Post Election

There are a lot of opinions floating around today post election on facebook, twitter, newspapers, bus stops, water coolers and possibly watering holes. 

I for one like to keep my opinions to myself unless I am talking to those who I know share my views or more importantly, can discuss the issues without becoming defensive or belligerent.  I am so grateful for the right to vote, the freedom to speak, but this year have found the politics almost unbearable...on both sides.

So to calm my throbbing head I am going to focus on the many tasks at hand here at our little landscape company, ILT Vignocchi...

People might find it hard to believe that there is so much to do November 7th in the landscape industry but there is...here is my short list...

Winter containers:  We design, build and install over 50 winter green displays annually.  That doesn't include the tens of thousands of square feet of evergreen boughs we will install.  Each winter green display is unique in its design.  It takes seven of us five days to complete them so they are ready to be installed the week of Thanksgiving.  The best part...it smells like Christmas in the shop!

Bulbs:  Getting tulip, daffodil, and other spring blooming bulbs installed prior to the ground freezing is a a chore in itself.  Most of our seasonal staff is ready to hang up their shovels by Thanksgiving (and who can blame them)!  This year we will go from Winter container and bough installation right into getting bulbs in the ground.  Each year I think to myself, "why didn't I think to wear just ONE more layer of clothing.  It is so cold out here!"

Snow removal:  It always amazes me that one day our trucks have no plows on them and seemingly the next...shizam!  They all have plows.  Most of it can be attributed to our wonderful shop manager Ricardo and his assistant Brian.  We are so blessed to have these guys.  We also maintain a 500 acre office park plus several other HOA's.  The planning and coordination of these efforts is paramount in making certain everything runs smoothly when snow starts falling.

As I said, this is my short list.  And the list has many contributors that make it a shared responsibility...but I'll leave that for my Thanksgiving blog!!

Chinch Bugs

The recent prevalence of chinch bugs in the Chicagoland area prompts me to share more information about this insect and its effects.

The drought has created conditions conducive to the appearance of chinch bug damage in turf. Chinch bugs are typically not much of a turf problem in Illinois, being more of a pest problem in the Great Plains region.

One reason chinch bug doesn't typically thrive in our region is that it is attacked by a naturally occurring fungal pathogen, Beauvaria bassiana. This causes all stages (eggs, nymphs, and adults) to be killed and covered with fine white fungal strands.  Most fungi do better under cool, moist conditions. In Illinois, we typically get enough rainfall throughout the season that the fungus controls the chinch bugs for us.  With the recent drought conditions and higher than normal temperatures, this naturally occurring deterrent isn't working.

Another reason chinch bugs attack turf grasses is the abundance of nitrogen from fertilizer applications. Chinch bugs,like many insects, reproduce more on plants containing high levels of nitrogen.

Being cold-blooded animals, chinch bugs also grow faster and reproduce more at higher temperatures, particularly those in the 80 degree Fahrenheit range.  Think about how many days we have had over 80 degrees lately!

How to identify it?  Chinch bug damage is usually first detected when irregular patches of turf begin to turn yellow then straw colored. The straw colored areas may be completely dead. These patches continue to become larger in spite of watering.

Feeding by chinch bugs blocks the water and food conducting vessels of grass stems. By blocking the water, the leaves wither as in drought and the manufactured food doesn't get to the roots. The result is plant death.

Our concern right now is that many municipalities have instituted watering bans, resulting in dormant areas of turf in lawns that are not getting enough water.  As summer progresses there may be areas of lawn that are infested with chinch bugs that might be perceived as just dormant grass.

Our crew leaders and superintendents will be on the look out for areas of concern and performing tests to locate potential infestations, but be on the look out yourself.  Are straw like areas "growing?"  Are they staying brown even after diligent watering?  If either of these questions are yes, contact your landscape professional immediately.

Last year I lost 70,000 sf of turf in a month due to the severity of a chinch bug infestation that went unnoticed.  I'm very sensitive to making certain that does not happen again.