municipalities and home owners have made an effort to reduce their pesticide use but the final step will be somewhat challenging. Plan to pay closer attention to cultural management (mowing, watering, fertilizing, etc.) of your landscape. As most of our landscapes were designed with consideration to the availability of pesticides to control pest outbreaks, I suspect some significant redesign and rethinking of our private and public green spaces will be needed as well. We'll do our best to keep you informed of the latest developments in alternative pest management products as well as continue to provide you with reliable and proven garden management information.

University of Guelph’s 2008 Ornamental Trial Gardens Public Open House
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Noon-8:00pm

Tours of the trials will be available throughout the day

What to see
• All America Selections Flower and Bedding Plant Trial
• over 500 different ornamentals for containers and ground beds - vote on your favourites !
• Blooms of Bressingham perennial trial
• Vanhof and Blokker perennial trial
• lily perennialization trial
• boulevard planting trial
• field-grown cutflower trial
• ornamental grass garden

Free Speaker Program
1-2:00pm - The Future of Pest Control in Guelph’s Gardens
6-7:00pm - Boulevards and Bylaws

Get answers all day to:
- pest control problems from Guelph’s new Healthy Landscape Technician
- gardening questions from the Guelph/Wellington Master Gardeners

Cutflower Workshop (3-4:30 pm)
Connie Dam-Byl will once again lead a flower arranging workshop using flowers from the
garden. A registration fee of $10.00 will be charged to cover the cost of the flowers you will take
home with you. There are only 20 workshop spaces available so register early. (See below for
registration contact information)

Where: Guelph Turfgrass Institute, 328 Victoria Rd. S. (at College Ave.)
(Free admission and parking)

For workshop registration or more information
please contact Rodger Tschanz at (519) 824-4120 ext. 52788 or by email at:
rtschanz@uoguelph.ca
web site: www.plant.uoguelph.ca/trialgarden

2008-05-15T21:37:00.005-04:00

Dealing with Dandelions

Once again we enter the season when dandelions reveal their golden flowers across lawns, fields, ditches and parks. I could probably write an entire post about the pluses (pretty flowers, salad greens, wine, and the fact you can make a cool necklace by looping the flower stalks) and the minuses (ugly flowers, crowds out the grass, makes a lousy playing surface, seed blows everywhere and gets into my perennial border) of this controversial plant/weed. However, since this is a place where gardeners come to look for advice about lawn care, I will restrict my comments to managing dandelions in your lawn, or should I say out of your lawn.

Ontario residents are probably aware that the provincial government is introducing legislation to eliminate the cosmetic, or non-essential, use of pesticides on lawns and gardens including those used to control dandelions and other broadleaved weeds. If you are interested in this legislation, check out this link where you can read the draft legislation and provide your own comments if you are so inclined. The bottom line is that if you are currently using a weed and feed fertilizer, a three way herbicide like Killex or having a professional service treat your lawn to control dandelions and other broadleaved weeds, this may be the last year you can use these products. Start planning now to refine and change your management practices to reduce weed populations by other means or alter your expectations and learn how to make dandelion wine.

As a starting point, when dandelions are flowering is not the best time to control them using traditional herbicides. At this time of year, they are putting all of their efforts into producing seed so treatment may affect the leaves but the roots will likely survive and regrow. The treatment will not affect seed production. Fall treatment is most effective at controlling dandelions as they are directing their energy to the roots for winter survival.

In the spring, your best option is to dig out your dandelions. You want to remove as much root as possible so hand pulling is not really an option. A number of tools are available for this job. I have experimented with a few of the available models and have yet to find one that is 100% effective at getting all of the root and preventing regrowth. My current strategy is to use a model that removes the weed, about the top 6-8 cm of root and a small cone of soil. I carry a bucket with some good topsoil mixed with grass seed and toss a handful in each of the little holes to prevent other weeds from germinating in the void. If you have a large lawn and currently have a good crop of dandelions, consider treating your lawn one last time this fall then plan to improve your cultural practices and start manual removal of weeds next year.

There are some options for weed control that will still be available as well as some new options on the horizon. Corn gluten meal has been around for a few years. Normally used as a pet food ingredient, it was found to also prevent seed germination. It has no impact on established weeds but will prevent new weeds from germinating. Unfortunately, it will also prevent grass seed from germinating so you should avoid using it if you are overseeding your lawn to increase turf density. It is particularly effective in a program to control crabgrass, an annual grass that is a weed in lawns and is starting to germinate right now. For more information about this product, including how and when to apply, follow this link.

Within the next year or two, watch for a new product called Sarritor. Expected to be commercially available in 2009 or 2010, this is a true "biological control agent" in that it is a living organism, in this case a fungus, that selectively attacks dandelions and may also have some activity against other broadleaved weeds. Watch for further information on this product or check out their website.

Once you have eradicated undesirable weeds from your lawn, plan a good maintenance program to keep your lawn thick and healthy. A long term demonstration project looking at lawn care alternatives conducted at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute over the last few years showed that fertility was one of the major factors in reducing weed infestation on lawns. The most important aspect from both an agronomic and an environmental perspective is to apply the correct amount of fertilizer at the appropriate time of year. For a moderately managed lawn, you should fertilize twice per year - sometime in the next four weeks (late spring) and in late summer/early fall. I follow a three times a year application schedule on my lawn that adds a late fall application that I think is important for winter survival and early but controlled spring green-up and growth. It is critical to apply the correct amount - go back and see my May, 2006 posting (link at the right side of this page) for information on how to accurately calculate your lawn's fertilizer needs as well as a discussion on organic versus inorganic fertilizers. A soil test taken in the fall every 2-3 years can point out any odd nutrient deficiencies but nitrogen is not measured by soil tests and is the most critical nutrient for grass.

Combined with good mowing practices (a sharp blade, mow high and return the clippings to the lawn), periodic aerating to manage thatch and overseeding as needed to increase turf density, it is not that difficult to have a lawn with no chemical intervention needed. Insect problems are going to be the greatest challenge of managing pesticide free landscapes. Keeping the lawn thick and healthy will help as will quickly overseeding any damaged areas. Hopefully the elimination of pesticide use will help stimulate investment in research to develop effective alternatives so we can still enjoy the environmental, recreational and aesthetic value of our lawns.

We are working on a new website for the Guelph Turfgrass Institute & Environmental Research Centre, and our intention is to eventually move this blog there as well as develop an extensive list of frequently asked questions about lawn care and other helpful resources for home gardeners. I'll keep you posted on new developments and welcome your comments, suggestions and questions. In the meantime, enjoy your lawn and garden and have a great Victoria Day weekend.

2008-04-25T06:38:00.008-04:00

2008 Season Begins with a Bang

In southern Ontario it seems like we have jumped suddenly from winter to summer. Fortunately for the spring bulbs and the rest of the garden, there is some rain in the forecast for the weekend and also a return to cooler, more seasonal temperatures. I always prefer a little cooler temperatures as the spring bulbs emerge to help prevent them from burning out in a few days.

Lawns also benefit from cooler spring temperatures and more consistent rainfall in the spring. Many lawns are showing the signs of last summer's heat and drought along with evidence of damage from insects. Later in this posting, I will provide some advice on repairing damaged lawns.

If you lawn survived last year in decent shape, all it may need this spring is a little raking to remove any debris left over from last fall. You may recall how we had snow last fall before all of the leaves had fallen so no doubt you have residual leaves left over. If they are not too thick and have dried, you may be able to avoid raking and simply mulch them up with the first pass of your mower. Although many homeowners still see fertilizing the lawn as the initial rite of spring, early spring fertilizer is not recommended as it can stimulate leaf growth at the expense of developing a strong root system. Good roots are the key to a healthy lawn so hold off with any fertilizer application until late spring. Fertility will be addressed in a future posting.

Core aeration is also a good cultural practice to help keep your lawn thick and healthy. It is done using a machine that pulls a little plug of soil and turf out of the ground. The plugs will naturally break down and the hole provides a conduit for air and water to easily enter the soil. To help crowd out weeds, overseeding immediately following core aeration is recommended. Perennial ryegrass is the only grass species that can be effectively overseeded into an existing lawn.

The first mowing of the season does not need to be done until the height of the grass is approximately 1/3 higher than your desired height of cut. For home lawns, it is recommended that you mow at the highest height of cut your mower allows. Taller grass has deeper roots and is more resilient to drought and other environmental stresses. It is also more competitive with weeds. Be sure to start the season with a freshly sharpened mower blade. Don't forget to change the oil in your mower if you didn't get it done in the fall. If you are in the market for a new mower, take a look at the light weight push or electric reel mowers that are available for small properties. There is a new solar rechargeable self propelled electric mower made in Canada that is on the market. I am trying to borrow a demonstration unit from the manufacturer and will hopefully be able to post a review in the near future.

Lawn Repair and Renovation

Grub damage can be devestating

If your lawn was severely damaged by drought or insect damage last year and you were unable to initiate repairs last fall, now is the time to get going to avoid weed encroachment on the barren ground. Less severely damaged lawns may be repaired simply by following good cultural practices (mowing, fertility and irrigation) that will encourage the remaining grass to spread and fill in. Overseeding with perennial ryegrass can speed up the repair process.

More severely damaged lawns with large expanses of dead grass need a little more work. Overseeding or resodding are your best options. Whichever route you take, the key is to avoid disturbing the existing soil which will stimulate dormant weed seeds to germinate. Mow low and rake off any debris as a first step. If there is a thick layer of dead material on the surface (thatch) you may need to use a vertical mower, also known as a power rake, to lift the dead material for removal. The area can be topdressed with new topsoil to level and then you can sod or overseed.

Another option for overseeding is to use a slit overseeder. This machine cuts slits in the soil and places the seed in direct contact with soil for optimal germination. Many lawn care companies are now offering this service and some equipment rental companies have slit overseeders for rent. Apply seed at half rate and go over the area in two directions at a right angle to each other.

Renovating a damaged lawn is a great time to upgrade your grass. You may want to consider going to a more drought tolerant and lower maintenance fescue blend or perhaps you want to try out the newest Kentucky bluegrass cultivars. Don't skimp on quality when it comes to seed. Read the label carefully and look for seed blends that have named cultivars as opposed to just common seed types. Follow this link for a list of reputable Canadian lawn seed suppliers.

For more detailed information on lawn repair check out the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs excellent publication Lawn Renovation.

Once you have resodded or seeded your lawn, follow up with good maintenance practices to get the lawn well established. Hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate and provide us with some nice gentle, warm rains that will help the lawn and garden prepare for the summer ahead. Your questions and comments are always welcomed. Remember that your lawn and garden should be a place for recreation and relaxation, a place to reconnect with the earth. Enjoy it!

2007-11-09T13:04:00.000-05:00

Fall Lawn and Garden Care

If you are a little more organized than me, your gardening is probably all done for the season, tools have been cleaned and oiled and any gas powered equipment has been properly winterized. However, if you are like me, perhaps you were lulled by the beautiful fall weather into a sense of endless summer and the recent cooler temperatures have you in a bit of a panic about getting the yard cleaned up before winter.

The first thing to do is stop worrying. Gardening should be a relaxing pursuit free of worry. Snow has a wonderful way of covering up the fall work that didn't get done. In spring it will still be there although likely a little mushier and harder to rake up. Here is my priority list for winterizing the yard.

1. Drain any hoses, outdoor faucets and rain barrels. A no brainer - if you don't, damage will result. Turn rain barrels upside down and store hoses out of the weather - I coil all mine in a plastic garbage can in the shed.

2. Rake any leaves off the lawn or mulch them with your mower. In a perfect world, you want to keep leaves off the lawn at this time of year as the grass plants are still gathering energy for their long winter dormancy. I rake my leaves into shrub borders and under trees and leave them to rot there rather than bagging them. If you have a good mulching mower, you can mulch up to an ankle depth of leaves directly into the lawn without harm. Due to the mild fall, leaves are taking their sweet time to fall from many trees and I fear we may have snow before leaf fall. Do your best but don't lose sleep over a few leaves. There is always next spring.

3. Apply a fall fertilizer to your lawn. If you only fertilize your lawn once a year - do it in late fall. Applying about 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet now will help the grass plants resist winter damage and provide good spring green up next year. I use a fast release nitrogen source called urea which is available from any good farm supply store. Urea is a "hot" source of nitrogen meaning you need to apply it carefully and avoid any spillage on the lawn as it can burn if applied too heavily. Urea's analysis is 46-0-0 meaning it is 46% nitrogen so you only need to apply about two pounds (~1 kg) per 1000 square feet (~100 sq. m). Estimate the area of your lawn and weigh out (use bathroom scales and a pail) and apply the correct amount of fertilizer. Better to apply too little and make a couple passes then apply too much at once. I also like to go into the winter with my lawn cut at my normal cutting height (highest setting on my mower ~3") but don't worry if it is a little shaggy.

4. Winterize any summer power equipment. Gas will evaporate over the winter and leave deposits in your carburetor and engine that can cause problems next spring. Either drain or run the engine dry or use a gas stabilizer treatment following the product instructions. Scrap mower decks clean. Changing the engine oil and sharpening the blades will have everything ready to go next spring. (Note: If you have space in your garage, you can probably leave these tasks until later in the fall - my equipment is stored in the back shed and I have to get it done before the snow flies)

5. Clean up annual and perennial containers and beds. While they can wait until spring, annuals are best removed after the first frost before they become a soggy mess to handle. Gardeners debate whether you should cut back perennials in the fall or leave them until spring. I tend to cut back everything except the ornamental grasses and coneflower seed heads. The grasses provide some visual interest through the winter and the coneflower seeds are popular with the goldfinches and chickadees. I make short work of perennial bed cleanup by using a manual weed whacker and my old fashioned scythe which cut back the garden very quickly and all you have to do is rake up the debris and take it to the compost. If you have an old lawn mower, you could even set it up high and run it over your perennial beds for a quick cleanup. I have some large containers and I just remove the plants and the root/soil mass, heel any perennials in a back corner of the garden, recover and properly store rhizomes like canna lily and then store the containers with the remaining soil mix in the shed. Saves on soil for next year as you only have to pot up the top half or so of the container.

6. Clean up your hand tools. Giving your shovels, forks, rakes, etc. a cleaning using a wire brush and then spraying metal surfaces with something like WD40 will help prevent rusting over winter. Wiping wooden handles with a cloth soaked in linseed oil will extend the life of wooden handles as well.

That pretty well sums up the late fall lawn and garden tasks. If you get through all these before the snow sets in, congratulations! Don't forget to get the snow blower running or the snow shovel out of storage before it is needed.

If you have any questions or suggestions for future posts, please let me know. Relax and enjoy the gardening off season. Take the time to plan and dream about next year. The seed catalogues should be arriving in the mail any day now...

2007-07-25T14:21:00.000-04:00

Dry Conditions Persist

The dry conditions persist through much of southern Ontario although some areas have received some rain. There is also rain in the forecast for the next few days, so let's keep our fingers crossed. Eastern Ontario has been a bit more fortunate with more regular rainfall.

Depending upon temperatures, lawns can go about four weeks with no irrigation. About 5 mm per week is needed to keep dormant turf alive over a longer period as opposed to the 25 mm (or 1 inch) of water needed to keep a lawn lush and green through the summer. Use old tuna cans set up around your sprinkler and a watch to see how much time it takes your sprinkler to apply the appropriate amount of water.

Dormant lawns are extremely low maintenance. Mowing a dormant lawn is not necessary and can even cause damage as the wheel pressure can kill the dormant grass plants. Try to avoid traffic of any type on dormant lawns.

If you have experienced grub problems in the past and noticed the adult beetle flights earlier in the summer, you still have an opportunity to treat to prevent grub problems this fall and winter. Merit is a relatively new product that can only be applied by licenced lawn care applicators but it is extremely effective in controlling grub damage. Nematodes, which are a biological alternative, should not be applied to dry, dormant turf as they require soil moisture to move through the soil and infect the grub larvae. Chinch bugs are also coming on strong this summer. Check my previous message for details on monitoring their development.

The dry conditions are helping to keep the crabgrass in check this summer but watch out if we get some rain as it will really take off. There is not much you can do at this point except make note of the location of the crabgrass and plan your management strategy for next year. An organic (corn gluten meal) or chemical pre-emergent control can be applied early next season to control next year's crop of crabgrass. Crabgrass is rarely a problem in lawns that have a high mowing height and are properly fertilized.

Speaking of fertilizer, there is no point in fertilizing a dormant lawn. However, later in August or early September when (hopefully) we get some rain and cooler temperatures, your lawn will start to green up and grow which is a good time to provide some nutrients to encourage recovery from summer stresses.

Guelph Turfgrass Institute Open House

Every wonder what is involved in the science of growing grass? Interested in learning how to calibrate your sprinkler and water your lawn more efficiently? Want to view the hot new annuals and perennials before they show up in garden centres? Then plan to attend the Guelph Turfgrass Institute Open House and Trial Garden Display on Thursday, August 16th from noon to 8:00 pm. The planned agenda is as follows:

Noon - 8:00 pm	Self Guided Tours of Research Areas and Trial Gardens
12:30 pm -4:00 pm	Presentations by Various GTI Researchers
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Lawn Care Demonstrations Cut Flower Arranging Workshops
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dr. Lyons' Famous BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
7:00 pm	Live Bluegrass Music with the Speed River Valley Mountain Boys

Admission is free and everyone is welcome. The Guelph & Wellington County Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening questions as well. Follow the link below for a printable map showing the location of the Guelph Turfgrass Institute at 328 Victoria Road South in Guelph. We hope to see you there!

Directions to the Guelph Turfgrass Institute Open House

2007-06-28T16:01:00.000-04:00

Canada Day Weekend Update

It is sizing up to be a great weekend weather wise for the long weekend here in southern Ontario. Cooler temperatures came in on the heels of thunderstorms that passed through this part of the province yesterday.

The heat of early summer has dried many lawns to a crisp. At this point there is very little you can do in the way of maintenance other than waiting until we get sufficient rain and cooler temperatures to bring the grass back to life. Avoid excessive traffic on the lawn as the dormant grass is less resistant to abrasion. Don't mow the grass (you shouldn't have to) and do not fertilize. Proper irrigation will help keep lawns growing through the heat of summer but many municipalities, particularly those dependent upon ground water, discourage irrigation. Lawn dormancy is a natural grass survival strategy.

If you are fortunate enough to water your lawn to keep it cool and green, be sure to use water wisely by watering no more than once a week. Water very early in the morning and water deeply to encourage deep rooting of the grass. A hose timer is a wise investment. The general rule of thumb is to apply one inch (2.5 cm) of water per week but sandy soils may require a little more (or more frequent application) whereas heavier clay soils may require less irrigation. Use old tuna cans to determine the application pattern and rate of your sprinkler for optimum application. The very best option is to have a professionally installed and regularly audited in-ground irrigation system that can be programmed to efficiently deliver water to your lawn. Remember that a thick healthy lawn can be allowed to go dormant in summer with few ill effects and the added bonus of less mowing and nutrient requirements than an irrigated lawn.

Many lawns have gone to seed at this time of year. Mowing will remove the seed heads but leave the stalks which die and are often confused with some sort of disease problem. This condition appears even worse under heat and drought conditions. There is nothing you can do other than wait for some rain or irrigate if that option is available to you.

European chafers are beginning to fly now. You will first notice them at dusk often by the low hum of the masses of adult beetles swarming around a tree. The adults themselves cause no damage but they do lay the eggs that result in the more destructive larval stage of the insect. Not much can be done at this point other than to make note on the calendar to begin monitoring for their presence later in the season.

Chinch bugs are small insects that suck the vital fluids out of grass plants. They can cause serious damage and tend to be more of a problem in dry seasons. You can begin to monitor for chinch bugs by taking a large can with a surface opening of approximately 200 cm (diameter approximately 14 cm – large coffee cans work well) and cutting out both ends to make a metal tube. Insert one end into your lawn where you suspect there may be chinch bug activity. Add some water and monitor the surface of the water. Chinch bugs are small insects with triangular markings on their backs. Young chinch bugs are often clay coloured. You should check at about ten locations across your lawn and if you have more than 20 chinch bugs per sample, treatment is recommended. We are not aware of any effective non-chemical control for chinch bugs.

For more detailed information on chinch bugs including images of damage and what the insects look like, check out this Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food on-line Factsheet Hairy Chinch Bugs in Lawns.

Using a reputable licenced local lawn care service will insure that your lawn is cared for in an environmentally responsible manner and save you time that you can spend attending to the more colourful corners of your garden.

Marinated Flank Steak

Continuing my Canada Day tradition of posting one of my favourite BBQ recipes, I give you a simple marinated flank steak. Flank steak is a cheaper cut of beef that is low in fat but very tender and tasty if marinated for a long time and sliced thin. The perfect main for a make ahead Canada Day BBQ. Try it in sandwiches made from fresh baguettes.

1 lb flank steak (or thereabouts)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp sugar or honey
1 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger root or 1 tsp ground ginger

Score one side of the steak by making shallow cuts in a crisscross pattern. Place meat in a shallow dish or plastic bag (a large ziplock bag works well). Combine soy sauce, oil, vinegar, sugar and ginger; pour over meat. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 3 days.

Remove meat from marinade and grill for 4-5 minutes each side on high. Let rest for 5 minutes covered with foil then slice thinly across the grain. Serve hot or cold. Makes four servings.

(Adapted from Smart Cooking by Anne Lindsay, published by Macmillan of Canada)

2007-06-15T14:27:00.001-04:00

Brown is the New Green

With watering restrictions in place in many municipalities, brown is quickly becoming the new green. Grass normally goes dormant under drought stress. It is preferable to have decent moisture conditions in the spring and fall when grass is normally growing. We seem to be in a bit of a hot and dry spell right now which means lawns are starting to grow brown. Drought stressed turf is more susceptible to traffic damage so if you can, limit excessive use of lawns that are browned out. It's the growth of turfgrass that really makes it such a great surface for recreational pursuits like soccer and golf.

As we move further into summer, I will try to post a simple water budget method you can use to optimize your irrigation application. In the meantime, save your tuna or salmon cans and use them to calibrate your sprinkler to learn how long it takes to deliver an inch of water and how evenly it is distributed. Simply set out an even array of empty cans throughout the throw of your sprinkler. Apply water for a set period of time, say an hour, and then measure how much water is in each can. You may be surprised. Another good investment for irrigating is a timer that automatically shuts off the sprinkler after a set amount of time. I recently saw an advertisement for a sprinkler you can control with a remote control from the comfort of your lawn chair. I don't get it. What's hard about turning off a tap. Save your money and get a hose timer instead.

The spring fertilizer application window is closing quickly due to the heat and lack of rain as well. On unirrigated lawns, if you haven't applied fertilizer yet this spring, it is probably best to wait until some rain and perhaps cooler temperatures are in the forecast. Fertilizers applied to drought stressed grass add to the problem as the salts in the fertilizer further acerbate the problem.

When fertilizing, select a slow release or organic based fertilizer and follow the instructions on the label. Follow this link for more details on lawn fertility courtesy of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs.

The European chafer, the predominant "white grub" insect in Ontario , is starting to fly, breed and lay eggs. If you have had problems with grubs in the past, you have a couple choices. Talk to a professional lawn care operator about Merit, a material that prevents the small grubs from developing into voracious root chewing larvae. Parasitic nematodes are becoming more available and provide control if conditions are right. They are applied a little later in the life cycle of the insect and need a moist soil to be most effective. Watering before and after application is generally recommended. When applying anything to your lawn or garden, always read the label and follow the directions.

If you are in the Guelph area, mark your calendar for Thursday, August 16th when the Guelph Turfgrass Institute will be holding a free Open House celebrating our 20th anniversary. Come out and see the research plots, annual trial gardens, cut garden flower arranging demonstrations, our ornamental grass garden and much more. It will run from 12:00 noon to 8 p.m.

As always, if you have any questions or specific topics you would like to see here, please let me know. Don't forget to take some time to kick back and enjoy our lawn and garden.

2007-05-18T08:54:00.000-04:00

May 2-4 in the Garden

While many will be heading out for the weekend to celebrate the great outdoors by opening the cottage, fishing or camping, for true gardeners, this weekend marks the official opening of the gardening season. Certainly the bulbs and some early flowering perennials have been around for a while, but this weekend generally marks when we can start gardening in earnest.

I'm going to be potting up some new resin pots for the front steps and back patio. I know purists prefer the traditional clay pots but resin has clay beat in terms of ease of use and longevity. Its hard to tell the difference between a resin and clay pot and resin is usually a cheaper option.

I prefer to do my own pots as I don't really like the generic pot designs that seem to predominate in many garden centres. In pinch, you can transplant a pre-grown hanging basket or mixed pot into your own pots but if you can find a good garden centre with some unique material, it is a simple and less expensive task to design your own distinctive planters. Sure, it can take a few extra weeks for them to fill out, but you end up with pots like no other on the block. Buy the biggest plants you can afford such as the larger annuals grown in 4" pots.

I like to arrange the plants as I am buying them to see how they might look in a group. Three to five plants are sufficient for a 12" pot but pay attention to the height and spread. It is always good to combine some upright plants with some trailers. Match colours that are appealing to your eye or ask for advice from garden centre staff about what plant combinations that might work. Don't forget to pay attention to the sun/shade preferences of plants and match them to the light conditions in your planter locations.

I like to use new potting soil every year. Lazy gardener that I am, I don't bother mixing my own potting mix but buy a few bags of a good quality mix. In the fall, the mix is recycled through my compost pile and ends up enriching my perennial beds. For the last few years I have been using a brand that has coir instead of peat. Coir is a renewable resource made from coconut shells and has excellent water holding capacity. Frugal gardener that I am, I usually turn a smaller pot upside down in the bottom of larger containers so I use less mix in each pot. Water well after planting and fertilize regularly with a water soluble fertilizer according to the product directions. Good fertility is the key to successful container growing.

I'm attending a container design seminar put on by Sheridan Nurseries later this month and will report back on what the design experts say about planting containers.

I'm a little behind on my vegetable garden as I removed the crumbling wooden frames from my old raised beds and resculpted and resodded the area. I'm establishing a new "kitchen garden" area right outside the kitchen door so I can dash out and grab what I need while I'm cooking. It's also a nice sheltered sunny area where I know my tomatoes will thrive. Eventually I hope to have some hot frames as well where I can rekindle my annual goal to produce a ripe garden tomato by July 1st. If you plant no other vegetables, put in a few tomato plants along with some fresh herbs for cooking. There are varieties available that will grow very nicely in a pot on a sunny patio, deck or balcony. You simply cannot duplicate the taste of a fresh tomato plucked from the vine and sliced onto a plate, burger or sandwich.

Lawn Care

Hopefully you have been mowing regularly this spring to help your lawn develop a dense, weed suppressing growth habit. Even with the best kept lawns, the odd dandelion will sneak through. It has certainly been an exceptional spring for dandelion growth. Within cities, reduced use of herbicides is also probably increasing dandelion seed production in parks and along boulevards. I took this picture of a huge field of dandelions earlier this week just outside of Guelph. With this kind of seed generation and the fact the seed is wind borne, it is obvious that the gardener's battle with dandelions is never ending.

I'm sure you've heard the pros and cons of dandelion. The French are quite fond of them as a salad green and no doubt they are healthy to eat but I personally would prefer to grow a selected variety for this purpose. The odd leaves that I have nibbled were extremely bitter. Dandelion wine is touted by some although I prefer a hearty Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. I do appreciate the beauty of an expanse of dandelions in the spring, but also appreciate that dandelions do not make the best playing surface for various sports and some people are not enamored with this plant. I don't like them in my lawn because it tends to increase their population in my perennials beds were they can be a bear to dig out of a nice patch of phlox or sedum.

Small infestations of dandelions can be readily dug out by hand. In fact, the hand digging of dandelions is a great way to get out on your lawn for a little exercise if soccer of bocce are not your games. I am trying to organize an evaluation of the various dandelion diggers that are available on the market now to find out which are the easiest to use and most effective at removing dandelions from your lawn. If you have a favorite, please let me know. The most effective are certainly those that remove the majority of the root system.

For lawns that are heavily infested with dandelions, there is really no alternative but to have the lawn treated, preferably by a professional lawn care company. Fall is actually the most effective time to treat as the plants are more susceptible at that stage of their life cycle. If you are treating a major infestation, make a commitment to yourself to raise your mowing height, mow regularly to increase grass density, overseed and fertilize appropriately to prevent re-infestation.

A dandelion-free lawn can be kept that way through regular scouting and hand removal of any dandelions or other broad leaved weeds that attempt to become established. In municipalities where pesticide bans exist, this may be your only option. I have heard that some lawn care companies are offering a hand weeding option in cities where herbicide use is prohibited. I imagine it must be fairly expensive.

There are some biological and alternative control products for dandelions and other broad leaved weeds under development but none are expected on the market in the near future. Corn gluten meal is being promoted as a natural herbicide but it will not eliminate established weeds. It works by preventing seed germination.

Now is a good time to apply corn gluten meal to your lawn if crabgrass has been a problem in the past. Crabgrass is an annual plant meaning it germinates, grows, flowers, produces seed and dies in one year. It produces purple finger-like seedheads in the early fall, turns purple and dies when frost comes in the fall. When the yellow forsythia shrubs are in bloom, it is a good indication that the crabgrass seed scattered by the plants last fall will begin to germinate. Applying corn gluten meal according to the label directions will help prevent the seeds from germinating. Crabgrass tends to prefer drier areas and also thrives in lawns that are mown too short. Raising your mowing height will also help minimize crabgrass infestation.

Try to hold off for a few more weeks before making your first fertilizer application of the season. Your neighbor may have fertilized his lawn weeks ago but he has probably had to cut it more often since and he is not growing the nice deep roots that you are right now. Roots are certainly not the most glamorous part of the grass plant, but come summer they will help your lawn resist drought and other stresses like insects better than a lawn fertilized too early in the season.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me or use the comment link below. I am always looking for new topics or gardening challenges to cover in the Lawn & Garden Letter.

In southern Ontario the long weekend is shaping up to be a good one - not too hot and not too cold. I hope wherever you are, you have a fun and safe Victoria Day weekend.

2007-04-21T06:36:00.000-04:00

Spring Lawn Cleanup

Welcome back to the lawn and garden letter blog for another season. In southern Ontario and most of northeastern North America, the weather over the next few days should be ideal for lawn and garden cleanup. The cool and wet spring has certainly kept most of us out of the yard. When the soil is wet, this is a good thing as wet soil is much more susceptible to compaction which can cause problems later on. If your lawn has dried out underfoot, it is a great time to get out and clean things up.

Start with a vigorous raking to remove any leaves that blew in over winter, fallen twigs and dead grass. Use a fan or leaf rake for this task. If you have a large lawn area, this can be a rather physically demanding task. A good alternative is to rent a vertical mower, also called a dethatching mower. As the name implies, this machine has vertical blades that pull up the dead material at the surface of your lawn. Most rental units have the blades set properly but be sure it is not digging deeply into the soil. After running the vertical mower over your lawn, you are still going to have to rake, but the material that is pulled up is light and fluffy and the task is much easier. You can pull a lot of material out of the lawn. A good trick is to get a large tarp. Rake and area in the middle of your lawn the size of the tarp and lay it down on the lawn. Then rake the debris into a big pile on the tarp, pull up the four corners and drag it to your compost pile. This is a also a good way to collect leaves in the fall.

If your lawn has any dead, bare or thin areas, now is a good time to repair your lawn. Rake to expose soil and then either overseed or sod. Perennial ryegrass is the best seed for overseeding as it is competitive and will germinate under the lower soil temperatures we have in the spring. It is not as winter hardy as Kentucky bluegrass, so should not be used in the north or on the prairies. If you have larger bare areas in your lawn, you can reseed with a good quality Kentucky bluegrass blend but should wait a bit as it will not germinate quite yet. For more details on overseeding, see my post from May 11th of last year.

Sodding is a quick and excellent repair option, particularly for higher end lawns. My old lawn is quite a mix of different grasses (and a few weeds) and a roll of beautiful, dark green Kentucky bluegrass sod plopped down in the middle would stand out like a sore thumb. To repair with sod, simply make sure the edges of the bare area are "sharp" but edging with a spade or garden edger and digging the area out slightly so the sod fits flush with the existing lawn.

Fertilization at this time of year is not recommended in spite of the fertilizer sales splashed across the flyers from various home, garden and tire retailers. If you are following the recommendation to fertilize in late fall, your lawn should have ample nutrients stored to get through the spring just fine. Fertilizing now will stimulate top growth but at the expense of root growth making our lawn less drought and stress tolerant later in the season. Hold off until late May to early June.

If you have any questions or topics you would like covered in the lawn and garden letter, please let me know by posting a comment on this page. I hope you enjoy this great weather.

2006-11-24T14:08:00.000-05:00

Late Fall Lawn Care

It has been a long time since my last message. Sorry about that. Students arriving on campus are always a distraction this time of year. The weather hasn't exactly been conducive to gardening and lawn care either. On a positive note, I relocated my small raised bed vegetable garden this fall and resodded the area. I think I only had to irrigate the sod once immediately after laying. It's been a great fall from a seeding and sodding perspective.

In southern Ontario we are experiencing a little window of warmer, drier weather which makes it a great time to get the outdoor Christmas lights up but also a chance to get the all important fall fertilizer application down on your lawn. If you only fertilize your lawn once a year, now is the time to do it.

Soil temperatures are cooling so unfortunately it is too late to apply an organic based nutrient source. The best fertilizer to use right now is urea, a straight nitrogen fertilizer that will be immediately available to the plant. The idea behind fall fertilizing is that you "charge" the plant with nitrogen which is the key nutrient for a healthy, thick and green lawn. The nitrogen serves several benefits at this time of the year including increasing the winter hardiness of your lawn as well as giving it a head start in the spring which will result in earlier spring green up, deeper roots and the development of additional side shoots to help increase the density of your lawn helping to crowd out weeds.

The hardest part of fertilizing at this time of year is finding the fertilizer. Urea is not commonly carried by the big box stores or most garden centres. If you live near a rural area, your best bet is to find a local farm supply or feed mill which should carry this common agricultural fertilizer.

The analysis of urea is 46-0-0 which means it is almost 50% pure nitrogen. You want to apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet which means you have to apply 2 pounds of urea per 1,000 square feet. I would suggest estimating the area of your lawn, then determining how much fertilizer you will need. For example, a 5,000 square foot lawn will require 5X2=10 lbs of urea. Weight the fertilizer out in a pail on a bathroom scale to get the right amount and put it in your spreader. Always fill your spreader on the driveway to avoid spilling on the lawn which will burn the grass. Set the spreader at a very low setting and go over the lawn several times to evenly distribute the fertilizer on the lawn. Avoid getting fertilizer on the driveway, sidewalks or street where it can run unimpeded into the storm water system. If you do get some on a hard surface, sweep it back on to the lawn. Rinse your spreader out and put it away for the season.

As far as outdoor Christmas lighting is concerned, here are few of my suggestions for an easy but attractive outdoor display.

1. Under light deciduous trees and shrubs. A very easy and simple but very striking effect can be had by under lighting trees and shrubs with clear flood lights. One or two lights placed right at the base of the plant and aimed up into the branch structure gives a very nice effect. Make sure you go out at night and tweak the beam adjustment a bit for full effect.

2. When using minilights on trees, use lots. Professionals recommend 100 bulbs per foot of tree. That's a lot of bulbs (see tip #1 for a good effect with fewer bulbs). I like to use the new energy efficient LED lights. On all trees, try to avoid the "spiral up the tree" effect. On deciduous trees and shrubs, wrap the lights around the individual branches to highlight the form of the plant (you'll quickly see that 100 bulbs per foot is not really that many). With evergreens, try to weave the lights in and out of the branches and interior of the tree to give more depth to the lighting effect. Net lights are an easier option although they only light the outside form of the tree.

I read recently that we are in the middle of the worst season for ladder accidents. I wonder why? Be very careful when using your ladder to put up exterior lights. I have noticed that there are specialized extendable poles you can use to string lights up high without having your feet leaving the ground.

My next post will likely be sometime in the new year as the snow melts (unless I realize my dream to put a natural ice curling rink in the backyard in which case I'll report back).

I wish you the best for a peaceful holiday season and will leave you with a picture of the great skating track I had in my yard back in 2003.

2006-08-26T07:09:00.000-04:00

Lawn Care Window Opens

Late summer and fall are an important period in lawn care. Right now is the time to apply the first part of a two part fall fertilizer application. An application of fertilizer to your lawn now will help it recover from the stress and strain of summer heat. Combined with cooler temperatures, some fall rains and heavy dew as well as continued mowing, this application of nutrients will help your lawn increase in density and crowd out undesirable weeds. An application of 0.5 kg of nitrogen per 100 square meters is sufficient. Read my early post about fertilizer selection and application for more details. You should plan to follow this application with a second similar application in late fall - late October into November depending upon how quickly winter comes this year. The late fall application will help your lawn survive the winter and provides excellent spring green up next year without the excessive growth associated with early spring fertilizer application.

Late summer and early fall is also an excellent time to seed new or renovated lawn areas. More reliable rains, heavier dews, cooler temperatures and less weed competition make this the ideal time to establish new lawn areas. A blend of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and red fescue remains the grass blend of choice for most lawn situations. The Kentucky bluegrass which is the predominant species in the blend takes a few weeks to germinate so be sure to provide regular light watering through the day particularly if we have a few spells of hot weather which hopefully we will - I'm not quite ready to give up on summer. For a lower maintenance, more drought resistant lawn you may want to consider going with a fescue blend. It will not give the deep green colour of a Kentucky bluegrass lawn and will have a finer texture as the leaf blades are finer textured. Regardless of the type of turf you go with, be sure to look for high quality seed. Buy the best seed you can afford, preferably a blend of named cultivars (look at the fine print on the bag). Inexpensive seed can have high amounts of annual grasses and other less desirable grasses or weeds to help fill the bag.

An alternative to seeding is sodding which can be done anytime until the ground is frozen. It is advisable to get your sod established before frost sets in, particularly on slopes where unrooted sod can slip if laid too late in the season.

This has been an exceptional year for weeds throughout the lawn and garden. Repeated rains combined with good heat brought several flushes of weed germination and growth through the season. Crabgrass has been particularly nasty this year and at this stage there is really nothing you can do to eradicate it unless you are inspired to try hand removal. Crabgrass is beginning to seed now and will soon turn purple and die as temperatures cool. This annual grass overwinters as seed so plan now for next season. It is rarely a problem in thick lawns that are mown high but is often found growing along the curb where road salt accumulation causes problems for the more desirable lawn grasses (see below). Pre-emergent herbicides are available and are applied in the spring around the time forsythia is blooming. Corn gluten meal is an alternative method preventing the seeds from germinating. Make a note now to plan your crabgrass control for next season. Broadleaved weeds can be effectively controlled as they are growing in the late summer and early fall. Again, a dense lawn mown high is the best defence against weed growth.

Enjoy your lawn and garden as we move into the cooler fall season. It's an excellent time of year to get out in your yard and prepare for next year.

2006-07-25T22:05:00.000-04:00

Turf Nirvana

I know weather has been quite variable across the province, but right now in my neck of the woods it is a lawn jockey's paradise. The heat and the moisture have made the grass grow almost too fast but it is green, lush and beautiful. I am on heavier, clay loam soils and it has been almost too wet at times. The heat and humidity can bring on some patch diseases, particularly on lawns that have been well fertilized. Another good reason to pay careful attention to the amount of fertlizer you apply and when you apply it. Diseases are typically not treated on home lawns. If there are areas of your lawn that are prone to diseases, it usually means poor drainage, lack of light and air circulation or a susceptible grass. Improving growing conditions or overseeding with a more suitable grass species is the best solution.

Adult European chafers have flown, mated and laid their eggs which are hatching and producing little root gnawing larvae. If growing conditions are good, the lawn can often outgrow the feeding damage. However, as the larvae grow larger and if conditions limit grass growth, feeding can outpace plant growth and result in damage. Treatment is warranted if you have areas with a history of grub damage - often areas downwind of large trees or structures where the flying adults mate. Treatment options include parasitic nematodes which are becoming more readily from local garden centres. Good moisture from natural rains or irrigation is essential to insure the nematodes can attack the grubs. Professional lawn care companies can offer other control options. A more passive approach is to wait until damage is evident next spring, then rake off the dead plant material and sod or overseed with a fast germinating turf species like perennial ryegrass.

We have been conducting a long term demonstration project of various lawn management regimes, including conventional premium lawn care programs, an Integrated Pest Management approach where pests are monitored and treated only when needed as well as a pesticide-free program using alternative pest management methods. Superimposed on the study are fertility or no-fertility, irrigation or no-irrigation and two mowing heights.

Unfortunately we have not encountered any significant insect problems in any of the study areas. It is becoming evident in this study that proper fertility has the greatest effect on weed infestation, greater than either irrigation or mowing height. If you are interested in more details on this study including a description of the maintenance techniques used, follow this link.

A Public Open House at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute Annual Trial Gardens is scheduled for August 17th from noon to 8 pm. If you are in the Guelph area and are interested in checking out the latest annual flower varieties as well as taking a look at the research facility including the lawn care demonstration plot described above, please drop by. Guelph & Wellington County Master Gardeners will be there with practical gardening advice. Directions can be found by following this link.

I hope you are having a great summer.

2006-06-30T07:31:00.000-04:00

Knowing Mowing

I love to cut grass. I'm not sure if it fulfils some primal or agrarian need, or it is just plain satisfying. Unlike a lot of work day tasks, progress and satisfaction is immediate. Here are a few tips to make your lawn mowing experience even more satisfying:

Tip #1: Mow High

Most people mow too low. Lower cut grass has shallower roots and is more susceptible to weed invasion. For home lawns, the highest setting on your mower should be used. The quality of cut is not determined by height but by sharpness of the blade (see Tip #2). Mow frequently enough to remove only about 1/3 of the height of the grass.

Tip #2: Keep the Blade Sharpened

I try to sharpen my mower blade once a month to insure a nice clean cut. A sharp blade provides a better quality cut and also helps reduce water use and possibly disease development by preventing the ragged leave ends that result from beating the leaves with a dull blade. Be very careful when removing and reattaching the mower blade. Read all of the safety precautions in your manual and be sure to disconnect the spark plug wire and wear heavy gloves. For best results, have the blade professionally sharpened at a small engine or sharpening shop.

Tip #3: Use the Right Mower for the Job

On smaller city lots, a manual reel mower can do an excellent job with minimal pollution. The newer push reel mowers are much lighter and easier to use than the old cast iron behemoth your grandfather had out in the shed. For mid-sized lawns, a corded or cordless electric mower offers a quieter and potentially less polluting option (depending on how the electricity is produced). Large lawns or hillier properties require a gas powered mower - push type if you are looking for exercise or self propelled if you need some help to get it around the lawn. For larger sub-urban and rural properties, a riding mower may be required. For speed of cutting you can't beat a zero turn mower but the cost is significantly more than your standard rider. Depending upon the nature of your property, you will probably still require a push mower for trim work. If you are still using an old smoke-belching mower, consider moving to a newer mower that meets current emission standards.

Tip #4: Return or Recycle the Clippings

A mulching mower or one that can be adapted with a mulching kit is ideal to insure that you return clippings to your lawn. The clippings will break down and release nutrients as well as adding organic matter to the soil. Clippings also provide a nice mulch on the soil surface that helps conserve moisture and prevent weed seeds from germinating. If your lawn gets out of hand once in a while, consider a bagging mower that makes excess clipping cleanup a little easier. I hate to confess it, but I am a dedicated bagger since my current mower almost vacuums the yard removing leaf and other debris. None of my clippings leave the yard as they are composted and returned to the soil in gardens or the lawn. I also use clippings to mulch along hedgerows, under shade trees and around my tomato plants in the vegetable garden. They make an excellent weed suppressing mulch and break down fairly quickly. I do the same with my leaves in the fall - raking them into the same areas and mixing them with the clippings where they break down quite quickly enriching the soil reducing curbside waste.

Tip #5: Why Mow it All?

Many parks and golf courses are now leaving specific areas unmown to reduce costs, increase wildlife habitat and add some visual interest to the landscape. My backyard includes several of these areas including a large clump of tall fescue that I allowed to grow up then planted a clump of zebragrass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinis') in the middle (see photo above). Tall fescue appears as a more course textured circular clump of grass in a lawn - a weed to some but also an opportunity for creativity. You can even leave out-of use areas around the perimeter of your yard unmown or cut patterns or pathways in your lawn. If you do leave some areas unmown, I would recommend a mowing once in the fall to remove some of the excess leaf material. It can be composted along with your fall collected leaves.

Tip#6: Lawn Striping

For the hard core lawn jockies out there, you might want to consider adding a professional touch by striping your lawn. Striping is the term used to describe the strips of different shades of turf you see in professional turf sports on television like golf tournaments, baseball and the current World Cup soccer tournament. It is created by rollers behind the mowing unit that angle the grass slightly in one direction. Grass angled away from the viewer creates a lighter shade of green while grass angled towards the viewer appears darker. If you are mechanically inclined, you can find a roller of some sort and attach it to the back of your current mower to create a stripe pattern with your existing equipment. Another option is to make a light roller out of a piece of 4-6" PVC pipe filled with concrete and with a threaded rod through the middle. Bold the ends of the rod to an old mower handle and you can drag the homemade striper back and forth to create different patterns on your lawn. If you are really into it, there are professional grade mowers made specifically for striping sports fields. The one I am currently lusting after is the Eastman ST 21K Striper but at a cool ~$2,000 price tag, I don't see one showing up in my shed anytime soon. If you are really keen, a book has been written about turf striping called Picture Perfect: Mowing Techniques for Lawns, Landscapes and Sports by David Mellor.

Canada Day BBQ Recipe

In keeping with a tradition of the Lawn & Garden letter, I offer the following favorite BBQ recipe and wish you a great Canada Day weekend.

Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin
(adapted from The Barbecue Bible by Stephen Raichlen)
Serves 4-6

A smoky, spicy taste of the islands. You can minimize the spice by using only 2 peppers or substituting a scotch bonnet pepper based hot sauce if you cannot find fresh peppers.

2 pounds pork tenderloin
2-16 scotch bonnet chiles (seed the chiles for a milder jerk)
2 bunches scallions, white and green parts trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1/2 medium onion cut into 1" pieces
1" piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic peeled
1 tbsp fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried
2 1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp coarse salt (I use 1/2 tbsp or less - 3 tbsp makes it very salty to my taste)
1 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil for basting

1. Butterfly the tenderloins by cutting them lengthwise to open them up flat like a book. Place the tenderloin between two pieces of waxed paper and flattening with a heavy cleaver or rolling pin to make the sheet of meat about 1" thick. Poke the meat with the tip of a paring knife to make 1/4" deep gashes all over the meat. Place the tenderloins in a non-reactive baking dish and set aside.

2. Combine the chiles, scallions, onions, ginger and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the thyme, allspice, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, salt and sugar and process to a smooth marinade (you can also make the marinade by adding all the ingredients at once to a blender and blending to a smooth paste).

3. Use a rubber spatula to spread the seasoning mixture over the tenderloins. Cover and let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, turning the meat several times.

4. Meanwhile, soak hickory or oak chips in water for at least an hour prior to grilling. When ready to cook, heat up your grill to medium and use a smoker box (gas grill) or place the damp chips directly on the coals (charcoal grill).

5. Oil the grill grate and arrange the sheets of pork on the grate and grill turning with tongs and brushing periodically with vegetable oil until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through - about 16-20 minutes in all. When not turning, keep the lid shut to hold in the smoke.

6. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into thin diagonal slices and serve immediately.

I enjoy jerk pork with a crisp pilsner style beer like Steamwhistle or Red Stripe for an authentic Jamaican experience. Have a great weekend.

2006-06-01T21:35:00.000-04:00

What's Happening in the Garden

If you are in Ontario, I hope the heavy rains and winds that followed the heat wave didn't wreck too much havoc in your garden. Time to stake the peonies although they probably should have been done a few weeks ago. I use steel rebar for poles, nicely rusted to blend into the garden, and brown jute twine. The fancy prefab wire supports look nice but are a bit of an investment.

One of my favourite plants is a type of peony that typically doesn't require staking, the tree peony. More of a small woody plant than a herbaceous perennial, the tree peony is slow growing and rarely reaches a meter in height. The flowers are significantly larger than herbaceous peonies reaching pie plate proportions. They are beautifully scented. The foliage is attractive and the large finger-like seedpods provide some additional interest into the summer and fall.

Tree peony blossoms

Another of my favorite spring plants is the old fashioned bleeding heart - Dicentra spectabilis. Very tough and hardy spring flowering plants that fade away in the summer. Good for planting around later flowering perennials. Shade tolerant and available in pure white (Alba) or pink flower colour (species). See if you can pull a flower apart and make a tea setting from the various bits and pieces.

White flowered bleeding heart.

Pink bleeding heart

'Lanai Purple Mosaic' Trailing Verbena

The feature plant from the GTI Annual Trial Gardens is 'Lanai Purple Mosaic' trailing verbena. A great container plant this new variety bred by Goldsmith Seed has excellent powdery mildew resistance and good bloom performance during the heat of summer.

On the Lawn

Crabgrass are beginning to germinate making it too late for the use of materials like corn gluten meal that prevent seed germination. If you are concerned about crabgrass development at this point, talk to a lawn care professional about what options may be available to you. increasing your mowing height and providing adequate nutrients to keep your lawn thick and healthy will help prevent crabgrass infestation.

Crabgrass seedlings on a bare spot in a lawn.

The larvae of the European Cranefly (called leatherjackets) and European Chafer (called white grubs) are approaching full size and damage should be tapering off as they move into their pupal stage. Hot spots of white grub damage may be treated after adult flight is observed a little later in the season. Parasitic nematodes can be applied in August or September or a material called Merit can be applied earlier in the season to control the grubs while they are still small. it can only be applied by a licenced lawn care professional. There are no registered controls for leatherjackets in home lawns.

Sod

A great way to start a lawn or repair your damaged lawn, particularly at this time of year, is to use nursery grown sod. Ontario has some of the best sod producers in the world and a competitive market that keeps sod prices low. If you are interested in how sod is harvested in the 21st century, check out this machine.

You may question whether sod harvesting removes too much soil from agricultural fields. A study conducted several years ago showed that sod production is one of the most soil conserving crops you can produce. Grass is a great groundcover that prevents erosion from the fields through most of the production cycle. Grass also catches soil that may blow in from adjacent areas. When sod is harvested, it leaves behind a significant amount of root material that adds organic matter to the soil. Also, if you look closely, you will see that there is actually very little soil on a roll of sod. It is mostly grass crowns and leaves with a thin layer of soils and roots.

Sod needs to be kept well watered until it begins to root into the underlying soil. It provides a quick cover that suppresses weed development. Lawns seeded at this time of year will tend to have very high weed populations. Seeding is best left to the late summer/early fall. That's when most sod farms reseed.

Sod cross section.

Overseeding

I had a few questions about my recommended perennial ryegrass overseeding rate of 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet which is above the normal recommended rate of 3-5 lbs. per 1,000. There is some evidence, which we are currently studying in more depth, that high overseeding rates of perennial ryegrass will actually help to suppress weeds in a lawn or sports field. I would encourage you to experiment with different rates on your lawn to see what works best in your situation.

Lawns and gardens are complex communities of various organisms with many variables. A single cookie cutter approach rarely works for everyone. Try different things, keep written records rather than rely on memory and most importantly, enjoy your lawn and garden. It should be a place of recreation and relaxation.

I'm going to polish up my bocce balls for the weekend...

2006-05-17T10:20:00.000-04:00

Weedy Options

What a fine crop of dandelions this year. Nothing like a little heat, followed by a lot of rain, to bring out the carpet of yellow. There are conflicting opinions on dandelions in turf. On fine turf areas like sports fields and golf courses they can affect play as well as sports field safety if present in great numbers. On lawns, their value is more debatable. One man's weed is a child's bouquet for mother's day. My personal peeve with dandelions is not as much their presence in the lawn, but the fact that they seed freely and inevitably each year I have to dig them out of one of my perennial gardens or gouge one out of the patio or rockery.

In general, the presence of dandelions and other broadleaf weeds indicates thin turf. On my own home lawn, which I cut at different heights for recreational purposes, dandelions and other weeds are only a problem on the shorter cut lawn areas. On the sections of the lawn I cut as high as my mower goes and return the clippings, there are very few dandelions present. If you have a relatively dandelion-free lawn to start, you can keep them to a minimum by mowing high, returning the clippings to the lawn (preferably by using a mulching mower) as well as fertilizing to keep the grass thick and healthy.

What are the options for getting rid of dandelions? The easiest is a three-way herbicide application when the dandelions are actively growing. The simplest and safest approach is to hire a licenced professional lawn care operator to treat your lawn. Hiring a lawn care company that is IPM certified (in Ontario) will insure that only the bare minimum of chemical is used. If you insist on doing it yourself, a premixed spray kit or hose end attachment will insure you apply the proper rate. READ THE LABEL to insure you follow all appropriate precautions. Granular "weed and feed" formulations are convenient but do not allow you to spot treat your lawn and are only recommended in situations where you have a heavy weed infestation across the entire lawn. In all situations, keep kids and pets off the lawn for 24 hours and exposure should be nil. If you are concerned about herbicide use and safety, check out Questions and Answers about 2,4-D from Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency.

The only alternative to chemical treatment is to hand dig the dandelions. A number of tools are available for this job but you want something that will remove the entire plant, tap root and all. I am trying to acquire as many of these tools as possible to evaluate them for efficacy and ease of use. If you have a favourite dandelion digging tool, please let me know.

Crabgrass is another lawn weed that will soon be rearing it's unsightly head. Crabgrass is an annual grass that also invades thin, short cut turf. The number one defence is mowing high and keeping your lawn thick and healthy. There are a number of herbicide options for crabgrass control including the natural product corn gluten meal. Corn gluten meal is a component of many pet foods. Researchers were using corn gluten meal as a carrier for a fungus they using to infect turf research plots and accidentally discovered that the corn gluten meal suppressed the growth of annual weeds. It needs to be applied quite heavily and early in the season prior to or as the crabgrass is germinating. It is now being carried by many garden centres in a special formulation for lawn use. Follow the label instructions regarding application rates. It is important to note that the use of corn gluten meal or chemical herbicides that prevent weed seed germination are incompatible with an overseeding program to thicken or repair your lawn. They do not distinguish between the good seeds and the bad seeds when it comes to suppressing germination.

Feeding Your Lawn

"Feeding plants" is a bit of a misnomer as plants do not really eat. They take nutrients and water from the soil, carbon dioxide from the air and capture energy from the sun through photosynthesis transforming the carbon into the more complex and energy rich sugar molecules upon which all life on this planet depends.

The general recommendation for a moderately maintained Kentucky bluegrass lawn is to fertilize your lawn 3-4 times per season. From now until early June is an excellent time to make your first application of the season. A slow release formulation will insure that nutrients are released at a rate compatible with plant needs. Unlike flower gardens, in lawns we want vegetative, leafy growth so a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content is used. A recommended ratio of 4-1-2 like 20-5-10 or thereabouts is optimal for turf use. What do these numbers mean?

20-5-10
the fertilizer contains
20% Nitrogen -5% Phosphorus - 10% Potassium

Organic fertilizers have a natural slow release pattern but are typically lower in nutrients and cost more per pound or kilogram of nutrient. Lawns are prolific producers of organic material in the form of leaves and roots and there is no scientific evidence that shows organic fertilizers provide any additional value to your lawn. However, they typically have less burn potential in the event of an accidental spill or excessive application and they are a way of recycling organic wastes. Whether the granulating, bagging and transportation of organic based fertilizers is environmentally efficient or just a way of "adding value" to a waste product that would otherwise cost the producer to dispose is a question for another day.

The goal is to apply 0.5 kg of nitrogen per 100 square meters or about a pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Generally you can follow the instructions on the bag but if you have trouble figuring out what setting to use on your spreader, here is how you do it. Mathphobics can skip this section but should invest in a spreader that has settings compatible with the brand of fertilizer you use.

Measure the area of your lawn. It is easier to divide your lawn into logical areas such as front. back and side. Calculate how much fertilizer you need to apply 0.5 kg of nitrogen per 100 square meters. For example, a 24-6-12 fertilizer would require approximately 2 kg of fertilizer per 100 square meters calculated as follows:

24% = .24 and x = amount of fertilizer needed

.24 x = o.5
x = 0.5/.24
x = 2.08

Now figure out how much fertilizer you need in total to apply to your lawn area. For example, if your lawn was 250 square meters, you would need 2.5 X 2 = 5 kg of fertilizer. Weight out the amount you need using a pail on your bathroom scale. Set your spreader so the opening is just wider then the largest fertilizer granule. Place the required amount of fertilizer in the spreader and commence application using a crisscross pattern. Once you have covered the area, repeat with a pattern that is at right angles to the first. Continue until you have applied the required amount of fertilizer to the area.

Avoid getting any fertilizer granules onto driveways, roads or other hard surfaces. Sweep any excess back onto the lawn. Always fill your spreader on a hard surface as spillage on your lawn is difficult to sweep up and can burn the turf.

2006-05-11T15:39:00.000-04:00

Lawn & Garden Info in the Blogosphere

Welcome to the new on-line "blog" version of the GTI Lawn & Garden Letter. The primary reason for moving to this format is two-fold. One, it is much easier for me to post short snippets of seasonal advice rather than pull together a complete Lawn & Garden Letter. Hopefully that means more posts and more timely information that gets out to you. Secondly, it allows subscribers to easily sign up (or off) as you wish. Please use the easy email signup to the right if you wish to subscribe to the new version of the letter. It will mail new posts directly to your inbox as soon as they are posted. I hope you like the new format and I would certainly welcome your comments and suggestions.

Overseeding

A few weeks back I responded to a rather vague article that appeared in the Toronto Star concerning lawn care without pesticides in the Greater Toronto Area. I'm not a regular Star reader but apparently my response made "Letter of the Day" and I was immediately innundated with inquiries about overseeding which was one of the main points I made in my comments to the newspaper. Here is my elaboration....

Overseeding is the act of sowing grass seed within an existing turf area. It is typically done to increase the density of grass plants in a thin lawn or to repair a damaged lawn. The photo above shows a sports field being overseeded with a special machine in the fall to repair damage from summer play. In areas like Toronto and other municipalities where pesticides have been banned or severely restricted, lawn overseeding will play a more significant role in maintaining a functional turfgrass surface.

For most areas of southern Ontario, perennial ryegrass is the preferred species for overseeding purposes. Perennial ryegrass has a large seed that germinates quickly. Most other turfgrasses do not fare as well when broadcast into the competitive environment of an existing lawn. Unfortunately, it is somewhat difficult to locate straight perennial ryegrass seed. Some garden centres have bulk bins that include an overseeding mixture that is 100% perennial ryegrass. Sometimes you can find it labelled as "Quickgrass" or similar name. Search the small print of the label to see that it is predominantly perennial ryegrass. Hopefully as the benefits of overseeding with perennial ryegrass become better known, it will become more readily available.

The most commonly found Kentucky bluegrass is still the best lawn grass but unfortunately it performs very poorly as an overseeding grass. It lacks the competitive vigour of perennial ryegrass and also takes several weeks to fully germinate whereas perennial ryegrass is usually up in a few days.

In order to prepare your lawn for overseeding, rake the damaged areas vigorously to remove any dead material and expose the soil. Good seed to soil contact is essential for successful seed germination. An alternative for larger areas would be to either use a vertical mower to chew out some of the dead material - you will still have to rake it up but it will be much easier once the vertical mower has lifted it up. Another alternative is to make several passes with a core aerator - one that removes an actual plug of soil and turf. The holes provide a convenient location for the seeds to germinate.

Once you have prepared the area, spread the seed over the area using a broadcast spreader or carefully by hand insuring that you distribute the seed evenly. Ten pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet is a reasonable rate. Try to overseed prior to rainfall. The ideal time to overseed is late summer to early fall although right now is pretty good as well.