Light may be cause of difference in poinsettia color
systemic insecticides often marketed for tree and shrub insect control. These are often applied to the soil and absorbed by roots to control the feeding insects. Follow the label instructions. into fall. Our fruit trees need such little cold to set and open their blossoms that they likely feel they have already had the needed climate change treatment and are ready to bloom. Don’t worry as there are usually plenty of blooms in the stems to be delayed by the onset of cooler fall and winter weather. Most likely you are going to have a flickering of blooms until February or March, when major flowering occurs. And don’t expect much of a crop from the early fall blooms.
New grass, fresh growth, moist soils and warm weather can be some of the reasons brown patch, also called large patch, is showing up in your new lawn. You have to give the fungal organism that lives just about everywhere credit too. Seasonal rains and mild weather have been ideal for growth of the brown patch fungus. If it is any consolation, even wellestablished lawns can be infected now through spring.
Most of the damage is to the leafy portions of the turf, and the runners should survive to regrow new grass. You are also likely to see many green blades among the declining turf too. Right now, you need to apply a fungicide labeled for use with your turf types as instructed on the label for brown patch. Most suggest a repeat application within seven to 14 days and as needed to prevent further tuft decline.
Blotchy leaf miners have invaded your plants. They are immature stages of small, black flies that tunnel within the leaves of the lantana. Leaf miners make the plants look bad but seldom kill the plants. When leaf miners start to attack, use a natural insecticide containing spinosad. This product is often the active ingredient in caterpillar controls found at independent garden centers. Follow the label to reduce the leaf miner activity.