Fall Tune-Up
September is a good month to assess your garden, look for potential problems and, if necessary, take steps to prevent things from getting out of control later this fall or next spring. Fall is also a great time for planting, whether it’s just a small flowerbed or entirely new landscaping. Planting now allows plants to become established in the cooler months of fall and spring before having to face the hot months of summer. For all the planting possibilities, see the Bayer Advanced regional calendars.
Here are some problem-solving tips for September:
Protect trees and shrubs. Protect new and established plantings with Bayer Advanced™ 12-Month Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed Concentrate. One application protects against insect pests, such as scales, borers, aphids and leaf-feeding beetles for up to 12 months. No spraying is necessary. Just mix the concentrate with water according to the label instructions and pour at the base of the tree.
Care for roses. Fall is one of the best blooming seasons for roses. Make sure you get the most bang for your buck by giving them a little extra care. Remove faded flowers, cutting back to the first leaf with five leaflets. Roses, such as floribundas and shrubs, which bloom in clusters, can be lightly sheared after blooms fade. Feed and protect from insects and disease with Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Rose & Flower Care Concentrate. One application fertilizes your roses to encourage fall bloom and protects plants from insects and diseases (including powdery mildew, black spot and rust) for up to six weeks. To protect against spider mites (and other insect pests) and cure and prevent disease, use Bayer Advanced™ 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control Ready-To-Use. If it’s just rose diseases giving you problems, cure and prevent them with Bayer Advanced™ Disease Control for Roses, Flowers & Shrubs Concentrate.
Control grubs. White grubs live in the top few inches of soil and feed on the roots of lawn grasses. White grubs are typically 0.5”- to 1.5”-long, milky-white with a brown head and almost always are curled into a “C” shape.
White grubs are the larvae or “juvenile” stage of various types of scarab beetles, including Japanese beetles, chafers, June beetles and May beetles. These “adult” grubs can also cause damage to roses, trees and other plants around your yard.
There are some simple but effective ways to identify white grubs. Look for the following symptoms:
- A general thinning and weakening of the lawn
- A wilted or dried-out look to your grass, even when soil is moist
- Large, brown, irregular patches of grass
- Large patches of dead turf that can easily be pulled up in one piece, much like a piece of carpet. You’ll find the C-shaped grubs underneath
- Moles, birds or raccoons digging in your grass; these animals love to feed on grubs, so frequent visits could be a sign of white grubs
White grub damage is usually most severe in late summer to early fall, but problems can begin as early as mid to late spring. To control grubs now and give your lawn a chance to recover this fall, use Bayer Advanced™ 24-Hour Grub Killer Plus Granules with DYLOX®. It will kill grubs overnight and also control mole crickets, cutworms and sod webworms. Next spring, use Bayer Advanced™ Season-Long Grub Control Plus Turf Revitalizer Granules with Merit® to prevent grub damage before it happens. One application will control grubs all season plus helps revitalize the lawn.
Nurture container plants. Keep potted ornamentals happy and healthy with Bayer Advanced™ 2-in-1 Insect Control plus Fertilizer Plant Spikes. There’s no spraying and no mess. Just push the spikes into the soil with the easy-to-use applicator and you’ll have up to eight weeks of fertilizer and protection.
Control lawn weeds. Cool fall weather is the prime growing period for cool-season lawns, such as Kentucky bluegrass and fescues. Many lawn weeds like this time of year as well. To control lawn weeds in cool-season lawns, use Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Weed Killer for Lawns Ready-To-Use (product discontinued). If you want to treat the whole lawn, use Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Lawn Weed & Crabgrass Killer Ready-To-Use. Just hook to the hose and go. Do not use this product if daytime temperatures will be above 85 degrees. Warm-season lawns are closing in on the end of their growing season but there is still time to control weeds. To control lawn weeds in southern, warm-season lawns like Bermudagrass or St. Augustine, use Bayer Advanced™ Southern Weed Killer for Lawns Ready-To-Use.
Products Mentioned In This Article
Bayer Advanced