The Rational Gardner

Gophers and Answers

2008-02-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

In East Texas we are under attack by underground forces! Not terrorists, at least not in the normal sense of the word. These guys are attacking lawns, gardens and landscapes. Pocket gopher populations must be pretty large right now, and I thought I would offer some links to resources on the subject. For information, there is a new page up at: TexPest and the new FAQ page on the same site. You will find what you need to know, or where to find it there. Happy hunting!

Will Your Home Be Green?

2008-01-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

There is an awful lot of talk these days about building "green" homes. Using environmentally friendly materials, using materials that are made from renewable resources, using energy efficient appliances, and providing the home with alternate sources of energy.

We all want to be more green in 2008, and green building is important in that regard, green pest control is also important. Why not use them both, at the same time?

Green Building

Is your new home built with green pest control in mind? Prevention is the best form of pest control. There is a lot you can do to protect your home from pest invasion.

Bugs and Weeds

2008-01-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a place to get information about controlling bugs and weeds on your property, take a peak at bugsandweeds.com. It has a lot of information on preventing pests, and keeping them out of your home. Give it a look, you might just be able to lower your pesticide use!

Fighting the Exotic Aquatic Aliens: Caution!!

2007-08-04T20:30:00.001-07:00

Every weapon for fighting exotic vegetative pests, has a down side. Biological weapons are difficult to control and predict future problems. Chemicals have an environmental downside, but less than most people think. Oddly enough, the most environmentally problematic is neither of the above, it introduces neither chemicals nor biological agents into the system, it is mechanical harvesting.

Mechanical harvesting is a problem because most of the invasive aquatic pests are proficient at vegetative reproduction. If a plant is removed, but the root is left behind, most will re grow readily from the root. They will also grow easily from broken and cut off remnants of plant material, some at a rate of 50% or more. If the plant is broken into pieces, and a hundred pieces are left behind, 50 or more will probably start reproduction!Rather than removing the problem, it has now become a much larger problem.

I have talked with several people who realized this just a little too late. Where they once had a problem over about 10% of the area, it is now covering 60 to 90 percent! That is when my phone starts ringing!

There is a place for mechanical removal, when used against the right type of alien invader, the results are excellent. When the infestation has gone unnoticed for too long, and the only thing that can be done is remove the problem each time it recurs. There are some other valid uses as well.

In dealing with aquatic problems, very often the chemical option is the best of all possible worlds.

Bio Fuels: Avoiding unintended Consequences

2007-07-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

One of the many ag news sources I digest (Get it?) recently reported that many dairymen throughout the country are closing down their dairies, selling the cows, and preparing to plant corn and soybeans instead. This is largely due to the fact that dairy work is long, hard and arduous, and the lure of money from the ethanol market seems like a much better gig. It is a shift that can make a lot of sense, but look for it to have an effect on milk, and other dairy prices. This brings me to my point. The ripple effect in economy and environment.

This is often very tricky and unpredictable, particularly with such volatile industries, but it is worth spending a little time in consideration, particularly since it could bring about some unintended consequences, and perhaps, some inconvenient truths.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the movement away from fossil fuels, and toward bio fuels. I like the idea of growing our fuels. It would be great for the environment, at least to a point. Let me explain my concern.

If in the process of raising the raw materials for this change, we can avoid creating new environmental problems, it will be not only great, but bordering on the miraculous! One of the things we will need to deal with is the question of erosion. The ethanol market will, without a doubt, draw many people into farming, most of whom will have little interest in maintaining environmental integrity. Can we accomplish this without producing a new "dust bowl?"

What if we find that production will be insufficient for our needs due to drought or flooding, after we have become dependent on these new methods? Will we then turn to methanol production and suffer the effects of billions of people stripping the forests and pastures in order to drive.

What will happen if so many of our farmers ranchers and dairymen migrate to ethanol production, and away from food production that it affects the prices and availability of food adversely? Great, we have fuel to get to the store, but no food to buy when we get there!

I am not saying that bio fuels are not the answer. When coupled with other technologies and innovations, including solar technology, storage cell improvements, better ways to harness wind and kinetic energy, more efficient power generation and application, hydrogen power, and many others, all working in tandem, great progress can be made. We need to make sure that we do not put all our eggs in one basket, as we seemingly have done with fossil fuels. We also need to make sure that we are prepared to deal with the different set of consequences that are possible with any emerging technology.

James Burns is a licensed pest control professional, has been a Certified Professional Turfgrass Manager for more than 16 years, has a lifetime of experience in horticulture and agriculture, and is the owner of Rational Environmental Solutions, an IPM based pest control company in East Texas. He also has many helpful gardening tips at http://www.texpest.com, and writes on environmental and social issues from Rational Environmental Solutions

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_F._Burns

Alien Pests, Alien Solutions??

2007-07-12T10:14:00.001-07:00

We have had more than sufficient rainfall in the area this year, after a long stretch of drought, and it has given rise to all the attendant features of such weather events. I had talked with some of my fellow horticulturists, and arborists about a year and a half ago about what we could expect from trees after a long drought and when the drought was over. I am sorry to say that my predictions were accurate. When winter rolls around we can expect more problems if it turns out the least bit icy.

The extra rainfall has also caused other problems, as should be expected, but I hadn't thought about this one.

The local media carried a story about people reporting seeing Asian grass carp (a type of fish used to control vegetation, particularly hydrilla verticillata) going over the spillway at Lake Tyler East, a lake in the East Texas area.

This brings up a number of issues. Let me start by saying that no grass carp have been introduced into this lake. At least not officially. According to the parks and wildlife folks, no grass carp were allowed in the lake at this time because there is no barrier to prevent their escape. I should mention here, that these fish are sterile, and therefore pose no threat in the area of reproduction. These are the logical extensions:

1. What the people saw was another type of fish.
2. What the people saw was indeed a grass carp.
If what they saw was grass carp, I have another extension:

1.They have somehow been introduced into the waters unofficially.

At this time, I don't believe that the sighting was more than misidentification.

This however, does bring to light a potential problem in our integrated pest management programs. When we have a non native pest problem, one of the ways we handle the problem is by introducing one of the pests natural enemies to defeat it. This often works well. The question in the back of the minds of most thinking people is: Will this new species, introduced to control the other non indigenous species present it's own problems? In most cases the answer is no, at least not that we see yet. However, the question that we should be asking, is will it be a problem in the future, when we have slight environmental changes brought on by changing weather patterns or other shifts in our eco systems? There have been a number of plants brought into our country by well meaning people who were seeking to solve problems by this introduction. Jonson grass, and kudzu were both seen as being answers to a problem. Both got out of control, posing more problems than solutions. In the case of kudzu, the problems began when it was transfered from the area of introduction into the more viral Southern climates, where it has now become known in some circles as the "weed that ate the South."

Now, to the credit of most modern biologists, the new species being introduced to control the other invaders have been thoroughly researched, and are, in most cases of which I am aware, sterilized, so that the risk is kept at a minimum. This does not however, mean that mistakes are not possible, or conditions will not change in the future.

Some things you can do:
1. Don't become a part of the problem. Make sure that what you cultivate is not an invader. There are many free resources for finding out about invasive species on the internet.
2. Don't deliberately cultivate an alien pest. I have heard stories that I sincerely hope are not true of some fishing enthusiasts who have deliberately introduced hydrilla into areas where they fish, to provide extra cover for bass. This is both illegal, and posses threats to the environment beyond your wildest dreams.
3. Make sure that you are not introducing aliens by accident. Always check things like boat props and live wells before leaving an infested area. Check pets that have been hiking with you in areas where noxious weeds exist, to make sure that their fur does not contain any hitchhikers, that might eventualy eat your yard.
These are just a few precautionary methods you can use, I am sure you can make other logical extensions.

In light of the potential problems that introducing biological controls might cause, we should, of course, proceed cautiously with the process, chemical control becomes more important, and prevention should be the foundation on which any good IPM program is built.

For more details on non native, invasive pests, and noxious weeds and their treatments, see TEXPEST

An Aquatic Note

2007-07-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

Once in a while, everything just works right! I went back to take a look at a lake where I had done several treatments for invasive plant life. I have always had that little twinge of doubt as to whether a treatment works as it should, and it makes me extra cautious, and a little nervous, until I see the results I am looking for. It might help to know, that I have been working with nature in a similar capacity all my life, and the twinge never goes away, even though it invariably has a positive result.

I talked with a gentleman who had been fishing the lake, and he said that everything had been working well. He proceeded to tell me that when he went there early one morning that the frogs were croaking, the birds were chirping, and the fish were biting and putting up a good fight. That was truly music to my ears!
Texpest

Alien Pest: Exotic Aquatics

2007-06-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

In my business, there is a lot of talk about native plants and their use in landscapes, and there is a lot more talk these days about non native plants. These days the conversation very often goes into a discussion about the destructive nature of these invasive aliens.

Hydrilla is one of our largest alien pest problems in the South. Hydrilla Verticillata is a native of the Asian, European, and African continents, and escaped into the Florida waters from the aquarium trade In the 1960's. Since then it has worked it's way throughout the South, and has even been involved in a number of drowning deaths. It clogs waterways making them impassable in some cases, is disruptive to recreational activities in lakes, and causes problems with water systems.

What makes Hydrilla so difficult? 1. It can reproduce vegetatively, so after being disturbed, it may transplant itself. This means that if it is broken into a thousand pieces, 500 new plants may result.

2. It has tubers, which can live in a state of dormancy for 4 years or more.

3. It has large quantities of seed, which can obviously be replanted, although we don't know a lot about seed viability.

4. Areas of the plant, can readily reproduce new adventitious plants in a short time.

5. It has few naturally occurring predators in our country.

6. It has an astonishing growth rate.

Treatment Issues: One of the problems we have when treating aquatic vegetation, is "fish die back". This problem is almost always caused by oxygen depletion, which is the result of dying and rotting vegetation, and not from the chemical itself. This can be prevented by treating no more than one half of the area at a time, and allowing sufficient time between treatments for the complete decay of the plant material.

What to Do If You Find Hydrilla In Your Private Lake: First, don't panic. It is not the end of the world. Early detection is an important first step. Next, make sure it is hydrilla, and not "coons tail" or some other weed. One of the main identifying features of hydrilla for me is the serrated edges, and the spine on the bottom side of the leaf whorl. If you have trouble identifying it, find someone who can. Don't take it to them, have them come to you since it is in the prohibited exotic species list in many areas, and is therefore illegal to transport in those places.

It would be good to report the presence of hydrilla in private ponds and lakes. This information could be helpful to your states authorities in several ways, particularly in tracking the spread of the problem. These days, it is most often spread by sprigs stuck in boat propellers, or in live wells, but can also be spread by the movement of water from an infested pond to another downstream.

You have several treatment options at your disposal. I will list them as: MECHANICAL: The actual physical removal of the plants. The plants have tuber type roots in the soil, and any of these left over can remain viable for several years. Broken stems from the plant can grow new plants at a very high rate, so if you break it into 100 pieces, it is likely that you will have fifty or so new plants. Mechanical harvest is a last resort.

BIOLOGICAL: At present, the only truly viable biological control, is the triploid grass carp. These are voracious eaters of hydrilla, but in a high concentration, they can also do away with a lot of vegetation that the pond or lake may need to stay healthy, thus eliminating food and cover for other fish. They rarely make much progress in the first year, and there is the risk of escape. They are sterile, but can eat a lot of vegetation in any new environment where they might find themselves. If this option is considered, you will need a permit from the TPW inland fisheries division and a barrier to prevent their escape.

CHEMICAL: Most of the chemicals used to control hydrilla, are some of the safest herbicides ever developed. In many cases this is the best overall choice. These chemicals, work rapidly, and degrade quickly. One thing to keep in mind, is that if you use your pond or lake for irrigation, you might want to make plans to avoid irrigating for a few days after treatment. Be sure to read and follow the label directions before making an application with any chemical. In some small bodies of water, the use of dyes for shading may be advantageous.

Other Options: There are other options, such as lowering the water level and then performing mechanical and chemical controls. In most cases this seems impractical. Most vegetation gets its start in shallow water, where sunlight penetrates to the bottom. If your lake level can be raised, that might help. If you can dredge the edge of the pond to increase the depth of the edges, this can help as well.

Most of all, to stem the tide of these alien pests, become informed. Check with your states parks and wildlife departments to find out what is lurking around in your "neck of the woods."

James Burns is a licensed pest control professional, has been a Certified Professional Turfgrass Manager for more than 16 years, has a lifetime of experience in horticulture and agriculture, and is the owner of Rational Environmental Solutions, an IPM based pest control company in East Texas. He also has many helpful gardening tips at www.texpest.com and writes on internet and social issues from http://www.dotcomrevolt.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_F._Burns

Alien Pests

2007-06-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

The Aliens are already living among us and there are many more on the way! These aliens are not from another galaxy, not from another solar system, not even from another planet. They are already here, living among us, and they are coming to a backyard near YOU!

When they arrive in a new location they attack the native, indigenous species, both plant and animal, and sometimes completely displace the native occupants.

They come in many different forms. Some are insect like creatures with bulbous eyes and antennae, external skeletal armor, and powerful weapons just as you would expect from an alien life form. They are highly adaptable to new environments and some thrive in their new surroundings.

Some are botanical in nature, but with animal like features, they probe with tentacle like leaders, swaying with the breeze, and when they find an object, they wrap the tentacles around it with a strangling grip, then continue to grow and probe, until they seize the entire area from the native population.

The saddest cut of all, is that they have been aided in this conquest by willing human agents who did not understand the consequences of their misguided actions!

These alien pests are known by a variety of names, including:
1. Non Indigenous Species
2. Non Native Species
3. Invasive Species
4. Exotic Invasives
5. Prohibited Exotic Species
6. Noxious Weeds

Probably the most damaging vine in the Non Native classification is Kudzu. This oriental plant has some amazing qualities. When the ends of the vines are elongating, it will sway until it touches a weed, or a tree branch, and immediately wrap itself around it's victim. It can, on hot summer days, grow as you watch it. Just don't stand there too long!

Kudzu was originally brought to the United States as a medicinal herb and as a foraging plant for livestock. It was often seen as the solution for erosion problems in the South Eastern United States, until it turned on us. Now it is eating up thousands of acres of pasture and forest. It can, as I said in the introduction, actually grow visibly as you watch. It is difficult to kill, and likely, impossible to eradicate. We will have to learn to co-exist.

Kudzu is only one of a multitude of alien pests already here or headed toward us. What can we do? Well, first arm yourself, with information. Learn about the problems we already have, and how to avoid introducing any new ones. Develop a healthy distrust of any friendly hitchhiking vines or other plants you might meet. For more information, go to your states Parks and Wildlife Department website, to see what's on your "Most Unwanted" list, or you can start at Alien Pest Either way, become informed, and become involved. It is important to our environment!

Stay tuned to this news source, for our sequel about exotic aquatic alien pest invaders, coming soon to a landscape near you!

James Burns is a licensed pest control professional, has been a Certified Professional Turfgrass Manager for more than 16 years, has a lifetime of experience in horticulture and agriculture, and is the owner of Rational Environmental Solutions, an IPM based pest control company in East Texas. He also has many helpful gardening tips at www.texpest.com, and writes on internet and social issues from http://www.dotcomrevolt.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_F._Burns

IPM Model Part 2

2007-06-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

In the first article, I brought up the fact that our current version of IPM, does not contain a prevention provision, as it is commonly defined. I also stated that we need to develop a new model for IPM, and suggested the use of the mosquito as a basis for working out the details of this model. The simpler the better, I say. Logical extensions of our concepts can be made for other types of pest problems and some will be noted as we go along.

We need a frame work for what we will consider, so let's start with an ancient concept, let's start with the 4 elements: Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. I am not looking at this in some mystical way. We will look at them as:

1. Soil.

2. Water.

3. Temperature/Light

4. Air.

How and where each of these elements are incorporated will determine your place on the IPM map.

Stage 1:
If you build a new home in a wet area (Water), with no provision for drainage (Soil), with very little wind (Air), and very little sunshine (Temperature/Light), then you are building in an area ripe for a mosquito invasion. You have options. You can choose a new place to build. You can make adjustments to your current location, by changing a few things.

1. Since the water is a constant, the soil would be the next place to start. You can provide for surface drainage by sloping the area, or you can improve sub surface drainage, or both.

2. If the lack of sunlight is a result of buildings around you, or you live in Seattle, there will not be much you can do about the sunlight, but if your limited solar penetration is a result of a grove of trees that you own, you might be able to allow some light in by selective thinning of the canopy (pruning) or thinning the grove by removing some, particularly on the Southern side.

3. Air circulation will be a problem for the same reason as light penetration, and has pretty much the same options.

If you have an existing home in an area like the one described, you have the same options.

Now, let's put this on a smaller more manageable scale. You want to build a new outbuilding to house your garden tools and mowing equipment. You should ask yourself 2 questions for each of the four elements. How will this be affected by each element? How will this effect each element?

Water:
1. Will the irrigation water cause problems with my structure?

2. Will this structure cause a problem with drainage and irrigation? If you are building a wooden building, or an open building, will the irrigation cause problems with the wood, or spray directly on the equipment if it is an open shed?

Will this block irrigation, blocking out water to part of my lawn? Will it cause water to build up somewhere else in the yard causing a potential mosquito problem?

Light:
1. Will the direct sunlight make the building uninhabitable during the day while you are sharpening your mower blades?

2. Will the reflective heat from the building cause nearby shrubs to roast, or weaken them, making them insect and disease susceptible? Will the shade the building provides, "shade out" some of your prized plants or lawn?

Air:
1. Will this new structure block the natural air flow through the area, causing potential evaporation problems,and leading to fungus and insect problems?

2. Does the airflow cause a potential problem with the structure? Will the building be able to get adequate breeze?

Then we ask, how we can re-engineer the project to avoid potential problems.

Using the same two question process for all of the elements, should lead to a nearly problem free project. This will not guarantee a pest free existence, but it will lessen the probability of a serious infestation. We are not trying to have an insect free world, that would be an ecological disaster, only trying to keep them at a distance. We will take this a few steps further in the next installment.

James Burns is a licensed pest control professional, has been a Certified Professional Turfgrass Manager for more than 16 years, has a lifetime of experience in horticulture and agriculture, and is the owner of Rational Environmental Solutions, an IPM based pest control company in East Texas.

He also has many helpful gardening tips at www.texpest.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_F._Burns

A New IPM Model

2007-05-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

It has long been my contention, that we have been approaching the pest problem in the wrong way. The reason I, believe, is that we have been trying to start to late in the game. Almost all entomologists, and pest professionals agree that we create most of our own pest problems. Why we have not used that as a starting point, is unclear. Integrated pest management has been a dumping ground for half baked ideas , and ad hoc methods, a sort of strange alchemic recipe, that comes to us only partially cooked, and unsatisfying.

I recently read an article, which said, that the official story is not to be believed, that IPM is a failure! The sad thing is, that the guy was right! IPM, as we are defining and using it at this time, will not solve the problems we want it to. It wasn't designed to. It has been gradually built up from an incomplete model, which starts with the assumption that all insect problems are a result of what nature does. Every botanist and entomologist I have ever spoken with, knows, that most of the problems with insects, are a result of something we have done, or, are doing.

IPM: Building a Prevention Model
Face it, we live in a world with a lot of problems that we will never be able to solve. We can, however, exercise a certain amount of control over these troubles, by using the tools we have developed over time. At some point, we should begin to see patterns to the problems, and try to trace these back to a cause.

I know the temptation is to deal with the problem at hand, and forget about it until the next time it arises. It is the "fireman" approach to problems. I once worked with an organization that existed by this method. The results were not favorable.

My question in that situation, was: "Why not PREVENT the fires to begin with?" The answer always involved details of why it would have cost too much to have done it right to begin with. They really thought that saving a few bucks in the early stages was more cost effective than doing it right, and saving the added expense of attempting to "maintain it out" through the coming years!

Our standard definitions of IPM fall into the "fireman" category. We should be in the prevention mode, but we are just treating symptoms.

We have problems with pests in schools, parks and homes, in most cases, because we create them by our actions. Not that the pests are not already there, but that we provide habitats for them and increase their numbers. We are far enough along in entomology, to know what our pests like to eat, where they like to live, and what types of cover they prefer, yet, we create environments favorable to them, and are astonished when they move in! This is true of all pests, including weeds and grassy weeds. We have difficulty with "goose grass", because we are trying to have a lawn where a hard-scape should exist, and the compaction resulting from foot traffic prevents anything else from growing there. We have sand burrs, because we have incorporated an area with low fertility where nothing else will grow, and they spring up as a result of poor design, or poor cultural practices.

There are far too many pests to attempt to write out each case individually, So I have chosen one of the more devastating ones from the perspective of disease and health care, the mosquito, to serve as our model, logical extensions to dealing with other pests by using the prevention model should simply be a matter of transferring the concepts.

The Mosquito Model:

The mosquito is a member of the colcide family of flies, gains sustenance from penetrating and withdrawing blood from it's victim with it's long needle like proboscis, and is a carrier of many diseases, including malaria, the worlds largest, deadliest, disease killer, West Nile virus, encephalitis, yellow fever and others. As diseases mutate, we can expect to see more of them using mosquitoes as hosts and transfer agents.

Mosquitoes exist, they will never go away, we cannot eradicate them, and even if we could, it would, most likely cause an an ecological disaster. We have to deal with them. We use large quantities of pesticide to kill them, that is the band aid on the bullet hole, and may be making matters worse. So, how do we avoid the problem?

The first thing I would say, is stop building next door to swamps! Certainly, they can be drained, but will they be drained? How effective will it be, and how expensive? This can, and in many cases, should be done, but it is better to avoid building a school or park, or home in the vicinity to begin with.

Second, stop building things which will cause swamps to develop, or, at least, stop building things in ways that would cause swamps to develop.

This would seem to be as self evident as the fact that water is wet, but every day, I see it happening in construction sites and lawns in my area. I have observed as people with horticultural related degrees, draw up plans , and implement them, when the results should be obvious, but the extension from project to problem, is rarely made. The same is true of architects and engineers, some of whom have apparently come to believe that their blueprint can actually make water defy the laws of gravity. This is where we must begin. This will be continued in the next article.

James Burns is a licensed pest control, lawn, garden, and landscape professional, and the owner of Rational Environmental Solutions, an IPM based service and information company specializing in "non native" pest problems and aquatic pest control.

You can view his website at: http://www.rationalenvironmentalsolutions.com

Six Ways to a Healthier Lawn

2007-05-27T23:50:00.000-07:00

Mowing:
This is the main activity in turfgrass care. In general, the more often it is done, the better the quality you can expect. Mow as often as feasible throughout the the growing time. This will "tighten the turf, cut down on thatch and preserve nutrients, decrease water and fertilizer needs, stop weeds from going to seed, decrease pest problems, virtually eliminate fungus and is the single BEST way to provide a better lawn.

Cultivation:
Most often, cultivation on lawns is done by "aerifying". Aerifying a lawn is the process of opening up the ground to allow water and air into it. This is usually done with spikes or a core removing aereator. This should be done about once per month in very heavily traffic ed areas. It can be done less often in lighter traffic areas. It is best not to aerify after October, and certainly no later than the end of November. If you do, you will be planting those weed seed that would have otherwise laid on the top of the ground and rotted.

Overseeding:
If you want a green lawn all winter, in moderate climates, you can overseed with perennial ryegrass, or fescue. There are some drawbacks. The use of pre emergent chemicals, may cause the seed not to germinate at rates high enough to give a good "stand". You should really do one or the other. Most "weed and feed" products, contain pre emergants. There may also be a need to chemically remove the winter grass to allow the summer grasses to have a long enough season to grow to their full potential.

If you choose to take this route, it is better to overseed when the proper conditions exist, and not at a pre appointed time. These conditions generally exist about two weeks before the first killing frost. Check ground temperature, and rate recommendations, for the seed you will be using.

Fertilization:
About a pound of nitrogen, the first ingredient listed on the bag, per thousand square feet, three times per season is usually sufficient. Golf courses and athletic fields use more fertilizer, more often, but home lawns really don't need that much. Do this before rain, or irrigate soon afterward. As with all lawncare products, check the container for rate recommendations.

Chemical Applications:
To get rid of weeds and weedy grasses you may have to resort to the use of chemicals from time to time. This should be limited if all the steps listed above were done right. The best weed prevention on the market, is a good sharp lawn mower used often. If a lawn is mowed frequently, weeds do not have a chance to produce seed. In the case of perennial weeds, some chemical controls may be needed. Most of the "new" chemicals on the market, contain some of the older ones. It is important to treat for your target weed, and nothing else if possible. Get the product recommended for your need, follow the label directions carefully, and apply only when needed. Pre emergents can be very useful but be certain they are being used at the proper times. Insecticides and fungicides may occasionally be needed, but if the mowing part of the equation was done properly, insects and fungus will be a much smaller problem.

Irrigation:
If you use irrigation, water only as much as needed to keep your lawn healthy. Automated systems are great for convenience, but even when coupled with tensometers, a human element is needed. You can easily tell if your lawn is under stress, and a short stroll will let you know if you need to back off of the artificial rain. Too much water, can be worse than too little, causing an environment where fungus, insects, weeds, and unnecessary growth are problems.

James Burns is a licensed pest control, lawn, garden, and landscape professional, and the owner of Rational Environmental Solutions, an IPM based service and information company specializing in "non native" pest problems and aquatic pest control. You can view his website at: http://www.rationalenvironmentalsolutions.com

Rethinking IPM

2007-04-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

If you are trying to communicate anything, it always helps if the two parties use the same language. As obvious as that might sound, it is not always a given, especially when dealing with environmental issues. If this were a scholarly article, I would call it "Semantics of Environmental Language". I have read a lot of work on ecology and environment lately, numbering into the hundreds of articles on the subject, and several things jump out at me. One is that we are not all talking about the same issues in the same language, and that some definition is in order. I have stockpiled every article that Google has discovered on the subject for several weeks, and it seems that we are not all on the same page, not even in the same book, and, perhaps, not even on the same planet!

RADICAL:
Let's look at this briefly from a linguistic point of view. In linguistics, a radical is a root, or the root of the word. What I am advocating here is some true Radical thought, by getting back to the root of the issue. For example:

This is the EPA definition of IPM:
"In technical terms, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the coordinated use of pest and environmental information with available pest control methods to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage by the most economical means and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment".

I just don't think that the EPA definition goes far enough, and it definitely starts in the wrong place. The standard definitions just don't work. If we start out using them to define where we are, we are, at best, putting the proverbial band aid on a bullet hole. I propose a different model. One that not only treats the symptoms, and cures the disease, but one based on prevention. Most definitions of IPM, start with the symptoms, and how to deal with them by using the various methods at hand. The real issue is prevention. Let's look at it like this: The pest problem, say, West Nile Virus carrying mosquitoes, are the evidence or SYMPTOM. We have them in our lawn, or school yard or park because we have a breeding area nearby, that is the DISEASE in our environmental body, and the cure, is to get rid of the standing water that allows them to breed. The solution to the problem is to stop doing the things that cause the stagnant water build up, or at least don't build the home, or school or park next door to it.

The fact is that we create the vast majority of our problems. We do so by such innocuous means as "burial at sea" for the deceased family goldfish (the likely source for our current hydrilla problem). We have an astounding array of "non native" environmental problems like kudzu, hydrilla, imported fire ants, and imported diseases now carried by our native pests, and most of it could have been prevented with a little forethought.

What we need is prevention, and it needs to spread way beyond the pest control arena into other seemingly unrelated industries, such as the architects and engineers designing our structures, keeping in mind that where they are built, and what we do to build them, has long term consequences for the broader environment. We need to change our way of thinking about ecology and environment, so that we can change the way we interact with it.

If we start with the widely held assumption that the symptoms are the disease, we will never get to the cure! We are only masking the symptoms, like giving someone with a serious infection an aspirin, and, when the fever subsides, assuming that that solves the problem. They need antibiotics, and those sparingly, and then a change in whatever situation caused the infection, to keep it from recurring. Let's start thinking in terms of causes and prevention. The preventative method is to change the way we think. Our road map may be fine, but we will never arrive at our destination by departing from one place, and thinking it was another!

Pruning Trees: The Right Way To Do It

2007-04-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

Pruning a tree should be a relatively simple matter, if we stop and think about the way a tree grows. A tree, as any other plant, adds length from the bottom upward, a system known as elongation. In order to get nutrients from one point to the other, so that this elongation can occur, there is a system of vessels, one known as xylem, the other phloem. these are surrounded by, and, are, part of the living tissue known as cambium. Inside all this, is the woody tissue. This is non living tissue, cells deposited as the tree grows outward. These serve as a structural base for the tree.

Trees have certain tissues that are more likely to produce new growth than others. These are found at and nearby nodes, or junctions. A tree has a certain growth pattern, genetically predetermined, and a given species will grow in a particular, and predictable pattern. When working with a tree, it is always best to work with this pattern, not against it. Topiary aside, the plant has a way that it wants to grow, and it will try to grow that way.

Many of the "growth" cells are located in the joints where one branch or limb connects to another. When we prune, it is always best to prune close to the callous of this junction. If we move to far from it, we leave an extension that will eventually rot, and allow water and disease into the structural part of the tree. If we prune "flush" with the adjoining limb, we cut most of the callous from the joint, and slow the recovery of the wound. Some cells are much more likely to produce the adventitious growth cells need for the tree to heal, removing them, or making a cut to far away from them is a mistake.

It is best for the cut to be clean, no jagged edges, or torn tissue. I often check my cuts, and trim any jagged edges with my pocket knife, which I keep razor sharp for just such occasions.

There is one thing which gardeners seem to hang onto with the tenacity of religious belief, and, which should be "exorcised" from the world of pruning with the same religious fervor. It is a product which has been badly miss named, called, pruning paint. I have looked at thousands of trees, that have had this applied, and have never seen one completely callous over, or heal. For whatever reason, the callous will not form, or adhere to the paint, and the wound, though covered, never quite heals.

When you are thinking of pruning a tree, your first step should be to get as far away from it as possible. Look at the shape, and growth pattern. Is it rounded? is the habit conical? This will give you a chance to think about the finished form you would like to achieve. Many people, among them supposed professionals, shape a tree by treating it like a shrub.

Let me say this very strongly: NEVER, EVER, PRUNE A TREE, BY ANY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING BACK TO A LATERAL LIMB, BRANCH, OR TRUNK! NEVER ALLOW YOUR LAWNCARE COMPANY OR TREE CARE PROFESSIONAL TO DO IT TO YOUR TREES!

If you need proof of what I am saying, go to a place where trees have been pruned by the method I describe, they will be callousing over, healing, without growing very many water sprouts or disease susceptible, badly connected new growth.

Now find some that were pruned by hacking of a limb 5 feet from the base, without going to a lateral branch. It will be dead or dying, there will be insects , fungus and disease present, whether you see them or not, and most likely, signs of them. There may be a rotting knot hole in the tree, beginning to rot out the trees support system, probably with water in the hole already. There will be badly attached water sprouts, most of them with fungus present.

This is like natural law, it is self evident! Yet year after year, I watch as "trained arborists", continue to do this! Why? I don't know. Perhaps their training was flawed.

Don't even get me started on "crepe murderers"! I may open up and tell you what I really think!

Comming Soon!

2007-02-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

James, www.texpest.com
In the works for the near future:

More on sex in the garden! Separation, "Air rooting" Potato slips etc.
More about going native!
Grafting!
Producing your own hybrid vegetables! It is easier than you think!
Pruning the right way! Not the way it is normally done!
I will tie all this in to IPM! A Dictionary definition, and what it really is: treating the problem and not the symptoms.
And much, much more.

If you need more specific information or advice, email me at etexbiz@gmail.com I will answer as soon as I can. These might be posted first, at www.texpest.com

Sex in the Garden too

2007-02-12T08:25:00.000-08:00

James, www.texpest.com
I need to make a disclaimer here before I go any further on the subject of asexual reproduction: Like any clone, the clones that you create, will have the genes of the parent, and will consequently have all the good and bad characteristics of the parent plant. If you have a disease problem with one, it will also attack the others! The more "specific" any line becomes, the more susceptible it becomes. The Irish potato famine and the North American Chestnut blight are good examples. It is ok to reproduce your plants this way, but always understand the need to keep some diversity in your garden, and don't put all your genes in one basket. "Variatiodelectat"- "Variety is the spice of life".

Now, A "hardwood" cutting works well with crepe myrtles, (softwood cuttings of many species can be rooted in a glass of water) hardwood is wood that has become, well, hard, or "herbaceous".

There are many theories on when the best time to take a cutting is, but with the crepes, and good watering conditions, I have done this year round.

Make sure that your soil is prepared beforehand, and you can use a "dibble stick", to poke a hole for planting.

Good, sharp pruners are a must, and freshly cut branches are a must. Take a cutting, about 4 to 6 inches long, with a bud node about a quarter of an inch from the bottom, and a couple of buds on the higher part of the cutting. Do this at an angle. Check your cutting, ragged edges almost insure a less than satisfactory outcome. I keep a sharp knife handy, to trim any ragged edges away. If you are using rooting hormone, dip the big end into it. Then place it into your planting hole in your soil. Gently pack and repeat, until you get the numbers of cuttings you need. Always do a few extras, because you will lose some of them. Water well, and make sure they never dry out completely.

As time goes by, you will see shoots developing, and hopefully the roots are doing the same. Callous will develop on the bottom first, followed by adventitious roots. Leave them in the planting medium for the first year, and then transplant them into pots or the ground.

As you watch them grow, pat yourself on the back. You have done something that is a tradition as old as mankind, and as new as genetic engineering. Enjoy! James, www.texpest.com

Sex in the Garden!?!?

2007-02-07T06:10:00.000-08:00

James, www.texpest.com
Sex in the garden? What the .....? Did I go to the wrong blog? No, no, no! Not the kind of sex in a garden that you would expect from some movie inspired by a D. H. Lawrence novel. No, what we are talking about is plant reproduction. So, now that I have your attention................

How do you get new plants at a low cost, and have fun doing it? Well, it is known as propagation.There are two forms:

Sexual
Asexual

The first method is the one we all know, you take a bag of seed, learn all you can about seedbed preparation, plant, water nourish and then watch them flourish. Simple, straightforward and rewarding on levels that non gardeners cannot understand. This process can be used to produce large quantities of non woody plants like grasses, vegetables, and flowers, and can be done in a variety of ways, from intensive greenhouse culture, to tilling the soil, and dropping in the seed.

But, what if we wanted to produce a quantity of slower growing woody, or herbaceous plants, say, some extra crepe myrtles for a fence row? What would be the best method? It would take a long time to produce them from seed, and the results would rarely be consistent. How can we speed the process up and get the consistency (uniformity) we are looking for? That is where the second method comes in.

Asexual reproduction can be used with the vegetable and flower types of plants as well. The method usually involves removing a portion of a stem from a plant, and inserting the larger end, that is the end closest to the base of the plant into a planting medium. There are other, more tedious methods in use, such as "tissue cultures" which involve taking a few plant cells, and growing them in a petry dish like situation, but that is a science all to itself. Although these two methods may seem worlds away, they are actually the same method, just done at different levels. For our purposes "cuttings will do nicely.

You will need a "Mother Plant", that is a plant that you want to "clone" and don't mind chopping into pieces. You will also need a "rooting medium" and there are a lot of different thoughts on this. I like using a mix of peat and sand, which is about three quarters peat, and one quarter sand, but you can use the media you prefer. It needs to retain enough moisture to allow the cutting to never dry out, but not so much that it rots, moisture is critical. Depending on the difficulty that the plant has in producing "adventitious roots", You may need a little IBA, indol butaryic acid, or rooting compound. The instructions for its use are usually found on the label. Some plants produce quickly and easily from mere untreated cuttings, such as willows. Some are nearly impossible outside the most extreme, perfect conditions such as deciduous oaks.

Make sure that you have a way to keep them watered frequently, the soil cannot completely dry, or you will lose all your hard work.Speaking of work, I have to do some now, so I will have to do this in at least two parts. Come back next time, for the second part of our continuing mini series, Desperate homegardeners" or Sex in the garden. James, www.texpest.com

The Natives Are Restless!

2007-02-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

James , www.texpest.com
I know I am jumping around a good bit on my subjects, but there is method to my madness, so please bare with me. Everything I have written so far, has a direct bearing on IPM, integrated pest management, and that is the lions share of what I intend to write about. It is just plain old good common sense!

It is the same today. Natives! Natives, you ask? Yes, Natives!
Not the kind of natives you see on some cheesy Hollywood B movie production, not even those like me, who are Native Texans, and that seems to be a source of great pride around here pilgrim.

No, the natives that I am writing about, are plants that have a long history in your area. If your area is like ours, you will have a wide variety of plants from your own area that will work better than any imports. They will be acclimated to your temperatures, your rainfall, your seasons and soil conditions, and because of that, they will require less care and feeding than some delicate little Japanese plant. Go to your states department of agriculture web site and I bet they will have some info for you for free. In Texas We have a division of the ag department called GO TEXAN at http://www.picktexas.com/ it is a great place to get some great information about the products of our great state! If you live elsewhere I am sure your state has a similar site. Just go to it and prowl around a bit. I bet you will see something that will make your home landscape even better! James, www.texpest.com

Recycle Those Clippings Without A Compost Heap!

2007-02-02T05:46:00.000-08:00

James, www.texpest.com
Alright. The mowing season will soon be upon us, and I know that you can't wait to break the old mower out and get started. Before you do, let me ask you a question. Thinking of bagging those lawn clippings? Don't do it! Just back away from the bagger for a second and lend me your ears (ok, your eyes). The very best way to use those lawn clippings, is by letting nature do the work for you. Consider this:

Every year your lawn creates about a hundred pounds of nitrogen per acre. That is over two pounds of nitrogen per one thousand square feet, which is about two fertilizer applications per year.
It is estimated by many experts, that up to 60 percent of the fertilizer applied to your lawn is removed by removing the clippings.
When you bag, you are removing a significant amount of organic matter from your lawn.
The money saved can be substantial if you have a large lawn.

Now, there is work involved, if you wait too long between cuttings, the grass could grow so much that the cuttings do not break down quickly, but I know, if you are reading this, that you are interested in creating a healthy lawn, and would never allow that to happen. Mowing frequency is a big part of good lawn care, and on most of our grasses, the more frequently you mow, the better the quality of your lawn. This helps in a couple of ways:

It makes the clippings easier for nature to break down into nitrogen.
It causes the grass to grow laterally, thus getting thicker, and filling in the empty spaces, or as we say, it "tightens the turf". This makes your lawn more wear tolerant.

I hope you will give this consideration when the time to begin mowing arrives. It is the most ecological, economical and aesthetic way to a better lawn! James www.texpest.com

Start Now!

2007-01-31T10:47:00.000-08:00

Springtime will soon be upon us, so it is time to start thinking about your garden. I already see an erratic array of gardeners buzzing around like June bugs on a summer night here in my native East Texas. We have a very strong and vibrant "Master Gardner" program in the area, and I noticed a marque announcing the latest garden event while I was out and about.

Yes it is time to start thinking about your garden! Your FALL garden. I know all you avid aficionados of the agricultural arts are already done with your planning for the spring, but it is never too early to think about the next season.

Here in East Texas, we have a pretty long growing season, broken by a short period of time when it is almost too hot to even be outdoors. During that period of time, if you already have a plan in place, you can begin to implement your autumn program.

You will have to think backwards from the way you think about garden planning in spring, substituting your average last frost dates, with average first frost dates, so that you begin planting early enough to get your crops harvested before the first killing frost.

There are some advantages to fall gardening:

It is cool in the fall, well, sometimes.
Insects are less of a problem, well, sometimes.
It extends your growing season, and your production.
It's just nice to be outdoors when the leaves are falling!

With just a little creative thinking, you can have almost any cole crop (I like kale, but you can use whatever you like, from cabbage to cole rabbi) growing late into the season, lettuce, and a wide variety of others such as pac choi, just think outside the box.

If you don't do it already, give it a try. You might just have a fresh garden salad from your own garden on your Christmas dinner table! James www.texpest.com

Tree Butchering

2007-01-29T07:25:00.000-08:00

James www.texpest.com

Our Mission for today? Destroy something that it took you and nature years of cooperation to produce! We will accomplish this by the following means:

Take the top out of that tree. Great Idea! Let's just whack of the top, wherever we like, and leave it open for disease, that will cause the limbs to die back to a healthy branch, and let water seep in, to rot it. Then there will be a new flush of young, poorly arranged, badly connected shoots, to invite in more disease and fungus.
A slower death can be brought about by a more subtle approach: When thinning the limbs, don't cut back to a lateral branch, just leave a few inches sticking out to rot and prevent healing. As this nub slowly rots away, we can invite more water, and disease into the main part of the adjoining limb, causing it to eventually rot, causing the next limb to rot.........
When we prune, make sure we allow the bark to be pulled away, another great way to invite in disease.
If we happen to accidentally make a proper cut in the proper place, don't worry, just spray on some petroleum based products, to keep it from healing or callousing over. The best product for this is a cleverly miss-named product known as pruning paint.

Well, I think you get the picture. I have worked in this industry for many years, and it still amazes me. I see it all the time, being done by "proffesionals" who should know better. The odd thing to me is that it is self evident. All that needs to be done to prove my thesis, is to look at the results!

In an upcomming article, I will describe the proper way to prune to avoid these problems and give you a safe, healthy tree. James, www.texpest.com

Planting Trees Too

2007-01-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

James www.texpest.com
So, now you know where you want to plant, you have made certain that there are are no overhead or underground obstacles or dangers, you have an appropriate tree for your area and all the amendments you will need.
What are you waiting for? Dig that hole!

Dig the hole quite a bit wider than the root ball, but no deeper. This is to prevent settling. Remove the tree from the pot, if it is really root bound, you may want to disturb the root ball a bit, by separating out some of the root a little or making a few slices. Don't overdo it. Set the root ball in the hole very carefully, don't strain your back, and watch out for that pesky limb that seems to want to slap you on the noggin.

Mix some soil and some mulch material together to fill in the sides. Make sure the tree is setting straight, that is, "plumb" in the hole. Back fill with the mix and tamp it firmly in. If you are using root stimulator, and I like to use it, follow the label directions for it's use, build a small berm around the tree with the remaining soil, tamp it down, and water it in. Make sure you don't have any air pockets, fill in where needed.

If your tree needs to be staked, to keep it from being blown over in the wind, put at least two stakes down, by driving them into the ground at opposite sides, and at an angle away from the tree. Don't put much pressure on the tree when you tie it off. I usually use a short length of garden hose, slid over the rope, as a buffer between the tree and the rope. One thing you need to remember, especially if the tree isn't always in plain sight, is, not to leave the rope on the tree so long that it grows into, or as we say, "girdles" the tree. Use the berm you built as a reservoir to water the tree as needed, then watch it grow!

I will make some points on the proper pruning of trees in a separate article. It is a subject that I think is very important, and is usually done badly. Tree butchering is a pet peeve of mine, and I will rant on that subject latter.

More next time..........James, www.texpest.com

Planting Trees

2007-01-26T08:40:00.000-08:00

James, www.texpest.com
I have been spending a lot of time answering questions about planting trees lately, so I thought some thoughts on something that seems to be on a lot of peoples minds, might be good.

When deciding to plant a tree, think about the areas where you intend to plant. Look for such problems as overhead power lines. Will the tree eventually grow into the line? Check to make sure there are no underground obstacles like water, sewer, or power lines. Most utility companies can make sure the right people check this and mark the lines before you start to dig. Don't plant a tree where it's roots will invade your septic system, or crack the foundation of your home.
Think about other trees and plants nearby, and how the new addition will effect them, both now and when it grows to maturity. Will the tree "shade out" your lawn as it grows? Will it shade out other plants, and if so, will this be acceptable?
What type of soil do you have, and will you need to amend it? If so, you will need to have these things on hand.
What type of tree will you plant? Make sure that it is appropriate for your area. Check with your counties extension agency if you are not sure.

Now you have the preliminaries out of the way, dig a hole and chuck it in!!!!! NO, there is more to it than that, and I will look at these things in the next edition.

James, www.texpest.com

Sand or Grass burrs, Another IPM Example.

2007-01-24T19:07:00.000-08:00

James, www.texpest.com
Sand burrs are an interesting study.There are post emergent chemicals that will kill them. There are pre-emergent treatments for them, that will prevent them from coming up out of the soil, but what is the real problem here?

It is another IPM issue. These weedy grasses won't stand much competition, so if you have almost anything else growing well, they disappear on their own. Why is nothing else growing well enough to prevent them? Cultural practices. Either the soil is poor, there isn't proper water availability, there is a disease problem, there is a lack of fertility, etc.

The answer? Improve the quality of the turf, by improving the conditions.
James, www.texpest.com

Integrated Pest Management or IPM Ecology and Your Yard

2007-01-23T16:32:00.000-08:00

James, www.texpest.com
The truth is, WE CREATE MOST OF OUR PROBLEMS! We construct a new patio, which causes some water to puddle up when it rains or when the irrigation turns on. Bam- mosquito breeding area!

At our next cookout, we slap at them so furiously, that all the neighbors think we are waving them over for burgers. We try using repellents, we buy foggers and citronella tiki torches, call the exterminator, build purple martin houses, and still they come!

We are treating symptoms. The problem is the standing water. Get rid of it, and the blood sucking little disease carriers go away, along with the cost for the extermination, the foggers, the repellents, the torches, and the time and expense of extra burgers for the neighbors.

One of my favorite sayings is "It is hard to maintain out, what is engineered in", we want to create an environment that discourages pests, not one that causes them to multiply. Sure we only have the problem after a period of wet warm weather, but the only time the roof leaks is when it rains!

The purple martin houses are a good idea, those little guys eat a ton "of "skeeters", and they are a good tool in our pest control arsenal. I would call this, a biological control. That is, the introduction of a less problematic species, to destroy the other.

Some situations may call for re -engineering, (providing drainage in this case) some may call for biological controls, some may require the judicious use of chemical controls, most require some of all the above. This is a PART of, what we call Integrated Pest Management or IPM.

Sometimes things are engineered so poorly that you have no choice but to call someone like me!

More on this and other related topics coming soon, so stay tuned!!
James, www.texpest.com

Lawn and Garden Help From a Pro For Free!

2007-01-23T14:09:00.000-08:00

James, www.texpest.com
Hi, I own a lawn and garden care/pest control business in the FREE SOVEREIGN REPUBLIC OF TEXAS, and I get a lot of questions from people who have lawncare problems, I suppose, much like doctors or a lawyers get questions about their respective practices ( why do they call what they do- PRACTICE?). I realized that some of these questions are so common that I almost need a form letter, or FAQ, some might encroach on my business, but some don't, and in the intrest of not being like a doctor or lawyer, I will answer the ones that I reasonably can. My work is geared more to the commercial, proffesional (Cities, Parks, State etc) but I also provide residential services.

This is my dissclaimer: If you try something I suggest, and it dosen't work right, YOU did it wrong! That's my story and I am sticking to it! I always wanted to say that. Seriously though, sometimes things don't work, so you have to back up and try another approach. This is just a forum for commentary.

So ask me some questions, I will try to help, or at least suggest where to look to find the help you need. James, www.texpest.com