WEBVTT 00:00.868 --> 00:02.202 - Hi, thanks for joining us for 00:02.202 --> 00:04.404 The Family Plot, Gardening in the Mid-South. 00:04.404 --> 00:06.640 I'm Chris Cooper. It's getting hot. 00:06.640 --> 00:07.841 We're gonna talk about how 00:07.841 --> 00:10.043 to keep your lawn happy all summer. 00:10.043 --> 00:12.346 Also ants can bug you at a picnic, 00:12.346 --> 00:14.548 but fire ants can ruin your day. 00:14.548 --> 00:16.717 We're gonna talk about how to control them. 00:16.717 --> 00:18.552 That's just ahead on The Family Plot, 00:18.552 --> 00:20.087 Gardening in the Mid-South. 00:20.654 --> 00:22.723 - [Voiceover] Production funding for The Family Plot, 00:22.723 --> 00:25.425 Gardening in the Mid-South is provided by 00:26.093 --> 00:28.395 Good Winds Landscape and Garden Center 00:28.395 --> 00:31.398 in Germantown since 1943 and continuing 00:31.398 --> 00:34.001 to offer its plants for successful gardening 00:34.001 --> 00:37.137 with seven greenhouses and three acres of plants, 00:37.137 --> 00:39.940 plus comprehensive landscape services. 00:41.375 --> 00:43.377 International Paper Foundation. 00:44.511 --> 00:49.283 The WKNO Production Fund, the WKNO Endowment Fund, 00:49.283 --> 00:52.386 and by viewers like you. Thank you. 00:52.653 --> 00:57.558 (cheerful music) 01:01.962 --> 01:04.498 - Welcome to the Family Plot, I'm Chris Cooper. 01:04.498 --> 01:06.266 Joining me today is Booker T. Lee. 01:06.266 --> 01:07.434 - Glad to be here. 01:07.434 --> 01:08.802 - [Chris] Booker is an Extension Agent 01:08.802 --> 01:10.370 right here in Shelby County, and Mr. D is with us. 01:10.370 --> 01:11.572 - Hello. 01:11.572 --> 01:13.040 - [Chris] Thanks for joining me, fellas. 01:13.040 --> 01:14.374 - [Booker] Glad to be here. - [Chris] This is gonna be fun. 01:14.374 --> 01:15.909 - It's good, always. 01:15.909 --> 01:18.879 - Alright Booker, we have our lawn care guide with us, 01:18.879 --> 01:20.380 - Lawn care (laughs) 01:20.380 --> 01:23.050 so we're gonna talk about good ol' summer lawn care. 01:23.050 --> 01:24.217 And Booker we have a couple questions 01:24.217 --> 01:25.452 for you. - OK. 01:25.452 --> 01:27.955 - So, number one, which is a common question: 01:27.955 --> 01:31.425 what is the most common diseases in lawns right now? 01:31.425 --> 01:32.626 - This time of the year we'll see 01:32.626 --> 01:34.695 a lot of diseases in our lawns this time. 01:34.695 --> 01:36.363 Number one is probably brown patches. 01:36.363 --> 01:38.598 We see a lot of brown patches on our lawn. 01:38.598 --> 01:40.400 It's caused by hot and humid weather, 01:40.400 --> 01:43.136 and we've done had some hot and humid weather today. 01:43.136 --> 01:44.938 And also you can give it too many nitrogen fertilizer. 01:44.938 --> 01:46.440 - [Chris] Okay. - [Booker] So you want to hold back 01:46.440 --> 01:48.041 on your nitrogen fertilizer when you see brown patches. 01:48.041 --> 01:51.378 And also compact soil. Aerate that soil. 01:51.378 --> 01:53.814 And I did that to my soil last year 01:53.814 --> 01:56.616 and that made a big difference in the lawn diseases. 01:56.616 --> 01:58.919 'Cause I did have a brown patch 01:58.919 --> 02:01.221 and they just spreading dead spots. 02:01.221 --> 02:02.456 Cutting your grass too short. 02:02.456 --> 02:03.690 Now it's time to start cutting that grass, 02:03.690 --> 02:05.826 you don't want to cut it too short. 02:05.826 --> 02:07.728 Mow the lawn, grass needs to be two to three inches tall. 02:07.728 --> 02:09.129 - [Chris] OK. 02:09.129 --> 02:12.899 - And also, disease on your lawn, bag that grass. 02:12.899 --> 02:14.768 Sometimes they'll leave a little tidbit on the lawn, 02:14.768 --> 02:16.970 but now when you've got disease, bag that grass. 02:16.970 --> 02:19.106 - [Chris] Right. You don't want that to spread, right? 02:19.106 --> 02:20.807 - And next is powdery mildew. 02:20.807 --> 02:22.309 You see a lot of powdery mildew 02:22.309 --> 02:25.278 when the grass stay wet a long time, poor air circulation, 02:25.278 --> 02:27.581 you see that grass begin to turn white. 02:27.581 --> 02:30.550 That's called powdery mildew. Most in cool season 02:30.550 --> 02:31.952 grass, you'll see that a lot of times. 02:31.952 --> 02:33.720 And also again, avoid high nitrogen fertilizer. 02:33.720 --> 02:35.155 - [Chris] Okay. 02:35.155 --> 02:36.857 - [Booker] And grass on the trees can cause that too. 02:36.857 --> 02:38.425 Water early in the morning-time. 02:38.425 --> 02:41.261 Let that grass dry off before nighttime. 02:41.261 --> 02:43.130 Another thing is fairy ring. 02:43.130 --> 02:46.233 And this come when you have a lot of dead stump or something 02:46.233 --> 02:49.870 in the lawn, and it'll be getting ready to rot out. 02:49.870 --> 02:51.338 - [Chris] Okay. 02:51.338 --> 02:52.773 - That's called fairy ring and you'll see a lot of time 02:52.773 --> 02:55.642 after rain, where that little mushroom in your soil 02:55.642 --> 02:56.943 start popping up, - [Chis] I seen that. 02:56.943 --> 02:58.879 - I have that, Chris. 02:58.879 --> 03:00.781 (laughter) - [Chris] You'll admit that? 03:00.781 --> 03:03.984 - I have a tree in my lawn, I had it removed 03:03.984 --> 03:06.953 and every time it rain, you'll see little mushroom come up. 03:06.953 --> 03:10.357 It not hurting anything, just there, they'll go away. 03:10.357 --> 03:13.026 Once everything rot and decay, you'll see it go away. 03:13.026 --> 03:14.461 - [Chris] Okay. 03:14.461 --> 03:15.762 - [Booker] Then you know you'll see a dollar spot. 03:15.762 --> 03:17.631 And dollar spot caused by poor drainage. 03:17.631 --> 03:20.200 We do have a lot of soil that drain poorly now. 03:20.200 --> 03:22.436 If water stand after the rain, you're probably 03:22.436 --> 03:24.938 gonna start seeing dollar spot begin to pop up. 03:24.938 --> 03:26.173 Check the soil pH. 03:26.173 --> 03:30.043 You want that soil pH between 6.0 and 6.5. 03:30.043 --> 03:32.279 - And only way you can do that is by what? A soil test. 03:32.279 --> 03:34.381 You cannot go out there and guess at it, 03:34.381 --> 03:36.483 and also cut the grass at recommend height. 03:36.483 --> 03:39.286 Don't cut it too low, now. I cut my grass low twice. 03:39.286 --> 03:41.521 And then when I do those first couple cutting, 03:41.521 --> 03:44.357 then I let my mower up and keep it at the right height. 03:44.357 --> 03:45.725 And another thing is make sure we water 03:45.725 --> 03:47.527 our grass early in the morning time. 03:47.527 --> 03:50.864 Give that grass time enough to dry off before nightfall. 03:50.864 --> 03:53.500 Two things do that and a lot of times disease 03:53.500 --> 03:54.935 can become trouble by culture practice. 03:54.935 --> 03:56.536 You don't want to start adding 03:56.536 --> 03:58.472 a lot of chemicals to your lawn. 03:58.472 --> 04:00.540 First thing we do, what can I spray 04:00.540 --> 04:01.942 on my lawn and get rid of it? 04:01.942 --> 04:03.810 If you keep spraying chemicals on there, 04:03.810 --> 04:05.378 it's gonna come back again this year. 04:05.378 --> 04:07.147 What you wanna try to find the problem, 04:07.147 --> 04:08.448 see what's wrong with the problem, 04:08.448 --> 04:10.016 then try to correct the problem, 04:10.016 --> 04:12.652 then you'll have less diseases on there. 04:12.652 --> 04:15.388 But high humidity, over-watering, 04:15.388 --> 04:17.090 and another thing we get diseases on our lawn 04:17.090 --> 04:20.026 is we cutting our grass with a dull mower blade. 04:20.026 --> 04:21.895 When did you have the mower blade sharpened? 04:21.895 --> 04:24.030 Sharpen that mower blade. Keep that blade sharp. 04:24.030 --> 04:25.832 I sharpen mine at least two or three times 04:25.832 --> 04:27.400 during the growing season to make sure 04:27.400 --> 04:29.970 that I have a good sharp cut. 04:29.970 --> 04:32.739 Another thing is cut your grass in different directions. 04:32.739 --> 04:33.974 You need to try to go in different 04:33.974 --> 04:37.944 directions and make sure that grass stands up. 04:37.944 --> 04:40.947 You goin' the same way, you layin' that grass down. 04:40.947 --> 04:42.482 I had a lady call me that one time saying, 04:42.482 --> 04:45.051 "My grass is turning brown all the time when I just cut it." 04:45.051 --> 04:46.553 And I say, "Well, look at that." 04:46.553 --> 04:48.088 I said, "When did you have your lawn mower blade sharpened?" 04:48.088 --> 04:49.289 She said, "I never have." 04:49.289 --> 04:50.724 (Chris laughs) 04:50.724 --> 04:52.792 It was beating it down, it wasn't cutting it down. 04:52.792 --> 04:54.561 - [Chris] No clean cut, right? - [Booker] - No clean cut. 04:54.561 --> 04:56.029 Now if you're gonna aerate your lawn, 04:56.029 --> 04:59.132 you got warm season grass, you got cool season grass. 04:59.132 --> 05:02.269 You aerate it when the grass begin to come out and grow. 05:02.269 --> 05:04.638 Now you (mumbles) right now, but I would 05:04.638 --> 05:06.940 try to do it in the evening time now. 05:06.940 --> 05:09.409 I don't want (mumbles) hot weather 05:09.409 --> 05:11.478 all during the day right here, 05:11.478 --> 05:13.713 or give it a cool off period at night. 05:13.713 --> 05:15.515 But aerate it, you'll see a big 05:15.515 --> 05:17.317 difference in your lawn thinking there. 05:17.317 --> 05:18.618 - [Chris] Okay. Let me ask you this. 05:18.618 --> 05:20.153 So can a fungus kill your grass? 05:20.153 --> 05:21.354 Is that a possibility? 05:21.354 --> 05:22.656 - Over a period of time it will. 05:22.656 --> 05:24.758 You're gonna have over two or three years. 05:24.758 --> 05:27.027 You know like spring dead spot? 05:27.027 --> 05:29.996 You have it during the year but during that growing season, 05:29.996 --> 05:32.399 it'll go back in there, it'll get covered up. 05:32.399 --> 05:34.100 But if you let them get larger and larger, 05:34.100 --> 05:36.469 if you don't do something to control that problem, 05:36.469 --> 05:38.705 it eventually will kill your grass. 05:38.705 --> 05:40.640 - [Chris] Mm-hmm. Okay, now look, 05:40.640 --> 05:42.108 there's somebody out there watching and they're like, 05:42.108 --> 05:44.377 "Okay, Booker, we understand your cultural practices, 05:44.377 --> 05:46.780 "but I just want something to kill it." 05:46.780 --> 05:47.948 So what can they use to actually 05:47.948 --> 05:49.749 control some of the lawn diseases? 05:49.749 --> 05:51.284 - A lot of thing they might want to know 05:51.284 --> 05:53.486 what disease they have first. - [Chris] Okay, that's right. 05:53.486 --> 05:54.688 - You know, you've got spring dead spot, 05:54.688 --> 05:56.623 you got brown patch, it's a different 05:56.623 --> 05:58.825 fungicide to control that. 05:58.825 --> 06:00.193 The best thing to do is check with one 06:00.193 --> 06:01.695 of your hardware stores and see. 06:01.695 --> 06:02.896 Until you know what disease you have, you don't know. 06:02.896 --> 06:04.164 You can bring it by the office, 06:04.164 --> 06:05.532 we'll look at it for you and tell you. 06:05.532 --> 06:07.000 Then you go by the hardware store 06:07.000 --> 06:09.836 and get your fungicide to control that disease on there. 06:09.836 --> 06:11.371 But that's your most important thing: 06:11.371 --> 06:13.707 know what disease you have, got a different 06:13.707 --> 06:15.242 control for your different diseases. 06:15.242 --> 06:17.043 - [Chris] Okay. So-- - [Booker] And, so. 06:17.043 --> 06:19.779 A lot of people wanna know will it affect my Bermuda grass, 06:19.779 --> 06:21.248 will it affect my Zoysia grass, 06:21.248 --> 06:22.749 fungus mostly affect a lot of grasses. 06:22.749 --> 06:25.085 You will see it on that. - [Chris] Okay. 06:25.085 --> 06:27.454 So why do I have moss on my lawn? 06:27.454 --> 06:28.688 That's a common question. 06:28.688 --> 06:31.024 - People like moss. (laughs) 06:31.024 --> 06:33.093 I like moss, I don't have moss but I seen 06:33.093 --> 06:34.427 a lady that's got a lot of moss 06:34.427 --> 06:37.130 on her grass, she water her moss like she 06:37.130 --> 06:39.099 take care of her grass in the shade. 06:39.099 --> 06:41.534 A lot of the time you have moss on your lawn is really, 06:41.534 --> 06:43.603 you have compact soil, could have 06:43.603 --> 06:46.506 poor drainage, and normally it's in shade. 06:46.506 --> 06:48.074 You see a lot of the time in shade. 06:48.074 --> 06:50.644 It normally water kinda stand when it rain. 06:50.644 --> 06:53.413 You don't drain fast, it'll kinda stay there 06:53.413 --> 06:54.581 and then all of a sudden you see 06:54.581 --> 06:56.049 that moss begin to grow in there. 06:56.049 --> 07:00.387 But mostly in a shady location. On a shady tree. 07:00.387 --> 07:01.888 It's probably got poor drainage 07:01.888 --> 07:04.691 and poor drainage really, really big on that moss. 07:04.691 --> 07:06.393 But moss, it look really good. 07:06.393 --> 07:07.727 - [Chris] It looks nice. - [Booker] Some people 07:07.727 --> 07:09.296 suggested to let the moss take over 07:09.296 --> 07:11.531 and just grow where it grow, don't try to control it there. 07:11.531 --> 07:14.000 But you need to aerate it, check the soil pH, 07:14.000 --> 07:15.368 sometimes it's be on the acid side 07:15.368 --> 07:16.736 and you need to check the soil pH, 07:16.736 --> 07:18.305 you might need to raise the soil pH some. 07:18.305 --> 07:20.840 - [Chris] Right. - [Booker] Need to get it in there. 07:20.840 --> 07:22.342 - [Chris] Yeah, moss looks good. 07:22.342 --> 07:24.077 You take the leaves off, Diane Mogi's 07:24.077 --> 07:28.815 place has nice moss there, so a lot of people like it. 07:28.815 --> 07:30.517 - Yeah, we went down to Alabama and this lady, 07:30.517 --> 07:31.985 that's all she had in her backyard, just moss 07:31.985 --> 07:34.087 and she have a sprinkler system on her moss. 07:34.087 --> 07:36.256 Water that moss, keep it looking good. 07:36.256 --> 07:37.991 - [Chris] Sure looked good, huh? - [Booker] It sure looked good. 07:37.991 --> 07:39.159 Again, one thing about moss, you won't have 07:39.159 --> 07:41.161 no other disease probably get into it. 07:41.161 --> 07:42.595 - [Chris] Yeah, probably so. - [Booker] This could be 07:42.595 --> 07:44.731 a problem if you hadn't growing moss in there. 07:44.731 --> 07:46.366 - [Chris] Okay. Let me ask you about winter kill. 07:46.366 --> 07:47.600 So, I'm sure you got a lotta questions 07:47.600 --> 07:50.103 at the office this year about winter kill. 07:50.103 --> 07:51.871 Why are we seeing so many cases with the winter kill? 07:51.871 --> 07:54.541 Specifically have to do with the cold winter 07:54.541 --> 07:56.009 we had? - [Booker] Do with the weather. 07:56.009 --> 07:57.410 - You know, a lot of times you see a lot of winter kill, 07:57.410 --> 08:00.380 normally it's where you got a low area in your yard, 08:00.380 --> 08:03.249 and then when it rain, gets cold, that water kinda 08:03.249 --> 08:05.552 stay there a long period of time, a long one. 08:05.552 --> 08:06.753 'Cause I've seen, I had winter kill 08:06.753 --> 08:10.323 and where my house faced it, everybody else, 08:10.323 --> 08:12.158 snow and ice were gone, I had mine 08:12.158 --> 08:14.094 about two or three days on there still. 08:14.094 --> 08:15.995 So that's why over a period of time, 08:15.995 --> 08:18.164 you'll see that winter kill beginning to happening there. 08:18.164 --> 08:19.632 So, the best thing to do for winter kill 08:19.632 --> 08:22.001 is once the grass start coming out real good, 08:22.001 --> 08:24.537 get you rake and rake all that dead grass outta there 08:24.537 --> 08:27.374 and just clean it up real good, and that Bermuda grass 08:27.374 --> 08:29.142 will come back and spread over that. 08:29.142 --> 08:31.411 Zoysia grass take some time to get over there. 08:31.411 --> 08:32.979 You got a big spot in your Zoysia grass, 08:32.979 --> 08:34.247 you might have to re-sod it some. 08:34.247 --> 08:35.982 - [Chris] Okay. And real quickly, Booker, 08:35.982 --> 08:37.917 when is a good time to have your soil tested? 08:37.917 --> 08:40.220 - Well, any time-- - [Chris] Any time? 08:40.220 --> 08:42.655 - Any time you can have your soil tested and everything. 08:42.655 --> 08:45.525 But the ideal time is in the fall of the year. 08:45.525 --> 08:47.260 'Cause if you need to add lime to it, 08:47.260 --> 08:50.263 you can come in and add lime to it during that time. 08:50.263 --> 08:51.464 By the time your grass begin 08:51.464 --> 08:53.666 to start needing it, it's already there. 08:53.666 --> 08:55.769 Now, on your soil pH, it's gonna take some time 08:55.769 --> 08:57.337 before you get a different reading. 08:57.337 --> 09:00.273 You know, you put it down, you put it down in this spot, 09:00.273 --> 09:03.276 you might see the same thing for at least about six months, 09:03.276 --> 09:07.347 often the need don't start getting into your reading. 09:07.347 --> 09:09.616 But it will help anyway still though. 09:09.616 --> 09:11.751 And lime is the most important thing 09:11.751 --> 09:14.421 on your lawn grasses because it regulate 09:14.421 --> 09:16.756 all the other fertilizer that you put down. 09:16.756 --> 09:18.691 It won't be taken up by the plant. 09:18.691 --> 09:19.893 - Alright, well there you have it 09:19.893 --> 09:21.895 from our lawn guy, Mr. Booker T. Lee. 09:21.895 --> 09:23.062 Thanks for the information, Booker. 09:24.597 --> 09:26.433 There are number of gardening events 09:26.433 --> 09:28.635 going on in the next couple of weeks. 09:28.635 --> 09:30.804 Here are just a few that might interest you. 09:30.804 --> 09:35.809 (cheerful music) 09:50.223 --> 09:53.093 - Alright, Mr. D. Ants and fire ants. 09:53.093 --> 09:55.295 We don't want them to ruin our picnics. 09:55.295 --> 09:56.763 - They can do it. 09:56.763 --> 09:58.598 - [Chris] They can do it. - [Mr. D] They can do it quickly. 10:00.300 --> 10:05.305 You know, fire ants are pretty much everywhere in our area. 10:06.039 --> 10:08.641 I don't know how far north they go. 10:08.641 --> 10:11.811 Probably, I live in Lauderdale County 10:11.811 --> 10:13.112 and I don't have them up there. 10:13.112 --> 10:14.514 - [Chris] Really? - [Mr. D] I do not. 10:14.514 --> 10:18.485 I know Tipton and everywhere south of Tipton County, 10:18.485 --> 10:20.420 Tennessee and the central part 10:20.420 --> 10:23.490 of west Tennessee pretty much and south we've got them, 10:23.490 --> 10:27.026 but still, the old stand-by method 10:27.026 --> 10:29.896 on fire ant control is using the Texas two-step. 10:29.896 --> 10:31.865 (laughing) 10:31.865 --> 10:35.335 And that's simply putting a bait out 10:35.335 --> 10:39.639 and make sure if you got a bait left over from last year, 10:39.639 --> 10:40.974 you need to check and make sure that 10:40.974 --> 10:42.842 the ants will feed on that bait 10:42.842 --> 10:44.444 and the way to do that is just put 10:44.444 --> 10:48.014 some of it down beside a fire ant mound 10:48.014 --> 10:49.949 and sit there and watch it and see if they 10:49.949 --> 10:52.819 will go out and start feeding on it. 10:52.819 --> 10:54.888 Because most of the baits, the base 10:54.888 --> 10:58.758 is a milk base or some kinda oil base 10:58.758 --> 11:01.127 or something like that, and it can go bad, 11:01.127 --> 11:03.830 it can get rancid, and it might get 11:03.830 --> 11:06.299 to the point where it doesn't attract the fire ants. 11:06.299 --> 11:08.902 So the baits need to be fresh enough 11:08.902 --> 11:10.870 that they will attract the fire ants. 11:10.870 --> 11:12.071 And you need to put the bait out 11:12.071 --> 11:14.340 when the ants are actively foraging. 11:14.340 --> 11:17.043 So you know, in the afternoon, 11:17.043 --> 11:19.379 there's no need to put it out right before sundown 11:19.379 --> 11:23.082 because they're not gonna be actively foraging at night. 11:23.082 --> 11:25.752 - [Chris] How far from the mound do you put the bait down? 11:25.752 --> 11:27.353 That's usually the question that we get. 11:27.353 --> 11:28.755 - [Mr. D] I wouldn't put it, I definitely 11:28.755 --> 11:30.023 wouldn't put it on the mound. 11:30.023 --> 11:32.392 Those entrance and exit holes for the fire ants 11:32.392 --> 11:37.330 are out two or three feet from the mound, so you know, 11:37.330 --> 11:40.099 if you've got a lot of fire ants, I'd just broadcast it. 11:40.099 --> 11:41.534 Just scatter it around your yard. 11:41.534 --> 11:43.670 They're gonna go to it, they're gonna find it. 11:43.670 --> 11:46.873 And what you're hoping that they will do, 11:46.873 --> 11:49.742 you know the fire ant can't eat that bait. 11:49.742 --> 11:51.277 Worker's not gonna eat that bait. 11:51.277 --> 11:55.448 He has a sieve and he can't swallow solid food. 11:55.448 --> 11:57.584 The worker fire, I say he, it's a she. 11:57.584 --> 12:01.321 She can't swallow that solid food so she will take it 12:01.321 --> 12:06.292 to fourth or fifth instar larvae is the only stage 12:07.060 --> 12:10.063 of the fire ant that can eat solid food. 12:10.063 --> 12:12.332 That larvae will eat that food 12:12.332 --> 12:15.535 and then it will regurgitate it into a pouch. 12:15.535 --> 12:18.805 A little pouch, turn it into a liquid basically 12:18.805 --> 12:22.242 and then the worker fire ants will take that liquid, 12:22.242 --> 12:23.610 they will feed off that liquid, 12:23.610 --> 12:25.712 they will take that liquid to the queen 12:25.712 --> 12:28.681 and so this is a process that will take 12:28.681 --> 12:31.417 eight to ten weeks to kill the queen. 12:31.417 --> 12:36.422 And after that happens, then go out there. 12:36.956 --> 12:38.992 Eight to ten weeks to kill the colony 12:38.992 --> 12:42.228 because the worker fire ant can live nine or ten weeks. 12:42.228 --> 12:43.429 Two or three weeks after you put 12:43.429 --> 12:45.665 the bait out, put a contact kill. 12:45.665 --> 12:48.601 Go out there with a contact insecticide and spray. 12:48.601 --> 12:50.203 And the reason you're doing that is hopefully 12:50.203 --> 12:51.437 within that two or three weeks, 12:51.437 --> 12:53.706 you've gotten the queen, taken the queen out. 12:53.706 --> 12:56.643 The workers live, like I said, eight or nine, 12:56.643 --> 12:59.912 ten weeks and if you kill the queen, 12:59.912 --> 13:03.116 you'll still have workers running around there for weeks. 13:03.116 --> 13:04.751 So do the contact killer after that. 13:04.751 --> 13:06.552 So that's the Texas two-step method. 13:06.552 --> 13:08.388 And the reason it's called the Texas two-step 13:08.388 --> 13:09.355 has nothing to do with the dance. 13:09.355 --> 13:11.157 (laughing) 13:11.157 --> 13:13.159 It was developed by Texas A&M University. 13:13.159 --> 13:16.629 They developed that system, but there are a bunch of baits. 13:16.629 --> 13:20.867 I've got a list of probably 10 or 15 baits here. 13:20.867 --> 13:22.301 - [Chris] And these are just the baits. 13:22.301 --> 13:27.240 - That are recommended and then on the contact killers, 13:27.240 --> 13:29.042 there are a lot contact killers out there 13:29.042 --> 13:32.045 that have imported fire ants on the label. 13:32.045 --> 13:33.446 Just follow the label. 13:33.446 --> 13:34.647 - [Chris] Yeah, let's name some of those baits. 13:34.647 --> 13:36.182 - Okay, the baits we've got Extinguish, 13:36.182 --> 13:40.453 Distance, Award II, PT Ascend, 13:40.453 --> 13:44.724 Spetracide Fire Ant Killer Plus Preventer Bait, 13:44.724 --> 13:49.228 Advion Fire Ant Bait, Garden Tech Over n' Out, 13:49.228 --> 13:54.233 Amdro Fire Ant Bait, Siesta, Extinguish Plus, 13:54.667 --> 13:56.836 and then the Spinosad baits such as 13:56.836 --> 14:00.239 Ferti-Lome and Southern Ag Payback. 14:00.239 --> 14:03.009 And those are some examples of baits 14:03.009 --> 14:05.078 that are out there that will work. 14:05.078 --> 14:08.715 And then the contact killers are the ones with pyrethrins... 14:10.483 --> 14:12.752 synthetic pyrethroids, several of those 14:12.752 --> 14:16.756 that will, bifenthrin and esfenvalerate, 14:16.756 --> 14:19.425 all of those that will do the job for you. 14:19.425 --> 14:21.294 - [Chris] Make sure they read the label on there too, right? 14:21.294 --> 14:22.495 - [Mr. D] Make sure you read the label. - [Chris] 'Cause when using 14:22.495 --> 14:23.763 the contact, right, you gonna pour that 14:23.763 --> 14:26.099 right on the mound itself, right? 14:26.099 --> 14:29.202 - The drenches you pour right on the mound 14:30.403 --> 14:31.738 and that's a good way to do it. 14:31.738 --> 14:33.206 Mix it in a five-gallon bucket 14:33.206 --> 14:34.407 according to label directions. 14:34.407 --> 14:35.742 That way you don't even have to use a spray, 14:35.742 --> 14:38.211 just drench the mound because the workers 14:38.211 --> 14:40.012 always return to the mound. 14:40.012 --> 14:42.548 But keep in mind, if you do a real good job 14:42.548 --> 14:45.985 of controlling fire ants, when that queen 14:45.985 --> 14:48.521 does her mating flight, she looks 14:48.521 --> 14:50.089 for an area that doesn't have fire ants. 14:50.089 --> 14:51.591 - [Chris] Come on. 14:51.591 --> 14:54.427 - She doesn't like a lot of competition and she will land 14:54.427 --> 14:57.663 in a fire ant-free area and create a new mound. 14:57.663 --> 14:59.432 So it's not something that you can do once 14:59.432 --> 15:00.700 and think that you're finished with. 15:00.700 --> 15:03.136 It's kind of an on-going deal. 15:04.637 --> 15:06.639 You know you're gonna have a picnic in August? 15:06.639 --> 15:08.074 - [Booker] Yep. - [Mr. D] Booker? 15:08.074 --> 15:11.444 I'd go out there, start about three or four weeks 15:11.444 --> 15:14.847 before that and hopefully you'll be free during that picnic. 15:14.847 --> 15:16.649 - [Booker] Though we see a lot of the time, 15:16.649 --> 15:19.585 out in the field pasture park, people mowing, 15:19.585 --> 15:22.421 they hit the mound, they kinda spread out. 15:22.421 --> 15:24.991 And that's how you see them in field pasture. 15:24.991 --> 15:27.527 - [Mr. D] Most of these baits that I mentioned 15:27.527 --> 15:30.329 are also good for other ants. 15:30.329 --> 15:33.065 They'll take out other ants that are out there. 15:34.333 --> 15:35.635 So if you've got other ants that 15:35.635 --> 15:37.270 are creating problems for you, 15:37.270 --> 15:41.841 I would go with the baits for you. 15:41.841 --> 15:45.478 But you don't have to go with the two-step method. 15:45.478 --> 15:49.215 (laughing) Just the baits will take the colony out. 15:49.215 --> 15:51.184 - [Chris] You probably will be doing the Texas two-step 15:51.184 --> 15:54.153 if you get bitten by some of these ants, I'm sure. 15:54.153 --> 15:56.055 - [Mr. D] Fire ants, they'll make you do it. 15:56.055 --> 15:59.025 - [Chris] They'll make you do the jig, no doubt about that. 15:59.025 --> 16:01.894 Let me ask you this 'cause we get this question a lot so. 16:01.894 --> 16:05.164 You see some fire ant mounds that are real tall 16:05.164 --> 16:08.367 and some that are real low to the ground, why's that? 16:08.367 --> 16:09.569 - [Mr. D] Well, the purpose of that 16:09.569 --> 16:13.739 fire ant mound is to pretty much regulate 16:13.739 --> 16:17.176 the temperature and humidity for the brood. 16:17.176 --> 16:22.181 And during conditions that are wet and cool, 16:22.682 --> 16:25.918 those mounds will usually be higher 16:25.918 --> 16:29.922 to try to get the brood, the young larvae, 16:29.922 --> 16:32.992 out of the real damp conditions. 16:32.992 --> 16:35.194 You're gonna see, with this hot weather 16:35.194 --> 16:36.629 and dry weather that we're having, 16:36.629 --> 16:38.631 the mounds are gonna almost disappear 16:38.631 --> 16:41.334 because they're going deep in order 16:41.334 --> 16:44.604 to get cooler, more moist conditions. 16:44.604 --> 16:47.006 - [Chris] How deep? How deep you think? 16:47.006 --> 16:50.443 - You know, six, eight inches, ten inches, you know. 16:50.443 --> 16:51.510 You can find them. 16:51.510 --> 16:52.845 - Wow. (laughing) 16:52.845 --> 16:54.113 - Digging around, you'll find them. 16:54.113 --> 16:55.581 - And they'll find you. 16:55.581 --> 16:57.750 - They're not that deep, but they don't have to have them up 16:57.750 --> 17:02.355 above the soil line to keep them dry. 17:03.389 --> 17:07.693 And I say keep them dry, but they do require some moisture. 17:07.693 --> 17:09.929 So when it gets real dry, they're going down. 17:09.929 --> 17:12.899 They like a little humid, but they don't 17:12.899 --> 17:14.500 like it too wet, they don't like it too dry. 17:14.500 --> 17:15.701 Kinda like me and you. 17:15.701 --> 17:16.936 (laughing) - That's right, that's right. 17:17.904 --> 17:19.305 So it's humidity, how about that? 17:19.305 --> 17:21.741 That's smart. Wow. 17:21.741 --> 17:23.843 - Pretty sharp critters to be so small. 17:23.843 --> 17:24.977 And they pack a punch. 17:24.977 --> 17:26.145 - Dang, might need to go to check 17:26.145 --> 17:27.813 our park before we have our picnic. 17:27.813 --> 17:29.849 Make sure we have no fire ants out there. 17:29.849 --> 17:31.050 - Check 'em out. 17:31.050 --> 17:32.485 - But you have kids that are playing around 17:32.485 --> 17:33.486 they don't know 'em, they might just run into 'em, 17:33.486 --> 17:35.054 get into 'em before you know it. 17:35.054 --> 17:37.256 - [Mr. D] That's where you see most of the problems, 17:37.256 --> 17:39.292 where you have people that aren't familiar with fire ants. 17:39.292 --> 17:41.060 I know the first time my daughter found fire ants, 17:41.060 --> 17:43.596 I lived in an area where we didn't have 'em 17:43.596 --> 17:46.132 and we were in an area that had 'em 17:46.132 --> 17:47.533 and she's standing on a mound going, 17:47.533 --> 17:49.535 "What are all these little things?" 17:49.535 --> 17:51.837 Because fire ants take a solemn oath when they're small. 17:51.837 --> 17:53.806 Baby fire ants take a solemn oath, 17:53.806 --> 17:55.741 they will not sting until everybody's ready. 17:55.741 --> 17:57.143 - [Chris] Oh my goodness. 17:57.143 --> 17:58.444 So they'll cover you up and then... 17:58.444 --> 18:00.146 (snaps) - [Booker] One time. 18:00.146 --> 18:01.681 - [Mr. D.] They hit you all at once. - [Booker] They hit me right now. 18:01.681 --> 18:02.882 - [Mr. D] Now fortunately, we got 'em off my daughter 18:02.882 --> 18:04.517 before they got to that point, you know? 18:04.517 --> 18:06.118 So if you don't know what you're doing, 18:06.118 --> 18:08.688 you're not used to 'em, then you get in trouble. 18:08.688 --> 18:11.991 But people, a large percent of the population 18:11.991 --> 18:14.060 of the US lives in areas that are infested 18:14.060 --> 18:17.863 with fire ants and they survive nicely. 18:17.863 --> 18:19.598 - [Chris] Wow. So do they have an automatic? 18:19.598 --> 18:21.133 Is it one sting or? 18:21.133 --> 18:22.902 - [Mr. D] They've got automatic. - [Chris] They've got automatic. 18:22.902 --> 18:25.037 - They can hit you, they have an automatic. 18:25.037 --> 18:26.672 Bam, bam, bam. Keep stinging. 18:26.672 --> 18:27.840 - Alright, thanks for that 18:27.840 --> 18:29.008 information about those fire ants. 18:29.008 --> 18:30.409 - [Booker] Oh yeah. - [Chris] Oh boy. 18:30.409 --> 18:32.278 Alright, here's our Q and A session and Booker, 18:32.278 --> 18:33.679 you open it, alright? - [Booker] Okay, then. 18:33.679 --> 18:36.382 So here's our first viewer email, 18:36.382 --> 18:38.617 from Miss Theresa, she writes, 18:38.617 --> 18:42.054 "My purple leaf plum tree bloomed this spring, 18:42.054 --> 18:45.124 "but now there are no leaves on it. 18:45.124 --> 18:49.295 "Can I save it or should I cut it down?" 18:50.329 --> 18:51.597 What do y'all think? 18:52.264 --> 18:53.833 - Could be bores in there (mumbles) 18:53.833 --> 18:55.768 - Yeah, I would look at the bark, 18:55.768 --> 18:57.003 look at the trunk of that tree 18:57.003 --> 19:00.272 and see if you see any gum, sap, 19:00.272 --> 19:01.974 coming out. - [Chris] Oozing out. 19:01.974 --> 19:04.577 - Because probably if you've got a, if you have 19:04.577 --> 19:06.545 a peach, plum, or nectarine in this area, 19:06.545 --> 19:08.247 you're gonna get peach tree bores 19:08.247 --> 19:11.984 if you don't go with a preventative insecticide spray. 19:11.984 --> 19:13.619 And you've gotta be pretty lucky to hit that 19:14.387 --> 19:19.291 as that adult moth is flying around laying eggs. 19:20.626 --> 19:23.029 The peach tree bore is devastating. 19:23.029 --> 19:26.399 It's a devastating insect, they get in the trunk 19:26.399 --> 19:29.568 of the trees and disrupts the cambium layer 19:29.568 --> 19:32.838 and it causes them throw their leaves off. 19:32.838 --> 19:35.408 It causes them to die. It'll kill the tree. 19:35.408 --> 19:37.510 But peaches, plums, and nectarines, 19:37.510 --> 19:41.947 both the ornamental type and the fruit-bearing types, 19:41.947 --> 19:43.783 are susceptible to that, that's why 19:43.783 --> 19:44.950 I don't have any in my landscape. 19:44.950 --> 19:46.352 - [Chris] Yeah, you exactly right. 19:46.352 --> 19:48.788 And purple leaf plums have problems with bores. 19:48.788 --> 19:49.955 - [Mr. D] With bores. 19:49.955 --> 19:52.024 - They're short-lived trees as it is. 19:52.024 --> 19:53.359 But then you get these bores in there 19:53.359 --> 19:55.027 and they will actually disrupt 19:55.027 --> 19:57.496 the movement of water and nutrients 19:57.496 --> 20:00.566 throughout the plant, so there you have it. 20:00.566 --> 20:01.834 - [Booker] Yeah, I have one in my yard too 20:01.834 --> 20:03.836 and the same thing, bores get in. 20:03.836 --> 20:06.839 And over a period of time, all the leaves were gone. 20:06.839 --> 20:08.874 So it will do that to that tree. 20:08.874 --> 20:10.576 - [Mr. D] This time of the year, 20:10.576 --> 20:12.044 if you don't have any leaves on your 20:12.044 --> 20:14.880 purple leaf plum, I'd say take it out. 20:14.880 --> 20:16.315 - [Booker] Cut it out? (laughs) One cut. 20:16.315 --> 20:17.750 - [Chris] One pruning cut. - [Booker] One pruning cut. 20:17.750 --> 20:20.019 - [Mr. D] It's called severe-- - [Chris] Severe prune. 20:20.019 --> 20:21.654 - Take it down to the ground. 20:21.654 --> 20:23.055 - That's the best thing you can do for it. 20:23.055 --> 20:24.690 - Right at the bottom, don't even worry about it. 20:24.690 --> 20:27.293 So there you go, hope that helps you out, Miss Theresa. 20:27.293 --> 20:29.895 Alright, here's our next question, thanks for your email. 20:29.895 --> 20:33.165 "I am having a problem with large earthworms 20:33.165 --> 20:35.768 "in my garage and on my driveway. 20:35.768 --> 20:37.736 "What can I do? I need help. 20:37.736 --> 20:39.772 "I have a lawn service and they treat it 20:39.772 --> 20:42.041 "with grub spray, no improvement. 20:42.041 --> 20:45.344 "Any suggestions, ideas, would be greatly appreciated. 20:45.344 --> 20:48.047 "Thanks for your help, Miss Esther." 20:50.649 --> 20:51.884 Don't know if I'll be trying to get rid 20:51.884 --> 20:53.819 of those earthworms, Mr. D? 20:53.819 --> 20:55.154 So what do you think? 20:55.154 --> 20:56.822 - If you got earthworms, that indicates 20:56.822 --> 20:58.591 that you've got a healthy-- 20:58.591 --> 21:00.025 - [Booker] Good soil. - [Chris] I think so. 21:00.025 --> 21:01.927 - You got organic matter and I understand 21:01.927 --> 21:04.663 why the grub worm insecticide didn't kill the earthworm, 21:04.663 --> 21:07.767 because grub worms aren't earthworms. 21:07.767 --> 21:09.068 Earthworms aren't grub worms. 21:09.068 --> 21:12.138 Grub worms feed on plant material 21:12.138 --> 21:15.441 and roots and things like that. 21:15.441 --> 21:18.644 Earthworms are feeding on organic matter. 21:19.912 --> 21:21.380 What do earthworms feed on? 21:22.615 --> 21:26.785 They're just a hollow tube. I guess we are too in a way. 21:26.785 --> 21:29.155 You put stuff in and it goes out. 21:29.155 --> 21:31.857 But they don't feed on the same things. 21:31.857 --> 21:33.526 - [Chris] Plant matter of course. 21:33.526 --> 21:35.594 - They don't feed on the same things. 21:35.594 --> 21:39.865 They aerate your lawn, they add organic matter, 21:39.865 --> 21:41.767 their aerate your soil, they add 21:41.767 --> 21:44.904 organic matter to your soil, they're just a indicator 21:44.904 --> 21:48.207 of a healthy ecosystem in your soil 21:48.207 --> 21:50.109 and I would not try to be getting rid of them. 21:50.109 --> 21:52.778 I know that it's irritating, when you step on one 21:52.778 --> 21:54.880 and you're bare-footed as you're stepping 21:54.880 --> 21:57.449 out of your garage, but keep your broom handy 21:57.449 --> 21:59.151 and just kinda sweep 'em out of the way 21:59.151 --> 22:02.721 and I wouldn't try to get rid of 'em. 22:02.721 --> 22:04.056 - No, I put 'em back in the lawn. 22:04.056 --> 22:05.357 You know, especially now it's so hot, 22:05.357 --> 22:07.259 going across the concrete, help them out, 22:07.259 --> 22:08.460 put them back in the lawn. 22:08.460 --> 22:10.095 - Catch 'em and take a kid fishing. 22:10.095 --> 22:11.330 How about that? - [Booker] Bait night. 22:11.330 --> 22:13.432 - Brim love 'em. Yeah, they're great bait. 22:14.266 --> 22:17.469 If you've got that many, you don't even have to dig for 'em. 22:17.469 --> 22:21.273 You can sell fish bait, picking 'em up off the ground. 22:21.273 --> 22:22.708 - [Chris] What do you think, Booker? 22:22.708 --> 22:24.109 - [Booker] You see 'em, you have a rain, you have 22:24.109 --> 22:25.811 a heavy rain you'll see them come out of the ground. 22:25.811 --> 22:28.214 I see them all the time on my sidewalk (mumbles) 22:28.214 --> 22:30.416 I try to put 'em back in there, I don't wanna just kill 'em. 22:30.416 --> 22:32.418 They're doing some good in your soil. 22:32.418 --> 22:33.919 They really keeping it aerated some too 22:33.919 --> 22:35.221 because they moving through the soil. 22:35.221 --> 22:36.722 So try not to kill 'em. 22:36.722 --> 22:39.358 - [Chris] Earthworms, I call 'em little tillers. 22:39.358 --> 22:40.659 They're you're friends in the garden. 22:40.659 --> 22:41.594 They're your beneficials. 22:41.594 --> 22:42.795 - [Booker] Yeah, they're going 22:42.795 --> 22:43.729 through the garden, having a good time. 22:43.729 --> 22:44.964 - [Chris] Yeah, and they produce 22:44.964 --> 22:46.165 that black gold which is earthworm casting 22:46.165 --> 22:47.900 which you can use in your flowerbeds 22:47.900 --> 22:49.468 and things like that, so I would not 22:49.468 --> 22:52.404 try to get rid of my earthworms. 22:52.404 --> 22:54.039 I definitely would not do that, Miss Esther, 22:54.039 --> 22:56.008 so I hope that helps you out. 22:56.008 --> 22:57.710 Alright, here's our next question: 22:57.710 --> 23:00.746 "My banana pepper plant has brown 23:00.746 --> 23:03.649 "and black spots all over the leaves. 23:03.649 --> 23:05.017 "What is causing that?" 23:05.017 --> 23:07.620 And again, this is the banana pepper plant. 23:07.620 --> 23:11.457 Brown and black spots on the leaves specifically. 23:11.457 --> 23:13.859 - The only thing that I saw that matches 23:13.859 --> 23:16.695 that description is the bacterial spot. 23:16.695 --> 23:21.433 I kinda look down through the diseases in the red book again 23:24.036 --> 23:27.006 and fixed copper mixed with mancozeb. 23:28.507 --> 23:29.942 - [Chris] So copper-based fungicide. 23:29.942 --> 23:32.945 - A copper-based fungicide should give you some relief. 23:32.945 --> 23:36.015 I do notice that some varieties of pepper 23:36.015 --> 23:37.983 are resistant to bacterial spot 23:37.983 --> 23:39.918 and you might wanna check that out 23:39.918 --> 23:42.488 and hopefully, I don't know how many peppers, 23:42.488 --> 23:45.057 you said is it one banana pepper? 23:45.057 --> 23:46.225 - [Chris] We don't know how many. 23:46.225 --> 23:48.327 - You might wanna check next time, 23:48.327 --> 23:50.996 or it's not too late to plant a banana pepper now, 23:50.996 --> 23:53.232 to try to find one that has 23:53.232 --> 23:54.700 some resistance to bacterial spot. 23:54.700 --> 23:56.101 - Resistant varieties are always are always out there. 23:56.101 --> 23:58.103 - That's better than having to spray all the time. 23:58.103 --> 23:59.605 - Right. 24:01.206 --> 24:03.042 If you got that problem, also, 24:03.042 --> 24:05.678 this is some cultural practices. 24:05.678 --> 24:10.249 Don't pick our peppers or mess with them 24:10.249 --> 24:12.685 while they're wet because you can spread, 24:12.685 --> 24:15.521 it's bacterial, so you can spread it 24:15.521 --> 24:20.526 and that's just one little thing you might wanna try. 24:21.760 --> 24:22.962 - [Booker] And another thing, 24:22.962 --> 24:25.798 pepper and tomato get the same diseases. 24:25.798 --> 24:28.901 Rotating the garden, that's one of the good things. 24:28.901 --> 24:30.969 Don't plant where you had your tomatoes. 24:30.969 --> 24:33.072 Put them somewhere else in your garden next year. 24:33.072 --> 24:37.576 The disease might get on that plant. So I'd rotate them. 24:37.576 --> 24:39.178 Probably about next three years 24:39.178 --> 24:40.879 before I can do that same spot again. 24:40.879 --> 24:42.981 Move them around in your vegetable garden. 24:42.981 --> 24:45.317 - Okay, rotation, crop rotation of course, 24:45.317 --> 24:48.454 resistant varieties, and cultural practices. 24:48.454 --> 24:50.189 I think you should always mulch 24:50.189 --> 24:52.191 around your vegetables too. 24:52.191 --> 24:54.693 Cut down on the splashing effect. 24:54.693 --> 24:58.998 Alright? Well, Mr. D, Booker, we're out of time. Thank you. 25:00.366 --> 25:02.801 Remember, we love to hear from you. 25:02.801 --> 25:06.872 Send us a letter or an email with your gardening questions. 25:06.872 --> 25:11.844 Send your email to family plot at W-K-N-O dot org. 25:11.844 --> 25:14.346 The mailing address is Family Plot, 25:14.346 --> 25:18.217 7151 Cherry Farms Road, 25:18.217 --> 25:22.187 Cordova, Tennessee, 38016. 25:22.187 --> 25:24.923 That's all we have time for today, thanks for watching. 25:24.923 --> 25:27.259 I'm Chris Cooper, be sure to join us next time for 25:27.259 --> 25:29.661 The Family Plot, Gardening in the Mid-South. 25:29.661 --> 25:31.029 Be safe. 25:31.029 --> 25:36.035 (cheerful music) 25:57.256 --> 25:58.557 - [Voiceover] Production funding for 25:58.557 --> 26:00.492 The Family Plot, Gardening in the Mid-South 26:00.492 --> 26:04.730 is provided by Good Winds Landscape and Garden Center 26:04.730 --> 26:08.467 in Germantown since 1943 and continuing to offer 26:08.467 --> 26:10.569 its plants for successful gardening 26:10.569 --> 26:12.638 with seven greenhouses and three acres 26:12.638 --> 26:16.241 of plants, plus comprehensive landscape services. 26:17.810 --> 26:19.912 International Paper Foundation. 26:21.113 --> 26:25.551 the WKNO Production Fund, the WKNO Endowment Fund, 26:25.551 --> 26:29.551 and by viewers like you. Thank you.