Photo: David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org

Emerald ash borer has caused a variety of problems all across North America.

Since it’s discovery, the insect has killed more than 50 million ash trees in more than 20 states and two Canadian provinces.

Denver and Fort Collins, Colorado-based Swingle Lawn, Tree & Landscape Care has offered few tips on how to treat the pest.

Landscapers should determine if ash trees are present in a client’s yard. Ash trees have compound leaves with five to 11 leaflets, branches and buds that are in pairs directly across from one another, as well as have mature bark with diamond shape ridges.

When it comes to treating ash trees, there are several factors to keep in mind such as tree size, condition and proximity to the known affected area of the emerald ash borer.

Treatment options include either an injection in the soil or the trunk or a basal bark spray (spraying the trunk).

• Trunk Injection (Arborjet TREE-age) – Injections can start in late May through June. It is effective for at least two years; yet research has shown it can last longer. Truck injections are recommended for trees within 15 miles of the known detection site. A trunk injection may also be used if a soil injection is recommended, but the soil is not accessible.
• Soil injection (Criterion) – Soil injections can be made mid to late spring and fall. A soil injection will protect trees for one year. Professional soil injections can place the insecticide below turf or mulch to directly reach the root zone of the tree.
• Trunk spray or basal bark treatment (Safari) – Trunk spray is applied in June. The spray is effective for one growing season. The basal truck spray offers the advantage of being easy and quick to apply.

Ash trees have a better probability of surviving emerald ash borer if the tree has maintained a healthy status by being properly pruned, not infected by other pests and watered adequately.

One of the biggest problems a landscaper can face has nothing to do with bugs, disease or weather: it’s geese.

To help, Arkion Life Sciences produced FlightControl Plus, a goose repellent that gets the birds to leave without harm, while preventing the “drop” of parasite-carrying feces and damage.

Geese have found luxury in living on lawns rather than flying south each fall and north each summer.

Canadian geese eat up to three pounds of grass per day, and the cost of repairing lawns and cleanup of goose droppings can run as high as $1,000.

Additionally, the nitrogen content in the droppings can contribute to algae growth in ponds and lakes.

The EPA-approved FlightControl Plus is a spray-on solution, which is odorless, waterproof and does not harm humans, vegetation or wildlife.

The repellent uses an environmentally safe compound called anthranquinone. It works in two ways by first sending a visual warning. When sprayed on the turf, the compound absorbs ultraviolet light, something the geese can see even though humans can’t.

This sends a visual signal to the geese that something is wrong with their food.

Secondly, it gives the geese a stomachache if digested. When geese sample the treated turf, they experience a harmless, but effective digestive irritation.

An effective fertilizer program must produce healthy, green turf, but it also needs to make sense from a financial standpoint. 

Christina Burton, Turfgrass Science graduate and Maintenance Channel Manager for Horizon, shares a method to calculate fertilizer costs.

If you’re looking to lower costs, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is choosing a fertilizer solely on price. The bag price is an important factor when figuring out the annual cost of a program, but it’s only part of the equation. 

As discussed in the YouTube video, one of the most common objections when it comes to slow release fertilizer is the bag cost is too high. But when you look at how long the fertilizer lasts and a few other factors, programs utilizing slow release fertilizer usually cost less overall. 

Comparing the Cost of Fertilizer
One of the biggest problems with quick release fertilizers is they don’t last very long, usually only four to six weeks. On the other hand, slow release fertilizers routinely last anywhere from two to four months, and a few last even longer.

A reliable way to compare fertilizer costs when you’re preparing for a single application is to calculate the cost of fertilizer per acre per week. Here’s how you do it:

Step 1: Calculate the Number of Bags Needed to Fertilize 1 Acre
When you look at a fertilizer label, the first thing you’ll want to find is the NPK ratio. This will show you the percentage of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the bag.

Quick release fertilizers tend to have less nitrogen in the bag, so if you’re fertilizing at the typical application rate of 1 pound of N per 1,000 square foot, you will need more bags of fertilizer to get the job done. 

Step 2: Multiply the Number of Bags by the Bag Price
Once you’ve determined the number of bags needed to fertilize one anchor, multiply it by the bag price.

Cost to Fertilize One Acre = Number of Bags x Bag Price

Step 3: Divide the Cost to Fertilize One Acre by How Long the Fertilizer Lasts
If we were just looking at the cost to fertilize one acre, quick release fertilizer will usually be cheaper. But one of the main benefits of moving to a slow release fertilizer is that it lasts much longer than quick release fertilizer. This is where you start saving your money.

Cost of Fertilizer per Acre per Week = Cost to Fertilize One Acre / Fertilizer Duration (in weeks)

When you pay a few dollars less for a product that only lasts half as long, your fertilizer ends up costing you more in the long run. But the savings are actually greater when you consider a few other costs. 

Other Ways Slow Release Fertilizer Saves You Money
There are other costs to think about when it comes to your fertilizer program. You should also consider:

• The cost of labor. Fertilizer doesn’t apply itself and labor isn’t cheap. Every application of fertilizer means additional labor cost.

• The cost of gas. Unless you live on the property, you’ll need to get to and from the job site, which wastes additional time and money.

• The cost of additional mowing and maintenance. One of the main benefits of using slow release fertilizer is that it produces steady, healthy growth. Quick release fertilizers often cause a quick surge of growth, which requires additional mowing. 

Underhill International has introduced Flo-Pro, an injection system designed for turf products.

Featuring fluid-flow technology, the Flo-Pro uses park and sports field irrigation systems to apply liquid or water-soluble wetting agents, fertilizers and soil amendments. Flo-Pro can also apply acid to help lower pH levels.

The injection system connects to the irrigation mainline and monitors delivery of turf care products.

Because the unit has no moving parts, it does not require electricity.

Feed rates are adjustable for various mixing ratios, and pre-mixing or pre-blending is not required.

The operator sets the dial to the desired injection rate from one to 20 gallons per hour. The operator then pours the wetting agent or other soluble product into the tank. The irrigation system then applies the solution.

The Flo-Pro tank is available in five sizes including: 10-, 17-, 25-, 45- and 86-gallon horizontal or vertical tanks. Metal vertical enclosures and saddle connection kits are also available.

United Turf Alliance introduced the ArmorTech Zoxy 2 SC, a liquid formulation of an azoxystrobin fungicide.

Prior to going off patent, azoxystrobin was available to the professional turf management market as Syngenta Group Company’s Heritage Fungicide.

The fungicide is labeled for the control of a variety of turfgrass diseases on golf courses, tees and fairways, as well as residential, commercial, recreational and sports turf.

The liquid is a highly concentrated formula that contains 2.08 pounds of active ingredient per gallon.

The fungicide is a water-based product with low odor with the ability to mix it in the tank.

ArmorTech Zoxy 2 SC is available in 4- by 1-gallon and 4- by 1-quart cases from United Turf Alliance members and dealer partners. The one-quart container treats approximately one acre of turf at the standard use rate. 

Photo: David Shetlar, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org

Since 2010, the United States has seen its share of hot summers: the kind of summers that rewrite records. 

With the exception of 2013, each year earned a spot in the Top 5 warmest summers on record, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration statistics. In the Midwest, these consecutive record-breaking temperatures took their toll in an unexpected way. 

“Around here, that’s not something we’re used to,” says Jeremy Turner, president of Lawn Doctor of Mid County-St. Charles, Missouri, of the extreme summers. “By 2012, we were seeing a lot of damage on turf. There were zoysiagrass lawns all over town that were absolutely destroyed. People thought it was drought.”

Drought seemed to be a likely enough culprit, paving the way for what Turner suspected were chinch bugs, which, in turn, made turf susceptible to disease. With a little digging, so to speak, he was able to help uncover the real problem: hunting billbugs. And just like that, the region had a new pest problem.

Root of the problem
Billbugs are no stranger to the Midwest. The bluegrass billbug is well established as an insect pest there. Until 2012, though, the hunting billbug was thought to reside primarily in the Southeast, according to Lee Miller, Ph.D., assistant professor of turfgrass pathology at the University of Missouri.

So when zoysia began to decline throughout the state, hunting billbugs weren’t on anyone’s radar. Considered a “no- to low-maintenance turf,” zoysiagrass didn’t have a long list of usual suspects for this kind of decline. 

“People thought it was drought. They thought it was anything but billbugs,” Turner says. 

When a client called on him for help with a zoysia lawn, Turner could see the turf was diseased. And because there was damage near the curb and along the driveway, he had good reason to believe chinch bugs were involved. During that call, the client asked Turner if the problem could be something called zoysia decline, which prompted Turner to email Miller at the University of Missouri. 

“He told me that zoysia decline is what you call it when you don’t know what it is,” Turner says. Miller happened to be in town and offered to take a look at the client’s lawn. 

When Miller arrived, he began looking at the turf roots, which were hollow. “That was the front-end of people figuring out what was causing all the destruction on the lawns here, and I just happened to be present for it,” Turner says. 

Make no mistake
“Hunting billbug damage may be the most-often misdiagnosed problem in warm-season turfgrass,” Miller says. “It appears similar to damage caused by diseases, drought, chinch bugs or delayed spring greening. The adults are reclusive, come out only at night and are well camouflaged.”

Also, for a good portion of the larval stage, the billbug grub is inside the plant, adding to detection difficulty, he says. Many times, the only diagnostic symptom is the hollowed out stolons and leaf stems billbugs leave behind. By the time you see confirmation of billbugs, the damage has already been done.

By the time Miller identified the hunting billbug in Missouri in 2012, this was the case. The drought-like conditions and low soil moisture levels that year made them somewhat more apparent, once you knew what you were looking for.

Damage control
The hunting billbug is primarily a pest of zoysiagrass and bermudagrass, but it may also feed on Kentucky bluegrass and various field crops, according to Miller. 

Photo: David Shetlar, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org

“The species and cultivar of zoysia most often grown in Missouri (Zoysia japonica cv. ‘Meyer’) also happens to be the most susceptible to hunting billbug damage,” Miller says. There are other varieties more resistant to these billbugs (Zoysia matrella), but these aren’t as cold tolerant. So, they aren’t widely available in Missouri, he says. 

Depending on the degree of damage hunting billbugs have caused, control options vary.

“If our clients have damage, but not dead turf, we work on the health of the plant and try to get some recovery,” says Turner, who services nearly 1,000 clients and 7 million square feet of turf. “We do see some good recovery by just adjusting fertilizer and water. If turf is very far gone, though, we will put in replacement plugs every 6 to 12 inches.” 

The hunting billbug problem has been so prevalent in Turner’s area that he has all of his zoysia lawns on a preventive plan, for now. 

“We treat with a systemic insecticide in June,” he says. “We’ll put down imidicloprid (Merit) and that will get us season-long control.”

Other products that will target adult hunting billbugs in spring include bifenthrin (Talstar), deltamethrin (DeltaGard) or lambda-cyhalothrin (Scimitar or Battle), according to Miller. For larvae control, Miller suggests clothianidin (Arena) or thiamethoxam (Meridian).

If, however, you’re looking to target both larvae and adult hunting billbugs, consider applications of chlorantraniliprole (Acelepryn) or the combination products clothianidin + bifenthrin (Aloft) or imidacloprid + bifenthrin (Allectus), Miller says.

“Remember that when you’re targeting larvae, it is crucial to water in the insecticide with 1/8- to 1/2-inch of water,” he says.

Most importantly, though, make sure you know what you’re dealing with. Confirm it. Like Turner, know when to collaborate for an official diagnosis. Never use a chemical treatment as a way to rule out potential problems.

Dow AgroSciences received federal registration of Gallery SC specialty herbicide.

The liquid formulation is a suspension concentrate that can provide control of more than 95 species of broadleaf weeds including chickweed, spurge and oxalis.

The control can last up to six to eight months depending on environmental conditions.

The concentrated formula reduces rinsing and disposal. Applied at a rate of 1 quart per acre, Gallery SC in the 2-gallon jug will cover 8¼ acres in one container. Gallery SC is available in 1-quart and 2-gallon containers.

Gallery SC contains the active ingredient isoxaben. It can be applied on 714 field-grown and 562 container-grown ornamentals.

It bonds with soil particles and has a low water solubility, so it won’t move out of the weed germination zone. 

Photo courtesy of Ohio State Weed Lab Archive, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org

If summer’s high temperatures and drought-like conditions have forced you to put weed control on hold, don’t panic. You still have time to take aim at weeds. In fact, for certain broadleaf weed herbicide applications, later is greater. 

“Fall is a much better time to control some of the hardiest and most durable perennial broadleaf weeds because they are actively growing in cool-season turfgrasses,” says Ken Hutto, Ph.D., technical service manager for FMC Professional Solutions. It’s the active growing that promotes the spread of the herbicide throughout the weed plant.

Targeting these weeds in the fall not only boosts herbicide efficacy for a more complete kill of weeds, but also decreases the chance of damaging turf, which has only just recovered from the stresses of summer. Taking weeds out in the fall can give turf a competitive advantage when it emerges in the spring and break the weed cycle. 

A fall fix
In many instances, trying to combat weeds in the summer is not only futile, but it can damage turfgrass, according to Aaron Patton, Ph.D., associate professor and turfgrass extension specialist at Purdue University.

“Herbicides are most effective on weeds that are not drought-stressed, and herbicides can be damaging when applied to drought-stressed turf,” Patton says.

Instead, a fall application minimizes the risks to turf and maximizes efficacy, taking advantage of the weed’s lifecycle.

“Many herbicides are effective in late fall because plants are more likely to translocate (move downward) herbicides into root and stem tissues as the day lengths shorten and temperatures cool,” Patton says.

While preparing for winter, weeds are storing energy reserves and will readily suck up herbicides.

Wild violet is more susceptible to herbicides in the fall when it is actively growing. Photo courtesy of Walter Reeves, The Georgia Gardener

“When weeds are actively growing in the fall, it’s easy for them to metabolize herbicides. These perennial weeds are shifting their requirements to productive growth. They are sucking in nutrients and moisture,” Hutto says. 

Weeds like dandelion, clover, plantain, ground ivy and wild violet are all good candidates for fall weed control.

“Wild violet has a pretty nasty rhizome to reproduce vegetatively. It’s shifting carbohydrates down into tubers in the fall to be ready to emerge in the spring, so by making a fall application, the product is drawn down into the reproductive areas,” Hutto says.

Not only is fall herbicide application appropriate, for some weeds, like wild violet, it has proven to be the most effective time for control. According to Hutto, research comparing fall versus spring herbicide application for wild violet has rated fall the prime time. 

For other broadleaf perennial weeds, you can reach the same level of control whether you time your herbicide application for fall or spring. In these instances, fall can still be a better option.

“The major benefit of all weed control is removing competition from turfgrass,” Hutto says. “What that allows you to do is increase competitive advantage of turf in the fall. If you remove the weeds and you’re fertilizing, those voids can be filled back in, and you’re going into the winter with much healthier turf. So, you’re going into spring with a denser turf, and you’ll do better overall with weeds.”

Time and temperature
Before planning your fall herbicide application, you first must consider whether you’ll put down seed in the fall. If you’re going to seed, you’ll need to time your application early enough so that it won’t interfere. 

Always consult the product label, which will provide specific instructions and restrictions for seeding. With some products, the wait between application and seeding will be minimal. For other products, it could be as long as 30 days. 

This fall is the best time to control perennial broadleaf weeds, like plantain, with two-or three-way herbicide combinations. Photo courtesy of Auburn University, College of Agriculture

No matter the wait, controlling weeds before seeding is always a good idea. 

“If you’re seeding into a lawn and you remove weeds prior to seeding, you’ll get much better seed-to-soil contact,” Hutto says. “If weeds are present, you won’t get as good establishment. If voids are created by eliminating weeds, much more seed can fill in the gaps. That’s the greatest benefit of fall weed control, whether in established lawns with spot treatment or by reseeding.”

From a general weed-control standpoint, temperatures will be a critical factor in the amount of control you’ll get in the fall. You shouldn’t apply herbicide when temperatures fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Labels will provide more specific information.

“As it gets colder, weeds will start dying off and the application won’t be as effective,” Hutto says.

You’ll also want to consider the product you’re using and length of control. Some of the most common active ingredients for fall control include 2,4-D + MCPP + dicamba, triclopyr and sulfentrazone + quinclorac. Some products will get you as many as 60 days of control before the first frost hits.

Herbicide formulation will also determine the level of control you’ll get from your fall application, according to Hutto.

“As you get into cooler temperatures, companies switch to an ester formulation versus an amine formulation,” Hutto says. “Esters hold up better to the cooler temperatures and penetrate the cuticles. That’s another thing to consider for fall application.”

Lastly, fertilization is key to ultimately getting rid of weeds in the fall.

“In the rules of weed control, the first step is always competitive turf,” Hutto says. “By coupling weed control with fall fertilization, it increases the competition of turf while decreasing the weeds. That’s an important part.”

Underhill International introduced soil surfactant pellets to its collection.

Tournament-Ready Plus with Actosol can help prevent and cure localized dry spots in “hydrophobic soils” at sports fields, parks and other natural turf areas.

By improving the infiltration rate, the product allows for more efficient irrigation coverage and reduces hand watering.

Hydrophobic soils repel water and do not allow it to infiltrate down in the root zones, causing dry patchy areas.

The pellets are used to supplement turf that has poor moisture-holding capacity by increasing water absorption onto soil particles.

Available in 16, 8-ounce pellet packs, Tournament-Ready Plus with Actosol features a blend of natural ingredients and surface-active agents, including humic and fulvic acid and micronutrients.

The product modulates water movement laterally and vertically into the soil profiles for up to 14 weeks after treatment. It is also root enhancing and helps water infiltrate the soil with uniform moisture management and does not bind in the thatch layer or cause spongy turf.

Part of caring for your clients’ landscaping needs is creating an environment that’s pleasing to humans, yet unattractive to pests. The good news is you don’t have to be a professional residential pest control expert to offer your clients basic natural pest control solutions. 

By preparing lawns in the late fall and early winter, you help strengthen lawns and prevent the growth of unwanted flora and uninvited critters when spring arrives.

Here are tips and techniques from Jen McCauley, Eden Advanced Pest Technologies.

Pests of concern

• White grubs: Grubs eat the roots near the surface of the soil, causing grass to die. The presence of white grubs often attracts birds, raccoons, skunks and moles. 
• Cinch bugs: Cinch bugs destroy lawns by sucking the moisture out of grass blades.
• Rodents: Rodents hide in landscape debris and weeds, nest in unkempt areas and may feed on other types of garden pests.  
• Weeds: Weeds germinate in the fall to prepare for springtime growth.
• Fertilize: Local pest control companies often recommend the use of a natural winterizing fertilizer to promote lawn root development and pest resistance.   
• Prevent weed growth: Weed the landscape regularly and apply an organic pre-emergent, like corn gluten meal, to prevent winter and spring weeds.
• Eliminate leaves:  Fallen leaves make great places to hide for insects and rodents. Turn the leaves into mulch and apply it to the lawn as it acts as a natural fertilizer.
• Keep mowing: Use the highest setting on the mower in the late fall so the grass stays insulated and strong during the winter.
• Sow new seeds: If a client has cool-season lawns, reseed bare patches. For warm-season grasses, overseed with cool-season grasses.               
• Go easy on the mulch: Mulch is popular for keeping weeds at bay in landscape features and garden beds. However, traditional mulch is also popular with pests. Use mulch sparingly and avoid placing it near a home or building. When selecting mulch, use a product that naturally repels insects, like cedar bark.
• Clean up food sources: If a client has plants or trees that bear fall fruit, pick up produce that falls to the ground so it doesn’t attract pests.

Pest prevention
As a landscaper, it’s not unheard of to encounter a pest infestation on a client’s property. When this happens, don’t be afraid to partner with a residential pest control service that uses natural pest control techniques. The techniques that the professionals use are tailored to the type of pest in question and eliminate unnecessary pesticide use, which helps keep a landscape and the environment safe and healthy. 

A healthy lawn prevents the presence of unwanted pests. By employing smart lawn care techniques, you’ll simplify future landscape care and go a long way toward preventing pests that can destroy your hard work. Never hesitate to call a local pest control service that uses green practices to help maintain a pest-free landscape that’s in line with your clients’ wishes. 

XXpire WG insecticide, which is available in 48 states, is an ornamental insecticide with two active ingredients that control both chewing and sap-feeding insects.

The insecticide from Dow AgroSciences combines spinetoram and Isoclast Active and is effective on 39 pests, including seven of the top 10 most troublesome ornamental insects.

Isoclast is a recently registered active ingredient and the sole member of the sulfoximine class of insect control agents. Spinetoram is a spinosyn insecticide that offers insecticidal activity and long residual control.

When used according to label directions, XXpire controls whiteflies, aphids, mealybugs, lepidopterans, lacebugs, certain scales and thrips, and suppresses spider mites. XXpire is also soft on beneficials and gentle on more than 300 plants, including more than 100 ornamental species.

Dow AgroSciences unveiled Gallery SC, a specialty herbicide in a liquid formulation.

Available in 49 states, the suspension concentrate formula provides plant tolerance and pre-emergence control of more than 95 species of broadleaf weeds.

Gallery SC comes in 2-gallone packaging and is applied at a rate of approximately 1 quart per acre.

The 2-gallon jug will cover 8 and ¼ acres using a single container, and the herbicide is available in two package sizes – 1 quarter and 2 gallon.

Gallery SC specialty herbicide contains the active ingredient isoxaben, developed by Dow AgroSciences. It can be applied on 714 field-grown and 562 container-grown ornamentals. It bonds with soil particles and has a low water solubility, so it won’t move out of the weed germination zone. Studies show that Gallery is stable on the soil surface and stays put, even in heavy rainfall.

Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience, has announced that Tribute has been approved for use in California.

Tribute Total is a post-emergent herbicide that delivers broad-spectrum control to help remove grassy and broadleaf weeds, sedges and kyllingas. 

Approved for use in bermudagrass and zoysiagrass, Tribute Total is effective against 55 grassy and broadleaf weeds, including dallisgrass, goosegrass and clumpy rye. 

BioSafe System’s BioSafe Disease Control Ready to Spray concentrate is now labeled and EPA registered for use in hydroponic systems.

The product can be used in hydroponic and aquaponic system to help prevent algae and plant root rot diseases caused by water borne and water transmitted plant pathogens such as Pythium and Phytophthora. However, this product is not approved for use in California. 

The concentrate is available in 32 fluid ounce containers, and the container itself can be connected to a garden hose.

For nutrient tank solution applications, users can add one to two teaspoons of BioSafe Disease Control liquid per 50 gallons.

For established algae or root diseases use higher rates every three days until control is maintained. Using lower application rates on a weekly basis will assist in preventing algae and root diseases.

BioSafe Disease Control is also available as a pre-diluted Ready to Use product in a 32 fluid ounce pre-diluted spray bottle for direct foliar application.

To maintain a balanced system, be sure to check pH each time BioSafe Disease Control is added and buffer immediately to reach a pH that is ideal for plants and fish. Apply BioSafe Disease Control liquid every time fresh nutrient solution or make up water is added to the systems.

The Gowan Company’s Captiva, a natural repellent bio-insecticide, has received federal registration from the EPA.

Captivia controls thrips and spider mites, and is the first product from Gowan’s partnership with Ecoflora Agro to receive EPA registration.

Captiva Insect Repellant/Insecticide is currently being registered in individual states in preparation for the 2014-15 growing season.

PBI-Gordon has introduced TZone SE Broadleaf Herbicide to help battle tough weeds.

The reduced-solvent ester formulation of TZone SE delivers twice the triclopyr per acre to help with broadleaf weeds.

The herbicide is formulated to penetrate the cuticle to control wild violet, ground ivy, black medic, oxalis, clover, spurge, speedwell, lespedeza and more than 80 broadleaf weeds.

Additionally, the herbicide provides suppression of young and actively growing yellow nutsedge. The reduced-solvent ester formulation of TZone SE improves cool-weather performance, which allows applications earlier and later in the growing season.

The summer months are finally behind us, and cool-season turf is getting the break it needs to recover from heat, pests and drought. But, there’s no rest for the weary – it’s time for a complete fall fertilization program to get your customer’s turf ready for the spring. 

Proper nutrient management is one of the most important factors for fall fertilization, so it’s essential to choose a program that works best for turf specific to weather conditions. 

Overseeded bermudagrass with perennial ryegrass blends are fertilized with Agrium Advanced Technologies’ XCU slow-release fertilizer.

Researchers are now finding that a fall fertilization program is creating additional benefits that can carry well into the next year. Recent studies at Ohio State University show overall plant/turfgrass physiological health is improved for the following season with a fall fertilizer application vs. turf that is untreated at the end of the growing season.

Fall fertilization also helps turf recover more quickly from summer stress, maintaining a green turf color into the early winter, while providing quick green-up in the spring. Jonathan Copeland, president of CopelandScapes in Gadsden, Alabama, has experience this firsthand. 

“Serving more than 4 million square feet of turf and vegetation in the transition zone, it is crucial we apply a reliable product in the fall on our cool-season blends of perennial ryegrass and bluegrass that consistently promotes optimal nutrient uptake by the plant,” Copeland says. 

Landscaper Jonathan Copeland applies fertilizer in early October and then again in early-to-mid December.

Copeland’s fall fertilization is simple: One application in the beginning of October, followed by an early-to-mid December application helps relieve home and commercial turf, as well as athletic fields from surge growth, yielding healthy plant growth and color for the next season. 

“Fall fertilization improves the condition of turf and vegetation in the fall and spring – great for us both economically and from a sustainability standpoint,” Copeland says.

A fall feeding can also help turf grow deeper roots during the spring. The key is preserving valuable carbohydrate reserves for root development that might otherwise be depleted by excessive shoot growth, which often results from early spring fertilization. 

“The benefits of a fall fertilization program are growing beyond the aesthetics of providing seasonally greener turf,” says Dr. Eric Miltner, agronomist, Agrium Advanced Technologies. “LCOs can reduce the amount of fertilizer they use, and a fall feeding sets up the property to become healthier, denser and better able to withstand the stresses of the summer outdoor season.”

The ideal time for fall fertilization varies, largely dependent on soil temperatures so that root systems are still active and can store nutrients. Regardless of the timing, the benefits of a fall program are changing the landscape of fertilization programs.

“The environmental, economic and efficiency benefits of fall fertilization are hard to ignore,” Miltner says. “They span the fall, winter and spring seasons and create greener, healthier turf that uses resources more effectively and helps turf managers do their jobs more efficiently.”  

By Bob Raley, agronomist, Agrium Advanced Technologies

Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience, has introduced Specticle Total, a non-selective herbicide with residual control.

Specticle Total kills existing weeds, as well as prevents new one for up to six months.

The product is mixed in a backpack sprayer and can be used on both landscapes and hardscapes.

The herbicide is rainproof in 30 minutes and uses less active ingredient, which results in less herbicide in the environment.

In addition to landscapes and hardscapes, the herbicide can be used in mulching areas and around ornamental plants and grasses.

It can be used around buildings, fence rows, decorative gravel and lava rock areas, as well as in parking lots, paths and walkways, driveways and sidewalks, patios, rocky or sandy areas in desert climates and bare-ground, non-crop areas.

After surveying approximately 750 turf and ornamental professionals to assess pest management practices in greenhouses, lawns, landscapers and trees, researches have found that neonicotinoids are the primary tools used by professionals to control destructive insect pests.

The study shows turf and ornamental professionals fear the loss of these neonicotinoid products would reduce the quality of their plants and services, increase costs and negatively impact their ability to manage pest resistance.

When asked to rate the relative importance of different variables in choosing an insecticide, more than 90 percent of all respondents listed performance (protecting plant quality and consistency of pest control) and safety (to applicators and customers) as their leading considerations.

Nearly 60 percent of all professionals surveyed included a neonicotinoid as one of their “most used” insecticides. Neonicotinoids were the top-ranked insecticide used in each market segment.

When asked what would happen if neonicotinoids were no longer available, nearly 75 percent of all professionals indicated there were either no acceptable alternatives, or not enough acceptable alternatives to meet their pest management needs.

Across all turf and ornamental markets, 55 percent of professionals noted that the loss of neonicotinoids would result in reduced income for their business.  The highest financial impact was in the lawn segment, where 68 percent anticipated a loss of income. 

The major reasons cited for income reductions among all professionals were related to increased costs associated with using alternative insecticides and the impact on plant quality or services provided.  Without neonicotinoids, 78 percent of respondents expected higher costs due to more frequent treatments, or increased volumes of alternative insecticides. 

Two-thirds of all professionals indicated that higher costs would occur as a result of increased time associated with additional treatments, record keeping and worker training. Additionally, almost half of all professionals noted there would be a decrease in customer satisfaction if neonicotinoids were not available.

Without neonicotinoids, most professionals indicated they would shift primarily to older chemistries, and many expressed concerns about managing invasive pests or how this would affect their Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. From their perspective, switching to older products would represent a serious setback in managing pest resistance and to their overall operations.  

The Value of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Turf and Ornamentals:  The Value of Neonicotinoids to Turf and Ornamental Professionals

This report is one in a series that will be released over the next few months as part of a comprehensive evaluation of the economic and societal benefits of neonicotinoid insecticides in North America. The research was conducted by AgInfomatics, a consulting firm of independent agricultural economists and scientists, and jointly commissioned and sponsored by Bayer CropScience, Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc., Syngenta and Valent U.S.A. Corporation.  

Green Spear’s Moss Melt Concentrate, Moss and Algae Herbicide recently received Environmental Protection Agency registration for use on roofs, lawns, turf, and outdoor surfaces and structures.

The active ingredient in Moss Melt Concentrate is an emulsified d-Limonene, which acts as a natural degreaser.

The herbicide strips away the waxy surface of moss and algae for a desiccation without the need for direct sunlight or warm temperatures. The herbicide is also rain fast within one hour.

Additionally, the herbicide features a non-staining formula that will not stain concrete, brick, pavement, stucco or wood, and will not damage gutters, metal flashing or downspouts.

Moss Melt is a highly concentrated low dose material. Standard labeled use rate is a 2 percent spray solution (2.56 ounces/gallon of water) and a spray volume of 3.8 gallons per 1000 square feet of surface area. One gallon of Moss Melt kills up to 12,500 square feet.

The product has been field-tested in both university and independent studies. When used, the 2 percent spray solution Moss Melt showed little to no phytotoxicity on bentgrass or ryegrass in university testing.

Moss Melt Concentrate is EPA registered and meets the criteria of the NOP Rule (for Use in Organic Gardening & Organic Production by the USDA National Organics Program). Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) listing is pending review.

Moss Melt will be available in the Pacific Northwest starting Jan. 1.