How to get a better yard step 3: apply Grub Control to kill grubs and Japanese beetles
If you're following along with my lawn program series, it's time to apply the next step in the lawn program: Season Long Grub control. While this lawn product does help your lawn, it has a lot more benefits to help control grubs, Japanese beetles and other insects that can be huge problems.
Grub Problems Become Japanese Beetle Problems
I am holding out hope that moving to our new house helps take care of the Japanese Beetle problem we had before. In my old neighborhood, I literally had to go outside every few days and spray my trees to prevent the beetles from eating all the leaves. I noticed as the trees got older, I had less problems. My new house has tall mature trees and is loaded with Spruce and Evergreen trees. I never had a problem with Spruce trees in the past, so hopefully I’ll be safe.
Japanese Beetles actually come from Grubs. The little white Grubs that you find in your yard will eventually transform into a Japanese Beetle. Obviously, the beetle can fly from anywhere, but with Grub control you can at least keep your grass safe. Grubs eat the roots of your lawn and the beetles destroy many different plants and trees. The most hated bug and hated beetle are the same.
Apply Grub Control
I like to apply grub control at the end of the day. With your spreader, place it on the correct setting and walk around your yard just like putting down the other fertilizers. This product suggested a 3 or 4 so I went 3.5.
The most important thing to do with grub control is to immediately water it in. You want to make sure you provide at least a half an inch of water immediately after putting it down. I always keep my kids and dog off the yard the next couple of days and try to plan it when rain is coming in the future. That way it for sure gets to the roots of the grass. This next week we have a chance of rain so I’m getting mine on. Immediately after getting it down I put my sprinklers on to soak it in.
Right now, with very little rain, I’m just keeping my yard alive. Most years the spring provides plenty of rain without even watering. When watering I’m watering deep so that my yard really gets soaked. It all depends on what spot you’re watering, but my neighbor for example runs his sprinkler daily for about ten minutes each. His yard looks like it’s getting burnt. I water mine a couple times a week, but for 20 minutes a time compared to 10 minutes. That way I’m really soaking it.
Killing Japanese Beetles
The beetles seem to arrive around July. I had four apple trees at my old house and the Japanese beetles would eat those in a day if I wasn’t watching. I had to spray them very often with a product called Eight. My neighbor two houses down had a nice Linden Tree in their front yard and eventually had to remove it because the beetles caused so much damage. I’ve planted a few knockout roses at my new house that I know they will be after.
Mix the Eight in your 1-gallon tank sprayer and simply spray the plant. I always buy the concentrate instead of the premade spray bottle. This will save you lots of money. Eight worked way better for me compared to rose and fruit tree spray. I just keep my gallon tank handy and spray when needed. Years ago, I would try putting out the Japanese beetle bag traps. These traps would fill up in a day. Once I spoke with the right garden center person, they told me actually those traps will bring in Japanese beetles from miles away because of the smell. Gross.
So, for all our sakes, put your grub control down ASAP and get some Eight ready to go.
Need a Lawn Fix? Here’s what we used:
Earl May Season Long Grub Control - 3rd step in the Lawn Program (I buy the 6-step but pick the program that is right for you)
Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard Deluxe Spreader (affiliate)
1-gallon Garden Sprayer (affiliate)
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