When is a good time to apply Nematodes for Rhodos?
One of the most persistent outdoor garden pests is the Rhodo Weevil, which is part of the root weevil family.
Larvas are whitish grubs with black heads. In the larval stage, the weevil grubs chew on roots and soft tissue of plants along soil surface.
As adults, weevils chew on leaves and new growth. Leaves attacked by weevils have jagged edges. Growth can be prohibited, as year after year new growth is damaged. Weevils overwinter in the larval stage, yet turn to pupae as soon as the soil warms up in mid April-early May. By end May-early June, weevils turn to adults where they do the most damage. By then, it is too late to kill them with nematodes.
The ideal time to treat for weevils is during the larval (grub) stage so apply Outdoor Nematodes (Lawn + Garden Combo) in late March-early April.
As soon as the soil temperature reaches 10 degrees or above, nematodes will be active in the soil. To
apply nematodes, soil must be moist before and after application. Nematodes are light sensitive (UV exposure kills them) so early in the morning or after sunset is when nematodes are best applied. In areas where there is a heavy weevil infestation, it is beneficial to do two applications of nematodes, two weeks apart.