Plant pumpkins in early June.
Stake tomato plants.
In late June stop harvesting asparagus and fertilize.
Harvest peas when pods are plump. After harvesting replant the area.
Water the garden with one inch of water per week.
Apply mulch to garden to help keep down weeds and conserve moisture.
Different colored mulch materials reflect different wave lengths of
light and have produced noticeable results. Tomato harvest increased
significantly in both size and quality when plants were grown over
red plastic. Gardeners Supply, 128 Intervale Road, Burlington, VT
05401, offers red plastic mulch for tomatoes.
Use for plastic milk jugs - seep irrigation. Simply use a large nail
to punch holes in the sides of a jug, spacing them about 2 inches
apart. Bury the jug, leaving the neck protruding from the soil. Fill
the jug with water (solutions of liquid fertilizer may be used to
water and fertilize at the same time) and screw the cap on firmly.
The water will gradually seep out, providing a slow, deep irrigation
for surrounding plants.
Cabbage loopers and imported cabbage worms are green worms that eat
large holes in the leaves of plants in the cabbage family. They are
difficult to see, but the holes and green "frass" or excrement
on the plants are tell-tale signs. For control, caterpillars may be
hand-picked or sprayed with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis),a
natural non-toxic preparation available by various trade names.
Slugs love cool, moist weather and succulent, leafy crops, especially
lettuce and cabbage. Debris in the garden provides them with a place
to hide and should be removed promptly. To see if your garden is under
attack, put out a board or invert a flower pot in the garden. The
next morning, see if there are any slugs clinging underneath. If so,
begin removing them by hand every few days to decrease their population.
Plant beans, cucumbers, squash, sweet corn and late tomatoes.
Harvest strawberries.
Do not worry about fruit drop on fruit trees. It is a natural occurrence.
To protect bees that pollinate many of our crop plants, spray pesticides
in the evening after bees have returned to their hives.
Although it is among the leading vegetables worldwide, the sweet
potato has been underused in the United States since it was established
in Virginia in the mid-17th century. However, sweet potato French
fries may soon move this root vegetable from its traditional place
at holiday meals to restaurant menus alongside the more popular white
potato. Sweet potato fries have a texture somewhat like traditional
French fries and taste good with vinegar, salt, sugar or other seasonings,
as well as being a good source of nutrients. Your body converts the
orange-colored beta carotene of the sweet potato into vitamin A, an
essential nutrient for vision; growth; and development of bones, teeth
and skin.
Apply mulches to roses, annuals and perennials.
Stake perennials as needed before they become broken or damaged.
Shrubs and perennials look nice as foundation plantings, but rain
may not reach under the eaves, so you may need to water frequently.
Odd flower formations on rose bushes may be due to cold temperatures
during bud formation. Buds so damaged do not open completely, giving
rise to a lop-sided flower.
Climbing roses don’t really climb - they have long canes that
require support. You’ll need to loosely tie the canes to trellises
with broad strips of material. Do not use wire, it can damage the
cane.
When you buy container grown nursery stock, check the root ball and
make sure it is not bound too tightly. A mass of circling roots will
stay that way even after it is in the ground.
The best time to harvest most herbs is just before flowering, when
the leaves contain the maximum essential oils. Cut herbs early on
a sunny day.
If you don’t have much landscaping space, consider using some
dwarf varieties. These are plants that have slow growth and stay small.
There are numerous dwarf evergreens, flowering trees and shrubs from
which to choose.
Leftover vegetable and flower seeds may be stored in a cool, dry
location for planting next year. One method is to place seed packets
in a jar or plastic bag and store the containers in the refrigerator.
Bronze-leaved varieties of begonia do particularly well in full sun.
Keep the foliage dry and provide good air circulation around the plants.
For hanging baskets in cool, shady locations, use trailing tuberous
begonias, ferns, impatiens, or fibrous rooted begonias in combination
with trailing plants, such as English ivy.
Remove old flower heads from bedding plants to prolong the period
of bloom.
When selecting a window box, it is best to choose a wooden box. Metal
ones are more likely to overheat if sitting in the hot, summer sun.
Also, wooden boxes allow for drainage, whereas metal or plastic ones
often do not. The color of the box should also be considered - dark
ones get warmer than light colored boxes.
Do not allow children to ride on or drive riding lawn mowers. Such
mowers are more dangerous than they appear. Always disengage the mower
blades and set the brake, or turn off the engine before getting off
for any reason.
A mailbox mounted on a post in the garden can hold plant ties, labels,
small tools and other necessities often forgotten when out in the
garden.
Identify garden pests before you attempt to control them. If you
decide to use a chemical control, read the label carefully to be sure
the chemical is compatible with the plant. Make sure you apply the
proper amount at the proper time. Consult your local Extension agent
if you have questions about pesticides. Remember that all insects
in the garden are not necessarily pests.
If you keep your houseplant indoors all summer, keep them out of
the draft of the air conditioners. Plants react to an air conditioner’s
cool air in various ways. Some drop their leaves, others don’t
bloom well and some fail to bloom all together.
Peat pellets that swell up to form both pot and growing medium for
seedlings can be used for air layering. After the pot has soaked and
expanded to full size, slit it vertically on one side so it will fit
over the plant’s stem. Next, wound the plant stem by cutting
two fine rings around the stem a half inch apart in the bark or skin
with a sharp knife. Peel off the area between the cuts and slip the
pellet over the stem. Cover the wound with a plastic bag tied at both
ends to conserve moisture. When roots appear in the bag, remove the
plastic, sever the new plant and pot it up.
According to studies conducted by NASA, plants can function as biological,
air-purification systems. Spider plants are highly efficient in absorbing
toxic substances. In tests, these plants absorbed toxins, such as
formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, known to be present
in homes and offices. To purify the air in an average-size, well-insulated
home, 8 to 15 mature spider plants would be required. Other plants
that also lowered pollutant levels, but to a lesser degree, were Chinese
evergreen, golden pothos and peace lily.
Houseplants can be kept in good condition for several weeks while
one is on vacation by using clear, plastic bags as miniature greenhouses.
Simply soak the soil thoroughly, allow to drain, then place the potted
plant into a plastic bag and tie the opening tightly. Two or more
sticks in the soil will support the plastic tent and prevent it from
resting on the plants. Plants such as African violets, that are apt
to develop mildew should have a few air holes cut for air circulation.
Continue to plant beets, beans, sweet corn and cucumbers.
Misting tomato and pepper plants during hot weather can help the
blossoms set fruit.
Pick cucumbers every day. Peak quality only lasts a day on the vine.
Don’t peel cucumbers. The vitamin A is in the skin.
Water vegetables in the morning. Watering in the evening will make
them more susceptible to diseases.
Look for blackened twigs and branches on apple trees. This could
be fireblight. For a free factsheet call 773-233-0476.
"Pick Your Own" fresh vegetables at area Pick Your Own
Farms. For a listing of farms call 773-233-0476.
Wilting tomato leaves may indicate verticillium or fusarium wilt
diseases. Give us a call for the factsheet.
Reduce bitterness in cucumbers by watering during dry weather.
Seed collards, mustard and rutabagas for fall harvest.
Shake tomato plants gently to help insure pollination and fruit set.
Do not refrigerate just picked tomatoes. Quality deteriorates in
the cold.
Harvest early potatoes when they are golf ball size.
Write your child’s name on a pumpkin when they are softball
size. Use a ballpoint pen, just breaking the skin. The names will
expand as the pumpkins grow.
Grow a cucumber in a bottle. Find a tiny cucumber and put it into
a small necked bottle. Shade the bottle with cloth or leaves. Harvest
the cucumber when it grows to the bottom of the bottle. Prepare a
brine and fill the bottle. Vola! Your own pickle in a bottle.
Sunken or black areas on tomatoes and peppers is blossom end rot.
Factsheet available.
Plan a family outing to one of the following county fairs:
- DuPage - July 22nd - 26th - for more information call 630-668-6636
- Kane - July 14th - 19th - for more information call 630-584-6926
- Kankakee - July 29th - August 2nd - for more information call
815-932-6714
- Kendall - July 31st - August 2nd - for more information call
630-553-2860
- Lake - July 28th - August 2nd - for more information call
847-223-2204
- McHenry - August 5th - August 9th - for more information call
815-338-5315
To locate a city of Chicago’s Farmers’ Market in your neighborhood,
call 312-744-9187. They will mail you a printed schedule.
Keep the main stems of dahlias free of side shoots. Allow only the
terminal bud to develop. This will help to produce a larger flower.
Cut back faded annuals to half their height and fertilize. This will
help to promote a second bloom.
Stop pinching back mums in mid-July so they will develop flower buds
for fall.
Order autumn crocus and colchicum.
Divide and transplant bearded iris after blooming.
Buying ladybugs to control aphids is a good idea only if there are
aphids in your garden. No aphids....ladybugs will fly away.
Buying praying mantis for insect control may not be a good idea.
Praying mantis are not selective in their eating habits. They will
eat both "good" and "bad" insects.
Make an instant trellis by removing the plastic or cloth from an
old umbrella; open it and stick the handle into the soil near a plant.
Cut roses late in the day. They will last longer.
Check container grown flowers and vegetables two times a day during
hot weather to see if they need watering.
Did you know that over a fifty year lifetime a tree can generate
$31,250 worth of oxygen and recycle $37,500 worth of water?
Make a final fertilization of roses. Do not fertilize after August
1st. New growth will not harden off before winter.
Cut back straggly looking petunias in mid-July. This will promote
new and vigorous growth.
