As Digital Content Editor Christine Alexander explains, pollinators play a vital role in our ecosystem and we should all be doing our part to support their populations:
24.07.2023 - 12:10 / hgic.clemson.edu
The dog days of summer can be brutal on your lawn, especially if you have an insect attacking the grass. Insect damage can occur on both the blades and the roots and can cause yellow to brown patches and thinning turf. Before applying an insecticide, it is best to confirm the presence of a turfgrass pest. Soil compaction, improper mowing, and overwatering can also lead to thin, patchy turfgrass. There are three main ways to scout for turfgrass insects: soap flush, floatation, and soil examination. It is best to inspect multiple spots in the lawn and correctly identify the pest.
Scout for several caterpillars, two-lined spittlebugs, and mole crickets by utilizing a soap flush. Two tablespoons of dish detergent are added to a gallon of water and poured into an area of thinning or discolored turf. Lemon or orange-scented dish soap works best, and after 3-5 minutes, insects will surface. They will be dead and not attack you. Caterpillar damage tends to leave the grass looking scalped. Spittlebugs can turn the blades of grass brown and even reddish. Mole crickets can make the grass look thin and develop bare spots. For more information, please see HGIC 2488 Two-Lined Spittlebug, HGIC 2155 Mole Cricket Management in Turfgrass
If you have a St. Augustine lawn, chinch bugs could be causing your lawn to turn brown. Chinch bugs show up during hot, dry weather, and their damage is first noticed in areas that receive full sun and are close to hardscaping. Confirm chinch bugs are attacking your lawn by utilizing the water flotation technique. A cylinder open on both ends, like a coffee container with the bottom removed, is placed in an area on the edge of the discolored turf. The cylinder is filled with water and if, the insects are
As Digital Content Editor Christine Alexander explains, pollinators play a vital role in our ecosystem and we should all be doing our part to support their populations:
In these days of drought, heat spells, and water wise gardens, many gardeners are interested in efficiency when it comes to irrigation. Drip irrigation is commonly considered to be the most efficient way to water plants. But there’s something even better now: subsurface drip irrigation. It’s one step up – or, rather, one step down, providing low pressure water directly to each plant’s roots beneath the soil.
After 20 years of having a lawn that took, I wanted a yard that contributed: to the planet, to local animals, to biodiversity, to my neighbors, to my mental health. With the sage (native plant pun intended) design work, counsel, and collaboration of David Godshall of Terremoto and David Newsom of Wild Yards Project—and a plant-friendly paint palette from color consultant Teresa Grow—another little garden that gives was born.
Ah, garden dreams. We all have them. You drive by someone’s front yard and gasp at how original, yet welcoming it is. Or you go to a friend’s garden party and get positively green with envy over their, well, greenery and the overall flow of the space. To achieve such greatness, you decide you need to hire a landscape designer. And then you realize you have no idea what to do next.
It’s well known that the housing market is so competitive right now, but prospective home buyers aren’t the only ones hurting—renters are, too. According to personal finance website WalletHub, inflation has impacted rental prices, and 2022 saw the second-highest price growth in decades with a 6.2% year-over-year increase.
For those who are looking to buy a home for the first time, the feat can seem like quite the hurdle. With housing prices and interest rates still high, and a competitive market, it’s tough out there! And the number of first-time home buyers are dropping, too, because of those high prices—according to personal finance site WalletHub, 26% off home purchases were made by first-time home buyers in 2022, down from 34% the previous year.
All the latest garden news and the best UK garden events to look out for in August.
California is well known for its trees and this article shall provide a list of the most popular California’s Native Shade Plants. So let’s begin!
A late start to the gardening season may not deterred insects. Bees and hoverflies are spoilt for choice of nectar rich flowers in the summer months
One thing is sure the climate in your garden will change. You already know one week will be different to the next and I can’t remember when two months or any years were the identical to others. In many areas you can get 3 or 4 seasons in one day (or in Scotland one hour!).
No flies on Van Gogh
A stroll through a boutique garden store might lead you to believe that filling a garden with happy, healthy plants is only for the well-heeled. But those very plants that have soaring price tags in the store might be yours for free if you are willing to be a little creative. If you are wondering how to get free plants, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for five tried-and-true paths that lead you to free garden plants.