The War Against Sod Webworms
How do you know that sod webworms have already found their way right into your garden? The thing is, you may never know until it is already too late and they have done their damage. The good thing though is that they may have done damage but not really enough. When you start to notice brown spots, try to work it with some water. If that does not go away, you have to look forward to meeting some sod webworms.
First off, you should know what they are. The thing about this insect is that they are not the ones with creepy fangs or things like that. In fact, you will usually see them as worms. They can be beige or brown or gray or green in color and they have these four rows of brown spots that you would see right by their stomach. Sod webworms are not even big. They grow to be about three quarters of an inch long and that is not much really. You can never be afraid of them. But your lawn or your garden will definitely be.
Would you fear a worm more over an insect that flies? For most, they would fear an insect that flies. But if you own a lawn, fear the worm even more. The sod webworm grows wings in adulthood but the one that flies does not harm your lawn. Those small critters do. They thrive on the roots of the grass and even on the crown. When those parts are damaged, the blades turn brown and the grass dies. Try to pull out the grass and you will not have to break into a sweat because it would then pull out easily and in one large piece.
As part of your preparation for the battle for the ownership of your lawn, you should be prepared. Experts on sod webworms say that you get some insecticide. I say find an insecticide that is harsh on the webworms but gentle on your lawn.
With that insecticide, start applying it on the brown patches because that is where you will the insects. Then after seven days, check on the spots. If you still see signs of the insects, add insecticide again. Do this until you see them no more. Your lawn will heal by itself. Just wait and see.
What You Should Know About The Cranberry Girdler
There are thousands of things that could go wrong in your lawn or in your garden despite the tender, love, and care that you give to it. See, most of them just happen just because and you should not really not feel that bad at all because you have done your share. It happened. You should not really blame yourself. But you should be prepared too for these things because you never know when they may present themselves and you may never know just when you will need to face them.
You have a wonderful lawn or garden and plenty of your neighbors find what you have to be amazing. And you should be surprised if you also find insects making their way to your land – this is because of the way you have taken care of it that the insects also want to make it their habitat. This is definitely not a bad thing because plenty of insects who make lawns or gardens their home actually help in making the whole piece of land look even better and live better. But there are also some insects which bring about a lot of disadvantages (and cause a lot of damage) to what yo have worked hard on. You should be prepared for this.
One of the insects that you definitely would not want to be staying in your lawn or in your garden is the cranberry girdler. Its name may actually sound to be something sweet and juicy and really nice but it really is not going to be that nice when it comes to your lawn or your garden. And when they decide to use your lawn as their home, oh you should be very angry because it can totally destroy what you had sweated over for months.
Are those cranberry girdlers that you are seeing? Well, they may be. But they may also not be. You would never know. Unless you do the right research to know just what you would want to avoid having in your lawn or your garden. Well, the cranberry girdler is just like an ordinary worm. Its color can be gray though it can also be dirty white. It has a brown-orange head. There are not many insects which look like that. Also, the cranberry girdler is the kind of insect that is not really huge. It should be about 3/4 inches long. It may not even look harmful when you first look at it but it can bring about the same kind of damage that billbugs can bring.
July until September is the peak period for the cranberry girdler. So you will find them most active during this time. If you have them in your lawn or garden, go with insecticides. Experts suggest that you use such. It would definitely take out them cranberry girdlers.
Buying The Correct Lawn Mower
After many years of pinching pennies and saving where you could, you have finally put aside enough money to afford a home away from the city in the suburbs. You have moved in and have everything looking swell, but look outside and suddenly remember that you are now responsible for your own lawn care and you do now own a lawn mower.
Down at the home improvement store you find that there are many mowers from which to choose.
One choice is a human powered push mower. They are a little less expensive than the least expensive gasoline mower and work well on a small lawn. They are very quiet when in operation and cut the grass with a scissor action that helps to avoid the brown tips on the grass. Since your lawn is already a bit out of control, however, these mowers are probably not right for you right now. They do not do well when grass is very tall.
For a somewhat larger lawn, you could choose a lawn mower with a gasoline engine. They take less energy to push and do a good job at cutting grass. Most have a pull rope for starting which is sometime a problem for people who lack the proper strength to start the mower.
Push type gasoline mowers come in different cutting widths generally from eighteen to twenty-two inches. The smaller mowers are easier to push while the larger ones make mowing the lawn quicker.
For even easier mowing, choose a self-propelled mower. The gasoline engine that turns the blade also can turn the wheels so all you need to do is walk behind the mower and steer the mower.
Some subdivisions have rules regarding the use of gasoline mowers and due to the noise level that they produce require residents to choose electric mowers. Electric mowers are lighter in weight and much quieter to operate than gasoline mowers. In addition, the operator does not have to use a pull rope to start the mower. Once it is plugged in, just turn on the switch and the mower is working. The major disadvantage is that they have to have a long extension cord to operate. If you are using an electric mower, be sure that you do not mow over the cord.
For very large lawns you may need a riding lawn mower. These mowers cut up to fifty inches with one pass. Lawns mowed with riding mowers are very smooth in appearance that is not possible with other lawn mowers. You will find optional equipment for these mowers such as small trailers that can be used for transportation of landscaping materials instead of having to use a wheelbarrow. Riding mowers are the most expensive of the mowers.
Since you are now a homeowner with a lawn to care for, you need to be sure that you purchase the correct lawn mower. If you get the correct mower, mowing the lawn does not have to be a chore but can become a part of the joy of owning your own home. You can take pride in the lawn that you take care of by yourself.
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