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| #3 - Insects of the Week | ||||||||||||||||||
| #7 - Some Do's | ||||||||||||||||||
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Turf Tips
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Taken from the B.Y.G.L. (Buckeye Yard and Garden Online) Newsletter
Contributing Authors: Pam Bennett, Joe Boggs, Cindy Meyer, Jim Chatfield, Erik Draper, Dave Dyke, Gary Gao, David Goerig, Tim Malinich, Becky McCann, Bridget Meiring, Amy Stone and Curtis Young |
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| FALL CLEANUP OF TREE LEAVES. Dave Shetlar reported in his P.E.S.T. Newsletter that he is a real fan of on-site leaf mulching! He even confessed to being a leaf thief! He actually rakes the leaves from my neighbor's yards into his own yard, a little each week. He then runs the lawnmower back and forth over the leaves to grind them into half-inch pieces or smaller. Three passes at right angles usually does the trick. While the ground up leaves are very noticeable on the surface of the lawn at first, within a couple of days they disappear! What happens to the leaf pieces? The earthworms pull the pieces down to and into the soil surface where they add organic matter to the soil. And, an extra benefit is that the lawn gets greener as the fall progresses and stays green for the rest of the following season! Basically, the ground-up leaves are a very cheap, slow-release fertilizer. Dave reports that he is able to add 3-4 such treatments to his lawn in October and November by "stealing" about a dozen large leaf bags from the front curbs of his neighbors' homes. |
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| The P.E.S.T. Newsletter by Dr. David Shetlar (a.k.a., "The Bug Doc"), OSU Extension Entomology Specialist for Ornamentals and Turfgrass is a for sale publication available by subscription through the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA). For more information on how to subscribe to The P.E.S.T., contact the ONLA Headquarters by writing to 72 Dorchester Square, Westerville, OH 43801, calling (614)899-1195, or by faxing at (614)899-9489. |
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| SEEDING OR SODDING? It is getting too late for lawn seeding or overseeding for most parts of Ohio since Kentucky bluegrass seed takes about 20-27 days to germinate and turf-type tall fescue takes 10-14 days. Tall fescue seedlings are also high susceptible to frost and freeze damage. Perennial ryegrass seed only takes around 4-7 days to germinate and this grass will provide good erosion control; however, this species is not considered to be a desired turfgrass for lawns. On the upside, sodding now is still a great option for all parts of Ohio. Sod might be more expensive initially. However, the total costs in 5-10 years might be very similar for sodding when compared to seeding. Sod can also be used to repair damaged parts of the lawn. Sod can be purchased directly from sod producers or from some garden centers. Nothing beats the instant green lawn provided by sod! |
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