Asian Longhorned Beetle – As of July 18th, 2400 trees have been ground-surveyed around the initial find of ALB in Jamaica Plain and 251 trees have been surveyed by climbers:  No new finds of ALB have been detected thus far other than the initial 6 red maples at Faulkner Hospital, which were quickly removed and destroyed on July 6th, 2010.  Survey work continues within the 1.5 mile radius Regulated Area.

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) has issued the following:

“It is extremely important that we get the word out ASAP to everyone in the Boston, Brookline and Newton area to be on the lookout for:

1. Adult Asian longhorned beetles (shiny black beetles with white spots and long, banded antennae).
2. ALB exit holes (dime-sized, perfectly round holes, especially in maple, but also in birch, elm, horsechestnut, willow and other hardwood trees…but not oak).
3. ALB egg-laying sites (divots in the bark ranging in size from 1/4 to 3/4 inches across – fresh pits often have oozing, foaming sap)

Anyone seeing anything suspicious should report it immediately at
http://massnrc.org/pests/albreport.aspx or toll-free:
1-866-702-9938. Take photos if you can.

If you are with an environmental group or other organization that needs outreach materials, we will provide you with ID cards, fact sheets, etc., for free. Just contact Jennifer Forman-Orth by phone or email: 617-626-1735 or jennifer.forman-orth@state.ma.us

Spread the word, not the beetle! Get all the latest ALB news at:
http://massnrc.org/pests/alb”

Asian longhorned beetle adults are becoming active. Infested trees were reported by a homeowner in Shrewsbury last week, which were within the Regulated Area.

Follow the following for some more specific information:

Self Study

Natural Turf Pro  - Professional Organic Turf Training on DVD.

 Natural, organic lawn care is the fastest growing segment of the green industry. Across the country, independent landscapers, landscape contractors and turf managers are getting ready to grow their businesses with Natural Turf Pro.

Natural Turf Pro is a powerful video learning tool – OVER FOUR HOURS OF INSTRUCTION ON TWO DVDs – designed to help you get a jump start over your competition in the fast-growing organic lawn care market.

Seminars

NESTMA, the New England Sports Turf Managers Association, is holding a Summer Field Day at Wellesley College on August 4^th.  The Keynote Speaker, Mr. Dennis Brolin, will discuss common pitfalls of sports field construction and maintenance. 

We have encountered a number of poorly constructed sports fields which makes transitioning to all natural turf care all the more difficult.  As such we’re curious to hear what Mr. Brolin has to share.

NOFA Organic Land Care is offering its NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course on August 5^th in Providence , RI.  There are also a number of advance workshops being offered at different times and locations throughout the summer.

NOFA Summer Conference is being held August 13 – 15 on the UMASS Amherst Campus.  There are 100s of seminars scheduled with many having direct or indirect bearing in the area of organic land care.

Reading Lists

The following is a short list of interesting books that will help in your understanding of organic lawn care:

Andersen, Arden. Science in Agriculture: Advanced Methods for Sustainable Farming, Austin, TX: Acres U.S.A., 2000

 Coleman, David C., Crossley, D. A. Jr., Hendrix, Paul F. Fundamentals of Soil Ecology, Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press, 2004

Nardi, James B. Life in the Soil, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2007

Sachs, Paul. Managing Healthy Sports Fields, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004

Walters, Charles. Weeds Control without Poisons, Austin, TX: Acres U.S.A. 1999

So what does this mean for your lawns?  Not to worry!  It is time to take a break from mowing.  The cool-season grasses, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass and fescue, favored in the northern half of the country have gone into dormancy.  Since cool-season grasses thrive in temperatures from 65 to 75⁰ F they exhibit two growth spurts, first in the spring and again in the fall. 

So just as the cool-season grasses came out of dormancy in the spring; they will do so again in the fall.

Crabgrass is an annual weed. It grows well in conditions that desirable grasses do not do well in, including: soils that are low in calcium, compacted and acidic. Since crabgrass needs warmer soil conditions; you will not find it in shady areas of your lawn. You will find it in sunny areas of the lawns; especially along walks and driveways where the radiant heat from the asphalt or brick helps warm the soil. These areas also tend to have poor soil conditions because of the stone pack found along the edges. Another favorite area for crabgrass is on top of the leach field for septic systems.

What to do about it now? The best thing is get ready to improve the soil conditions come fall (only a couple of weeks away). Top-dress and heavily over-seed these areas come early September. If your soil test results warrant it make certain that you lime. Also fall is the best time to aerate your lawn. All these activities will encourage a healthier stand of turf for next season. Remember to mow high throughout the season!

Many folks attempt to control a crabgrass outbreak by lowering their mowing height. This is perhaps the worst thing they could do. Crabgrass plants are very adaptive to mowing height. Plants can produce seeds at mowing heights as low as 1/2-inch. Crabgrass reproduces by seeds. It has a prolific tillering or branching habit. A single plant is capable of producing 150 to 700 tillers and 150,000 seeds.

Establishing a dense and healthy stand of turfgrass is the best way to control crabgrass and other annual weeds, including grasses and broad-leaf weeds. The proper mowing height and frequency, fertilization and irrigation are part of the weed control program and should be practiced throughout the growing season.

“The program is for those that want a beautiful yard using organic practices without conventional pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
Why Use an Organic Approach? The organic approach focuses on preventing problems before they occur, and building a sustainable landscape that is healthy for all – plants, wildlife, pets, and people.

Be Green landscape services can range from a simple regimen of weeding, mulching and pruning, to all aspects of yard care, including plant selection and tree and lawn installation and maintenance.

Homeowners in many areas of the country are choosing organic yard care management, as a way of reducing their risk of exposure to pesticides and potential hazards for family, pets and the environment.

Be Green businesses sign an agreement with DEC for the right to use the Be Green service mark (logo). In return, businesses agree that, when they provide Be Green services, they will avoid the synthetic pesticides and other materials prohibited by the organic conditions in the agreement. The businesses also take a Be Green training course, before signing the agreement. DEC will maintain a list of Be Green businesses on their website.”

The product review was conducted by Baystate Organic Certifiers. Baystate Organic Certifieers has just begun to maintain a list of products in the Northeast that have been carefully reviewed and found to be consistent with the NOFA OLC Standards for Organic Land Care, 5th edition.

Most telling in the report are the recommendations for individuals.  The number one recommendation is “It is vitally important to recognize that children are far more susceptible to damage from environmental carcinogens and endocrine-disrupting compounds than adults.”

So what are common endocrine disrupters and environmental carcinogens found in lawn care products?  Lawn care products containing pesticides such as 2,4-D, Acephate, Atrazine, Befenthrin, MCPA, MCPP, and Pendimethalin are chemicals listed as probable or known carcinogens and/or endocrine disruptors.

These chemicals can be found in quite a number of lawn care products.  For example, The Scotts Company, LLC lists these products in a number of their Scotts® TurfBuilder® Fertilizer, Scotts® STEP™, Scotts LawnPro®, Scotts® Halts®, Ortho® Weed-B-Gon and Ortho® Bug-B-Gon products.    

Too bad this information doesn’t seem to make its way into the mainstream.  The function of the President’s Cancer Panel is to monitor the development and execution of the activities of the National Cancer Program, and shall report directly to the President.  The Panel consists of three members appointed by the President, who by virtue of their training, experience, and background are exceptionally qualified to appraise the National Cancer Program.  At least two members of the Panel shall be distinguished scientists or physicians.

The best way to avoid dealing with weeds is to get grass growing on the areas of bare soil.  The approach we take in our all natural turf care program is different in the spring than it is in the fall. On residential properties the goal is to establish turf coverage anywhere you have bare soil. The best way we have found to do this is to top-dress and over-seed. The easiest and most successful way is to incorporate the grass seed and a loam/compost mix in a wheelbarrow and then use the mixture to make your repairs.

On athletic fields we generally aerate, if the field is compacted, and broadcast the seed at a heavy rate. If turf conditions are really poor especially around the goal mouths on sports field like lacrosse you may need to do additional remediation.

Whether dealing with residential or athletic fields the goal is to get coverage as quickly as possible in the spring. Because of this we do not recommend the use of grass seed blends that contain Kentucky bluegrass, it just takes too long to germinate (up to 20 days).

For those of you that may not have access to your fields due to other activities like graduation until June then we have used annual ryegrass with good results. Remember the goal is to promote quick coverage to help suppress weeds, not necessarily to create the perfect turf carpet.