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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Tackling The Crane Fly And Making Moss

Phyllis Stephens The Spokesman-R

Where do I begin? There are so many projects, problems and events going on this time of year. Following are only a smattering of your concerns and questions. I’ll try to address as many as I can before the ground freezes.

Crane fly: This nasty pest, supposedly only surviving on the west side of the state, seems to be making itself right at home in our lawns. It has been on a steady march for the last few years, through the east South Side into the Valley. If this critter hasn’t visited you, consider yourself very fortunate.

The adult is a large mosquito-like insect that emerges about this time of year. You may have noticed them in great hordes, clinging to the sides of your house. Though at the adult stage, they doesn’t harm plant life, the female does busy herself by laying eggs. These eggs eventually hatch into legless, ugly, tough-skinned, segmented, brown, grub-like monsters that devour roots, stems and crowns of our grass. These disgusting grubs are known as leather jackets.

Though they do most of their feeding during the late spring and early summer months, they have been found feasting on the lawn NOW.

Though control is best achieved in the spring, an application of insecticide now may be useful if, and only if, the larvae are active. Insecticides that seem to help in the control of this pest are Dursban, Sevin and Bio-Safe.

Signs of infestation are small straw-colored patches of turf. If infestation is heavy, tiny patches can develop into quite large patches in a very short time.

Investigate these areas by digging around in the sod for grubs. Look carefully. They are about one inch long, but because they are gray-brown in color, they are easily overlooked as small dirt clods.

For those of you who have been requesting a repeat of the “make your own moss recipe,” here it is, according to Water Colors in Rathdrum: To establish moss, put a handful of moss in a blender with one-half teaspoon of sugar and one can of beer. Spread this soupy mixture over bare ground or rocks. You can substitute buttermilk for beer. You can also put bricks in a container of shallow water and cover the tops of the bricks with this mixture. Place in a cool, shady spot. There you have it.

For those of you shaking your heads in disbelief, wondering why anyone would want to MAKE moss, when used in the right location, moss can deliver a feeling of warmth and earthiness.

How do we get rid of bamboo (also known as Japanese knotweed)? Or, for that matter, unwanted shoots from any downed trees?

Give this a try: Clip each shoot and follow with an immediate application of blackberry and brush killer, full-strength. Apply the material with a small paintbrush. (Always wear plastic gloves when handling pesticides.) The herbicide will move through the shoots into the root system, killing both. Clip and dab, clip and dab. Clipping all the shoots at once and coming back with the paint may not do the job. Remember, clip and dab, clip and dab.

If you’re looking for something fun as well as informative to do the weekend of Sept. 27 and 28, take in the Federated Garden Club’s annual Garden Affair at Center Pointe, 1408 N. Washington.

Along with outstanding seminars, you will enjoy a delightful fall flower show around an English garden theme.

Saturday’s seminars include landscaping with perennials by Gerry Krueger, owner of Blossoms and Bloomers; tips on growing cold, hardy plants, featuring day lilies and iris by Christy Hensler, owner of The Rock Garden; hostas by Allen Tower, owner of Tower Perennial Gardens; and back-yard bird survival by John and Betty Miller, owners of Wild Birds, Unlimited.

Sunday’s sessions include fall bulbs for spring bloom by Ida Dolphin, WSU Master Gardener; year-round rose care by Lynn Schafer, member of Spokane Rose Society; and capping off the day, IPM pest management by Tonie Fitzgerald, Spokane County Horticultural Extension Agent and author of “Gardening in the Inland Northwest.”

Admission is $3; free for children under 12. Hours are Saturday, 12:30 to 7 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For further information, call 535-5187 or 448-9267.

Next week we’ll look at what’s fashionable in the garden world of spring-flowering bulbs.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Phyllis Stephens The Spokesman-Review