Q: We have a new house and are ready to put in a lawn. We have a landscape plan that calls for zoysia. We want to lay the sod ourselves. Should we do it now or wait until spring? — Tony Byrd, Cobb County
A: It all depends on how well you prepare the soil beforehand. Poorly-rooted sod is much more likely to suffer winter-kill than sod that has deep roots. Add lime, if needed, and till it in before raking everything smooth. Do not lay sod on untilled soil. Water as needed to keep the sod and the upper inch of soil moist but not soggy. Do not fertilize. If we have a mild fall, you should be fine. More details at bit.ly/sodwinter.
Q: A small outbuilding on our property has been taken over by camel crickets. It will soon be an art space for my daughter. Any control suggestions? — Sue Gladin, Athens
A: Camel crickets are creepy! In my experience you can catch lots of them on a sticky surface. Try this: cut a 12-inch by 12-inch square of cardboard. Now cut a 12-inch strip of duct tape and staple the ends, sticky-side up, along one edge of the square. Cut four more strips and attach them likewise to the square, thereby covering it entirely with sticky side-up tape. Make a couple more squares in the same manner. Place them randomly at the base of the walls inside the room. Check every day for victims. When a square fills up, make another one.
Q: I saw a coffee table book about flowers on the "Today" show years ago. It showed each flower in a blossom, full bloom, and then dying. I can't find it anywhere and don't even know the title. — Mimi Jones, Cobb County
A: The Atlanta History Center (atlantahistorycenter.com) houses a wonderful resource in this regard: the Cherokee Garden Library. Contact the director, Staci Catron, and ask if she knows the book.
Q: With the weather cooling at night, is it too soon to do fescue overseeding? — Larry Moore, email
A: With soil temperatures warm but air temperatures declining, now is perfect! Fescue is a cool-season grass; it does most of its growth between now and next April. Be sure to fertilize now and again in late November, mid-February and early April.
Q: For grub control, I like doing nothing, as you recommend on your website, but will they keep eating my fescue roots and come back year after year? If I put down grub-killing chemicals, would the lawn be unsafe for kids or dogs? — Wally Martin, email
A: Grubs are "annuals" — they develop from the eggs of beetles, like Japanese beetle, chafer beetle, May beetle, etc. Any that you find now will hatch into adult beetles early next summer. To answer your question directly, the ones you see now will be gone by next summer. But, between now and then, their numbers are pretty well controlled by natural means. You may always discover a few when you dig in your landscape, but it's rare for populations to explode in homeowner lawns.
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