Insect and Rodent Pests

How To Protect Your Lawn From Pests

Author: Keith Markensen

In some places in the country, homeowners need to provide just a bit of extra care to their lawns in order to keep things looking healthy. Here is a simple lawn maintenance program:

If the soil is below normal fertility, or above average in its nutrient demands, the lawn could benefit from up to three applications of a lawn fertilizer in the spring, summer and fall times. The formula is a 2/2/1 ratio.

You need to look around for an all-purpose fertilizer formula for your specific region. There are clean dust-free pelleted formulas available to use in your garden. Some of the formulas are made from a wide array of ingredients; nitrogen. Phosphorus and potash. Oftentimes, a multiple form of nitrogen also has a quick boot to green up things and a slowly released nitrogen to feed over an extended period of time.

Apply the fertilizer and then water regularly and deeply, especially during the drier months.

How to control common lawn pests

Sod webworms are like small tan moths that flit over the grass at dusk. They lay eggs and these eggs are hatched into sod webworms that chew at the base of your grass. Check with your local lawn and garden center for products from Ortho and Bayer that makes chemicals to control these pests.

White Grubs chew deeply at your lawn grass and make dead patches that you can life up like a doormat. Usually you can use the same product you used to control the webworms and it is effective at treating for white grubs as well. Check out care guide and tips for grasses for more information.

Brown Patch is the result of a fungus disease that makes the grass turn light brown and have circular patches. Water infected lawns as little as necessary and aeration of the soil will usually assist with an application of fungicide.

Snow mold is another disease that develops when compacted snow melts off the top of your lawn. Infested yards will take on a cottony, pinkish-white appearance. Brush off the infected areas and feeding the lawn should help with this condition.

The appearance of lawn mold means a lack of fertility, to much or too little water, poor soil draining, compacting or extra acid in the lawn. Nitrogen, iron and sulfide all combined can kill the moss by creating the environment that is to healthy for it to prosper and grow.

What better time than right now to explore and learn more on the subject of grass care tips. Visit our evergrowing library at plant-care.com/lawn-care-tips.html.