What an amazing turn of events this year, so far. Through the spring, we were nearly drowning in rain. Farmers couldn’t plant their fields and we struggled to keep up between the storms. Then, out of nowhere, it all stopped. The National Weather Service is reporting that we have been in mild drought conditions since July and recently, we have gone 5 weeks (and counting) without any meaningful rainfall. (more…)
Rust fungus is fairly easy to identify on grass. It looks like a rusty powder and may cause the lawn to turn yellow, orange, red or brown. After walking on a lawn infected with rust fungi, shoes might have the yellow or orange powder on them. The disease eventually causes grass blades to develop raised pustules.
Our beautiful Ohio spring is here and so is the wet weather that comes with it. When this happens, our lawns and landscapes can see any number of issues arise. For example, that crazy looking orange alien that may be living in your tree is actually the reproductive organ of the dreaded rust fungus that has erupted from a gall that was caused by the fungal infection of a juniper/cedar tree.
Now, the interesting thing here is that the spores released from this organ do not infect other junipers. Instead, they infect apple trees and other members of the rose family. The rust then hops from one plant to the other each year.
Blue skies, sunshine, and the smell of freshly mowed grass. It’s spring!
As you turn your attention outside for some lawn and landscape work, we’d like to offer some advice to help bring out the best in these areas. Spring means lawn mowing. There is no way around it. One of the very best things you can do for your lawn is proper care. And we’re not talking about our lawn care treatments. Keeping up on your mowing is paramount in maintaining optimum health.
Everyone can spot a dandelion, right? Its bright yellow flower jumps out at you in the midst of an otherwise beautiful spring view of your lawn.
They’re clearly an issue each spring. But, did you know they actually start their life cycle in the fall?
Here at The Organic Turf Co, we want to make sure your entire lawn is properly cared for, not just your turf. One of the ways we do this is our tree and shrub program. Several times this year I’ve written about several ways we help keep you trees and shrubs free of pests and disease, but what about nutrition? We have you covered there too. Our tree & shrub program includes a deep root feeding every fall. (more…)
If you have apple or crabapple trees, then you may worry about apple scab. Scab is caused by a fungus that can result in early leaf drop and poor fruit production. The defoliation can put serious stress on the trees and eventually cause some serious issues. This disease has a tendency to show up year after year because it overwinters on any fallen leaves that were infected and releases it’s spores back up into the tree in the spring. (more…)
Back in June, we talked with you a bit about wild violets. We wanted to revisit this topic for a few minutes, because this time of year is the best time of year to kill wild violets. Spraying violets in the fall is significantly more effective in controlling them than is spraying at other times of the year. (more…)
As fall approaches, hot summer temperatures often give way quickly to chill. This time of year brings conditions that homeowners need to be aware of.
Leaves gather in thick layers on many lawns. This can be detrimental to the lawn, in that if leaves are able to gather into wet clumps, this can result in bare areas in the lawn. This is equally possible if the leaves are mulched, but the pieces are allowed to gather into dense clumps close to the ground. (more…)
We are reaching the time of year when adult bagworms start breeding and multiplying. As the young bagworms finish building their bags they’ll hang them from the tree and the males will turn into a moth while the females will never leave the bag again. (more…)
