There are approx. 30,000,000 acres of lawn in the US. Fifty three million households have lawns, ranging from tiny plots to huge acreages. It is estimated Homeowners spend more than $5 billion per year on lawn care supplies, equip. and services. They put in about 40 hours per week per year tending to their lawns at an average cost of $327 yearly. Starting a new lawn costs around $70.00 per 1,000 sq. feet (seeding) with more than 80% of that cost going into labor and equipment.
Bagworms are here and here bigger than ever! Eastern red cedars (Juniper- all varieties) and Spruces have been hit hard this summer. Control is imperitive right now as bigger bagworms consume increasingly greater amounts of foliage, thus imperiling "evergreens" with each passing day. I've seen a mature Spruce tree killed completely in the period of 2-3 days in hot climates. Bagworms are easy to control and kill if treatment is done early...like NOW!!
Newly transplanted/planted trees need at least 10 gallons of water per week. The secret is getting that water to soak deeply into the soil, so it evaporates more slowly and is available longer to the tree’s roots. One way to do this is to punch a small hole in the side of a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with water. Let the water dribble out slowly next to the tree. Refill the bucket once, and you have applied 10 gallons. Very large transplanted trees and trees that were transplanted 2 to 3 years ago will require more water. A perforated soaker hose is a great way to water larger trees, a newly established bed or a foundation planting. In sun-baked soil, you may need to rough up the surface with a hoe or tiller to get the water to infiltrate easily. It may be helpful to set the kitchen oven timer, so you remember to move the hose or shut off the faucet. If you are seeing surface runoff, reduce the flow, or build a berm with at least a 4-foot diameter around the base of small trees to allow the water to percolate down through the soil, instead of spreading out.
With all the hot weather this week it is hard to imagine plants being waterlogged within their soil. However, some home owners take this hot weather in mind and overcompensate watering their trees & shrubs. Signs of waterlogged roots in plants can show up as leaf scorch or leaf thinning in deciduous plants and tip burn on the candles of evergreens and pines. In small shrubs and many perennials, too much water will seem like not enough because the plant tends to wilt. Best bet on whether or not to water is to stick you finger in the soil around and below the plant. Moist soil is good and should not be re-watered until the area has dried out (but before cracking of the soil).
