SOIL GRUBS

Garden CarePlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

Grubs

 Grubs are the immature larvae of various species of beetles:  There are endless species of them. This is a mostly invisible pest - living its life cycle in the soil for most of the season. 

Grubs of different species tend to look similar except for their overall size

 

The Adult Beetles

  

Here in NYC these are a few of the most common adult beetles we see: Black Vine Weevil, Oriental Beetle, European Chafer, Japanese Beetle.

 

Black vine beetle

 

Oriental beetle

 

European chafer

 

Japanese beetle

 

Common life cycle

 The grubs hatch from eggs laid early during the growing season by adult flying beetles and remain in the soil eating roots and fattening up.  Most go dormant in the late Fall and dig themselves lower in the soil column to avoid freezing in winter.For containerized plants, winter freezing may well destroy much of the population unless the winter is mild or warmer than usual. Most remain as larvae during winter, transforming into pupae in early Spring and emerging as adults a few weeks later. 

Most damage is caused by grubs eating roots

 

Grub damage

 The most common symptom of grub damage in trees and shrubs is a general malaise and wilting.  They prefer the roots of many sweet sap plants like birch, beech, and maple – but also love evergreens! In lawns, they form patchy dead areas.On occasion you can spot them immediately after watering, or a heavy rain when the soil becomes saturated and the grubs come up for air. To confirm, it always requires an investigation into the soil to determine if any grubs are present. 

Grub damage in lawn

 The best time to treat for grubs is late summer through early Fall before the soil freezes.  Several treatments may be required to adequately control large populations.  Large size species of beetle grubs may also require additional treatments. 

Eastern Hercules beetle – Native to Kentucky

and YES !!!  -  found in a NYC lawn !

If you see any in your garden - Call Plant Specialists TODAY !

We have experts that know what to do !

We have NYSDEC licensed applicators whom can treat them too !!!

Don't delay – the sooner the better !

  

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 51 YEARS !

   Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK  

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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