Chinch bug

[phasthound]

A successful organic lawn care program is a systems approach which includes building soil health with organic matter; proper nutrition, irrigation, mowing, seeding, and use of products. Client education is a must.

The organic method should concentrate on prevention rather than control. Reduce the factors which are the causes of a problem rather than using a band-aid approach with products. If you are going to rely on organic control products only, there is a good chance you will fail.

However, when problems such as cinch bugs, grubs or weeds pass an acceptable threshold there are now organic products which will successfully reduce their impact. After an application is made, continue with the process mentioned in the 1st paragraph and fewer applications will be required.

Chemical pesticides work so well that an entire generation has forgotten how to successfully maintain turf without them. This is beginning to change as more LCO's are responding to higher demand for organic lawns. There is a learning curve, but more and more are becoming successful at it.

The lawn below has not seen pesticides in 3 years.

[Pythium]

Endophyte enhanced turf seed is the best option I have found for a truly organic chinch bug control. I have a TTTF in 90% of my backyard, reseeded 2 years ago. there is a spot that was too tight for my slit seeder so I just skipped it. This summer my neighbors yard was destroyed by chinch bugs, they killed the small patch in mine where I didn't seed the TTTF, they stopped right where the TTTF started. My front endophyte enhanced p. rye, didn't touch it either.
Any client that I have that wants to go organic, I first start with the turf they have and suggest a reseeding with the endo enhanced varities, once less pest to worry about.

[phasthound]

Originally Posted by Pythium

Endophyte enhanced turf seed is the best option I have found for a truly organic chinch bug control. I have a TTTF in 90% of my backyard, reseeded 2 years ago. there is a spot that was too tight for my slit seeder so I just skipped it. This summer my neighbors yard was destroyed by chinch bugs, they killed the small patch in mine where I didn't seed the TTTF, they stopped right where the TTTF started. My front endophyte enhanced p. rye, didn't touch it either.
Any client that I have that wants to go organic, I first start with the turf they have and suggest a reseeding with the endo enhanced varities, once less pest to worry about.

Absolutely right! We should be focused more on prevention than control. Endophytic seed is a must where it will grow.

[meingren]

Originally Posted by phasthound

A successful organic lawn care program is a systems approach which includes building soil health with organic matter; proper nutrition, irrigation, mowing, seeding, and use of products. Client education is a must.

The organic method should concentrate on prevention rather than control. Reduce the factors which are the causes of a problem rather than using a band-aid approach with products. If you are going to rely on organic control products only, there is a good chance you will fail.

However, when problems such as cinch bugs, grubs or weeds pass an acceptable threshold there are now organic products which will successfully reduce their impact. After an application is made, continue with the process mentioned in the 1st paragraph and fewer applications will be required.

Chemical pesticides work so well that an entire generation has forgotten how to successfully maintain turf without them. This is beginning to change as more LCO's are responding to higher demand for organic lawns. There is a learning curve, but more and more are becoming successful at it.

The lawn below has not seen pesticides in 3 years.

This is the typical blanket answer I have heard so many times before....now can we get some answers on how you organic guys control chinch bugs, naturaly on a site you have?

[turfmd101]

Because without that blanket answer being instituted. No application will be greatly successful ...especially important if your going the organic route. Yes its that important!
If you can get that ball rolling you can try a natural insecticidal soap...aggressively treating...never stop practicing the blanket answer and there's a good chance your organic treatment or program will become successful.
Most are unsuccessful organically because of their dismissal of the blanket answers importance!
Posted via Mobile Device

[turfmd101]

Stress=chinch=treat chinch=stress stays=chinch stays=treat chinch=stress stays=chinch stay= on and on it goes. The synthetic way of treatment.

Stress=chinch=treat stress=treat chinch?=ending the event. The natural way of treatment

What really defines a natural treatment? Your product of choice or your practice of treatment defined in the blanket answer?
Posted via Mobile Device

[RigglePLC]

Chinch bugs in Canada? I thought they were a problem in Florida. Oh wait--you posted the question in August.
Perhaps you need to get the customer to overseed with a superior variety with high endophyte levels for insect resistance...like...Dasher.
http://pickseed.com/ECanada/proTurf/...asher_3_ts.pdf

Secondly, plenty of water and fert during summer stress periods will cause your grass to recover much more quickly.
Warm today--hope you don't have to do any mowing or actual work today. In fact, I hope it snows, because chances are, you need the income from snowplowing.