Many things, a few are listed below, can cause deadspots in lawns.

Blossom-end-rot is caused by poor uptake of calcium by plants. Properly adjust pH of the soil, add gypsum to the soil, keep soil moisture constant, and encourage root growth.

Powdery Mildew has become a very devastating disease of dogwoods. Dogwoods are a under-story tree and cannot withstand direct sunlight. Antracnose and Septoria leafspots are esthetic reducing diseases of dogwood but do not severely harm the trees.

Hundreds of different weeds grow in yards in S.C. First properly identify the weed, then select the proper control, and then properly apply the control.

Moles eat insects and can be controlled by using a harpoon type trap made especially for moles. Voles eat plants and can be trapped by using a covered rat trap baited with peanut butter and apple.

Most trees and shrubs should be pruned just before growth starts in the spring. However, early spring flowering plants like forsynthias, azaleas, camelias, etc. should be pruned after flowering in the spring.

Sooty Mold growing on the honeydew produced by sucking insects like aphids, whiteflies, and scales.

Water when the grass shows signs of moisture stress such as curling and greying of the foliage, foot-printing when you walk through the lawn. Over-watering is the leading death of lawns in Florence.

Boxwoods do not like our heat in S.C and spidermites usually cause their demise.

Applying an insecticide using a special fogger unit. Mosquito or Citronela plants are a type of mum that will repel mosquitos from themselves but doesn’t work well enough to repel mosquitos from a large area.

You can fertilize centipede in the spring and in mid-summer. However, it is best to fertilize it only a small amount in May.

Antique, running, and shrub type roses generally have less disease problems than Hybrid T, Grandiflora, and Floribunda roses. Most disease suseptible varieties should be sprayed every week to 2 weeks.

Algae, lichens, and mosses are sometimes mistaken for diseases. They don’t harm plants only using them for support but are unsightly.

Fall is for planting. Plant the same depth or shallower than it was planted in the nursery. Dig a large hole but no deeper than needed. Brake-up the root ball.

Things that can cause flowers to fall without forming fruit are:

A total of 1 to 1.5 inches of water a week . If the leaves are being wet during irrigation only water a maximum of twice a week at night between 12 midnight and 7:00 a.m.

Redtips, Indian Hawthorn, and Cleyera get a disease called Entomosporium Leafspot. This disease causes the leaves to fall and sooner or later the plants to die.

Soil sampling can be done anytime of the year; however, fall is the best time. Take many sub-samples all around the area to be tested. In the lawn 3 inches deep. In the flower bed or garden 6 inches deep. Put the sub-samples in a bucket and mix. Bring us a pint of soil to the Extension Office. It will cost $5 and take about 2 weeks to return.

Many different insecticides are label to used outdoors for fleas and ticks; however, only a few are labeled to be used indoors. Use a mixture of an insecticide and a ovicide (egg-killer) if it can be found. If just the insecticide is used many applications must be made as new adults will hatch from the eggs, which are not killed by the insecticide.

Using a pyrethroid type insecticide on the exterior of the building has been found to repel laddy-bugs. Once the lady-bugs have entered the building use a vacuum for pick up and then remove the vacuum bag and take outside or discard.

First be very careful with any type of stinging insects. Next, Sevin is an excellent product for control of wasps. Next, hornets, bumble bees, and most wasps die in the winter after which the nests can be removed. Finally, hire a professional if things get out of hand.

Most likely tee-scale. Apply a systemic insects like Cygon or a horticultural oil in the winter.

Carpenter Bees build their nests in wood. The best defense is to filled the holes and paint the wood.

Millipedes. Apply a border of an insecticide at least 3 foot wide around the areas.

Many things can cause trees to die, including: Anything growing or placed around the trunk of the trees (vines, soil, mulch, plants, etc.). Borers that bore holes throughout the trunk. Girdling by weed-eaters, lawn mowers, guy-wires, etc. Disturbing or placing soil on the root system. This list could gone on forever.