When scarifying a smaller area, use a spring-tined rake. Power tools are more convenient for larger lawns. Avoid scarifying too deeply, which can damage the turf (see Meet the expert, opposite). Powered machines are available for hire. Make sure the scarifying height is adjustable.

Aerate the lawn to relieve compaction, allowing for better movement of air and water around the roots. Aerating every two to three years is usually adequate for an average lawn. Concentrate on worn areas and areas prone to staying wet. Use a garden fork for smaller areas, spacing holes 4-6in (10-15cm) apart and deep.

If gardening on heavy clay or if standing water is a problem, consider hollow tining the lawn every three to four years. This extracts plugs of soil from the lawn. Sweep up the plugs, then rake a top-dressing into the holes. Hand-held and powered spiking machines and hollow tiners tools that look like a fork but with hollow prongs are available.

Lawn top-dressing is available from garden centres, but it may be more economical to buy larger quantities from specialist suppliers such as Rolawn (rolawn.co.uk). Apply 4.4-6.6lb per 10 sq ft (2-3kg per sq m), working the dressing in well with the back of a rake.

If the grass is patchy, especially after removing large amounts of moss, over-seed the bare patches at the rate of (-1oz per sq yd (17-34g per sq m).

If youre not using combined moss killer and feed, apply a low-nitrogen autumn feed. But be aware that overfeeding with high-nitrogen fertiliser will encourage fusarium wilt (snow mould infection).

As the weather cools down, increase the cutting height of utility lawns to 1in (40mm).

If you have a problem with chafer grubs and leather jacket (pests which can seriously damage lawns), there are no chemical treatments. Instead, apply biological-control nematodes from July to September against chafer grubs and from September to early October against leatherjackets. Make sure that the soil is moist before application to keep the nematodes alive and active.

Quick trouble shooter: red thread

Seeing red: red thread usually appears in late summer (ALAMY)

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How to look after your lawn in autumn

Story Created: Sep 2, 2014 at 5:48 PM CDT

Story Updated: Sep 2, 2014 at 8:19 PM CDT

If you have noticed your lawn turning brown a little too early, you may be a victim of an armyworm infestation.

Lawn experts say these insects have not been this bad locally in years.

"I've been doing this 30 years, and I've never seen it this bad," said Keith Lovelace, owner of Lovelace Lawncare.

Lovelace says the infestation is particularly bad this year because of the mild summer. The worms thrive in cooler temperatures and with more rainfall.

Wanda Sims' property has fallen victim to the pests. "My tenant called me, and they said 'We have worms.' I was like 'Worms! What do you mean worms?' She said, 'we got worms everywhere!'"

Thousands of them have taken over Sims' yard. She told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News she got the jitters after seeing the worms crawling everywhere.

The worms are the caterpillar stage of a moth. "The moths just lay the eggs, and then the armyworms come out and eat their environment," Lovelace said.

He says they are called armyworms because they move across your lawn like an army.

See the original post here:
Armyworm infestation invades West Tennessee

2014-09-02

Supplied with a 40L grassbag and featuring 15 fixed cutting blades and a powerful and reliable Briggs and Stratton engine, the Hayter Scarifier will make light work of de-thatching - helping maintain a healthy lawn, simply and efficiently. Cutting depth is easily adjusted to suit different lawn types and there is also a transport position to ensure easy movement across paving with no damage to blades.

homeowners can get the best treatment for their lawns at a fraction of the price it would cost individually

Julie Dommett

But, as it's something not used all that frequently, probably twice a year, many people may think it's difficult to justify the investment. Julie Dommett, marketing manager for Hayter offers a solution: "Communities are sharing all sorts of things these days, so why not a lawn scarifier? Gardening club members or neighbours who enjoy gardening can get together and share the cost of ownership. That way homeowners can get the best treatment for their lawns at a fraction of the price it would cost individually. Or alternatively, entrepreneurial gardeners could buy a scarifier and then rent it out to neighbours either privately, through a neighbourhood scheme, or alternatively via a website such as http://www.rentmyitems.com!"

The Scarifier is available from Hayter authorised dealers nationwide (RRP 559). Local dealers can be found at http://www.hayter.co.uk - or by calling 01279 723444.

- ends -

For further information please contact Caroline Bennett, PR Inc for Hayter/Toro Tel: 01932 847731 Email:

Read more:
Lawn Looking A Bit Lacklustre? A Scarifier Could Be The Answer - Hayter Are Encouraging Communities To Share!

During the concept lawn show at Pebble Beachs Concours dElegance a few weeks back, Mercedes-Benz Gran Turismo inspired AMG VGT literally stole the show. But while that PlayStation concept enjoyed its 15 minutes of fame down by the Pacific, another GT6 concept was enjoying its North American debut at a private event up in the sun-scorched hills east of Monterey. Aston Martin had invited a select group of media and clientele to not only drive and experience cars like the Vanquish and V12 Vantage S, but also to view firsthand the digital-inspired awesomeness that was the DP-100 Vision Gran Turismo.

The DP-100 Vision Gran Turismo (which in the game features an 800 hp, twin-turbo V12) made its global debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last month in England. "The car is not just an exercise in entertaining the whims of the GT6 set," notes Matthew Clarke, PR & Brand Communications Manager for Aston Martin The Americas. "The car, which is only drivable in PlayStations Gran Turismo 6, actually allowed the design team to have some fun/break the rules, while exploring future design concepts."

Unlike the Mercedes-Benz GT6 concept, Aston Martin kept its concept in the shade, protected from the intense California sunshine. Although the DP-100 may look ready to go it is just in fact a rolling four ton concept.

"The car, albeit a fantasy based vehicle for GT6, has allowed our designers to experiment, says Clarke. The DP-100 concept, as extreme as it may be, does in fact carry with it a number of signature Aston Martin design elements. The orange 'light blade' LED taillights may push current design boundaries, but could one day become possible in production models."

Clarke noted that Aston Martin has worked closely with Gran Turismo since the games conception, so this clearly was not the company's first PlayStation rodeo. The concept, which took the design team over six months to produce, is a fairly substantial machine in person.

Taller and longer than I expected, the concepts proportions are future-world fantastic and the first time Aston Martin has presented such a radical mid-engined design. The floating front fenders flare up from the descending hood line, a departure from Astons normal ascending treatment highlighted by Clarke. The hoodline starts so low in the front that you can hardly see the signature Aston Martin grill, but that glorious line carries uninterrupted in one fluid motion from tip to tail.

In the tail end of those winged fenders are rear view cameras which act as mirrors. Vented wheel arches, inspired from GT racing, are designed to increase downforce and handling at speed, while near seamless "swan wing" doors are fashioned in such a way as to improve access to the cockpit area.

The rear fender treatment is equally complex, as the shape flares out into a floating wing up top. This surface covers the LED taillights then snakes and wraps itself in and around the rear section. Twin exhaust pipes recessed into a tapered, vertical element are situated low in the tail, right above the concepts massive rear deck that resembles a yachts boat launch.

The massive turbine wheels, that look ready to devour lesser machines, possess some interesting dual-purpose aerodynamics. Aston Martin calls them Active Wheel Blades.

"At lower speeds the design provides cooling to the brakes," explains Clarke. "But at higher speeds, the inner vanes help develop a high pressure system inside the cavity that in turn creates a pressurized area that behaves like a flat disc. The pressure system thus increasing the cars aerodynamics and reduces drag around the wheels."

More:
In the hills with Aston Martin's DP-100 Vision GT concept, and Q-series rides

Dear Neil: I have a handsome oak growing in my yard. Every year about this time, its leaves develop tiny holes. Many of the leaves start to fall, although new leaves are also being produced. My tree is the only oak in the area that is doing this. What would cause it, and what can I do?

A. It may be a bacterial leaf spot. They result in what is called "shot-hole" effect on tree leaves, most notably on purple-leafed plums. You'll often see a newer brown spot that is hanging partially attached, as if cut by a dull paper punch. As to why your tree is affected and the others not, that could be something as simple as genetic variation between the trees. I would suggest that you send a sample to the Texas Plant Clinic at Texas A&M for analysis. You can find instructions at their website (http://plantclinic.tamu.edu) or by calling your local county Extension office. There will be a small fee for their services, but that way you would know for sure. I don't believe it is a serious threat. I see it on my own oaks (now that you mention it), and it hasn't been a problem in 37 years.

Dear Neil: I hired a lawn care company this year. The lawn is lush and green after all of their applications. However, it has developed nutsedge, and the control they applied doesn't show signs of doing much in the several weeks since it was put down. Did I make a mistake in hiring them?

A. If your lawn looks the way you want it to, and if you're satisfied with the price, no mistake made. These companies turn out lovely turfgrass. If you had done the same things yourself, you would have had the same (or nearly so) results, but you would have had the work to do yourself - also the timing to figure out. They also have a lot of experience, and they have access to products that we consumers do not. As for the nutsedge, the products that are legally labeled for use in nutsedge control are slow-acting by their nature. Unlike most herbicides that go in through leaves, the good nutsedge controls are taken in through the soil via the roots, then conducted up to the leaves. It's not unusual for it to take four or five weeks to make significant impact on the lawn. You may even need a second application one month after the first treatment. But they do work!

Dear Neil: I have a large avocado tree. It's in a patio pot, but the tree has gotten big enough that I won't have room for it indoors this winter. Can I plant it into the ground?

A. Avocados are extremely sensitive to freezing weather -- even to frost. The only place where they have even a fighting chance would be in the lower Rio Grande Valley near Brownsville. Certainly not here. You can try trimming it significantly to get it inside, but at some point you'll want to discard it and start a new one.

Dear Neil: You can see from the attached photos that my red oak tree is losing the end 12 or 18 inches of several of its branches. I take very good care of my trees, including regular watering. I cannot figure out what is happening to this healthy red oak. Another red oak on the other side of the yard looks just fine. What is going on?

A. I'm going to guess that it's one of two things. Clip down one of the browned twigs (using a pole pruner if you have to). Trim it several inches farther back than necessary, because I want you to look at the interface between the dead and healthy tissues. If you see a swollen area in the twig there, that's the work of a gall-forming insect. She stings a twig when it's smaller and lays her eggs in the young tissues. The plant creates a gall of its own tissue around the eggs. The damage eventually girdles and kills the twig. There is no major damage, and there is no way to prevent or control the dieback. And the second option would be, if the twigs appear to have been chewed, either squirrels or birds have been picking at the twigs. Squirrels are quite active in pecans, live oaks, and this year, in cedar elms. Again, no major harm and no call to action.

Dear Neil: I have a lawn that I would like to be totally St. Augustine, but bermuda keeps moving in. I do not have a sprinkler system, and I can't afford one right now. Could this be lack of nutrition? If so, what should I use and when?

A. Keep telling yourself that "St. Augustine trumps bermuda." Better yet, maybe you need to tell that to the St. Augustine. Given ample moisture and all-nitrogen fertilizer in early April, early June and early September, St. Augustine should be the dominant grass for you. That assumes that you'll protect the St. Augustine from Take All Root Rot in the spring (if it shows up), chinch bugs in the summer (they will show up - always in the hottest, sunniest part of the yard), and brown patch in the fall. It also assumes that you'll never let the St. Augustine get really dry, to the point of its turning tan and crisp. Ramp up the care you give it next year and see if that doesn't help it crowd out the bermuda.

More here:
Nutsedge in new lawn resisting control efforts

Residents who attended a public hearing Thursday to discuss the construction of a proposed $16.2 million residential treatment facility by Baker Victory Services were united in their concern over lax security conditions at the current facility on Martin Road.

A janitor who works at the treatment facility at 125 Martin Road described fights among residents on the front lawn. A neighbor said residents and workers from the facility smoke on his front lawn.

Even the mayor of Lackawanna chimed in describing how the young residents break out on summer evenings to go swimming in the neighbors backyard pools.

These arent little angels, Mayor Geoffrey M. Szymanski said. They are criminals, and we dont want them in our neighborhood.

With that, Szymanski offered a 3-inch stack of police and fire calls at the treatment center over the last eight years.

Thats 1,622 calls for service, the mayor said. Nonprofits become a drain on city budgets. If Father Baker wanted to help these kinds of individuals, he would have founded it.

The hearing held by the Lackawanna Planning and Development Board drew about 50 residents and 15 representatives of Baker Victory to the Lackawanna Senior Center. The hearing was the latest development for the beleaguered project that was proposed in 2009.

The current treatment facility, resembling a 1950s Army style barracks, is outdated, said Terese M. Scofidio, CEO of Baker Victory Services. It serves as a temporary home for 40 youth ages 13 to 21 with psychiatric and behavioral issues. Many are referred by the New York State Office of Mental Health, she said.

The average age of residents is just under 16, and the average stay is just over a year, said Scofidio, who took the top job six months ago. Eighty-two percent of residents come from the eight counties of Western New York, she said, and 40 percent of the population is female.

Baker Victory is the largest employer in Lackawanna, Scofidio said. We have 123 residents on the payroll.

Read more:
Lax security at Baker Victory cited in Lackawanna hearing

Lawn treatment with Worm Casting

By: Wiggle Farm

Original post:
Lawn treatment with Worm Casting - Video

Donna Tatting

Chisago County Master Gardener

It seems we just got started on summer, and here we are talking about fall. There is still plenty of warm season left to enjoy our yards and gardens, but some lawn care chores are best done now.

My lawn really suffered from the long, cold, snowy winter. I waited months for those bare spots to fill in. For some, its just not going to happen.

Mid-August to mid-September is the best time to repair a lawn or to seed a new lawn. There is still plenty of sunlight and the nights are cooler, good for germinating seeds and growing new plants.

Choosing the right variety of grass for your lawn is very important. First, consider how much sun the area receives. Kentucky bluegrass is a favorite for full sun or light shade. Creeping red fescue is the most tolerant of shade. Its a good idea to use a mixture that blends the attributes of several varieties of grass.

The best advice for sowing grass seed is to make sure you have good seed-to-soil contact and that you water regularly if we dont get enough rain.

During this late summer season and into the fall, keeping the lawnmower height at 2 to 2 inches. Cutting it shorter will severely limit its ability to make and store food for growth in the spring.

If you fertilize your lawn only once a year, do it in mid to late October. Nutrients will be absorbed and stored until needed for spring growth. Lawns that have received late-season fertilizing are often the first to begin growing in the spring.

Some recent research has shown that an early spring feeding can be very beneficial as well.

More:
Now is the time for fall lawn care

A Lower Makefield man who claimed he was Jesus after one of his three arrests last month is headed to trial but not before receiving mental health treatment.

In a brief court appearance Wednesday, Andrew Buzzo, 41, who police say is a disabled veteran, agreed to waive his preliminary hearing in two of the three cases against him.

In return, the Bucks County District Attorneys Office agreed to request that Buzzo be released on his own recognizance so he can enter inpatient treatment. As part of the agreement, Buzzo also will surrender all firearms he possesses.

Buzzo was incarcerated in Bucks County prison in the three cases; two on bail of 10 percent of $25,000 and one on 10 percent of $50,000. He is facing charges of fleeing and eluding an officer, possession of marijuana, reckless endangerment, theft, receiving stolen property, DUI and institutional vandalism

Lower Makefield police say Buzzo was seen driving his car in a figure-eight pattern July 8 on the lawn of Lutheran Church of the Resurrection on Makefield Road, then getting out of his car and kicking down a wooden cross on the property.

When police stopped Buzzo on Afton Avenue, he claimed he drove on the lawn because it was his property, as he is Jesus and all belongs to him, and drove in the figure-eight pattern because in the Bible the number means a new beginning, a resurrection, a probable cause affidavit shows.

He kicked down the cross because he didnt want to be reminded of the extreme torture he endured when he was crucified, police said.

During that arrest, police said Buzzos eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and they found a pipe similar to ones used to smoke marijuana on him. Buzzo admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the day, but said he was fine to drive, police said.

Police again encountered Buzzo on July 25 when he allegedly led them on a high-speed chase along Route 1 into Bensalem. Police allege that Buzzo had flashing blue and red lights activated in his silver BMW X5. Buzzo allegedly refused to pull over, was passing vehicles in the oncoming traffic lanes and, at one point, was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of Route 1 before making a U-turn and continuing south on the highway, according to a probable cause affidavit.

He was stopped on Route 1 near the Neshaminy exit, where he had to be removed from the car, police said, adding that marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found in the cars center console.

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Lower Makefield man arrested 3 times in July headed to trial

Reallocation of funds may lead to more wildfires

Airline gives 7-year-old girl to wrong person; dad is frantic, worried for her safety

Girl's cat runs into Fort Pierce neighbor's house, where she is raped after trying to retrieve it, police say

Law enforcement presence to increase in Josephine County

Lawmakers pass firearm safety, ammunition bills

Woman set reservation fire to give friends work

West Coast Flavors: French Toast from Sweet Tea Express

Agency to release extra water for Klamath salmon

Many without residency proof could lose Obamacare

Oregon gunman planned to kill 'bunch' of people

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Girl's cat runs into Fort Pierce neighbor's house, where she is raped after trying to retrieve it, police say