We Made It Through August

This Week in San Angelo

• Rainfall year to date at BES-TEX: 15.97 inches

• Difference from normal: 1.36 inches above normal

• Current soil temperature: 105°F

• 24-hour average soil temperature: 95.3°F

• Five-day average: 100.2°F

• Five-year average: 95.8°F

• Ten-year average: 94.8°F

• Forecast highs: Mid-90s

• September begins Tuesday

August began with a surprise.

On August 1, I sat down to write the Weekly Insight just after a shower moved through BES-TEX. The temperature had fallen to 78 degrees, and I wondered whether Mother Nature might be giving us a better August than usual.

August eventually did what August normally does. The heat returned, soil temperatures climbed, and keeping a West Texas lawn alive became expensive and stressful. April, when everything was green, blooming and growing easily, began to feel like it happened a year ago.

But here we are at the end of the month. We received another little rain Thursday, our rainfall total has reached 15.97 inches, and temperatures are finally backing down into the 90s.

Yeehaw, we made it through August.

Tom Green County is no longer classified as being in drought by the U.S. Drought Monitor. That is good news, but it does not mean our long-term water problems are over. Our reservoirs remain low, so every rainfall still matters.

Rain changes everything in West Texas. It lifts our spirits, gives stressed lawns an opportunity to recover and makes life a little easier. But rain also wakes up weeds and insects.

Fall Armyworms: What Should You Look For?

Fall armyworm outbreaks are difficult to predict, but they frequently appear following late-summer and early-fall rainfall. That does not mean Thursday’s shower guarantees an outbreak. It means this is the time to begin scouting.

The Adult Moth

The adult moth does not eat your grass. Its job is to fly into the area, mate and lay eggs.

Male moths usually have mottled gray and brown front wings with noticeable pale markings. Females are generally a more uniform grayish brown. Both have pale hind wings with a narrow dark border.

Seeing one moth does not confirm an outbreak, but increased moth activity around outdoor lights is a good reason to begin inspecting the lawn.

The Egg Mass

The female may deposit egg masses on grass, fences, buildings, outdoor furniture and other surfaces near the lawn.

The eggs are laid closely together and are usually covered with fuzzy-looking gray, cream or tan scales from the female moth’s body. The egg mass may look like a small patch of mold, lint or cotton.

The eggs do not eat or damage the grass. The damage begins after they hatch.

The Caterpillar Causes the Damage

Young armyworms are small and easy to overlook. As they grow, their appetite increases rapidly. That is why a lawn can appear healthy one evening and look badly damaged a few days later.

Look for:

• A pale, inverted “Y” on the caterpillar’s head

• Four dark spots arranged in a square near the rear of its body

• Green, tan, brown or nearly black coloring

• Light stripes running the length of the body

• Ragged, chewed or rapidly disappearing grass blades

Scout early in the morning, late in the evening or after dark. Birds feeding heavily in one area of the lawn may also be telling you something is there.

The moth is the warning. The egg mass is the evidence. The caterpillar causes the damage.

If armyworms are present, identify and treat them while they are small. Larger caterpillars are more destructive and usually harder to control.

Three More Pests to Watch

Aphids

We are seeing aphids in West Texas landscapes. Check pecans, crape myrtles and ornamentals for clusters of small insects, curled or yellowing leaves, sticky honeydew and black sooty mold.

A few aphids do not always justify treating because lady beetles, lacewings and other beneficial insects may control them naturally. Heavy infestations may require a separate, labeled systemic application such as imidacloprid.

Always follow the product label and protect bees and other pollinators. Do not apply imidacloprid to blooming, pollinator-attractive plants contrary to label directions.

Fire Ants

Rain does not create fire ants. Moist soil brings their activity closer to the surface and makes existing mounds easier to see.

Remember three things when applying fire-ant bait:

1. Make sure the ants are actively foraging.

2. Apply fresh, dry bait when no rain, irrigation or heavy dew is expected, following the product label.

3. Apply late in the day as West Texas temperatures begin falling.

Fire-ant bait is food, not fertilizer. Do not water it into the soil. Worker ants must collect it and carry it back to the colony.

Chinch Bugs

Chinch bugs remain a concern in St. Augustinegrass after a hot, dry summer. Damage often begins in sunny areas beside sidewalks, driveways and other hot surfaces.

If a brown or yellow patch continues spreading after watering, do not automatically assume the lawn is dry. Inspect the edge between the damaged and healthy grass before treating.

September Means Pre-Emergent

Last week we explained how fall pre-emergent works, why it sometimes fails and why timing matters.

The simple BES-TEX schedule is:

February, May and September

Our soil is still hot, but rain, shorter days and falling temperatures tell us that fall weed-germination season is getting closer. September is the time to measure the lawn, choose the correct active ingredient and prepare to have the application activated before rescuegrass and other winter weeds emerge.

Once the weeds are visible, the opportunity to prevent those plants has passed.

Closing Thoughts: Seasons Change

Our landscapes have seasons, and so do our lives.

Spring brings new growth. Summer tests our strength. Fall gives us a chance to recover, and winter provides time to rest and prepare for what comes next.

I know a couple of young men who are going through life-changing seasons right now. Somewhere, a young woman, a parent, a business owner or someone quietly reading this may be facing a difficult season of their own.

These seasons can feel permanent while we are living through them, but they are not. We prepare, we pray and we continue moving forward. Every season teaches us something, and the lessons we carry can make the next one better.

Keep your head up.

Keep moving forward.

Keep reaching for the stars.

August was difficult, but September begins Tuesday. There is always another season, another chapter and another opportunity to grow.