Japanese Beetle Fall Focus

As you clean up and prepare your landscape for fall and a long winter's nap don't forget about Japanese beetles and what they are doing right now.  What are they doing?  If they were in your garden damaging your plants this past summer, then they've laid eggs in your turf grass or turf grass next door, up and down and street and pretty much everywhere grass is growing. Their eggs are probably in the first stage of larvae growth by now (they have three stages).  Although larvae are out of sight, they are spending the next nine to ten months living, growing and dining on turf roots. As I mentioned in my earlier blogs, they will live in the turf soil all winter (going deeper when temperatures get colder) and emerge as adults next June or July.  

I won't repeat all the protocols in this blog to treat the larvae growing in turf since I covered them earlier, click here to read - Japanese Beetle Blues Part III.  Let me add however, if you are going to use the organic product grubHALT!™ only available from Gardens Alive (as of this writing), then you should apply it when temperatures are above 50 degrees. The protein in the product needs to be 50 degrees or warmer to be active for the larvae to eat and be effective.  It is okay to apply after aerating the lawn. Just be sure to water the product in right away. Wait several days after applying grubHALT!™ to fertilize the lawn for the final time of the season.

Fall applications to kill the larvae are recommended because as winter progresses and soils get colder, the larvae move deeper into the lawn. So hit them early when they are closer to the surface. Plus they pupate before emerging as adults in the spring and they won't be eating turf roots while in this stage.  


Read all of my Japanese Beetle Blogs:

Japanese Beetle Blues 2016 

Japanese Beetle Blues 

Japanese Beetle Blues Part II 

Japanese Beetle Blues Part III 

If neighborhoods collectively treated and killed the larvae each fall, adult numbers would be reduced, i.e. less JB beetle blues!

October 2016 - Please note this blog was written a year ago about this time, but is still applicable. The only change is the organic product Btg is not available to purchase on line (as of this writing), so you will have to use other turf products for larvae control as outlined in Dr. Cranshaw's fact sheet.

Plant Garlic Now

The word is out about home grown garlic. And the word is flavor. Go ahead and ask… doesn’t all garlic taste like…well… garlic?  Not even. Think about buying garlic at the supermarket, what’s the selection like? Hmm...if you answer there’s just one choice, ding, ding, ding — you are correct!  How’s that for flavor and variety…not!  You’re given just one type of garlic bulb from a grocery store dusty basket to bring home to finish your special sauce. Really? Imagine if you could only buy one type of pepper or apple for the rest of your life…no jalapeno, no honeycrisp — are you kidding!!

Garlic Selection at a Farmer's Market, Provence, France

The only way you’ll have a wider selection of garlic, which means a broader range of taste and flavor characteristics is to grow your own and fall planting is the best time to plant garlic. Garlic likes a long growing season to establish deep roots and form large bulbs, bigger than you’ll ever buy in the produce aisle. And the range of garlic flavors is broad and varies whether you’re eating it raw, roasted or baked. Wines can be dry, oaky, or fruity.  Garlic taste — add your adjective to the list — subtle, mellow, earthy, rich, strong, mild, spicy, sweet, lasting, explosive, nutty, hot, full and fiery hot! Or in one word, GREAT!

How much do you need?
I grow a lot of garlic for a home gardener. I mail order anywhere from 3 to 8 pounds of planting stock each year (I share). Plus I purchase additional planting bulbs from local garden centers (I like to support the home team). They have gotten the memo that home grown garlic is super easy to grow and people want variety. Plus it’s a no brainer for folks to buy garlic planting stock right along with their ornamental bulbs since they can be planted all fall until the ground freezes. Keep in mind that once you grow your own garlic, you can use some your harvest as planting stock the same fall season, how’s that for sustainability! Just be sure to save the largest, healthiest bulbs.

Mail order planting garlic can be purchased in quantities of one or two bulbs up to one half to one pound or more per variety. Garden centers sell in smaller quantities - one to three bulbs. Depending on variety, ordering one pound of garlic can be anywhere from 3 to 6 garlic bulbs. Each individual clove on the bulb is planted, which will grow into one full bulb when harvested next spring in late June or early July. Keep this easy math in mind when you order or purchase bulbs. If you only want a few plants, then you’ll only need a bulb or two.    

You can also check local farmer’s markets for planting garlic stock. Keep in mind that mail order availability decreases in the fall, so next year order early in the summer or as soon as you get a catalog in the mail. They’ll ship when it’s time to plant anytime from September through October. Just get them in the ground before the ground freezes, just like ornamental bulbs. 

What to Buy
It’s a must to use quality planting stock instead of buying grocery store garlic. You don’t know if the grocery store garlic was treated to prevent sprouting or how it was stored. You’ll notice that some sellers are offering virus-free or nematode free planting bulbs. Garlic can carry some of the onion related ails like fusarium and onion yellow dwarf virus. From my experience using quality planting stock (not listed as virus-fee) from a trusted mail order or local garden center will grow just fine. 

Hardneck Garlic w/Scapes, June before Harvest

Garlic is in the allium genus, same as onions. There are two subgroups of garlic, commonly called hardneck and softneck. You’ll want to plant some of both. Hardnecks will send up an impressive flower stock which is called a scape next spring. I’ll write more about scapes in a spring posting. 

Hardnecks have outstanding flavor, and highly recommended for making salad dressings and pressed fresh over vegetables. They are also delicious when baked or eaten raw for health benefits. Hardneck bulbs have fewer cloves (4-12 or so) and are easy to peel (much appreciated by gourmets including you once you try them). Hardnecks have a much shorter shelf life than softnecks, ranging from 3 to 6 months or so after harvest and curing. Use them first. 

Softneck Garlic, Early May

Indoor Garlic Chives

Softnecks do not flower, which makes them better for braiding. Bulbs produce several cloves per bulb (up to 20 in some cases) and tightly wrapped which gives them a longer storage period than hardnecks, up to 9 or 10 months (this is the type you find in grocery stores). Softnecks can be mild in taste or have quite a bite.  Just as hardneck types there is a range of flavors with softnecks. There can be numerous cloves in softneck bulbs, so when planting use the largest cloves. Save the smaller ones for eating/cooking or plant them in a pot indoors and grow garlic chives (snip off the greens to use in dishes).  

Planting Basics
I plant in raised beds in a sunny location.  In-ground beds work well too. Sun is important.  You can plant cloves in part shade right now, just as long as after the winter solstice the area starts getting more sun, then full sun by the June or July harvest. Tuck them through the landscape if you have good soil, sun and no competition from other plant roots. Just remember where they are planted so you can water them through the winter if moisture is scarce.

Soil should be amended and have good drainage, never plant in wet soil. Garlic doesn’t grow well in compacted soil or heavy clay. Add a balanced fertilizer like a 10-10-10 a few weeks before planting.  Garlic isn’t a super high nitrogen feeder, but it does need nitrogen. Too little nitrogen may produce yellow plants, less vigor and smaller bulbs. 

Gather your materials prior to planting - bulbs, planting labels, trowel, box or tray to hold separated bulbs, and mulch. Remember that one bulb will grow from one clove so plan accordingly. And use the largest cloves to plant, they grow into large bulbs.

On planting day I carefully open the bulb and separate the cloves, no worry if the papery sheath falls off.  I place the cloves (pointed side up) on top of the soil spaced 4 to 6 inches apart with the rows 8 to 12 inches apart. After placing, plant each clove 2-3 each inches deep. Often the soil is so workable that you can just push the clove down into the soil.  

OR dig a 3-inch trench and place the cloves 4 to 6 inches apart, then cover with soil. Be sure to label each row. This is shown on the video. 

After planting place a 2-3 inch layer of mulch over the bed and water it well.  Through the winter I will renew the mulch and water once or twice a month if it’s been dry.  If spring is very rainy I’ll remove the mulch so the growing bulbs won’t risk getting mold. Check back next year for more growing tips and harvest information.

Pointed side up cloves 4-6 inches apart

Time is slipping by quickly so get out to your garden center and purchase some garlic planting stock. The selection is very good right now.  You can plant this weekend!

Leaf mulch over newly planted garlic cloves

"Stop and smell the garlic! That's all you have to do." - William Shatner

Visit before the Snow Flies

Try to get out and explore some of the best Colorado public gardens and parks before the snow flies (entrance fees may apply).  Many are still at their peak showing off spectacular flower blooms, seed-heads and fall colors.  Gather ideas on plants you may want to put in next spring.

This is just a short list; there are too many wonderful places to mention! 

Aurora Municipality Center Xeriscape Garden 
Using the erroneous name “zeroscape” to describe a low-water garden consisting only of rocks and cacti is factually incorrect.  The accurate term “xeriscape,” was coined by Denver Water in the early 80’s.  It combines “xeros,” Greek for dry, with the word “landscape.”  Plants and techniques used for xeriscape landscapes are beautifully displayed and explained at this ten-acre city gem in Aurora.  

Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, Vail 
See what grows well at 8,200 feet, including the mountain perennial garden, children’s garden, alpine rock and tundra gardens, and meditation garden.  

Betty Ford Alpine Garden

Colorado State University Flower Trial Garden Fort Collins  

View over two acres of new varieties of annuals, perennials, and fall-planted pansies.  Check their website for the “best of” winners.

Photo from CSU Flower Trial Garden Website

Denver Botanic Gardens   
There are four diverse gardens to experience. At the York Street location there are seven major plant collections on 23 acres, plus the newer Mordecai Childrens Garden.  At Chatfield Farms, a working farm in southern Jefferson County – enjoy nature trails, wildflower gardens and the Deer Creek Discovery children’s play area. DBG’s fourth garden is located at Mount Goliath, seventeen miles from Idaho Springs.  It offers awesome Rocky Mountain views and hikes, ancient bristlecone pines, plus subalpine meadows and tundra. 

Plant Select® Garden at Denver Botanic Gardens, Internet Photo

The Hudson Gardens

 
The Hudson Gardens and Events Center, Littleton   
Take a stroll, bring a lunch and explore – the Robert Hoffman water garden, along with the many individual gardens that feature roses, irises, herbs, dahlias, vegetables or the chocolate themed garden. Spend time at the honey bee garden and apiary and view the beehives and beneficial “insect hotels” in action. 

The Hudson Gardens

Mesa Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, Colorado Springs
Visit this low-water, sustainable landscape of plants and trees that grow well and look great in our climate. 

Mesa Xeriscape Garden in Autumn, Photo from Prairebreak

Take a Look

I don't know about your plant observation radar, but this time of year my antennae are up and alert.  Plants in fall bloom, water garden lilies, lotus and grasses at their glorious vertical seed-head attention give us pause to look and smile. Why?  First, they simply look stunning on sunny fall days. Plus there hasn't been any heavy moisture to topple them. The low angle light seems to give them their own spotlight, especially yellow flowers like sunflowers and black-eyed Susan (rudbeckias). I've snapped a few photos for your enjoyment. Take it all in when you can, we know what is waiting around the corner.

Fall container at our house

Robert Hoffman Water Garden at Hudson Gardens

Dahlia at Hudson Gardens

 

Ruby grass or fountain grass with black-eyed Susan at Washington Park

Ferris on alyssum next to ornamental burgundy kale

Ageratums and zinnias at Washington Park

Japanese Beetle Blues Part III

By now adult Japanese beetles should be about gone from gardens (but not forgotten).  If pesticides were used, you've probably been picking or sweeping up dead beetles on sidewalks or driveways. Personally I don't mind seeing the corpses laying about, they did enough damage for one season. Although gone for the season, these voracious villains have procreated next year's "eating team" right in your own backyard, or your neighbor's...definitely all through the neighborhood. They are moving westward and north of central Denver, the future looks bright for them. 

One Lone, Late Season Japanese Beetle on Gaura

Mid-summer I found a new organic product for adult beetles called beetleJUS!™. It turned out to be very effective. In just a day or two after spraying I found dead beetles in the area and noticed fewer numbers on my plants. There is a grub control containing the same organic microbiol in beetleJUS!™ see below for additional information. 

To recap from my first blog - Japanese beetles have a one-year life cycle. They emerge as adults sometime in June and immediately spend their next 6-8 weeks as adults ruining your favorite plants. Females take time out from feeding to lay eggs in your grass. A garden friend told me that she had seen them actually dive bomb into the turf to deposit eggs. The adults die off in late summer, but the larvae grow and live in turf areas until next summer to start the wrath all over again. I sort of compare JBs to annual sunflowers (which we like in our gardens) where the end of the season sunflower seeds (eggs in the case of the JBs) are dropped (laid) for next summer's enjoyment (bane). 

Photo from the University of Arkansas Turfgrass Science

You can take action right now and for another few weeks (sooner is better) and use products on your turf to kill the larvae that are happily using your lawn for housing and munching on grass roots for sustenance.  If neighborhoods worked together and took action to kill the larvae each fall and for several seasons, we could make some serious dents in their populations. But that probability is about as likely as collectively ridding bindweed.  Area-wide Japanese beetle elimination has been successful however, I covered this in my first JB blog, click on the link if you missed how Palisade, CO took action - Eradicating Japanese Beetles.

Photo from strawhatlawnguy.com

Japanese beetle larvae feeding can damage turf roots.  Since JBs are relatively new to the Denver area, perhaps their numbers aren't high enough to cause much lawn damage yet. But my hunch is that as their adult numbers build, the larvae will also increase and cause turf trouble, most noticeable in the fall.  If larvae populations are high enough, you may also see animals digging in the turf to get at the grubs - raccoons, skunks, crows and geese.  

Below is a list of larvae control options. My recommendation would be to select the most environmentally friendly product so that any beneficial insects in your garden are not negatively affected. Please choose control products wisely and consider what works best for you, your budget and time. I've compiled this list from credible, research-based websites and professionals in the green industry.  Please do your own homework beyond what is written here. 
  
Controls for Japanese Beetle egg/larvae in turf areas  

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

beetleJUS!™

 
Because the adult beetles are very mobile, use of products on your lawn may have little affect in controlling the number of beetles from year to year if lawns around you are not also treated.

Biological (Organic) Controls:

1. Milky Spore (Bacillus popilliae), a bacterium that produces ‘milky disease’ in Japanese beetle grubs. (sold under the trade name St. Gabriels’ Organics Milky Spore Powder.)  Read more - Alternatives to Insecticides

2. Nematodes (small round worms that kill grubs) in the genus Heterorhabditis (e.g., Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, H. megadis).  Use as a soil drench during cool weather, must be watered in and applied when beetle larvae are present.  Read more - Insect Parasitic Nematodes 

3. Brand new to the garden market is organic GrubHALT!™ which is a Bacillus thuringiensis product.  Bt is a microbiol insecticide and when ingested paralyses the digestive system so the insect pest stops feeding and dies within a few days.  The newest strain is called Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae or Btg.

The upside to Btg is that it is safe to use around beneficial insects including bees, butterflies, lady beetles and people, pets and wildlife. It is also effective to use on all stages of larval growth. Other products may only work on the youngest larvae (1st-instar).  This product is not sold in garden centers - mail order from Gardens Alive. Btg is currently, as of this writing, early September 2015, getting registered in the state of Colorado. Upon approval Btg will be available from other resources, see - grubGONE!®. 

Use of organic products in the garden does not necessarily mean they are without unintended consequences to beneficial insects, people, pets, birds or fish. ALWAYS read the label for caution information, mixing rates and time of use. 

Chemical Controls: 

1. Chlorantraniprole - Acelypryn (commercial use only), Scotts Grub-Ex.  
2. Imidacloprid* trade names - Merit, Zenith, Criterion, also found in Bayer and Hi-Yield Products and more.  

*Neonicotinoid (neonics) use will move to plant roots and affect blooming plants in the lawn like clover and dandelions, which are often visited by beneficial pollinators. Chlorantraniliprole, a newer product is a lower hazard to pollinators.

Additional Resources:

Japanese Beetles from Colorado State University
Billbugs and White Grubs from Colorado State University
United States Department of Agriculture Managing the Japanese Beetle: A Homeowner's Handbook