Lawn and SHRUBS
Starting with the Soil
One thing that does not get a lot of conversation is soil analysis. If the pH of your soil is either too high or too low it can significantly effect the prosperity of your lawn.
This is why we at SG Pest Control Gainesville “highly recommend” that you allow us to do a soil test and analysis of your soil. In our current customer base we have lawns that vary from 4.5 to 7.8 pH ( St Augustine grass does its best in the mid to low 6 range ).
After the analysis you will receive a hard copy of the results with the pH, the level of every major and minor element, as well as significant ratios that are important such at the Calcium/Magnesium ratio. In addition you will receive necessary recommendations concerning how to correct any deficiencies; which of course SG Pest Control Gainesville will perform for you.
What about those uninvited weeds in your turf.
To effectively manage weeds, you need both a pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control plan.
In the fall, a pre-emergent herbicide is applied to address weeds that germinate over the winter, providing protection for three to four months.
The next pre-emergent application is scheduled for the end of February or March.
In April, a spring pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control is applied. Finally, another pre-emergent and post-emergent treatment is carried out in early summer to sustain the lawn through the summer by reducing and eliminating weeds in the turf.
At SG Pest Control Services, we carefully time our efforts to achieve the best results for your lawn.
SG Pest Control Services can start a weed control program for your lawn. Please call or text us; we'd love to help you achieve a beautiful, weed-free lawn
Let's talk about chinch bugs.
The name 'chinch bug' is well known in Florida even though most people really dont know what they are or what they do to our grass. They do know that they have seen a lot of damage to lawns that has been credeted to chinch bugs and they do not want any of these critters in their yard!
In the areas of Florida that have cooler weather the chinch bugs hybernate.
- They start feeding and reproducing in April and May and this is when we start to see damage. The chinch bugs have piercing-sucking mouth parts and will kill St Augustine grass by sucking the fluids out of the plant.
- The first generation of offspring reach maturity after 30 days and join their parents feeding on our lawns.
- One interesting thing to know is that the female parent lays a second generation of eggs in July or later. This second generation will feed through the Fall and they will be the generation that hybernates and starts the cycle over the following Spring.
- Knowing the timing of these steps in the life cycle of the chinch bug is important because it tells you when you should treat with insecticides.
- A treatment in May should be very effective to kill the adults as well as those nymphs that are developing.
- A problem can occur if a percentage of the adults survives the insecticide application. You ask how this can happen, well perhaps the applicator did not put quite enough product on a certain area ( perhaps that area was at the end of his spray reach and received only ½ the required amount of insecticide ). Now you have chinch bugs that have developed resistance to the chemical and you have the eggs that were not killed (yes this can become complicated quickly ).
- So the only solution is to come back in July with another treatment.
As you can see by now we here at SG Pest Control Gainesville are students of our trade and take seriously what we do. After explaining all of this very precise information we must also mention the variables that are not easily controlled.
- Chinch bugs can fly short distances so therefore can come over from your neighbor.
- They can be brought in on lawnmowers that have been in other yards and have not been cleaned.
Don't wait if you think you may have chinch bugs call or text SG Pest Control Services and we are ready to service your lawn and get it back to a green and lush lawn.
We get the Bugs that Bug!
What's to know about sod webworms.
At SG Pest Control Gainesville, we also manage sod webworms, which are the offspring of the sod webworm moth.
- These pests overwinter as larvae in a silken tunnel they construct just below the soil in your lawn.
- From late May to early June, they pupate into moths and lay their eggs.
- When the eggs hatch, the larvae start feeding on the green leaf blades, a behavior known as 'grazing'.
- The good news is that unlike chinch bugs, if sod webworms are eliminated in time, they do not kill the grass. Once the worms are taken care of, the grass will grow back in about 14 days.
If you see moths flying up from your lawn, call us. SG Pest Control Gainesville will take care of this pest so that your lawn can get back to growing and giving you a beautiful place to enjoy your outdoor time.
We get the Bugs that Bug!
It's everywhere...fungus in your turf.
Fungus is everywhere in the world, soil, lakes, rivers, the seas, and air, in and on plants and animals, including humans. Fungus is responsible for the decay of organic matter. Turf gets a fungi called brown patch disease. The pathogen responsible for the brown patch is Rhizoctonia. Two strains are responsible for brown patch and large patch both caused by a soil-borne fungus Rhizoctonia Solana. It can look like gray leaves or maybe animals urinating on the lawn.
Brown patch is treated with a fungicide. It must be sprayed to stop the damage to your turf. Because brown patch can look like so many other issues, diagnosing the problem can be tricky.
SG Pest Control Gainesville will come out to your home, diagnose, and spray the affected area of your lawn.
Nutrition for your Florida lawn....fertilization.
Fertilizing provides your lawn with essential nutrients to help it grow healthy, strong, and lush.
Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are the three essential nutrients for a balanced and healthy lawn.
- Nitrogen gives the lawn its beautiful green color and is responsible for promoting lawn growth.
- Potassium, helps plant growth, cell wall thickness, disease resistance, and the ability of grass to withstand stress and drought.
- Phosphorus serves as the food for the grassroots, enabling them to grow strong and act as a lifeline to the grass during environmental stress.
The application of certain fertilizers is restricted during "blackout periods," which are months set by local governments like the county council in Alachua County. These limits are meant to control the application of critical elements like Nitrogen, which is important for plant growth but can also cause algae and weed growth in waterways.
For example, in Alachua County, fertilizers containing Nitrogen can only be applied from March to June, and we comply with this restriction.
SG Pest Control offers a comprehensive fertilization program for your lawn and shrubs. We fertilize nine times a year: in the spring to kick off your grass growing season, in June to provide additional nutrients during the hot and humid months, and in the fall to prepare it for the dormant period and give it a boost for the spring.
Give SG Pest Control Gainesville a call or text us and we will set you up with a comprehensive fertilization plan.
Nutrition for your Florida shrubs....fertilization.
Your shrubs should be the perfect highlight of your exterior landscape, like Christmas lights on your home in December.
We at SG Pest Control of Gainesville strive to help you have shrubs that are the perfect accent to your beautiful lawn and home.
One interesting fact that the University of Florida plant experts documented about the Sago Palm was concerning the Asiatic Cycad Scale and its assualt on that palm. They found that they were only able to fully eradicate that scale insect from the Sago Palm when they “fully submerged” the plant in insecticide!
This is an important fact to know if you are treating Cycad scale on Sagos because it enables you to understand that you are not there to kill all of the scale, you are there to “maintain” the plant at its best possible level of prosperity while battling that scale.
Give SG Pest Control Gainesville a call or text us and we will set you up with a comprehensive fertilization plan.
