No. 17/September 28, 2015
Next to Last Issue
This is the next to last issue of the Home, Yard, and Garden Pest Newsletter for 2015. The last issue will be published in the week of October 18 and will contain an index of all 2015 articles.
Walnut Anthracnose
There are a number of potential causes for the premature defoliation of black walnut. Abiotic stress may cause black walnuts grown on poor sites, or those subjected to drought, to defoliate by August or September. These trees usually exhibit symptoms of scorch along the leaf margins, but lack symptoms and signs of common fungal leaf diseases.
Sanitation Information
With the first day of fall last week, it's time to start thinking about the end of the season. While a good deal of time and effort goes into preparing a new seed bed or ammending soil prior to planting in spring, many people overlook the importance of garden work in autumn. It could be due to a lack of knowledge, gardening burn-out, or simply the fact that it's difficult to be motivated to do work that you won't see the benefit of for several months. However, fall sanitation is one of the most important steps for controlling a large number of diseases.
White Grubs
We have had scattered reports of white grub injury to turfgrass. This is to be expected because even in a low grub year as this one, there are always scattered hot spots where the grubs are numerous. Many times these will be in a single client's yard in a housing development, or on one fairway and not the others. Sometimes the infestation can be explained by irrigation or other maintenance practices, but usually there is no logical reason.
Detention Ponds & WNV
Dry detention ponds are designed to contain excess water during rains and then drain out the water soon after. They are commonly used near housing developments and industrial buildings where building and parking areas replace rainfall absorptive soil areas with hard surfaces causing high water runoff during rainfalls.