Weed B Gon

BUTTERFLY HOST PLANTS

With spring around the corner, now’s the time to start planning out your butterfly garden! And we are ready with plants that not only attract butterflies, but feed their caterpillars. You’ve probably heard of Milkweed for monarch caterpillars, but did you know that Parsley, Dill, Fennel, Rue and Passion vine also attract butterflies? These host plants are sure to attract Eastern Black Swallowtails, Gulf Fritillaries, and Monarchs. And don’t forget about great nectar plants like Almond Verbena, Pentas, and Duranta. Put these plants in your garden and the butterflies will be sure to thank you!

WOW – WHAT A WEED EXPLOSION!

You can still apply pre-emergents like Amaze or Weed and Grass Preventer with Dimension to prevent weeds, but the temperatures are still fluctuating with cold fronts and cloudy damp weather, so I would wait a little longer on applying weed killer sprays i.e. Image or Weed B Gon. They work best with warm weather and sunshine. Remember to apply your pre-emergents in October to prevent winter weeds and again in January to prevent spring weeds.

TO PREVENT SCALE: If you have not sprayed Bonide All Seasons Oil on your Flax Lily, Irises, Cast Iron, Pittosporum, and Hollies, there is still time to spray to prevent spring insects like scale.

LAWN FUNGUS: The cool, damp rainy weather is perfect for fungus to thrive , so apply F-Stop Fungicide, Bayer Fungicide, or Liquid Systemic Fungicide to either prevent or to cure. An organic alternative is to spread Nature’s Blend Alfalfa Humateacross the lawn at the rate of 1 bag for 50 sq. ft.

TIME TO START VEGGIE GARDENING!

Tomatoes are here in all sizes. We have 6 packs, 4 1/2″ and 1 gallon. It is starting to get late on the 6 packs, so buy them now! You can still wait a couple of weeks to plant if you plan on buying the 1 gallon size. Peppers will be here once our night time temperatures stay above 50 degrees. If you plan on planting more broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower, plant them now since it is getting late. It is also getting late to sow seeds of beets, carrots and spinach. Last chance for onion sets and seed potatoes. Time to begin seeding beans, squash, cucumbers, corn and radish.

Time to fertilize your lawn, trees & shrubs! Hopefully by the time you get this, the sunshine will have warmed and dried the soil enough to fertilize. Use Gill Lawn and Garden for all your trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers. Also feeds the vegetable garden. Covers 6000 sq. ft. per bag.

-DeAnna

For weed control in your lawn, use Weed B Gon for St. Augustine. We have a new formulation that is safe to use on Floratam St. Augustine Grass. Treats up to 2500 sq. ft. and comes in a ready to spray hose-end bottle. Image will kill some broadleaf weeds (dollarweed) as well as a few grassy weeds (grassburrs) without hurting your St. Augustine. Another new product we have is Topshot. It also kills all broadleaf weeds in the lawn and comes in a package with 2 ampules which cover 5000 sq. ft. Simply add 1 ampule with water in either a pump sprayer or Dial n Spray to cover 2500 sq. ft.. For best results apply weed killers when weather is warm (not hot) and sunny for 3-4 days. Do not use in flowerbeds for weed control (except Image), only as a lawn application.

-DeAnna

For insect control, use Bayer Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed Liquid. Mix according to directions and drench at the base of your trees and shrubs to prevent aphids, borers, caterpillars, scale, whitefly, mealybugs and more. Plants that are prone to getting bugs, like Hackberry trees that get wooly aphids every June, Hibiscus, Jatropha and other tropicals that get mealybugs every summer, and Bougainvilleas that are constantly eaten by caterpillars can be protected by using this product. If you have ever noticed black soot on your plants, this is the product to use since sooty mold is caused by insects.

-DeAnna

For a quick and easy craft, make Lavender Sachets! Sachets are little bags of dried herbs that freshen up your clothes, linens, or your entire closet. Once your lavender plant has produced its blossoms, cut the flower stalks and tie them together. Place the bundle in a dry and dark place for about a week (they should be dry enough to use then), then strip off the blossoms and buds. Then either sew or buy little bags of sheer material and place about ¼ to ½ cup of dried lavender blooms in each. And there you go! It’s simple and easy, and

your clothes will always smell great!

-Marta

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

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.

-DeAnna

Now is the time to kill any weeds that have popped up in the lawn. The weather needs to be warm and sunny for 3-5 days with no rain or water on the lawn for Weed B Gon to work the best. It comes with a hose-end applicator on the bottle and enough to spray over 2500 sq. ft of lawn area. Do not mow first, but do make sure the lawn is watered well before spraying. And yes, it is safe to use on Floratam St. Augustine. Give it a full 2 weeks to work its magic and by then the grass should be out of winter dormancy and it will be time to fertilize.

–DeAnna

The 2 days of freezing weather did not help our lawns at all, but I think there may be more happening than just the cold weather. I am hearing customers finding grub worms in the lawns, flowerbeds and potted plants. I have also seen chinch bugs in lawn samples brought in for diagnosis. I would first check the lawn for insects before treating for fungus or fertilizing. If you are uncertain you can dig up a shovel width sample of soil, grass and all wrapped in newspaper or placed in a box for us to look at.

Once we determine insects, fungus or neither, it is time to think about fertilizing. Once the grass is actively growing to the point you are mowing once a week, then it is time to apply fertilizer. I always say, “you can put a bowl of food by a sleeping dog and he won’t eat till he wakes up.” The same is true for the lawn. Since we want our lawns to recover quickly and look good again, timing is key. We need to make sure it has woke up from winter dormancy.

There are also lots of weeds in the lawn. Pre-emergents such as Weed and Grass Stopper with Dimension prevent weed seeds from sprouting and should be applied in January to stop Spring weeds, but can be applied year around for weed prevention. Existing weeds can be killed with Weed b Gon hose-end spray. It is most effective applied with 3-5 days of warm weather and sunshine in the forecast and no watering or rain for at least 3 days. Also make sure you are watering slow and deep enough since we have had several months of record heat. With a little time , patience and TLC the lawns should recover and look great once again.

-DeAnna

weed-b-gon — **Weed B Gon** kills many different types of broadleaf weeds without harming your grass.

Days are staying warm and our lawns are growing. Now’s the time, sometime in the next few weeks, to get your lawn, trees and shrubs fertilized. Great for the spring application is our Gill 13-1-3 Lawn & Garden Fertilizer for all your trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers. Also feeds the vegetable garden. One bag covers 6,000 square feet.

Winter weeds many times will just go away once your lawn starts growing. Some lawns, though just have too many weeds and need some pro-active weed killing. Ortho Weed B Gon For St. Augustine is safe to use on Floratam St. Augustine and comes in an easy to spray hose-end bottle and kills many, many different types of broadleaf weeds without harming your grass.

Image is great for grassy weeds like grassburs and also works on nutsedge and some broadleaf weeds without hurting your St. Augustine, also available in a easy to use hose end sprayer.

Post emergent weed killers are best used when it will be warm & sunny for a few days.

turf — Kill weeds before they sprout with **Hi-Yield** pre-emergent.

Another great weed management product is pre-emergent Hi Yield Grass Stopper With Dimension. It can be used any time of year to keep weed seeds from sprouting – in the first place!!

We know it’s a lot to learn. Please know we’re happy to help you make the best product choice for your landscape. And remember, it’s always important to read the label before using any lawn product. Come see us!

– DeAnna

Now is the time of year to attack those unwanted weeds in the lawn.

First, fertilize the lawn in October to mid-November while the grass is still actively growing.

Water in well.

Next spread your pre-emergent.

The pre-emergent is a granule that prevents weed seeds from germinating. We carry two different ones depending on the weed problem you may have. Gallery can be used in the lawn to prevent most all broadleaf weeds and some grassy weeds, but cannot be used in the flowerbeds. Dimension is the other one that will control broadleaf weeds as well as crabgrass and sand burrs. Dimension can be used in the flower beds around established plants listed.

Third, kill any existing weeds that are up and growing with a post emergent.

Weed B Gon spray can be used now since our temperatures are in the mid 80’s. It will kill the broadleaf weeds without hurting your St. Augustine, including Floratam. We also carry a new product Roundup Weed Control for Lawns that will kill many broadleaf weeds as well as wild carrot and wild onion and other grassy weeds. If Dollarweed or sand burrs are your main problem, use Image. Weed killers need to be used soon since they cannot be used as a winter weed control!

Fourth, remember to alter your sprinkler systems to only once a week until mid- November, then turn to the off position and only turn on as needed every 10 days to 2 weeks if we get no rain.

With the shorter days and the dormant season upon us the lawn does not require as much water. You also do not want to encourage fungus due to excessive moisture. Come see us with any questions you may have about your lawn!

-DeAnna

Weed B Gon

BUTTERFLY HOST PLANTS

WOW – WHAT A WEED EXPLOSION!

TIME TO START VEGGIE GARDENING!

Last chance to kill those pesky lawn weeds.

Got Fleas?

Now is the time of year to attack those unwanted weeds in the lawn.

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