The Weatherman’s Predicament – As soon as we make a statement about weather conditions, they change dramatically!

Bethesda, Rockville and North Potomac were experiencing well below normal rainfall for most of August, September and October and all of our trees, shrubs and lawns were experiencing drought stress when we posted our last Blog on October 10th, 2013. Soon thereafter, our entire region, including Montgomery County, Frederick County, Howard County and Washington DC received upwards of 6” of rainfall thanks to the remnants of tropical storm Karen. A real drought buster!

Insect Activity – Brookeville, Olney, Rockville and Germantown are still experiencing beetle grub activity and these beetle larvae will continue to eat the roots off of your grass plants as long as soil temperatures stay above 45°. If your lawn peels up like a carpet, there is a good chance that beetle grubs are the cause. Birds, skunks, raccoons and other animals may tear up portions of your lawn seeking to make a meal of these beetle grubs.

Fertilization and Re-seeding – There is still a good window of time to re-seed your lawn and the fall is the most important time of year to fertilize your lawn. Remember to get a soil test done and follow all of the University of Maryland recommendations for applying fertilizer to your lawn.

Leaves – Fall colors are starting just to our west and soon our trees will be giving us their final show of the year, so enjoy them while you can.

Remember; remove leaves from your lawn at least once a week. These leaves are truly a natural resource and they make excellent compost or mulch for your garden beds.