Sirhornsalot
**The Official Horn Sports Landscaper and Landscap
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2013
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Take Advantage of the Rain!
Welcome to June. June is a pivotal month on the calendar because what happens in June can often carry over through the end of the growing season.
The last two summers have been brutal leading up to this year. Those droughts actually started in the Fall both years with very little rainfall through the winter and spring seasons.
We would get rain events with 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch rainfall, never really amounting to much. This was topped off by – you guessed it – the month of June. The string of 100 degree temperatures began on June 1 last year. Because the heat got such an early start, it was able to manifest itself into a season-long span of heat and no rain. It was brutal. Lots of landscape plants and trees died under the stress.
There is an old saying in Texas that says whenever we get way behind on rain over months, we often catch up in a matter of days at some point. That has held true for this spring.
Just in the last seven days leading up to June 1, we’ve had 9.42 inches of rain, according to the Weather Channel. That is more than April-May-June of last year. Instead of those small, insignificant rain events we had last year, this year we’re seeing 1.5”, 2”, 3” rainfall amounts.
“Why is rainfall such a big deal? We have sprinklers, right?”
Rainfalll is a big deal for several reasons. The rains fill up our reservoirs which supply our tap water. Our North Texas lakes are filled right now, thanks to the ample rainfall we’ve had in the past two months.
More significantly, rainfall has a huge benefit for plants, grass, trees and shrubs. You see, within a raindrop are extra molecules of oxygen. When given extra oxygen, plants are able to absorb more nutrients and thus, be healthier and more vibrant. Rainfall also carries with it extra molecules of nitrogen, which is the primary ingredient in fertilizer.
This is why your lawn, your plants, your trees all look so great after a good rainfall, as opposed to just sprinkler water. Tap water does not contain the extra molecules of oxygen and nitrogen. Tap water does contain chlorine, which kills some beneficial microbes in the soil.
What would be ideal is to have applied your June fertilizer right before a slow steady rain.
The best news from all of this is that we have received the rain we’re supposed to and then some. And it will be enough to carry us through the growing season.
We are about to have a La Niña this summer, according to meteorologists. That normally means above average rainfall for our region during the summer months. So this trend could very well continue through end of July. I do think that we’ll see a fair share of 100 degree heat, but nothing like we’ve seen the past two years. This is a great season to plant a new landscape or replace plants that have died from the harsh winters and summers we’ve had in recent years.
Additionally, the National Weather Service released their hurricane predictions for this season which began on June 1. It has been some time since we’ve seen one affect the North Texas area. Those are ones that normally make landfall in the Victoria area and work their way north to DFW. We are due.
So there is an opportunity here to have a really good growing season. Take advantage!
Knock Out Those Grubs!
June is the month we typically put down a granular insecticide designed to kill grub worms on our lawns. Grub worms feed on your lawn’s root system, destroying it a little at a time until it becomes quite noticeable.
Grub worms begin as eggs left about 5-6 inches deep in the soil by the June beetle or Japanese beetle, or the Southern Masked Chafer. About three to four weeks later the eggs hatch and grow into larvae. The larvae will then take months to grow through three stages, the final one being the large, white, C-shaped grub worm which feeds on the roots of your turf grass, and your ornamental plants.
There is no way to prevent these beetles from laying eggs in your lawn soil. But there is a way to get rid of the grubs that come from them. There are several products on the retail market you can choose from that will be effective in killing grub worms. I recommend that you treat the lawn twice, two weeks apart. Retail products are a bit weaker than those used by professionals.
If you would like to know if you have a serious grub worm problem, I recommend you put a spade shovel into the ground. Using your shovel, carve out a 6-7 inch deep swath and flip it over. If you see one or two grub worms, your population is normal. If you see 3-6 grubs, then you have an infestation. I would select an area to check that is near flood lights. That is where the June bugs congregate so their eggs are often inserted nearby.
What happens to the turf because of grub worms? Your turf would begin to look lethargic, not standing up, deteriorating and turning a yellow or yellowish green. No amount of water or fertilizer will help the turf. Instead, it continues to deteriorate.
As a side note, grubs make an incredible fish bait. The fish can’t resist them.
Mid-season Fertilization
Get your mid-season fertilization done this month. It is best to get that done by the middle of the month if possible. We want to get it watered into the turf and working well before July arrives. Fertilization makes turf thirsty, so it’s best to get it done before July makes it even thirstier.
Make sure the product you use is designed for use on the turf you have. This is critical. If you put down a Bermuda weed/feed on a St Augustine lawn, you will soon regret it because the nitrogen level is way too high for St Augustine. It will burn the grass up.
If you have Bermuda grass, I recommend you use Scott’s Turfbuilder® and if you have St Augustine or Zoysia turf, use Fertilome’s St Augustine Weed & Feed and if you can’t find that, go with Scott’s Bonus S®.
When applying, make sure you are not casting into the landscape beds. It may be necessary to do some areas by hand to avoid getting your product in the beds.
Water in immediately after applying. Water for two days straight unless it rains. It is best to apply right after a mowing.
If you don’t get it applied by the end of the month, I would recommend that you not apply at all and instead, wait for the next round which will come at the end of August.
To find the proper setting for your spreader, read the back of the bag which should list some popular spreaders and their proper setting for their product.
