2025

TLDR- “too long, didn’t read”

• It’s irritating pest season- ants, mosquitos, caterpillars that eat tree leaves. PG 2, 2nd bullet point

• Fertilize your grass, then get ready to mow

• Triple check your irrigation Pg 2, 4th bullet point

• Enjoy Summer

May in review

May was relatively dry until the end, when we experienced wet conditions for a brief period. Temperatures have been pretty mild, despite my prediction of summer hitting you in the face this past month. If you are an early riser, you may have noticed the mid 70-degree mornings.

June — Action items for your lawn, landscape, and garden

Garden

If you have a home garden, you should be enjoying the fruits of your labor. You can expect to see tomatoes stop setting fruit later in the month when high temperatures get up around 95 degrees. The heat-loving crops will really take off this month. Melons, okra, peppers, and purple hull peas become the garden staples for the next 75-90 days.

Lawn

Mowing

Father’s Day is coming, and if the dad in your life is responsible for mowing the lawn, here are some things that might make it more enjoyable: noise-canceling earbuds, a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off, and someone else who mows while he sits in the shade and sips lemonade. I am joking about the last one…. unless he doesn’t enjoy mowing.

In seriousness, if you are fertilizing on schedule the recent rains and heat are going to send your lawn into overdrive. Weekly mowings are the bare minimum and cutting every 4-5 days may be even better. The rule of thumb is we don’t want to cut more than 1/3 of the leave off. Again, frequently sharpening the mower blades are good for the health of your grass and the appearance of the lawn.

Fertilization

It’s time to fertilize again. I am a big fan of the silver bag Nitro-Phos Super Turf this time of year. It has a very slow-release nitrogen, so you don’t get excessive growth to mow extremely frequently. It also has extra Iron that helps with a nice dark green color.

Pest/Insects

Pest problems are likely to show up in the next month. I am seeing lots webworms in trees. We previously referred to these as “fall webworm” but now we are seeing them as early as May. Here is a great pamphlet about webworms and treatment options.

Fire ants will continue to be a problem, especially with the upcoming rains. Last month’s article had the full gamut of fire ant treatment.

Mosquitoes are likely to appear in force after the late May rains, and we are now expecting another rainy week in the second week of June.

Herbicide

Spot treatment of weeds may be needed in the summer, but we tend to see more grassy weed problems, such as crabgrass. If you have followed the pre-emergent plan, the pressure from those should be minimal. However, the big box stores do sell some crabgrass killer products, which are advertised for crabgrass control on the label.

Irrigation

Yes, it rained a lot in late May, and we are expecting a wet week in the second week of June. It isn’t likely that the rain will continue every week of the summer. Ensure that your system is ready to operate effectively, but manage it accordingly during periods of rain.

Early summer rains and green grass,

Hunter Soape

The Department of Homeland Security has launched a formal review of FEMA’s disaster assistance programs. Local entities—especially special purpose districts—are encouraged to submit feedback by May 15, 2025.

The Council is posing five core questions as part of its public comment solicitation. Special districts providing their feedback are encouraged to answer these questions in five pages or less.

1. Describe your experience with FEMA’s response to your request for assistance. Was FEMA’s response timely and efficient to assist in your recovery?

2. Describe your overall experience with FEMA. Was your interaction with FEMA positive or negative? Please fully explain your experience.

3. By what means did you apply for benefits—was it online, in person, or over the phone? Did you encounter any difficulties?

4. Were local or state authorities or private groups able to provide assistance in a more timely or efficient way than FEMA? Please fully describe your experience.

5. What recommendations would you like the Council to make?

Official guidelines for making your comment are here.

How to Submit Comments (reference “Docket No. DHS-2025-0013”):

We strongly encourage member districts to share their experience and contribute to the federal dialogue shaping FEMA’s future disaster policies.

TLDR – “Too long, didn’t read”

• Get ready for summer
• Ants bite (actually sting) PG 2, 1st bullet point
• Mow frequently
• Irrigation check-up

April in review

April mainly had “chamber of commerce” weather, as expected. We did have a few rainy days, but overall, it was dry enough that we didn’t have persistent soggy conditions.

May – Action items for your lawn, landscape, and garden

In our area and for my money, Summer starts this month. I can’t tell you which day, but one morning you will walk out the door in the morning to temps in the mid-80s and 90% plus humidity and the sun will just be coming up and you will know, “it’s summer”.

Garden

Gardeners should expect their work to pay off heavily this month. Many of our traditional crops, like tomatoes and squash, produce best this month. True high heat crops like peppers, melons, purple hull peas, and okra, will start to take off as well

Lawn

• Mowing – Weekly mowing should persist until late October. Let me ask you one question though, “when was the last time you changed or sharpened your mower blade?” Sharp mower blades make mowing easier especially on a push mower, they give you a sharper finished look to your lawn, and the clean cut of the grass is healthier for your lawn.
• Fertilization
  • Lawns – if you still have not fertilized your lawn yet this year go ahead. Otherwise, let hold off and plan our next application for the first of June.
  • Roses – monthly applications of a quality rose food will give the best rose bushes on the block.
• Herbicide – The following is a rehash of what I said last month, but it works and weeds happen. I recommend using a spot treatment with a sprayer for any weeds that appear. Here are a few options that come ready to use Spectracide Weed Stop or Bioadvanced All in One. Either of those will treat weeds and crabgrass. Wait 2-3 days after you mow to treat, and don’t mow for 2-3 days after treating.
• Pest – “April showers bring May flowers” is a song or nursery rhyme, in reality, “showers bring ants.” With more heat and humidity, we tend to have more showers this time of year, and the ants come out to play….. or sting. Three approaches have proven successful for me.
  • Option 1 – Fipronil is a chemical that provides 12 months of protection. It both kills active mounds quickly and remains active for a long time. The downside is that a professional licensed applicator must apply it. This also treats for fleas and ticks, so if you have pets, there is another benefit.
  • Option 2 – Apply a DIY granule insecticide like Amdro, Extinguish Plus, or Once and Done. Then follow up with mound treatment with a dust or liquid. The granule is slow to kill but is a great preventative. The mound treatment gives you fast results.
  • Option 3 – “Tarrow” is a Borax solution you apply to a piece of cardboard, and the workers carry the poison down to the colony. I have observed significantly higher kill rates than many of the mound treatments, where you see dead ants on top of the mound, followed by a new mound 5 feet away. It is also cheap, and you pick up the cardboard with the chemical on it and discard it a day or two later, and you are not leaving ant poison in your yard. I like this option if you have children or animals you don’t want to expose to the chemical pesticides used in other treatments.
• Irrigation – this is your last warning: “CHECK YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM!” Will you need it to save your lawn and landscape this month? Probably not, but next month, you likely will. If you have a busted backflow preventer from a freeze, now is the time to deal with it.

Gentle rains and green grass,

Hunter Soape