Recently in the Richmond area, there has been an introduction of another “Organic Lawn Care Company” offering an organic solution to reduce fertilizer and pesticide usage.  This approach has been around for years, but don’t think for a minute these companies are out shoveling fertilizer out of hog houses in Smithfield or chicken houses on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and applying these “organic fertilizers” to your lawn, they are using the same fertilizers and pesticides to provide services traditional lawn care companies utilize. 

Moss can become prevalent in Virginia’s lawns during times of wet weather. Moss are non-vascular plants typically found in moist, shaded areas with poor airflow. Lacking seeds and flowers, they reproduce via spores. The weed control applications contained in Virginia Green’s programs will not help eradicate moss. 

What Are Moles?

Moles are burrowing mammals that often inhabit residential lawns. They are especially common around wooded lots and natural areas of vegetation. Their tunneling habits destroy the root systems from your grass, potentially causing extensive and expensive damage. However, moles are also known to be natural aerators. These animals are insectivores, with earthworms being their main food source.

Nobody likes to pull weeds. While some weeds will inevitably germinate and need to be sprayed or pulled, a few simple things can be done to prevent these issues. 

What are these small green worms in my trees? 

The small green worms you find in your trees are called cankerworms or inchworms. Cankerworms overwinter as eggs in the top of shade trees and typically hatch at the end of March and early April.  

What do inchworms look like?  

Cankerworms can be green, brown or brown with a black stripe. They are called inchworms because of the peculiar movement they do.  

People aren’t the only ones affected by warm temperatures during the winter months, trees and shrubs are too. So, what does this mean for our plants long term?

What if plants are in bloom during a cold snap?

The buds or bloom can get frozen, but this depends on whether the buds are open or closed when a freeze happens. The damage will be greater when the flowers are open during a freeze. There are some flowers that will be okay during the cold like daffodils. However, other flowers will be zapped by the cold or start to fade away.  

Lichen on the Bark of My Tree  

What is that grayish green or sometimes yellowish stuff on the bark of my trees?  

The stuff that is often found on the bark of trees is lichens. They are unique and harmless, but some consider them to be unsightly. So, what are lichens and what is the treatment for them?

What are lichens?

Lichens on trees are a symbiotic relationship between fungus and algae. The fungus grows on the tree bark and collects moisture, which the algae need. The algae then create food from the sunlight to feed the fungus.

Wild Onions or Star-Of-Bethlehem. What is this giant weed in my lawn? 

This giant, interesting looking weed is called Star-of-Bethlehem. They are perennial weeds (return every year), in the lily family, which grow from a bulb. It may look eerily similar to wild onions or wild garlic that you will see on the lawn around the same time of year. 

What Are Fall Webworms? 

What causes thick webbing on trees?  

Is it bagworms, or tent caterpillars or some type of spider? No, it’s most likely fall webworms. The caterpillars produce a web of fine silk over the terminal ends of plants. They only feed inside the silken web, which they enlarge as they grow. The webs may become messy and not liked for aesthetic reasons, but usually don’t affect plant growth. The dry webs may hang in plants into the winter months. 

Virginia Green has seen a large population of fall armyworms (moth larvae) show up on a limited number of Virginia lawns over the last few days. Offshore winds from the south have blown adult moths into our area this summer. Those moths laid eggs which have now hatched into larvae that can cause significant damage to a lawn overnight. These little grubs get their name from the way they feed; they march in groups leaving brown turf in their wake, with damage often presenting itself as a pronounced line between affected and unaffected areas.