Terrie Greco, B.A.; HLT Dip.

Now is the time to buy nematodes…

The warm weather is almost here. Time to care and show off your lawn. We are reposting one of our most read blog post, giving you great advice to achieve the best looking lawn of the season!

Following our blog last week, we received several  emails asking what nematodes  actually look like.  Here are a few pictures.  Keep those inquiries coming!

Nematodes- Steinernema carpocapsae

Nematodes -Steinernema carpocapsae – these nematodes have a ‘sit and wait’ style. They stay near the soil surface and ambush surface dwelling pests such as webworms, cutworms, armyworms (caterpillar larvae) June beetles and billbugs – to name a few. Most effective at temperatures between 22C-28C

Nematodes Heterorhabditis bacteriophora

Nematodes Steinernema feltiae

Terrie Greco, B.A.; HLT Dip.

Now is the time to buy nematodes…

The warm weather is almost here. Time to care and show off your lawn. We are reposting one of our most read blog post, giving you great advice to achieve the best looking lawn of the season!

Here we go – the most important info you’ll read on nematodes – how to apply them properly!!!  If your neighbour tells you they didn’t work – it’s because they purchased an expired product, a poor product – or – they did not provide the correct environment for successful application.  Biofloris guarantees the quality of the products it sells!

Hey – these are living micro-organisms – and they need to be applied properly or they won’t be effective!

Rule # 1 – Pre-application preparation

The soil must be moist before, during and after application!  Aim for 3-5 days of moist soil…nematodes move through the soil on a water film -so, if you want them to be mobile and search out grubs – apply water to a depth of at least three inches. This is critical to successful distribution throughout the damaged area.

Rule # 2 – Time of year – you may need more than one application!

Spring application is best if you have determined that grubs are already present in the soil.

Summer applications are needed if you have grub larva with a two and 3 year life cycle – such as May/June bugs.

Fall applications should start in late August when grubs are present in the soil again – they are especially close to the surface at this time of year, and this application time is a good preventative measure to avoid spring damage. There is a high kill rate at this time of year.

Rule # 3 – Temperature

Do not apply beneficial nematodes if the temperature is below 50F or 10C, OR if it is hotter than 82F or 28C.

Rule # 4 – Time of day

Nematodes are sensitive to ultraviolet light, so apply in the morning or early evening.

Rule # 5 – How to apply

If the lawn is already moist, use a hose end sprayer – it really is one of the easiest ways to apply for homeowners.  Place the sponge in the container, set the hose end sprayer on maximum water, and distribute over the area.

If using a watering can, make sure to stir or shake periodically so the nematodes don’t sink to the bottom.  Remember – soil should be moist to a depth of about three inches!

Final Rule # 6

If you can’t use them right away – they should be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks (check the package instructions).  Otherwise – apply within two hours if they have been added to water.

So there you go – a few simple steps to ensure a successful outcome with nematode applications.

Let me know if you have any questions – that’s what I’m here for!

Terrie Greco, B.A.; HLT Dip.

Now is the time to buy nematodes…

The warm weather is almost here. Time to care and show off your lawn. We are reposting one of our most read blog post, giving you great advice to achieve the best looking lawn of the season!

Hi folks!  Welcome back for the scoop on how beneficial nematodes work. Beneficial nematodes are natural organisms that seek out destructive lawn grubs.

The battle that takes place below the soil line rivals any horror or sci-fi movie.  Refresher – beneficial nematodes are effective in controlling Japanese Beetle, European Chafer and June Beetle grubs (grubs are the larval stage of the beetles). Grubs chew the roots of grass plants as they make their way to the surface to prepare for their emergence as adults.  Brown patches on the lawn, turf that can be lifted easily, and signs of digging skunks are all indicators that these invaders are making short order of your grass.

Nematodes, once introduced into the lawn, seek out grubs by detecting carbon dioxide, excretory products and temperature changes from the grubs.  Talk about a sophisticated radar system! The grubs don’t have a chance!

The third larval stage of the nematode enters the grub through a body opening – mouth, spiracles, anus – get the picture?  It’s not a pretty one.  Some species can also pierce the body wall of the grub. These are war games – and nematodes have the upper hand!

Once the nematodes have set up ‘housekeeping’ inside the grub, they release bacteria into the body of the grub host.  These bacteria break down the body tissue inside the grub – providing ‘grub soup’ for the young nematodes.  When the nematodes reach a certain level of maturity, they exit the body of the grub and move on to a new host – and so the battle continues!  Thank goodness they’re on our side!

The key to successful control is time and method of application.

Stay tuned for: Part 3 – Successful Application of Beneficial Nematodes

Terrie Greco, B.A.; HLT Dip.

Now is the time to buy nematodes…

The warm weather is almost here. Time to care and show off your lawn. We are reposting one of our most read blog post, giving you great advice to achieve the best looking lawn of the season!

Although I realize that Biofloris has posted much background and advice already on the value of using beneficial nematodes to control grubs – it cannot be stressed enough that this is one of the most effective, safest and natural controls that homeowners can use to rid their lawns of such a destructive pest.

The first rule of turf war – know your enemy! Take a look at the following link:

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/08-023w.htm

Identification of grub damage in your lawn is easy –mammals dig up areas looking for a tasty feast, patches of lawn appear brown, and your neighbours crack jokes about your lawn looking like a war zone.  If you can lift up areas of your lawn just like a piece of carpet – that’s the clincher – grubs are running amuck underfoot.  After lifting that ‘lawn carpet’ you will see small white ‘c’ shaped beetle larva in the exposed soil.

Three types of beetle larva commonly infest lawns – Japanese Beetle, European Chafer and June Beetle.  The grubs over winter deep in the soil and slowly move up as soil temperatures begin to rise – feeding voraciously on the tender roots of your turf plants.  The grubs are experiencing the last hurrah of insect puberty before they transform into an adult and leave the soil to mate and lay eggs.

How can you destroy these invaders?  Call in the Nematode Brigade – the special forces of the underworld.  Beneficial nematodes have an amazing capacity to control certain grub pests – but there are strict application guidelines to follow if success is expected.  Misapplication and subsequent failure only encourages the non-believers into telling you they won’t work.

Make no mistake – they do work! How nematodes actually destroy and control grubs is the stuff sci-fi movies are made of.

Stay tuned for Part 2 – Turf Wars –The Rules of Combat

1. Release the correct beneficial – the pest in question needs to be identified first before choosing an appropriate beneficial insect.
2. Ensure proper timing of release. it is just not enough to release a beneficial hoping they’ll stick around ‘just in case’ a pest shows up;  the timing of release must coincide with pest emergence
3. Provide a favorable habitat to establish a permanent presence in the garden. Beneficial insects need more than just the pest as a food source;  they also need refuge, nectar, pollen and a water source. As the Lawn Blog says: “Luckily, attracting beneficial insects is easy.  Provide a habitat they’ll like, avoid using chemical pesticides and attract and keep them around with all-natural, easy-to-use products.”

Related Info: http://www.thelawnblog.com/2010/03/03/attract-beneficial-insects-for-all-natural-pest-control-and-greater-yields/

“Introducing beneficial insects to the garden to keep insect pests in check is the best way to becoming more environmentally friendly.  Biofloris is committed to providing the highest quality beneficials for the garden as well as educational support for release and establishment in your garden.

Quick reminder:

• A predator in this context is an insect that catches and consumes other insects (prey). Please click here for more information on pest insects.
• A parasitizer in this context is an insect that inserts it’s own eggs into the larva or egg of another host and consumes the host internally

Convergent Lady Beetles, Lady Birds, Lady Bugs (Hippodamia convergens)

Convergent Lady Beetles, Lady Birds, Lady Bugs

Of all the beneficial insects around, the convergent Lady Bug is probably the most familiar to homeowners and children alike as a friend to your garden.  Both the larva and adult have a voracious appetite for many different species of aphids; so encouraging these pretty little beetles in the garden makes good sense. The only drawback is that it is often difficult to find them in local stores or garden centers…

Beneficial Nematodes (Steinernema carpocapsae & Heterohabditis bacteriophora)

Beneficial nematodes

…to control various lawn grubs such as Japanese Beetle, June Beetle and European Chafer.  These microscopic worms are a powerful tool to grub control if released under the right conditions. …

Brown Lacewings (Hemerobius spp.)

Brown Lacewings

Unlike the more familiar green lacewings, brown lacewings are active at night.  They control numerous garden pests such as mites, leafhoppers, mealybugs, thrips and whitefly.

Parasitic Wasps (Trichogramma spp.)

Parasitic Wasps

This is one of the smallest parasitic wasps around, and the best thing about this wasp is that it parasitizes over 200 different spp. of moth and butterfly eggs before the larva emerge and damage plant foliage.

Praying Mantis (Mantis spp.)

Praying Mantis

A fascinating appearance and front legs that strike with lightening speed, these highly predacious insects feed on flies, moths, crickets and grasshoppers, to name just a few.  They generally are more easily established in gardens using organic practices…”

http://www.biofloris.com/blog_en/2010/07/beneficial-insects-for-the-garden/

Next week, we’ll provide a brief reminder as to how to ensure proper application of beneficial insects in your garden.

Biofloris Blog

In a nutshell

Environmentally friendly gardening is what this blog is mainly about. It is punctuated with a few recipes here and there, with garden pictures sent in by readers and with links to terrific articles. While most of our articles tend to be of the “how-to” variety, we like to think that our posts provide a nice blend of “personal experience” and useful information – in three languages: English, Spanish and French.

The Biofloris Blog seems to be the perfect medium for the kind of messages we are seeking to convey. “How can I get rid of those nasty bugs that are bothering me so much?” “What should I do so that my basil leaves don’t have all those holes?” A blog specializing in organic solutions to gardening problems helps spread the word: how to care for your garden without using chemical pesticides.

Pests Insects

After all, it hasn’t yet been that long since regulations prohibiting or limiting chemical pesticides were imposed (2007 for the province of Quebec in Canada for example). Our blog offers readers details to the advice provided by our web site, http://www.biofloris.com/ and by our pest encyclopedia. What’s more, and this is of undeniable value, the blog allows biofloris to gather and share comments and suggestions from our readers.

The kind of advice we provide

• Beneficial insects are an extremely efficient way of controlling and even getting rid of pest insects
• When used properly, non chemical, natural pesticides, such as neem oil or insecticidal soap, tend to be very effective
• It is important to properly assess the damages to plants in order to correctly identify which pest insect or which disease is causing the problem. This, in turn, allows to choose the most efficient solution more easily, i.e. pesticide product or beneficial insect, to remedy the problem.
• Different gardening problems occur at different times of year. Keeping a vigilant eye is key.

Stay tuned for next week’s blog in which we will provide an overview of beneficial insects to use in your garden.

Photos: http://www.biofloris.com/

African Violets

To continue with our recent blogs about caring for indoor plants, today’s post provides a few simple and concrete suggestions for tending to African violets.

Where to keep the plant

• The plant needs a lot of natural or artificial light, but should never be exposed to direct sunlight
• African violets thrive when surrounded by plants of the same kind
• The plant likes to be kept in a small pot; it can grow to be three times larger than the pot.
• Once a week turn the plant around or change its place so that the light does not always fall on the same spot

African Violet

Watering

• Water the plant every seven days using water at room temperature.
• Do not overwater
• Pour water into the bottom plate three times out of four and into the pot from above once every four times, taking care not to moisten the leaves
• Be sure to check the watering: if there is excess water in the bottom plate an hour after watering the plant, you gave it too much water. Remove excess water
• The plant may need a bit more water during the summer

Nutrition

• You may nourish the plant with liquid vitamins (SCHULTZ brand for African violets) – except when in flower- giving the recommended dose of 7 drops per liter of water. Use vitamins once or twice a month except in August, a month during which the plant should rest

African Violet

Leaves and flowers

• Any leaves showing brown spots should be removed
• White pigmentation spots are not harmful
• Once the plant has flowered, carefully remove the dried stem and flower down by the root

Repotting

• Be sure to stir the soil well before repotting.  Once or twice a year, change the soil, taking care not to disturb the roots. Use the following mix: half of the mix should be FAFARD soil for indoor plants (no additives) and the other half FAFARD soil for African violets
• Always use clean pots
• Plastic pots are preferable to clay pots which retain too moisture.
• It is important to put the plant in a different place in the house

If you have more pointers to add, send them along!

Photos: http://www.creativecommons.org/