Last week in our landscaping community, discussions centered around the challenges posed by recent weather conditions, with a particular focus on pest control and turf management. Members shared experiences and strategies for dealing with grub damage, especially following heavy rains. Another recurring theme was maintaining optimal green speed on golf courses while mitigating summer stress, a balancing act that many professionals are currently facing.
This Week’s Hot Topics
Grub damage flaring after rain
This thread delves into how recent rains have exacerbated grub damage, with members exchanging advice on effective treatments and prevention strategies. It’s a timely discussion for anyone dealing with similar issues.
Balancing green speed with summer stress
Maintaining fast greens without over-stressing them in the summer heat is a hot topic. This conversation explores the techniques and products that can help achieve that balance, a must-read for those managing golf courses.
I do a quick soapy water flush after big rains to confirm live grubs before I treat — “1 oz dish soap/gal over 1 sq yd” pops them in 2–3 minutes. If the soil’s still soupy I wait an hour so I don’t tear the turf, @turfpro — do you use this check?
After heavy rain I run a light roller over any “skunk‑peeled” patches before the soil fully dries to re-seat the sod and limit further tearing. If the ground’s still soupy I skip it to avoid compaction and just hand‑tamp edges; MSU’s primer is handy: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/grubs_in_the_lawn.
I flag the ‘spongy edges’ around low spots and sprinkler heads after storms and spot‑treat those bands with trichlorfon rather than blanket spraying — grubs party where water lingers. If nights dip under about 50°F and they’ve burrowed, I wait for a warm spell or use beneficial nematodes on the next rainy evening to get contact without beating up green speed.
One thing that’s helped me: after a gully‑washer I bump mow height 1/4" and rake through the low seams to open the thatch — those squishy bands turn into a “grub buffet” for skunks. If nights are 60°F+, I’ll hit just those bands with H. bacteriophora at dusk; if it’s cooler, I skip bio and re-check a quick 1 ft² plug before considering chems (solid overview: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/white-grubs-lawns).