Well it has not taken long for the weather to turn to hot and dry. If you are not already beggining to  water now is a good time to start. Lawns need one inch of water per week. Trees and shrubs need to be kept moist around the roots on average once weekly. Annuals and pereennials will wilt if not kept moist too.
 Turrf lawn damaging insects like Bluegrass Billbug adults are  past the treatment stages.   Billbugs are a type of weevil (= snout beetle) and this species overwinters in the adult stage.  The adults emerge in the spring to lay eggs in the turfgrass stems.  The grub-like larvae first feed within the crown area of the plant and later in the lower crown and root zone.  The damage causes grass plants to die and turn brown.  Larval feeding activity also causes stems to easily detach; the tried-and-true "tug test" where stems are gently pulled to see if they easily break off remains an effective diagnostic aid for identifying billbug infestations.  The larvae are well protected from insecticides, so the overwintered adults remain the most effective insecticide target for preventing turfgrass damage. 
  The following is an exert from the BYG on-line update.
WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ASH?  Dave Shetlar reported that the depredations of EMERALD ASH BORER (Agrilus planipennis) (EAB) are becoming very evident in central Ohio with some people just now "waking up" to fact that their ash trees are not "waking up" from the winter!  Several BYGLers in other areas of the state reported the same thing with frantic phone calls from homeowners who just now asking "what happened to my ash trees?"

OSU Extension and tree care professionals have spent years warning Ohio citizens through educational programs and consultations that EAB will eventually kill all unprotected North American ash trees.  However, in many areas of the state, EAB remained below the collective radar while population densities followed a shallow-sloped linear rise.  Now that population densities in those areas of the state are building exponentially, the time between "first infestation" of a tree and tree mortality is collapsing; some trees that appeared healthy last season are dying this season!  Unfortunately, this means the only response is to start-up a chainsaw.

However, for many areas of Ohio, including some areas in the central part of the state, there remains time to develop a plan for dealing with EAB beyond simply reacting to the need to cut down dead trees.  Systemic insecticides can protect ash trees against EAB.  Both university research as well as "real life" experiences has clearly demonstrated that any one of three insecticides (imidacloprid, dinotefuran, and emamectin-benzoate) will maintain healthy ash canopies in midst of an EAB onslaught.  However, applications must be made before the canopies are "see-through" (50% or greater reduction in canopy).

 For more information call our office .

 Over an inch of rain today in Elyria. The grass is starting its spring push . Grass is starting to seed now in lawns all over Northeast Ohio. The Turf will be growing fast and need cut up to twice weekly.
  To see your healthies turf never cut more than 1/3 of  the grass at one cutting. This encourages deep rooting and keeps the turf its greenest. When you cut off more than that the turf will be starved of sunlight on the exposed part of the leaf blade and consequently be of color. (Yellow) This also leads to excess clippings and shallow rooting. Deep rooting will be needed for summer months ahead.
  Also check your mower blades .....tattered or uncut turf will lead to a gray haze or whitish appearance from a distance on your turf stand. This effect will take a cutting or two with newly sharpened blades to correct. Remember .....Forevergreeen Get green stay Green ! 

Frost Damage

A good portion of Ohio gardeners have experienced either frost or freeze (or both) damage to their plants this season because of the unusual early warm temperatures followed by normal spring temperatures.  A variety of plants are looking pretty ragged right now as a result. Perennials that were simply "nipped" by Jack Frost and have a few brown leaves here and there can be cleaned up with simple leaf removal.  Others that were totally "fried" by cold temperatures should be cut back to the ground now in order for new growth to occur and blooms to form for this season.  Otherwise, if left as they are, they will look pretty horrible all season.

In regards to trees and shrubs, most of these plants were nipped on the ends of the branches.  The bottom line is that some ornamentals in Ohio might look a little ragged this season without a little attention.  Take care of this now so that new growth takes over and fills in.