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"Organic Fall Lawn Care - Now's the Best Time to Work on Lawns" I consider mid to late August through fall to be one of the best times to work on lawns. Growing conditions are right to develop a thick, green, healthy lawn. There are a few lawn care tasks to do at this time of the year that will make the lawn look good right away and improve its future health including fertilizing, weed control, and grub control. Click on a product name below to order it from Pernell Gerver's Online Store. To prevent perennial weed seeds that sprout in fall as well as fertilize the lawn to green it up fast this fall I apply Organic Lawn Weed and Feed, an easy, one-step lawn care program. I apply it myself with a drop spreader or broadcast spreader anytime now through fall. This safe and natural lawn weed and feed contains an organic, slow-release lawn food that fertilizes the lawn making it green up fast without burning. It also contains a safe and natural pre-emergent that prevents weed seeds from sprouting. This product is safe for people, pets, and wildlife and the lawn can be walked on immediately following treatment. After applying the Organic Lawn Weed and Feed, I walk over the lawn and spot spray any existing weeds with Herbicidal Soap Spray, also a safe and natural product. This quickly gets rid of any weeds it is sprayed onto. By using both of these products together you can get rid of even the toughest lawn weeds, including wild violets, ground ivy, dandelion, crabgrass, nutsedge, clover, purslane, and all other lawn weeds. The most effective, long-term control of grubs is an organic product called Milky Spore Powder Grub Control. Only one application is necessary with the powder. Just one application lasts 20 years or more. I put it on my lawn and garden about 20 years ago and don't have any problems with grubs. I've heard from others that it is still effective and controlling grubs for 45 years with just one application. It is safe for people, pets, and wildlife. In addition to controlling grubs, it indirectly controls beetles since beetles begin as grubs. What's more, if moles, skunks, or birds are digging up the lawn looking for grubs, these pests will go away because their food source (the grubs) will be gone. Milky Spore Powder Grub Control is easy to apply and you can do it now. All you do is drop a teaspoon of the powder roughly every four feet in a grid pattern throughout the lawn and garden, then water it in for about 10 minutes.

by Pernell Gerver

"European Corn Borer Attacks the Inside of Peppers"   Q. I hope you can help me with a problem. My green peppers look perfect until I cut them open and discover worms have eaten out the inside. I hope there is a spray you can recommend. Thank you for your help. A. The worm in the peppers is most likely European corn borer. This moth larva also attacks corn, tomatoes, beans, and eggplant in addition to peppers. Since these pests overwinter in plant debris, the first step to prevent them from returning next season is to clean up the garden at the end of the season. Crop rotation is also helpful in reducing the damage. Moths do most of their egg laying early in the season, so delay planting out until a little later. Eggs of the European corn borer are laid on the undersides of leaves. The borer that hatches out is a caterpillar and can be controlled with Neem Oil, an organic, three-in-one spray that controls insects, diseases, and mites. Spray the plants at planting time and every couple of weeks throughout summer to prevent the problem. Click here to read more about Neem Oil and order it from Pernell Gerver's Online Store Click here to submit gardening questions for Pernell Gerver's online Q & A column. Click here to read previous online columns in the archives.

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