Plant Troubleshooting
Q. My lawn looked great a couple weeks ago. Now it looks like its dying. What's going on?
A. There are many reasons why your lawn goes from green to brown in a few short weeks. This is a quick overview of some common causes for this:
1. Fertilizer Burn: If you put too much fertilizer on your lawn the grass will turn brown. High nitrogen fertilizers (1st number on bag ie: the 21 in 21-7-7) are the worst. Organic fertilizers are a much more forgiving than synthetic types. The only cure for over-fertilization is water and time (anywhere from a couple weeks to several months depending on the size of the over-dose) or soil removal (2" should be enough) and replacement. If you have a lot of damage then the best approach is to replace a small area and make sure its ok before potentially wasting your money on complete replacement.
2. Gasoline was spilled on your lawn: Every year two or three people bring a sample to the store and I can't tell what's wrong with it. The usual suspect is a gas (or other chemical) spill but very few people own up to this (please take care when re-fueling your mower). The only thing you can do is wait a year or two for the chemical to break down (or become diluted) or remove 4" of soil, dispose of it as toxic waste, and replace that part of the lawn.
3. Cutting your grass too short: Grass should be left at least 3" long. Grass cut any shorter than this is subject to drought (likely why your lawn went brown when the summer heat came), insects and diseases.
4. Lack of irrigation on a synthetically fertilized lawn: Organically "fed" lawns have deeper root systems, better soil structure and require far less water. If we do have a dry spell then organic lawns will stay green a lot longer and recover more quickly when rainy/cooler weather returns without any supplementary watering. Organic lawns also support a thriving, diverse collection of micro-organisms which include natural enemies of many lawn insects and diseases. The larger root systems found in organic lawns can support much larger feeding insect populations before visible damage occurs.
5. Dog urine: Dog urine contains a lot of nitrogen (see fertilizer burn above). When a dog squats to pee (usually females) a lot of nitrogen (in the form of urea) gets dumped in a small area. Unless you always watch when your dog pees and can dump a bucket of water on the spot (afterwards of course) you will need another approach. For years gypsum has been used as a preventative measure to treat lawns for this problem. After a great deal of research on the web I have found no-one willing to speculate why this is so (although a few thousand of our satisfied customers would seem to support the idea that it works!). 30 years ago while studying chemistry I sat down and figured out a moderately complex series of steps whereby the urea in the urine is absorbed by the gypsum and then the nitrogen is released as a gas (the reward was a beer!). I would love for some current university student to do the same so I can buy them a beer and publish it here! Lime seems to work as well but for a shorter period of time, although it may be more effective in treating recently peed-on sections.
6. You've got grubs eating your grass roots: A few years ago, European Chaffer arrive in Ottawa. Up until that time the only grubs we had to worry about were June Bug larvae. June Bugs could devastate a lawn but it was a relatively rare occurrence as they are simply not as voracious as their European cousins. June Bugs have a three year cycle from egg to adult. European Chaffer (and Japanese Beetle) has a one year cycle. The organic way to treat an infestation of any of these grubs is nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic parasites that burrow into grubs, release a symbiotic bacteria, kill the grub, mate and multiply so their offspring can kill more grubs. They like a moist environment and many of our customers have been seen spraying them on their lawn in the rain. Most basic homeowner packages contain 10 million nematodes and claim to cover 2000 to 3000 square feet. When we first started selling nematodes 14 years ago they had 1 million little critters and the same coverage claim. The difference was that it took longer kill all the grubs (kill/mate/multiply/repeat) so you had to keep the environment moist for a longer period of time (up to 2 weeks). If you time it right with rainfall then you can get a lot more coverage from a package without spending a small fortune on water (and all the associated environmental consequences). Nematodes can be applied with a hose-end sprayer, pump sprayer or a watering can. Most of the professional landscape firms give nematodes a bad rap because they can't control weather or not you water your lawn for a few days after application, nematodes have a much shorter shelf-life then chemicals and because nematodes can't be applied in direct sunlight (a definite scheduling problem). Now that the Ontario Government has banned the sale of the usual toxic (to grubs at the very least) remedies the professionals will have to overcome their prejudices. The best time for applying nematodes is in late summer (August 15th to September 15th give or take a few days depending on soil temperature). Once the ground temperature falls below 15 Celsius nematodes are no longer effective (some new species are coming on the market that function at lower temperatures and we will revise this info once they are proven effective). The reason for applying late summer is that the grubs are newly hatched and small. More importantly, they likely haven't done much damage to your lawn yet. Many people miss this spray window and have to apply in the spring (again once the ground temperature is above 15 Celsius - late April or early May). Nematodes are just as effective in the spring but it takes longer to get control because the grubs are bigger. By mid to late June the grubs are getting ready to pupate on their way to becoming adults (to start the cycle all over again). For information on ordering nematodes and additional info such as pictures of grubs click here.
7. Chinch Bug: Often mispronounced "Cinch Bug" these tiny insects suck the "juice" out of grass stems and crowns. The damage usually shows up in July and is sometimes mistaken for drought stress. If you spot the damage early you will find the insects right at the verge between the green grass and the brown grass. You may be able to part the grass with your fingers and see them easily if you do this early enough in the day. By noon (or if you don't see them, do this as a double-check) you will need to use a soup (or similar) can which has had both ends removed. Work this can into the ground about 1" deep and then keep it filled with water for a few minutes. The chinch bugs will float to the top. For pictures of what to expect click here. If you have chinch bug then Safer's Trounce Lawn and Turf insecticide is an effective, organic solution (click here for more info). No matter what remedy you try you should be aware that if your thatch layer is too thick then you will have difficulty reaching all of the chinch bugs. Giving your lawn a good watering before applying will help bring the chinch bugs to the surface. You should perform a follow-up evaluation in two weeks or so to see if any eggs have hatched (no point in starting the cycle all over again!). Endophyte enhanced grass seed contains a symbiotic fungus that chinch bugs (and many other creatures including rabbits) have difficulty digesting. You could consider replacing the dead grass with this (and over-seeding your whole lawn). In addition to improved insect resistance your lawn will also become more drought tolerant.
7. Sod Webworm: There are several types of sod webworm that can feed on your grass. Sod webworm damage starts out as small patches on your lawn which might only be visible after mowing. These are caused by the webworm larva feeding during the night. They hang out in "silk" lined burrows and tunnels during the day. Eventually the spots get big enough to notice. The easiest way to determine if you have sod webworm is to look for the adults. The adult moth will fly when disturbed (walking on the lawn or mowing) and also fly near dusk to lay eggs. The moths fly in an erratic pattern rarely getting more than two feet high and rarely travelling more than 6 feet. For more information click here. As with chinch bug, endophyte enhanced grass seed is detrimental to sod webworm. Nematodes are a licensed product used to treat your lawn for sod webworm. There are several other organic approaches, with licensing in the U.S., that are available at Canadian garden centres but you will have to do your research before you shop as we cannot advise you about these products without breaking the law.
8. Fungal Diseases: A fungus generally shows up on your lawn because your lawn isn't happy. The best way to deal with fungal problems is to increase the health of your lawn. We do have a few organic products which can be used such as Copper Sulfate (Bordo) and Sulfur but these come with their own set of potential side effects (for your lawn) such as copper toxicity and soil acidification (the remedies for which may require additional action on your part). There are a variety of fungal ailments that can strike your lawn and the best thing to do is dig out a section of sod the size of a small pizza box and bring it to the store for analysis and treatment options. If you want to learn more about lawn fungus click here.
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Q. The leaves on my tree are turning brown. What can I do?
A. There are many reasons why your tree's leaves turn brown. Assuming that this is not being caused by the arrival of fall, some other common reasons are included here:
1. Your tree isn't receiving enough moisture. A newly planted tree requires more moisture than an established tree (click here for new tree maintenance instructions) but an established tree can still get in trouble during periods of drought. Established trees whose leaves turn brown due to drought stress will often go through a period of droopy leaves first (check out the watering instructions for your tree - overwatered trees may also have droopy leaves). Trees with diseases/insect damage/physical damage which decreases sap flow may also show symptoms of being too dry.
2. Your tree has come in contact with a herbicide or an insecticide for which it has a sensitivity.
During the winter and spring of 2010 we will be updating this section of our website. Thanks for your patience.
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Q. My tree's leaves are turning yellow with green veins. How can I help it?
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Q. Suckers (small trees) are growing from the base of my tree. What can I do?
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Q. Can I add soil around the base of a tree and build a garden?
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Q. Something is eating my plant's leaves. What's the next step?
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Q. Sticky stuff is falling from my tree and making a mess. What's going on?
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Q. My neighbour wrapped his tree/evergreen in burlap for the winter. Should I? (aka: When I took the wrap off my plant this spring it looked dead. Why?)
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Q. My tree leaves look very droopy. What's going on?
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Q. What's causing the needles on my evergreen to turn brown?
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Q. What effect will my new sprinkler system have on my trees?
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Q. Why is sap is leaking out of my tree/evergreen trunk/branches?
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Q. My cedar hedge is turning brown. What can I do?
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Q. A branch has (partially or completely) broken off my tree. What should I do now?
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Q. Caterpillars are attacking my tree. What can I do to help it?
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Q. Help! Something is attacking my vegetable garden!
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