I would like to plant grass from seed in late fall in downstate New York. When would be the best time to put down grub killer?
Answer
White grubs are immature scarab beetles (for example, European chafers, Japanese beetles, and Oriental beetles). Although all grubs cause similar damage, the treatment you choose should correspond to the species. Homeowners can have their grubs identified at a local Cooperative Extension office.
About lawns:
Many characteristics of a lawn determine how well grass grows. You can, however, help your lawn to compensate for loss of roots by watering it regularly, deeply weekly, not everyday, providing good fertility, and reseeding damaged areas. Seeding is most successful in the fall. However, grubs will eat seed too. Therefore, if grub numbers are high, you can delay seeding until spring or do an additional seeding in thin areas in the spring.
Courtesy of the NYBG Plant Information Service
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