Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Landscape Maintenance Pests topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Extension educators urge spring clean‑up, targeted pest sprays and irrigation audits for Utah landscapes
Summary
Utah State University Extension educators provided seasonal maintenance guidance—pruning perennials, cutting ornamental grasses, mulching, timing iron applications and aerating turf—and warned homeowners in warmer areas about the agave snout weevil and treatment timing.
Roe and Ben, extension educators with Utah State University Extension, gave a rapid spring maintenance briefing for Utah’s cooler and warmer regions, respectively. Roe said spring is a key time to "get outside, into your garden and start cleaning things up," listing tasks such as cutting back ornamental grasses, dividing perennials and leaving spring bulb foliage until it dies back.
Roe recommended delaying turf watering in cooler parts of the state per the weekly lawn watering guide, performing irrigation system audits, adding a fresh layer of mulch to conserve moisture and slow weed germination, and applying iron supplements for trees and shrubs showing deficiency. He also advised aerating turf and applying nitrogen in early spring and treating for lilac ash borer at the appropriate time for affected plants.
Ben focused on warmer southwestern areas (St. George, Kanab and Moab) and warned homeowners installing desert plants that the agave snout weevil has become more common. He described the pest’s behavior: the dime‑sized beetle lays eggs whose larvae burrow into agave and introduce bacteria that cause the plant heart to rot and collapse; once collapsed, plants must be removed. He said the effective preventive treatment the extension has found is imidacloprid applied now each year in susceptible areas.
Both educators encouraged residents to use local extension offices for water audits and soil testing; Roe noted soils vary across Utah (sand drains quickly, clay drains slowly) and that many Utah soils are nitrogen deficient, which can be mistaken for drought stress. The presenters suggested checking the state weekly watering calendar and local conservation gardens for region‑specific schedules and demonstrations.
