Tree Top Nursery

Lawn Seeding

It's time to start thinking about fall seeding. September and early october are the the best time to seed fescue lawns. The combination of warm soils and cooling temperatures are the perfect conditions for seed germination. There are also much fewer weed problems when seeding in the fall. So if your lawn took a beating this summer, fall is the time to start repairing the damage.

Spider mites

Watch your plants for spider mite damage. If your plants have pale dirty looking patches that are turning brown you may have a problem with spider mites. Spider mites are very small so the best way to check for them is to hold a piece of paper under a branch that looks suspicious. Shake the branch vigorously and watch for what looks like specks of dust to fall on the paper. Watch these specks closely, if they start to move they are most likely spider mites. To treat for spider mites spray the plant thoroughly with Ferti-lome Horticultural Oil or Bayer 3-in-1 Insect and Disease Control. (Blue Spruces should not be sprayed with horticultural oils) Treat again in a week.

Blackspot on roses

Some varieties of Roses are prone to a fungal disease called Blackspot. Symptoms include yellowing leaves with black spots. It starts on the lower leaves and works it's way up the plant when there are periods of high humidity and warm temperatures. Infected leaves will usually drop off.

1. Plant varieties of roses that are less susceptible to blackspot.

2. Plant roses is areas with sun and good ventilation.

3. When watering, water the soil not the foliage.

4. Remove infected leaves that have fallen.

5. Spray every 10- 14 days with Ferti-lome Liquid systemic fungicide when sign of the disease are present

Beneficial insects

One of the easiest and safest ways to control destructive insects in your garden is to release beneficial insects. Praying mantis and lady bugs consume large amounts of aphids, spider mites, thrips and other nasties that cause so much harm to our plants.

Bermuda control

Bermuda is an aggressively spreading grass that thrives in the heat of summer. By itself Bermuda can make a good lawn but when it starts growing in your fescue lawn it looks unsightly and is difficult to control. In the past the only way to eliminate Bermuda was to kill the entire area that it was growing then reseed in the fall. Now there are more options. You can control Bermuda without harming your fescue by making monthly applications of Bayer Bermuda Grass Control for Lawns or Hi-Yield Turflon Ester during the growing season.

Euonymus scale

Watch for euonymus scale. Stems and underneath leaves become covered with white scales or brown bumps. Spray with dormant oil in the spring when the buds begin to open. In summer, spray with Ferti-lome Horticultural Oil Spray during the crawler stage (when new eggs have hatched). Spray first in late-May to early-July. Spray again if needed in late-August to early-September.

Bagworms

Be on the lookout for bagworms. These pests have started to hatch. Spray in early June before they mature then spray again in two weeks. They are much easier to control while they are small and you will prevent much of the damage they can cause. Several products are effective for bagworm Including: Ferti-lome Borer Bagworm and tent caterpillar spray Hi-yield 38 plus, Dipel or Thuricide, Hi-yield indoor outdoor broad use insecticide, Bayer multi-insect control. Thorough spray coverage is critical for success.

Grub Control in turf

June is a great time to start thinking about controlling grubs in your lawn. Although damage from grubs usually doesn't show up until late summer now is the best time to prevent any problems. Grub damage shows up as dead patches in your lawn. When you pull up on the dead grass the roots will come up easily since they have been severed. Most grubs are the larval stage of June beetles and the southern masked chafer beetle and are whitish in color and curled in to a circle. Apply Hi-Yield Kill-A-Grub II. A single application right now will give you season long control.

Grub Control in turf

If you are seeing areas of you lawn turning brown it's a good idea to check for grubs. These pest can cause considerable damage if untreated. The easiest way to check for their presence is to pull up on areas of turf that are turning brown. If grubs are present the turf will come up easily as its root have been severed. Grub worms may also be visible. When treating early in the season we like to use Hi-yield Grub Free Zone II. But since it is slow to work, grubs at this time of year require a different product. Bayer 24 Hour Grub Control containing dylox acts quickly and is best when grubs are actively feeding. It provides an instant kill stopping any further damage.

Cedar apple rust

If you have junipers or cedars you may have noticed orange gelatinous growths on its branches. This is fungal disease called cedar apple rust that is passed between cedar and apple or crabapple trees. In the spring the growths on the junipers enlarge into a gelatinous masses and spores are released. The spores land on the leaves of susceptible apple, hawthorn or crabapple trees. As the season progresses the infected leaves develop discolored spots. In the summer structures form on the bottom of the leaf and the release spores back to the juniper repeating the cycle.

It's not recommended to treat junipers to prevent the disease as it does no real harm to the tree. Apples, crabapples and hawthorns are treated with a fungicide in April and May to prevent infection

Overseeding

April is a good time to seed or overseed fescue lawns. For the best results be sure and check the label on the bag for seed purity, germination rate and other crop content. A bag that only has an “other crop” listing of one half of one percent can put thousands of weed seed directly in your lawn. We sell only the best seed available, Gard’n-wise Premium Fescue Blend.

Wilt pruf

To keep your holly, boxwood, azaleas and euonymus looking their best over the winter it is a good idea to spray them with Wilt-pruf. Wilt-pruf is clear sealant that reduces the loss of moisture through the leaves during the winter months when frozen ground deprives the plant of its moisture intake. It also gives the plant an attractive glossy appearance. Apply when the temperature is above freezing.

Sunscald on maples

Wrap the trunk of young red maples during the winter months with a paper tree wrap to prevent sunscald. Sunscald appears as a dead sunken area on the south or southwestern side of the tree trunk. The damage is caused by the heating and freezing of bark tissue by the winter sun and wrapping the tree provides extra insulation. Remove the tree wrap when the tree leafs out again in the spring.

Feeding trees and shrubs

November is the best time to fertilize trees and shrub. Fertilizing your trees has several advantages. More rapid growth, faster recovery from pruning, injury or pest problems and better fall foliage color.

Budworms

Are you having trouble with the buds of your petunias, geraniums or million bells being eaten by small worms? Bud worms are a frequent problem. Spraying with Ferti-lome Borer Bagworm and Caterpillar spray will keep them under control. Regular applications will be needed.

Brown patch

Watch your cool season lawns for signs of brown patch. When the night time temperature gets to be around 70 degrees and we have high humidity, conditions are right for a fungal turf disease called brown patch. Symptoms include irregular or circular areas from a few inches to several feet in diameter. It starts as an area that looks drought stress and then turns brown. To prevent brown patch avoid watering your lawn in the late afternoon and evening. It is also a good idea to avoid over fertilization of your lawn in the spring. Treating your lawn with a fungicide at regular intervals will prevent brown patch or if you have symptoms it will stop its progression. For product recommendation stop by and visit with us.

Pine tip moth

The larva of pine tip moths bore into the tip of the new candles on pines (mostly scotch and mugo pines.) If you see brown tips, twist them and see if there is a hollow tunnel with a small orange larva. This usually does little harm to the tree but it may delay growth and cause a bushier appearance. There are generally three generations of the moth. They can be controlled by three applications of Hi-yield 38 plus. First during late-April to early-May. Second from June to early-July. Third from late-July to early-August. If applied as a preventative in the spring Ferti-lome Tree and Shrub Systemic Drench can be used. One treatment lasts an entire year.