Tips on Animal & people safe homemade Pesticides:

There are many non-toxic tricks for discouraging pesky animals around the yard and garden.

• Fungal Diseases:

To control fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and black spot, mix one teaspoon of baking soda in one quart warm water.  Add one teaspoon liquid dishwasing soap.  Apply to leaves as a spray.

• Slugs/Snails:

Countersink tin cans (such as tuna-fish cans) in the garden and bait them with beer or grape juice.  Slugs are drawn to the beer and juice, fall in and don't get out again.

• Aphids, mealybugs, mites:

Soap spray: Mix on teaspoon dish washing soup in one gallon of water.  Test-spray a few leaves of the affected plant; if no damage results, spray the whole plants.

                                                 WATERING TIPS

Water your lawn and landscape plants very early in the day.  If water runs off the lawn instead of soaking in, water just to the point where runoff begins; then turn sprinklers off and let water soak in.  Repeat until the root zone is wet 6-8" deep.  Control weeks; they guzzle water.

Average lawn water time is about 10-15 minutes each morning....set your timer for 5:00am.  Evening water causes mold/mushrooms to grow.  Watering during the sunny day time hours can burn your lawn.  Don't over water.  Too much water can cause root rot and fungal disease.

                                       LAWN PESTS AND NUTSEDGE

GRUBS: Grubs are larva of the June Bugs & May Beetles. It is easy to diagnose as the turf can be pulled up like a piece of carpet. Skunks and opossums will pull up the turf and feed on the grubs.  Solution: products with Diazinon or Dursban in a spray or granules form.  

ARMYWORMS: These are the larva of those moths that you see hovering around your outside porch lights. To rid them use as with Grubs.

NOTE - Products with Diazinon and Dursban should be used with care.  Keep out of reach of children and animals.

NUTSEDGE: This weed you never want to see. This weed can grow through the bottom of a vinyl lined pool. It not only has seeds but an underground storage capsule called a nutlet. Another name for this weed is Nutgrass.  It is extremely hard to control. It spreads fast especially in moist areas. To rid your yard of this pest, you can dig or spray the weed. Spraying works best. Herbicides containing MSMA or Halosulfuron-methyl can be used with repeat applications.  The key is to stay on top of the fast growing weed and remember, there is no overnight cure.

Happy Gardening