Last fall, we had a problem with raccoons. They tore up the lawn to feast on the grubs. I’d like to avoid the problem this year and discourage the raccoons early on. Is there an easy way to tell if the lawn grubs have returned?
Answer:
There is a simple test for the presence of grubs you can do using detergent and water. Grub damage normally starts next to a hot cement or concrete edge and quickly expands towards the center of the lawn. The grass turns brown and you’ll also notice the lawn thinning out or disappearing, leaving bare spots. To conduct the grub test, you should set up several test sites both in the areas attacked last year and some neutral sites. With stakes and string, mark off several two by two foot squares in each of the areas. Next, mix two tablespoons of a liquid soap or detergent in a bucket of water and pour the solution evenly over the areas. For the next ten to fifteen minutes, you keep a close eye on the soil surface. The detergent agitates the grubs forcing them to the surface. If grubs are present, you control them by applying Beneficial Nematodes. Beneficial Nematodes are an environmentally friendly method of killing all the soil insects except earthworms. Another option is Bayer Season Long Grub control. This is a granular product that’s applied with a spreader as early as June to protect the area for the balance of the year. I might apply a grub control solution even if the tests prove to be negative or inconclusive. You don’t want to wait until the raccoons return as the controls will take some weeks to work, all the while the damage continues. The raccoons will be a frequent visitor until they are convinced that the grubs are gone.
Question:
Our tomato plants are not producing nearly as many tomatoes as in the past. The tomatoes are planted in a raised bed and are watered with a drip system. Could overwatering be the cause of the problem?
Answer:
To be very honest, I’m not sure over watering is an issue as you didn’t mention any problems with the foliage. If the leaves are a dull green and or turning a yellow-brown color, I’d suspect a watering problem. With mature plants, you should water deeply but not as frequently as when they were younger. Watering issues develop because we don’t vary our watering practices during the growing season. Tomatoes are not a shallow rooted plant so the volume of water increases while the frequency decreases as the season progresses. Another contributor to overwatering is the companion planting as many other summer vegetables require more frequent watering as they are shallow rooted. While I’m not sure of the reason for the decline, I don’t think it’s related to overwatering. If the plants are thriving and are a lush green color, then the simple solution would be to plant an additional plant next year.
