Question
I have been reading some of your replies about organic gardening and my husband and I want to go Organic in our new house!  I have already printed your program from one of the other answers.  I do have one question though,  We just bought this house and have noticed some brown spots in the lawn (St. Augustine).  I found what I think are either Sod Webworms or Armyworms in some of the brown patches.  What can I do get rid of these pests before they spread all over my lawn?  Should I just start with organics by spreading sugar or should I do something to get rid them first.  The rest of the lawn is very nice and green and I want to keep it that way!  There are also a few ant hills in the back yard, should we put the orange peels out before speading sugar or vice vera or at the same time? Does one counteract the other?

Erin


PS I also have a potted Ivy that when I purchased it, it was half dead (It was discounted), I thought I could save it, but now most of the plant is brown, with only a few green leaves left.  Is there anything I can do for it?

Answer
Hi Erin;
Those are probably army worms. Are they brown?
Here is a description I found of army worms.

Identification:
Armyworms, which attain a length of 1/2 inches, are also caterpillars of moths. Their bodies are greenish when small but become brown when fully grown. Several stripes are usually apparent, extending from the head to the rear. The adult is a mottled brownish-gray moth with a wingspan of nearly l l/2 inches

Make some tea of garlic and hot pepper.
Put 2 or 3 large whole bulbs of garlic ( not the little cloves) and 1 or 2 large dried HOT peppers in a blender withy a quart of water and whirr it till the pieces ar as small as you cn get them. Strain it with cheesecloth to get all the tiny particles that can clog your garden soprayer.
Mix 1 cup of this tea per gallon of water, and spray the little buggers.
This should get rid of them.
The otther possibility is to catch a couple of lizards or toads, and put them where the worms are, so they can eat them.
Those little anoles they sell in pet stores are one of the types of lizards I have in my yard.
Those little critters will cost a little bit, but they will start you herd of livestock.LOL
That could also be brown patch, a fungus.
Grab a handful of the brown grass and tug on it, ( I would let my hubby do that.I don't like worms) the grass should come up easily and have little to no roots, and a slick or slimy feel.
If it dioes have that, it is brown patch.
the worms could just be feeding on the rotted grass.
Horticultural corn meal is the best treatment for that.
Just throw horticultural corn meal at the rate of about 10 pounds per 1000 sq.ft, and water it in. Of for smaller treatments, you can make a tea, but putting a handful per gallon of water, let it set about a half hour or longer, strain it and put it in the sprayer and spray the area well.
throw some orange pels on the any hills, if they are fire ants, or lemon peels if thety are other ants.
mix orange and lemon peels to be sure.
I am told the orange peels do other ants too, but lemon peels do, and they don't do much for fire ants.
You can spread the sugar at the same time you do these other things. None of them will cancel out or interfere with the work of the other.
The watering may wash out some of the citrus oil, so maybe either get rid of the ants first, or do the other things and wait till it dries a couple of days, then throw down the citrus peels.
Chopped lemon peels in your flower beds and potted plants outside will keep the neighborhood kitties from using them for their litter boxes.
Write anytime. To help those new to gardening get the benefis I get from gardening without ruining their body like I did.LOL
I love to share what I have learned, and what I am still learning.
Charlotte