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TechNotes ADVISORY 2-13-06

SPRING FLOWERS IN THE SOUTHEAST NEWEST. Spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils, tulips, crocus, and hyacinths are or will be flowering shortly in the southeastern United States. It is recommended the flowers be removed after flowering. The removal of the flower will prevent seed formation. After bloom, do not remove the leaves until they turn brown or at least 6 weeks after bloom. Although not flowering the plant leaves continue to photosynthesize, increasing the storage carbohydrate levels in the bulb, which will help next year�s bloom.

Failure of spring-flowering bulbs to bloom is often a result of many different factors. If the bulbs were planted in a wet area the bulbs may have rotted. A lack of bloom may also result from the bulbs being too shaded or planted too close together. Daffodils will often have a restricted or reduced bloom if planted to shallow in the soil.

CRABGRASS SEASON IN SOUTHERN U.S. Crabgrass germination is rapidly approaching in the southern United States and southern California. When average soil temperatures reach the 50-degree mark, temperatures are approaching favorable conditions for germination. Soil temperatures are often utilized for determining crabgrass germination. When soil temperatures fall within the range of 52 to 58 F or 55 F at the 4-inch depth, crabgrass will begin germinating. In areas where the turf is thin, soil temperatures will warm quicker than soils under a dense turf. The average mean soil temperature at which initial crabgrass appearance is observed is 60 to 64 F.

Phenological events are also associated with crabgrass germination. The most common plant used is forsythia. When forsythia bloom crabgrass will start germinating. The Eastern redbud tree is an example of a phenological timing event. As the redbud tree approaches full bloom, crabgrass germinates.

HOLLIES SUSCEPTIBLE TO WINTER INJURY. Hollies are susceptible to winter injury if placed in exposed areas. Foliage symptoms appear brown and have a scorched look. The buds and branches are normally dead and if leaves do emerge, they often collapse. Additional symptoms include twig dieback and bark splitting.

Spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils, tulips, crocus, and hyacinths are or will be flowering shortly in the southeastern United States. It is recommended the flowers be removed after flowering. The removal of the flower will prevent seed formation. After bloom, do not remove the leaves until they turn brown or at least 6 weeks after bloom. Although not flowering the plant leaves continue to photosynthesize, increasing the storage carbohydrate levels in the bulb, which will help next year�s bloom.

Friday, February 3, 2006

FUNGUS

Rusty, Rusty Lawns

As cool season turf grass slows, rust becomes a major problem. Leaves that are showing rust symptoms have orange pustules present on the leaf surface. If symptoms are severe enough, walking through an infested lawn may result in shoes and pant legs turning orange. With the arrival of drier conditions, rust symptoms could become more severe resulting in a withering of leaf blades due to eruption of the leaf epidermis by the fungus causing moisture loss. Reducing the severity of the disease involves promoting turf grass growth. Irrigating areas showing rust symptoms can reduce the withering caused by moisture loss form the plant. Fertilization applications helps to promote growth, which in turns reduces rust severity.

WEEDS

In Cool and Warm Season Lawns Winter Annuals are Controlled in the Autumn
Less stress is put on the lawn during the cool down periods of the season

In cool and warm season lawns winter-annual broadleaf weeds like chickweed, henbit, lawn burweed and hop clover are unsightly during late winter. Most winter annuals germinate in the fall, yet difficult to see at this time. The warm season turf grasses are still green and mask the germinating weeds. It is not until the bermuda grass goes dormant and warmer air temperatures of late winter early spring that accelerate weed growth. If pre-emergent herbicides are used to control winter annuals, you need to apply a pre-emergent product in late summer before night temperatures cool triggering winter annual germination. remember that annual bluegrass "poa annua" germinates in the fall.

TIPS ON PUMP SPRAYING:

1- REMOVE THE FILTER SCREENS FROM THE HAND WAND, they just get in the way and slow you down

2- OPEN THE EXIT HOLE A LITTLE BIT WITH A JACK KNIFE FOR HIGHER VOLUME, gets the job done faster

3- A MINIMUM 4 GALLON SIZE PUMP SPRAYER IS BEST FOR BLANKET TREATMENTS OF PRE-EMERGENT,
    GRUB AND SURFACE INSECT CONTROL

4- ALWAYS MARK YOUR SPRAYER IN THESE CATEGORIES (A)-INSECT CONTROL/PRE-EMERGENT/FUNGICIDE
    "typically this would be your 4 gallon sprayer that can be used for lawn, tree and shrub"
     (B)-BROADLEAF WEED CONTROL "can be a 2 to 4 gallon size, never to be used for tree or shrub"
     (C)- VEGETATION KILLER "can be a 1 gallon size for glyphosate/pre-emergent, excellent for
           spot treatment of walks drives and edging, never to be used on desirable plants.

INSECTS

Flying Moths

Sod webworm adults are emerging in many home lawns in the northern United States. These moths are obvious during the first few weeks of September. The whitish-brown moth is triangular shaped when at rest. The adult moth normally will orientate itself head down the leaf blade with its body and wings oriented at a 35 to 45 degree angle from the leaf. This gives the appearance of a dead rolled up leaf. Homeowners when walking or mowing their lawns often get concerned when these moths pop-up and flutter around. A large population of adult moths does not mean that there is a sod webworm problem. On high cut turf like home lawns, sod webworm damage rarely occurs unless caterpillar populations are extremely high.

CRABGRASS

Your choice for pre-emergence weed control depends on factors such as efficacy, cost, availability and application equipment. You should also select a pre-emergence herbicide for its performance based on the environmental effects of the previous season, particularly weather conditions. Also, it�s vital to understand proper application and how this will benefit you throughout the season.

Kill them as they germinate

The application of a pre-emergence herbicide is the most desirable method of weed control for several reasons. First, homeowners or sports spectators will never see weeds emerge. Also, a pre-emergence treatment keeps weeds from becoming established and robbing the turf of water and nutrients.

During drought conditions, using pre-emergence products becomes even more relevant. Procedures for applying pre-emergence herbicides are fairly simple and are explicitly described on the pesticide label. Always check the label for recommended rates, sensitive turf species and other considerations, which may alter herbicide performance. You must understand how pre-emergence herbicides work to apply them for maximum success.

When a pre-emergence herbicide is applied to the turf and properly watered in, the chemical moves down through the turf where it comes in contact with the soil. The herbicide is tightly bound to the soil particles in the upper soil surface where the weed seeds germinate. As they germinate, they contact the herbicide-treated soil and the chemical inhibits the growth of the shoots or roots, eventually killing the susceptible weed. The success of the application depends on applying the chemical prior to germination. Also, conditions must favor weed seed germination.

The soil herbicide concentration is the critical factor in the amount and length of control possible from pre-emergence herbicides. Once the herbicide has been applied, a variety of processes take place that eventually reduce the herbicide concentration. When herbicide concentrations drop below a critical level, you must reapply the herbicide above the threshold level to maintain control.

This is why some pre-emergence herbicides require a second application. Information about residual activity can be found on the label, which will also indicate how soon after application re-seeding can occur.

For example, depending on application rate, some products such as Team have relatively short post-application reseeding restrictions, (6-8 weeks), others (i.e., Pendulum, Dimension) are intermediate (9-12 weeks), and Barricade (16 weeks) has the longest post-application restrictions for reseeding.

Apply water soon

Depending on product and formulation, irrigation or rainfall after application may be necessary. For some products, if the herbicide isn�t watered within 72 hours, the chemical is exposed to light, which can increase degradation. The longer the delay in applying water, the greater the potential loss of herbicide.

Drought conditions can affect residual activity. An interesting observation in 2002 was seen in irrigated vs. non-irrigated turf areas in eastern Nebraska. In September, soil chemical analyses of five pre-emergence-treated areas from the previous spring indicated that non-irrigated areas had substantially higher levels of the applied herbicide than irrigated areas. In two instances, the herbicide levels were high enough to slow establishment in the reseeded areas. The application of pre-emergence herbicides on non-irrigated areas may possibly require a change in �normal� application procedures. In non-irrigated areas, a turf manager might consider the use of lower use rates, shorter residual products and/or not applying a second application if the drought would persist into the summer months.

Another example of weather effects includes the occurrence of an unusually dry and hot spring, which could delay weed seed germination. If mid- to late-summer rain occurs, a flush of grass weed seed germination may be seen after the herbicide has degraded below control levels. Be aware of the weather and understand what effect it can have on pre-emergence performance. It can help you time reapplications or an unseasonably late application.

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