Dry Grass & Grubs

Landscraper Staff Writers

DRY GRASS

Under the footsteps of every Ohioan this summer will be the crunch & crackle of their own lawns. This is one of the hottest summers in recorded history, dry grass & white grubswill be a continuing worry. Lawn rejuvenation will be every lawn owners concern.
‘The lack of water will make the grass go into dormancy, with a lawn rejuvenation we try to bring grass out of that dormancy.’ President of Premier Landscaping John Gilbride says.
The challenges of the heat show up problems in the turf and the soil. Compacted soils don’t accept moisture well and the roots have difficulty growing into those tiny pores anyway. Shallow rooted lawns and those with a lot of thatch have more problems. A lot of water gets trapped in the thatch and it becomes a breeding ground for insects, weeds and disease. A lot of the lawns that browned out or died were bluegrass sod lawns on compacted soil. (Dry Grass Issues? www.premierlandscapinglakewood.net)

Bluegrass is the least drought tolerant of the cool season grasses and tall fescues, which we use, have deeper roots, no thatch and withstand drought the best.
A lot of our lawns that browned out in July came back nicely. We had some lawns where we tore up spots, top dressed and seeded. (Dry Grass Issues? www.premierlandscapinglakewood.net)

 In general, we are doing more slice seeding, core aerating and top dressing than ever. Even though the leaves are falling prematurely, the nights are cool, we are getting some rain and the grass is growing again.Gilbride says the effects of a dry lawn will push out weeds where grass used to grow. He suggests a few methods that could rejuvenate your lawn. ‘Lawn rejuvenation is about over-saturating your lawn with over-seeding & fertilizer. Aeration, weed killer adding new turf all go a long way in bringing back the dormant grass.”

Grubs

Gilbride adds that White Grubs can be just as damaging as a drought.
White grubs (European chafer, May and June beetles) are small, plump, white larvae which viciously chew on grass roots. They live below the soil surface and actually chew off the roots of the grass. Since the grass roots have been destroyed, the lawn will appear yellow in patches, just like the lawn is dying out. ( White Grub Issues? www.premierlandscapinglakewood.net)

The damage looks quite similar to symptoms of dryness. Many assume that the lawn needs only water to restore a lush, green appearance. Other symptoms to watch for include: animals like skunks and raccoons digging up the lawn and birds feeding on grubs, leaving pencil-sized holes. Often damaged turf will roll back like a carpet!

Life Cycle
To control an insect population we must understand its habits and life cycle. Some grubs complete their life cycle in one year. Others require three years to complete their life cycle. White grubs survive the winter as larvae in the soil. In the early spring the grubs begin to feed again.(White Grub Issues? www.premierlandscapinglakewood.net)  Later in the spring and summer, they enter a resting stage (pupae) then hatch into adult beetles. beware! Lots of beetles can mean a grub problem later. (The beetles do not damage lawns.) Beetles lay their eggs which hatch into grub larvae. The larvae feed voraciously, which results in the yellowing of your lawn.

Serious damage can occur in the spring, summer and fall. If the problem is ignored the patches will get larger. The damaged areas will then fill in with weeds or crabgrass. The best time to treat grubs is when they are very young, before you are faced with severe damage. Why wait?

Control
Our trained specialists can recognize the difference between a simple dry grass problem and a serious white grub infestation. We use materials that are applied carefully and precisely at the correct time to be the most effective in controlling this serious lawn pest. Your landscaper needs YOUR HELP. Call and he will inspect your property. If you do have white grubs, he can protect your investment in your property, by promptly treating the problem. If your yellow patches are due to lack of water, he can advise you on correct watering procedures. (Dry Grass or White Grub Issues? www.premierlandscapinglakewood.net)

In Review if you have Dry Grass or White Grub problem:
1. Over-seeding
2. Fertilizer
3. Aeration
4. Weed-killer
5. New Turf – to bring back Dormant Grass
6. Best to take care of your Grub issue when they are very young
7. Call Premier Landscaping
8. Get a lawn rejuvenation for Dry Grass

*Information researched from the internet Some info from Tom Butzier’s post, Brown Grass, from his ‘Gardening in the Keystone State’ blog.See more at: http://www.organicsoilsolutions.com/how-the-summer-heat-impacted-our-lawns/#sthash.jEHnNW3Y.dpuf