May 30, 2009
Posted: May 30, 2009
Lumpy Lawn
Lumpy lawns are caused by earthworms and night crawlers. Earthworms in a lawn are a sign of healthy soil because they eat thatch, grass clippings and other organic matter, recycle nutrients and aerate the soil. This improves the health of the lawn.
Worms build mounds of soil on the surface of the lawn, creating an uneven, bumpy surface. Aeration in the spring and fall, coupled with light rolling of the lawn, may help smooth the surface. Rolling the lawn evens the surface by using a lawn roller, which is a machine with a weighted cylinder that rolls along the ground.
A light layering of compost or soil on the lawn from an adjacent flowerbed or vegetable garden can be helpful. Bulky organic fertilizers would also be a benefit.
Some mowers come with a thatching tool which looks like a small spring tooth harrow and when used on the front of the mower could bust up many of the earthworm castings.
However, in some cases there can be so many castings that it is difficult and even hazardous for the elderly or young infants to be able to walk across the lawn. Whitney Cranshaw, CSU Extension Entomologist, did a test a few years back and found that insecticide Liguid Sevin would give some control of earthworms in a lawn. Just follow and read label instructions for controlling soil insects.
Canker Diseases
Aspen, cottonwood, mountain ash, willow and elm trees with environmental or weather-related stress are often more susceptible to canker diseases. These diseases also strike thin-barked trees that are susceptible to sun burns.
A canker is an inverted blister on the bark of the tree which, during some time of the year, may ooze sap. A canker forms on branches or trunks of trees. Fungi, very small organisms that produce spores and mold-like material, cause most canker diseases. Leaves of a tree affected by these fungi begin to turn yellow and may drop to the ground. Some limbs may not develop new leaves in the spring. In severe cases, trees may die if canker disease isn’t treated for a few years.
Canker diseases can be controlled if diagnosed early. When leaves turn yellow prematurely, check the limbs and branches for damage or bark discoloration. These areas may be shrunken or shriveled. Check inside these areas for little bumps or pimples breaking through the bark tissue. They’re evidence that a fungus is causing the canker.
To control canker disease on trees, cut off the affected branch or limb. If a large canker is on the main trunk, the tree may need to be replaced. No effective chemicals are available to control the fungi that cause canker disease. Good management practices, including fertilizer, proper drainage, watering and appropriate tree selection, are important for healthy trees and are the best defense against fungi.
Source: Planttalk Colorado