April 2005EdibleCome to the Garden Faire 2005 at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences at 3857 West 111th Street in Chicago on Saturday, May 14 from 8:30 AM - 4 PM. The Faire is a one-day horticulture event with seminars, a plant sale, farm tours and merchants. Mike Nowak and Kathy O’Malley of WGN radio's “ Let’s Talk Gardening and The Kathy and Judy Show" show will keynote the Faire. Advance registration required. Call 773-768-7779 for registration information. Fee to attend Faire is $35.00 that includes lunch. Don’t rush the growing season. The frost–free date for the Chicago is around April 25 near the lake and May 5 away from the lake. The term frost-free means that there is still a 50-50 chance of frost on the frost-free date. We have had frost as late as Memorial Day. Peas, carrots, spinach, onions, potatoes, cabbage, radishes and leaf lettuce can be planted before or on the frost-free date. Plant strawberries. Set the strawberry plant in the soil so that the soil is just covering the tops of the roots. Do not cover the crown. Fact sheet available. Collect soil samples for testing. Sample vegetable gardens, flower gardens and lawns separately. Each sample should consist of soil taken from 5 different spots within a particular area. Call 773-768-7779 for step-by-step instructions and a list of soil testing labs. Spring is prime feeding time for rabbits. There are several methods of control that you can use. Almost any type of garden center sells rabbit repellents and sprays. These may work for a short period of time, but will have to be applied often, especially after rains. Remember that new growth since the initial spraying is not protected. The most effective protection against rabbits is a chicken-wire fence. It may not look good, but it works. Here is what you do:
You want to make sure that you follow these steps because this will keep the rabbit from burrowing under the fence. The remaining 2 1/2 foot fence is high enough that even the strongest rabbits can’t hop over. Since rabbits won’t usually eat squash, tomatoes, or potatoes, they can be planted outside the boundaries of the fence, but if rabbits are really hungry they will almost eat anything. OrnamentalDo not prune shrubs that bloom in the spring. Pruning them now would reduce their flowering. Prune them after they flower. Use slow-release nitrogen lawn fertilizer for most of your lawn applications. Slow release fertilizers provide uniform growth and less chance of burn. For lawns in full sun, three pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season is recommended. Divide this into two to three applications over the growing season. Most perennials can be divided and planted this month except for peony and iris. Divide peony in September and iris in August. Extend the life of your Easter lily by placing it in indirect light. Bright sunlight may burn the flowers and shorten the bloom time. Keep at temperatures of 65-70 degrees F. Remove the lily flowers as soon as they die. Plant outside in a sunny spot as soon as danger of frost is past. Water thoroughly. Fertilize with a 5-10-5 fertilizer. The old top will die back and new shoots will emerge. The plant will flower in July or August. Pinch the flowers off of bedding plants before you plant them. This practice will help the plant to produce a healthy root system. |
