Hort Shorts

Mosquito Protection

Continue to protect yourself against mosquitoes as we progress into the fall. The northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens, is considered to be the main vector of West Nile virus and it is present well into the fall months. Many feel that once there has been a freeze there will be no more mosquitoes. However, bodies of water do not conduct heat nearly as easily as air, so water containing mosquito larvae does not freeze readily as the air temperature drops to freezing. Biting mosquitoes are common during the warmup or “Indian summer” that follows the first freezes of the fall. More than 20 species of mosquitoes in Illinois carry West Nile virus, including the eastern tree-hole mosquito, Aedes triseriatus. This mosquito overwinters as an adult and emerges to bite people anytime during the winter when there are warm temperatures. Wear insect repellent to protect you when working outdoors under warmer temperatures, particularly in the early morning and evening.

Two-Faced Hydrangea Flowers

Gardeners sometimes wonder if something has damaged their hydrangeas, but it is perfectly normal for them to have two strikingly different kinds of flowers occurring in the same cluster. The larger, showy flowers towards the outside of the cluster are sterile flowers, meaning they are not capable of producing seed. The smaller, less noticeable flowers in the center of the cluster are fertile flowers.

Taking Cuttings for the Winter

Late summer is the perfect time to take cuttings from annuals and herbs. Impatiens, coleus, geraniums, wax begonias and such unusual annuals as licorice plant and polka dot plant are easily propagated by cuttings. Plants grown from cuttings of rosemary, thyme and oregano can provide a midwinter harvest of fresh herbs.

Hydrangea Popular, But Challenging

Try to have a discussion about hydrangea among your gardening friends and you’re likely to start a rather lively debate. What type to grow, when to prune, why doesn’t it flower and how can I change the flower color from pink to blue are among the most frequently asked hydrangea questions.

Saving Seeds from the Garden

Collecting seeds from garden plants to plant next year may seem like a good way to save money, but you may be in for a surprise. Some seeds can be saved from year to year with good results, particularly the old-fashioned cultivars. But modern hybrid cultivars rarely breed true from collected seed.

To get that disease-resistant tomato or that frilly double petunia, two or more plants that have desirable characteristics were crossbred. The seed from these hybrid plants will produce variable results due to recombination of different genes. Thus, the resulting plants may not be as productive, attractive, disease-resistant or flavorful. Each seedling could be quite different from the parent and from each other.

As long as you’re prepared to accept this variability, it can be fun to experiment. You never know when you might actually stumble across an improvement!

Some gardeners are tempted to propagate fruit trees from seed – either from fruits grown in the backyard or from purchased fruit. If you’re interested in serious fruit production, resist the temptation. Most fruit trees are grafted by splicing a piece of the desired fruiting cultivar onto a seedling rootstock. It is usually the rootstock that makes the plant disease-resistant, hardy, vigorous and perhaps dwarf. Plants grown from seeds of grafted plants may not only produce inferior fruit, but also huge, unmanageable trees for the home landscape that can take 10 years or more to be mature enough to fruit.

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in old-fashioned varieties, including those that are “open-pollinated.” Because these plants have a non-controlled, more diverse genetic makeup, they tend to breed true to type. Although many of the advantages of hybridization, such as disease resistance, heat or cold tolerance and uniformity, are lost, some gardeners find open-pollinated types to be better flavored in the case of vegetables or perhaps more fragrant in the case of flowers.

Many seed companies specialize in open-pollinated garden vegetables and flowers and many of the larger seed companies carry both hybrid and open-pollinated seed. For those interested in learning more about open-pollinated seeds and preserving old-fashioned varieties, there is a well-established organization known as Seed Savers Exchange that includes seed trading programs as well as excellent publications. For those interested in collecting seed from their own garden, refer to the publication “Seed to Seed: Seed Saving Techniques for the Vegetable Gardener” available from Seed Savers Exchange, 3076 N. Winn Road, Decorah, IA 52101, http://www.seedsavers.org.

 

September-October 2002
Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Plant Daffodils Now for a Burst of Spring Color | Prepare Houseplants for Trip Back Indoors | Late Bloomers for the Garden | Canker Cleanup | Bug Bites | Lawn Care Calendar | Food “Phyte” | Drying Herbs, Seeds and Hot Chilies on a String | Health & Household Tips | USDA Nutrient Data Base | Vegetarian Diets | An Apple a Day | Did You Know | Fresh Apple Walnut Cake

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