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Controlling and preventing lawn grubs

WASHINGTON — Be sharp — don’t cut a wet lawn.

With all the wet weather, a warning is in order: Do not cut your lawn while the grass is still wet. Cutting a wet lawn tears the grass blades apart as opposed to cutting them cleanly, and that makes the grass much more vulnerable to injury when summer heat arrives.

So let the lawn dry out for at least a day before you mow — and don’t mow first thing in the morning, when the grass is wet with dew. If cut grass is sticking to your shoes, the lawn is too wet to mow!

It’s equally important to cut with a super-sharp blade. A dull mower blade tears the grass up just as badly as cutting when wet. If you haven’t sharpened or replaced your blade this season, do so before the next cut.

Cut sharp and cut dry in the spring, and your lawn will stay green and bright when summer heat settles in.

Milky spore vs. lawn grubs

Matt in Laurel has a lot of questions about lawn grubs. He writes: “Last summer I discovered a bad grub infestation in my lawn and treated it with a combination of milky spore powder and Dylox (Bayer’s 24-hour grub killer). Now, I would like to try to prevent

An orchid show and early fall lawn do’s and don’ts

Excellent orchid event next weekend Save the date: D.C.’s perennial orchid extravaganza returns with the 70th edition of the National Capital Orchid Society’s annual show and sale on Oct. 7 through Columbus Day on Oct. 9. As in recent years, the event once again takes place at Behnke Nurseries in Beltsville, Maryland. The Society promises you’ll see everything from fancy corsage orchids to exotics whose flowers resemble spiders, butterflies, moths, bees, a rattlesnake’s tail and a lady’s slipper. Some will be displayed as stand-alone specimens and others will be grouped into large flower show displays. This year, there will be guided tours, free talks and even an ‘orchid doctor’ on call to diagnose your personal orchid disasters.
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