The female adult moth is gray and cannot fly. The male is a small brown moth with wings. The first cold snap in early winter alerts the adult moths to leave their in-ground cocoons. This usually occurs during the third or fourth week in November. The female crawls up any vertical object (all species of trees, houses, street lights, etc.) determined to reach the highest point possible to lay thousands of eggs on twigs and branches. This climbing habit is why the tree banding practice of treatment is used. When the female is trapped on the way up, we prevent the laying of thousands of eggs. The more traps installed, the greater the reduction in the caterpillar population in the spring.

Currently you may water your lawn 2 days per week Charlotte/Mecklenburg.  Odd addresses on Tuesday/Saturday and even addresses on Thursday/Sunday.  See the attached link for full details.

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Utilities/WaterSmart/Mandatory+Restrictions%3a+What%27s+Allowed.htm

 

Experts agree that fall is the time to reseed fescue lawns.  Though ideal watering intervals have been temporarily restricted, we WILL get natural rain at some point.  Having the seed in place now before the heavy leaf litter drops is imperative. Skipping this crucial step in the fescue turf calendar is not advised. 

Fescue is a cool season turf which means it performs best in the spring and fall. Summer is actually one of its dormant seasons. It does not grow at the rate it does in the spring or fall and thus is susceptible to weeds and disease during the summer months. To help it look its best during those months water 1” per week IN THE EARLY MORNING ONLY. Apply a fungicide to prevent brown patch and feed your turf with Iron to provide green up without the nitrogen.

The short answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT.  In light of the current restrictions on lawn watering, we are reminded how dependent we have become on automatic sprinkler systems.  At this point we cannot rely on our ideal watering regime but have to revert back to days of old and let nature do what is does best.  Please remember that this is a multipurpose process:

1.   Aeration of fescue lawns is essential to expose air and moisture to the existing root systems of your established lawn. (This is not contingent on watering)

2.    We have also applied a starter fertilizer that in addition to aiding the germination process feeds your existing fescue at this time.  (This is not contingent on watering)

3.  We are still within this small window of opportunity to introduce new seed to your lawn before the heavy leaf litter limits proper seed placement  (September 1-October 15th)

4.  Though irrigation systems have reduced the natural germination cycle down to 10-14 days, we are now having to rely on natural rainfall to complete this process.

Fall is the beginning of the fescue turf calendar and the process we perform will determine the health and quality of your lawn throughout the year.  We will not disregard this most important part of your turf care program.  In normal conditions, we would recommend watering your newly seeded lawn multiple times throughout the day every day until germination occurs (about 2 weeks).  Watering just long enough to moisten the soil.  However, due to the ban, we now have to rely on natural rainfall to complete this process.  In addition, aeration and fertilization are a huge part of the process and neither are contingent on watering after completion.