Woody plants can grow up in your hedge or shrubs

Look for woody plant weeds like mulberries, buckthorn and boxelders that grow up among shrubs and in hedges. These weeds tend to be hard to spot when they are young.

• Holes in the lawn dug by raccoons and skunks may indicate the presence of grubs, which feed on grass roots.

Check for areas of the lawn that are browning or where the grass lifts like a piece of sod. If there are more than 12 grubs per square foot and you are seeing extensive damage, then you may consider using a product designed for quick kill of the grubs.

Be sure to read the bag carefully to ensure you are buying the right chemical for grub control at this time of year. It is important to follow the instructions for application.

• Some crabapple trees are very susceptible to apple scab and those not treated in spring may have lost many of their leaves. Their remaining leaves can be affected with black and yellow spots.

Spraying at this point will not help combat this disease, but you can give the trees extra care by supplemental watering as needed for the remainder of this year and fertilizing in fall or next spring.

Remove all infected leaves and do not add them to your compost pile. Also, consider replacing disease-prone trees with a cultivar that is resistant.

• Skip mowing for a week when the lawn slows growth during periods of hot and dry weather. I do not water my lawn so will shift to mowing once every two weeks as the grass goes dormant and growth slows.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.