September 2003

Ornamental

Test your soil now. Fall is the best time to have your soil tested because the weather is more settled than in the spring and soil labs are not as busy. To prepare a soil sample, take a trowel and collect four to six dry, soil samples from different locations in your garden or lawn in a bucket. Spread the sample on newspaper and allow it to dry. Place the dried sample in a sealed plastic bag. For a free soil testing kit call (773) 233-0476.

Transplant cone-bearing or needle evergreens now. Be sure to dig up a good size root ball. Have the hole your transplanting into dug and ready for planting.

Prepare for the fall invasion of the multicolored Asian Lady Beetle and the Boxelder bug. These species will find their way into your home. The Asian Lady Beetle is a little bigger than the native beetle. They are oval in shape and yellow to red in color and with or without black spots on their wing covers. The adult Boxelder bug is about one half inch long with three longitudinal stripes on the thorax. The edges of their wings are reddish orange. Neither of these insects cause damage in the home. Collecting them with your vacuum cleaner is the best control. Empty the bag after each vacuuming.

Keep squirrels out of your house. Prune tree branches six to eight feet away from your house to keep the squirrels from jumping on your roof. Use a 1/2 inch wire mesh over any small holes in your soffit, fascia, and attic. If a squirrel gets into your home, the best way to remove it is with live trapping. You can hire someone to do this or trap them yourself. Release the trapped squirrels into a wooded area.

Fertilize your lawn in the fall. If you fertilize just one time a year, fall is the time to do it. Select fertilizers that contain slow-release or controlled release nitrogen. Apply one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.

Watch for powdery mildew on plants. The leaves will have a white powdery appearance as though talcum powder has been sprinkled on them. This is not a serious disease. The plant doesn’t look good, but it will not die. Phlox, Zinnia, and Monarda are very susceptible to powdery mildew. Fungicides are not needed.

Revive Amaryllis bulbs for flowering by placing them in a cool area for two months. Stop all watering. Bring them out of storage and start watering 8-12 weeks before you want them to flower.

Bring houseplants that have been outdoors this summer, indoors before temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Check for insects and disease. Hit them with a spray of water to remove any insects. Isolate plants from your houseplant collection for 2-3 weeks.

Edible

Spinach, leaf lettuce, and radishes can be planted.

Ripen mature green tomatoes indoors. Wrap each tomato in newspaper. Store in a cool location, 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keep your vegetable garden weed free as your crops mature. This will prevent weeds from setting seed. A weed pulled now will prevent the sprouting of hundreds of weeds in the spring.

Keep leaves, twigs, and fallen fruit cleaned up around fruit trees to reduce the incidence of insects and diseases.

Visit an apple orchard in the Chicago area. For a list of local orchards, call (773) 233-0476 or check out the web site Apples and More at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/apples.

Become a Master Gardener. Call (773) 233-0476 for more information or apply online at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/county/survey.cfm?sID=50