Q&A Master Gardeners

How can I keep my plants from being eaten by Japanese beetles? I lost so much over the last 2 years. How can I prepare or prevent Japanese beetles invading our blueberry bushes and one of our trees?

Japanese beetles are not easy to control. Garden centers sell traps that contain a substance attractive to these pests, but often the traps will attract more beetles to your yard. If you decide to try one, place it at least 30 feet away from your attractive plants, and make sure the prevailing wind blows the trap scent away from your plants.

These beetles are large and slowmoving, so they aren’t difficult to remove by hand. I just push them off the leaf into a coffee can of soapy water. Do this every day, or as often as you can, and damage will be reduced. The presence of beetles attracts more beetles, so you can make a big difference, though it’s time-consuming.

I tried covering my plants one year with nylon netting, sold in fabric stores. I used clothes pins to attach it snugly, but they crawled up inside the netting from the bottom.

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* On May 19, 1715, the colony of New York passes a law making it illegal to “gather, rake, take up, or bring to the market, any oysters whatsoever” between the months of May and September. The regulation was intended to help preserve certain species.

DID YOU KNOW?

One of the ways homeowners cankeeptheirlawnslookinglush and green is to aerate the turf when the need arises. Aerators perforate the soil with small holes. These holes allow air, nutrients and water to penetrate all the way to the roots, helping them grow deep and strong. Deep, strong roots are essential to healthy, lush lawns. While aeration can help many lawns, not every lawn will necessarily need to be aerated. Lawns that getheavyuse,suchasthosethat are often played on by children or pets, will likely benefit from periodic aeration. Feeling the lawn also can help homeowners determine if it needs to be aerated. Lawns that dry out quickly or feel spongy may be overcomewiththatch,whichcan prevent lawns from getting the air,waterandnutrientstheyneed tothrive.Lawncareprofessionals recommend aerating lawns that contain thatch that is more than one-half inch. Thatch also can foster grub infestations, providing another benefit to removing it and aerating a lawn. When to aerate depends on the type of grass. Homeowners should consult with a lawncare professional about the best time to aerate their particular lawns, but it’s generally recommended that cool-season grasses be aerated in early spring or fall, while it’s best to aerate warm seasongrassesinlatespring.

MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel

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SIGNS OF WINTER LAWN DAMAGE

Wilted grass: Many things can cause grass to wilt over the course of winter, so homeowners may have to put on their sleuth’s cap to determine why grass that was healthy as recently as late fall is now wilted as the spring bloom begins. Grass that’s adjacent to walkways and driveways might have wilted due to the application of deicing solutions. Such products can prevent the formation of ice on driveways and walkways. However, when they’re tracked onto the grass by people or animals or blown there by winter winds, grass can wilt. A deep watering in spring can flush any lingering solution from the lawn. In future winters, homeowners can be as careful as possible when applying de-icing solutions, making a concerted effort to avoid spreading any onto the grass and limited applications to areas of the driveway and walkways that are not close to the grass.

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