Pest Control

Brown Patch Fungus In Lawns

With all the recent rains, cool nights and shorter days, lawns are prone to get fungus. Circular brown patches appear with some green blades in center of the patch, and a thin band of subtle rusty red at the outer edge. If you tug on the rusty red blades at the edge and they pull off the runner easily and look like rotting old celery at the base, then you have fungus. We carry Fertilome Liquid Systemic Fungicide hose-end, Bayer Lawn Fungus Granules, or Fertilome F-Stop Granules. For an organic treatment, use Serenade, or Nature’s Blend compost. You will need to re-treat if the weather conditions and symptoms persist. Be aware these problem areas can grow quickly, so prompt treatment is needed to maintain an attractive lawn.

Fire Ants

With the recent rains fire ants have emerged. Their underground homes are flooded so they move to higher ground, and also into your potted plants. They can be controlled by either a contact insecticide or a bait. Doing both increases your chances of reducing their populations. They call it the Texas Two Step. Contact kills include Bonide Pyrethrin,Medina Orange Oil, and Natural Guard Spinosad mixed with water and used as a mound or potted plant drench, or Orthene Fire Ant Killer sprinkled gently over the mound. Baits include Amdro Ant Block orFertilome Come and Get it. Sprinkle these baits out lightly in the morning and early evening while the ants are foraging. A little along their trail or around the mounds in the morning and then a little more in the evening works best. Do not apply too much at once. Ants are smart and will know to leave the granules alone. Trick them with a little at a time.

Our Thoughts On Living Christmas Trees:

There are some great alternatives to cut Christmas trees. Norfolk Island Pines are one of the most popular because of their look. They are layered like many fir trees and resemble a Christmas tree. Hollywood Junipers and Blue Point Junipers are another alternative with the look of a true Christmas tree. They grow well in our area and can be planted in the ground after the holidays or kept as a container plant and used for years to come. Yaupon holly trees are also great with their red berries this time of year. Magnolia and Ficus Trees can also be used. All of these can be strung with lights and used indoors for a couple of weeks before needing to be put back outside in their normal environment. Be creative. Look around the patio and see what you have to decorate. It’s always fun to decorate a non-traditional tree and surprise your family and guests!

Bugs On Your Garden Greens?

Thanksgiving morning James noticed inch worms and flea beetles on his coveted greens he is growing in pots. He grabbed his trusty Natural GuardNeem Ready To Use and with a couple of pumps of the spray bottle, problem solved! The Neem acts as a repellent for beetles and caterpillars and kills soft bodied insects like aphids. It also helps to control powdery mildew.

Some Cedar elms have gold leaves, some just starting to turn!

This photo was taken at our Airline store this past Monday. This is a great example of how like plants, growing right next to each other, behave differently. One has turned gold, the other is still very green. Both are very healthy, just on a little different time schedule! And…please note, it’s the same in spring – there’s always one to leaf out later that causes concern but more often than not, it just decided to sleep a little longer!

THERE’S FUNGUS AMONG US.

With all this rain, our plants are happy to be well watered. But lurking around the corner are the fungal problems bound to happen, especially with roses, squash, and gerbera daisies. Use Fertilome Systemic Fungicide for control of powdery mildew, black spot, etc. It also works best as a preventative measure to stop the problem before it happens. If you’re an organic gardener, try using Serenade Fungicide instead. -Marta

We have a fresh shipment of Ladybugs and Beneficial Nematodes!

Fun facts about Ladybugs- Ladybugs aren’t really bugs at all, they’re beetles. There are almost 400 different kinds of ladybugs in North America. Female ladybugs can eat as many as 75 aphids in one day. They also like to eat scale, mealybugs and spider mites. Ladybugs smell with their feet and antennae. A ladybug’s jaws chew from side to side instead of up and down like our jaws. The color of a ladybug’s spots begin to fade as it gets older. Ladybugs are most active when their body temperature is 75 degrees or warmer. A ladybug’s bright color warns birds that it does not taste good. When a ladybug flies, its wings beat 85 times every second. Female ladybugs are larger than male ladybugs. Aphids are the first pest to hit in the spring. They love the new growth on plants. Buy your ladybugs now and keep them dormant in the refrigerator till your first outbreak of aphids, then release a few hundred at a time.

Beneficial Nematodes are microscopic creatures that live in soil where they feed on the eggs and larvae of soil borne-pests. They’re voracious predators of fire ants, fleas and white grub worms (the grubs that eat plant roots). Beneficial Nematodes are the ideal organic pest control because they’re a naturallyoccurring predator of pests but they don’t harm plants, animals or people. They’re completely non-toxic and they’re easy to use. You mix the nematodes with water, and then put the solution into a watering can or sprayer. A hose-end type sprayer is fine, as city water is fine to mix with the nematodes. Speaking of water, beneficial nematodes do need rain or supplemental watering in order to live and reproduce in your soil, so they’re not appropriate for dry land farms or completely xeric landscapes. Spray them out now to establish a colony to feed on ants, fleas and

grubs.

–DeAnna

Fresh Sprouts

Love fresh sprouts, but can’t eat them fast enough before they get old? That was my problem before I got my Botanical Interests Seed Sprouter (sold at our stores). Now I grow my own fresh and healthy sprouts from USDA Certified Organic seed, when I need them and only as much as I need. So easy, in just 7″x7″ on my kitchen counter.

– James

Mosquito Solutions: With all the recent rains, mosquitoes are here. First of all, remove any sources of standing water (that’s where they breed). For your favorite birdbath, use Mosquito Bits in the shaker,for larger ponds or ditches, Mosquito Dunks, both totally safe for birds and frogs. We have several ways to kill, control and repel them.Mosquito Beater hose-end (Permethrin) is an easy spray to killmosquitoes, ants, fleas & tics throughout the yard. It is safe to spray on all plants where mosquitoes hide. We also carry Mosquito Beater Granules which is a combination of natural essential oils to repel. It contains citronella oil, garlic, geranium oil, cedar oil and lemon grass oil. Covers 4000 sq. ft and lasts up to 3 weeks. Patio Egg Diffuser is an easy safe and effective way to help deter mosquitoes and other biting insects from your patio, porch and other outdoor living areas. It protects up to 200 sq. ft. and comes with enough refill oil to last up to 4 months.

Time To Fertilize Your Lawn, Trees & Shrubs! Use Gill Lawn and Garden for all your trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers. Also good on your vegetable garden. Covers 6000 sq. ft. per bag. A good organic lawn fertilizer (which feeds the soil & microorganisms) is Medina Growin Green, which covers 3000 sq. ft. per bag.

Protect Your Roses: Roses are flushing with new growth, setting buds and blooming. That means aphids, thrips, black spot and powdery mildew are next. Bayer 3-in1 Insect, Disease and Mite Control works on all of these in one easy spray. Treat every 10 days to 2 weeks to maintain beautiful roses insect and disease free.Bayer Rose and Flower Care is an excellent fertilizer with systemic insecticide to keep them healthy, blooming and insect free as well. Apply this granules every 6 weeks to prevent aphids and thrips from attacking your roses.

-DeAnna

New Tree Do’s and Don’ts!

Do plant the tree at the right depth, with the top of the root ball as high or slightly higher than surrounding soil.
Do eliminate competition from lawn by clearing the grass out a minimum of 18″ (more is better) from the trunk and keeping the cleared area mulched.
Don’t “volcano mulch” the trunk of your new tree, 2″ of mulch over the roots and 1″ or less touching the trunk.
Don’t let a string trimmer get close enough to strip off the bark of your new tree.
Don’t use “weed-and-feed” fertilizer near your new tree.
Don’t excessively prune all lower growth off your new tree thinking it will make your tree grow up faster; it will actually slow growth of roots, trunk diameter, and height.
Do check watering frequently through the first summer and water as
needed.

Spring Insect Explosion

With the warm wet days of spring, the insect population explodes. Mother Nature multiplies at an amazing rate. Aphids, scale, thrips, and caterpillars of every size and shape have appeared. Do not hesitate to prevent these insects now.

We talked a couple of weeks ago about using the Bayer Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed as a drench to prevent the big spring bug invasion. Well, it is upon us, but still not too late to treat. We have plenty in stock, so come see us soon.

We are also hearing a lot about snails, slugs, pill bugs and cutworms out in enormous numbers. As soon as we plant our pretty spring flowers these bugs look at it as their own breakfast buffet. A safe and effective organic treatment is Monterey Sluggo Plus. Safe to use around vegetables, fruit trees, citrus, berries, flowers, ornamentals and all landscape plants. 1 lb. treats 2000 sq. ft. and lasts up to 4 weeks. Evening is the best time to apply the bait as pest travel and feed mostly by night or early morning.

Life has Never Been So Easy!

“A month ago, I installed a “Livin’ Easy” Rose in one of my front beds. It started out at about 18″ tall. Now, its 4 feet tall and full of bright orange 4 inch blooms which smell wonderful! The “Livin’ Easy” Rose is very “gardener friendly”, even for beginners. I look forward to many years of this wonderful Floribunda’s show. For roses and for other flowering plants, I recommend Maestro Rose Glo as a great source of nutrition to keep ’em blooming and looking their best!”

-Matt

Last chance to kill those pesky lawn weeds.

The new formulation of Weed B Gon is totally safe on all lawn grasses including Floratam St. Augustine. The past few weeks of rainy weather has made it difficult to treat, but you must do it soon before our daytime temperatures exceed 90 degrees. It comes with the easy hose-end sprayer and covers 2500 sq. ft. Enough to treat the average front or back yard.

Got Fleas?

You do not have to own a pet to have a flea problem. Squirrels, night rats, and possums all carry fleas.

The best way to treat for a flea problem is the 3 step process: treat the pet, treat the house, treat the yard. Check with your veterinarian for the best treatment for your pet. For the house, we carry several different products.

Crawling Insect Killer (Diatomaceous Earth) is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock. It works by scratching the exoskeleton of insects, causing them to dehydrate and die. It lasts a long time when kept dry. Take caution not to breathe it in when vacuuming floors.

Essentria Broadcast Insecticide Aerosal kills adult bedbugs, fleas, and dust mites and their eggs. It contains natural essential plant oils that are safe and effective for the home. A light uniform spray to all surfaces is recommended. Re-apply in 14 days as needed. The last step is to treat the yard. Usually any pesticide labeled for lawns and landscape plants will also kill fleas and ticks.

We carry Spinosad, an organic treatment for lawns, in both a concentrate and ready to use spray. I usually recommend treating every 4- 5 days for 3 weeks to kill any re-hatching of eggs. Be sure to spray garages, decking, fences and doghouses, anywhere fleas may breed.

Another organic alternative is to apply Beneficial Nematodes. Beneficial Nematodes are microscopic warriors that kill soil borne pests such as flea larvae and grub worms. They
search, find, and kill pests living in the soil. They are extremely effective, and will reproduce and spread to provide you with long lasting organic pest control. We do recommend applying once a year to build the population. Each sponge contains 5 million nematodes, enough to cover 2000 sq. ft. of surface area.

– DeAnna

TIPS ON VIGOROUS VINES!

If you need to cover up an eyesore, add some privacy, or just want more color, then vines are your answer! Some of our favorites are Mexican Flame Vine (hundreds of bright orange flowers), Confederate Jasmine (which just smells so good), Coral Vine (looks delicate but is extremely hardy) and Passion Vine(exotic looking and a butterfly host plant). They’re itching to get into the ground and take off, so why not add some vertical color to your garden?

Marta

WHAT TO DO ABOUT WATERLOGGED PLANTS?

We have less control over our plants during prolonged periods of rain or flooding than during drought. Unless they are in moveable containers, there is little we can do except wait for the weather to change. If your soil is waterlogged, chances are good your plants are showing signs of stress. Water logged and flooded soil has insufficient amounts of oxygen in it for the plants roots to take up and release water. Plants may look like they are wilting, but it is not because of too little water, it is because they can no longer access the available water. This leads to root rot and decline. Signs your plants have been damaged by waterlogged soil include: stunting, yellowing leaves, twisting leaves, dropping leaves, soft spongy areas at the base of the plants, wilting despite plenty of water, roots turning dark with a rotting odor. Some plants prone to root rot from prolonged wet soil are Rosemary, Esperanza, Cape Honeysuckle, Plumbago, Tomatoes, Peppers, and Texas Sage. Just because a plant shows signs of distress does not mean it will or will not recover. A few things we can do to help them recover quicker is to poke air holes around the root system of the plant to allow them to dry out faster. If the wilting persists, you can cut the plants back to eliminate some of the foliage since the plant has lost roots. Next, improve drainage in the area by adding Lady Bug Expanded Shale.

DeAnna

gillnurseryTips On Vigorous Vines!04.30.2015

You may have already done several items on this list, but with all the recent rains they may have been depleted or washed away, therefore another application may be necessary.

Fertilize the lawn, shrubs, trees and tropicals again with Gill Lawn & Garden or Milorganite.
Continue to feed vegetables and herbs with Espoma Plant Tone. Citrus and fruit trees with Espoma Citrus Tone.
Apply pre-emergent again to prevent weeds, Amaze or Dimension.
Spray post-emergent again or as needed to kill existing weeds, Weed b gon or Image. You could also keep the weeds mowed before they go to seed. Most will die with the heat.
Drench Hackberry trees for wooly aphids, bougainvillea for caterpillars, hibiscus and jatropha for mealybugs etc.. with Bayer Protect and Feed to prevent insects for 9 months.
Treat the lawn with Bayer Season Long Grub Control or Beneficial Nematodes.
Watch for Chinch bug activity in the hot dry spots of the lawn near sidewalks and driveways. Spray with Cyonara or Triazicide. For organic control use Spinosad or Diatomaceous Earth.
Treat for fungus. Check the lawn for brown patch. Roses, Crape Myrtles and Gerbera Daisies for powdery mildew and Plumeria for rust. Use F-stop, Serenade or Actinovate for the lawn and Fertilome Systemic , Serenade or Actinovate for plants.
Plant sun or shade loving heat tolerant flowers and tropicals.
Mulch everything including potted plants to prevent weeds and hold moisture for the summer.