Do I have Chinch Bugs?

Chinch Bugs, a member of the family Lygaeidae, are common grass pests in the Houston.

These small bugs eat grasses and can cause patches of grass to turn yellow. If you suspect you have chinch bugs in your yard and would like to see them, get a coffee can and cut open both ends.   Firmly sealed coffee can into the soil of about 1″ .  It will serve as a leaky reservoir.  Pour water into the container, carefully not to disturb leaf clippings.  After 1 to 2 you should see chinch bugs float to the surface. 

Control of Chinch Bugs starts with proper lawn care. Any time can be a prime time for fungal lawn disease to move in, if your turf is stressed from lack of water, high temperatures, too much moisture or the wrong kind of care (scalping lawns etc). Your yard guys need to sharpen their blades and in the spring set their blades to Medium and in the summer set blades to the highest level so they do not scalp your yard which causes stress.

You can treat chinch bugs buy using  Liquid Systematic Fungicide and Soil Activator.  The Soil  Activator promotes growth of good microbes that will build soil structure and humus.  One gallon of this is equivalent to 7 tons of manure in term of soil bioactivation.   

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What up Jen,

Hope you are doing okay with all this RAIN.

Question, when is the best time for us to put out the winter rye seed and what should the watering schedule be?

Thanks,

Holzshu

Hi Thom,

Now is a fantastic time to put rye seed down since the weather just cooled down a bit.  After you put down the seed water it in and you will see it in about 3 weeks.  I love how  the bright green color contrasts with the early spring flowers, trees, and shrubs.  As for watering it doesn’t require much water.  I would water once a week.

Did you know that Annual Rye Grass Is Eco-Friendly?

Annual rye is very beneficial to problem areas that are infected with nematodes which are almost impossible to get rid of except by heavy chemical control. Natural and cheap for this infestation problem, annual ryegrass is ecologically friendly. Yearly planting of this rye grass seed ahead, behind, or with crops known to be a nematode favorite would certainly be cost effective.

I think this should be the number one grass of the new millennium.  Since it is a  non-aggressive, fast grower,  gives nutrients back to the soil,  highly digestible, beautiful color, and dies off when you need it to without chemicals.

Jen Allgood, TCLP

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Horse Manure Amendment

Good question Wilson,

A major concern about horse manure is that it can cause a nitrogen deficiency when added to soils, leading to stunted, yellowed crops if not composted.  It is not the manure that stunts the crops it is the sawdust or wood shavings.

If the manure has been sitting around for a year, it is perfectly safe to use. It has in effect been composted.  If you are interested in making a compost pile for your manure see link . http://www.manuremaiden.com/compost-systems.php Many people pay a lot of money to buy horse manure for their gardens and you’re lucky enough to have it there giving you the opportunity for composting horse manure for your own needs.

I like to purchase my compost in bulk from Natures Way Resources and Landscaper’s Pride. You can purchase it bagged from Wabash.   It is important to purchase from a reputable dealer since most vendors do not do the extra steps as it cost money and they do not care about the results or problems landscapers and gardeners experience.

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