Safer Lawn Care Options Are On the Way
We ripped out our lawn over the last few years, and we don’t miss it one bit. Sparse and full of creeping Charlie and other weeds, it was ugly even before our dog Lily peed all over it and killed off spots one by one. I do realize, though, that a lot of people like turf grass and, even if they don’t, they’re not keen on ripping all of it up to put in gardens that they have to care for.
But what to do about all of those weeds? The truth is, if grass gets enough sun and is kept well-watered (about an inch each week); mowed to a slightly higher height of about 3 inches, which helps shade out weeds; and fertilized even once each year, it will grow fairly well and suffer few weed and disease problems. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize the difference these simple things can make, so they hire lawn care services to come and keep their yards looking good.
Having observed these services in action all over my neighborhood, I have to say, the results aren’t so hot. Trucks show up, guys jump out, and they promptly mow the grass right down to the nub. Then, they douse the scalped grass with all kinds of chemicals, including herbicides that usually contain 2,4-D. Popular because it’s cheap and easy to use, 2,4-D was concocted by scientists during World War II. It was one of the components of Agent Orange. And it is effective when it comes to killing things like clover, thistle and creeping Charlie, but it has remained controversial since it was released for public use in 1946.
Though the EPA says there is not enough data to conclude that the herbicide may pose some cancer risk, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified 2,4-D as being a substance that may cause cancer in humans. Studies are divided on both sides with many scientists being of the opinion that 2,4-D may be carcinogenic, particularly in the case of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Even when these chemicals have dried, there is debate about when it is safe to come in contact with grass that has been treated with the herbicide. (You know how often you see those signs warning people and pets to stay off the grass until dry.)
Read More»Thanks Tree Crickets For Your Enchanting Nighttime Songs
- On August 08, 2012
- By Meleah
- In Bugs, Natural Wonders
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In the summer, there’s always some amount of critter chirping going on in the yard after dark. But this year those chirps and trills are so boisterous and loud, you’d think we were in the woods rather than the city.
Others have noticed the change, too. And though we don’t understand what’s responsible for turning up the volume on the beautiful nighttime chorus this year, some master gardeners I know did figure out what’s probably doing the bulk of the chirping—tree crickets. In particular, snowy tree crickets (Oecanthus fultoni), which live in trees but like to roam the garden in search of things like aphids to eat. Thanks, little guys!
Not surprisingly, there are some great videos out there showing these critters doing their thing. Is it just me, or do you agree that it’s simultaneously enchanting and weird to see one of summer’s mysteries so nakedly exposed? Oh, and here’s my disclaimer: I am not an entomologist, so if these crickets are not correctly identified by the video’s poster, I apologize in advance.
Go here to see a male snowy tree cricket showing off for the ladies.
Click here to see a four-spotted tree cricket (Ocecanthus quadripunctatus) in action.
And here’s another four-spotted tree cricket singing.
One last interesting tidbit; snowy tree crickets are often referred to as “nature’s thermometer” because the rate of their chirping is related to the temperature. Opinions on the best formula to use to translate their chirping into the correct temperature vary, but the most commonly suggested method is to count the number of chirps in 13 seconds, and then add 40 to that number to get the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
Are Japanese Beetles Getting Intoxicated In Your Garden?
- On July 26, 2012
- By Meleah
- In Annuals, Bugs, Container Gardening
6
No one will ever make a reality show about gardeners. We tend to be sweaty, disheveled and a bit dirty for starters. Our shoes are functional. We wear big, floppy hats. We’re pretty keen on shorts, pants and sometimes vests with lots of handy pockets. And we love, love to gather together and talk about plants, plant problems and bugs.
“Does milk really help stop powdery mildew?” “Is aster yellows caused by a virus or a phytoplasma?” “Why that is the largest scale bug I’ve ever seen! And you removed it using a power washer, amazing!”
Yeah, we couldn’t even sell the Gardeners Gone Wild topless version of this stuff.
But we could use your help with a current topic that’s come up this year. Some gardeners around Minnesota have reported seeing Japanese beetles feeding on geraniums and then acting, well, drunk or stoned or something. Jeff Hahn, an entomologist with the University of Minnesota Extension Service says it’s really unusual for Japanese beetles to feed on geraniums because geraniums contain a toxin that “intoxicates” the beetles to the point where they can be paralyzed for hours. (Read more of Jeff’s interesting updates on garden pests here.)
Apparently, this experience isn’t half bad because once they recover the Japanese beetles go right back for more. So, if you have Japanese beetles getting blackout drunk on your geraniums, Jeff and others with Extension would love to see some photos. Please email your photos to me, or send me a link to Flickr or wherever you post photos, and I’ll forward them on. Let me know what state you live in, and how long you’ve been seeing Japanese beetles on your geraniums, too.
Oh, and one more thing. Several master gardeners have been wondering whether it would be a good idea to interplant geraniums with roses, grapes and other plants Japanese beetles love in hopes that they would flock to the geraniums and leave other plants alone. Unfortunately, Jeff Hahn says that research has shown that the strategy doesn’t work. In fact, even more beetles show up than before. The upshot? You may not want to plant a geranium beetle bar in your garden unless you want them to party at your house.
Worms Way Outnumber People At Our House
I’m long overdue with a post. Sorry about that. In between work and the heat and the rain and more rain, it’s been hard to get everything done in the garden and post to my blog too. I’ll make this one short so as not to wear out my welcome with worm talk.
But I just have to say that the worms really love the new condo they moved into a few weeks ago. As I explained in my May 7 post, I wasn’t that keen on my one-bin system so I moved everyone into a new bin with four stackable trays.
The other bin was working just fine. But its design made it hard to actually see the worms eating or just wriggling around doing worm stuff. I figured the trays would make it easier to interact with the worms at feeding time, or if I just want to take a peek to see how they’re doing. And it is easier, and much more enjoyable.
Read More»The Great Worm Escape
- On March 21, 2012
- By Meleah
- In Books, Bugs, Fertilizer, Soil, Sustainable Agriculture, Vermicomposting
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I’ve read that you can always tell something is wrong with your worm bin if your worms try to escape. Too much acidity, heat from decomposing food and other organic matter, excessive dryness or moisture——there are a lot of things that make worms want to flee. I don’t know what happened in my bin, but last Wednesday morning I went down to the basement to check on the worms and was horrified to find most of them plastered to the underside of the bin’s plastic lid.
Not wanting to squish anyone, I carried the worm-covered lid upstairs to the kitchen along with the rest of the bin. Deadlines were pressing, but I couldn’t just let the worms suffer. So I made myself a cup of coffee, put on an old Smith’s CD (because nobody puts an upbeat spin on misery quite like Morrissey) and sat down on the kitchen floor to sort worms into a separate, clean container.
Read More»Do Your Homework Before Ordering Mason Bees
- On February 23, 2012
- By Meleah
- In Annuals, Bugs, Perennials
20
With honeybee populations declining in recent years, gardeners have been searching for ways to encourage other pollinators to stop by and help out. One pollinator I hear mentioned more and more often is mason bees, and seed catalogs are increasingly offering all kinds of mason bee nesting boxes. They’re cute, these little bee condo things with all those little round holes. So I got to thinking I should buy one.
But then I stopped myself, wondering if it was okay to just introduce mason bees to my garden, my neighborhood, Minnesota? I emailed Jeff Hahn, a helpful entomologist with the University of Minnesota Extension Service, and he said he didn’t know a lot about mason bees. But he recommended I talk with Joel Gardner, a grad student who is studying them.
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