Living Well Blog - Hilton Head, SC

Wow, did it get hot!  It’s time to get your irrigation system running on a regular schedule.  In June we had moderate rainfall, but it doesn’t take too many mid 90’s days to dry out your landscape.  All lawns are different when it comes to how much irrigation is enough.  Factors such as, exposure, soil type, grass type and others will determine how much you need to water.  Please contact RS Services if you would like help customizing your summer watering program. 

This spring gave us what I would consider to be very good growing weather.  Adequate rain fall and moderate temperatures proved to be the perfect medicine to help our landscapes recover from a harsh winter.  Now that things are drying out and the humidity is going up we need to be ready for lawn damaging insects and fungus.  Insects tend to attack hot, dry areas in lawns first.  Identifying potential “hot spots” in your lawn and increasing water to those areas will help your chances in fending off an insect infestation.  On the other hand, fungus will thrive in wet areas. 

RS Services recommends at least one insecticide application to all lawns during the summer and a fungicide application to St. Augustine lawns.  July is a great time to get your first insecticide application down.  An early application will work as a preventative rather than a curative.  It is also important to protect your trees and shrubs from the summer heat.  A fresh layer of mulch or pinestraw will help hold in moisture trying to reach the plants roots. 

Chinch bugs … These bugs thrive in hot, dry conditions.  They usually start in the sunny parts of your lawn, near driveways & curbs.  Chinch bugs usually become active during June or July.  Chinch bugs inject a toxin into the grass blades which kills the plant within days.  The lawn will turn yellow first and then progress to brown within a week or two.  Chinch bugs can cause extensive damage to a lawn in 2-4 weeks.  

Lawn Disease … St. Augustine is one of the most beautiful varieties of grass in the Low Country.  Unfortunately, it is also the most prone to develop lawn fungus.  Fungus begins to develop in excessively wet areas, during times of excessive humidity, and in areas with poor air circulation.  Fungus can develop in any type of grass, but is most prominent in St. Augustine.  A few signs to watch for are areas of discoloration, brown circles, spots on the grass blades themselves, or areas of excessive thatch.  Fungus can spread very quickly.  A small area can spread, like the common cold, across your entire lawn.  Fungus can even spread from your neighbor’s lawn.  Fungus is easily controlled with an application of fungicide.  If you have St. Augustine sod, you should have an application of fungicide put down
                                                                                                          
Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas for your property.  I’m always available to meet on your property.  Also, please consider following RS Services on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook.  I’m always posting informative updates and links to useful information.  I will also be offering exclusive offers to followers and fans.