August 2005

Edible

Watch for tomatoes to continue to drop blossoms without setting fruit as long as our daytime temperatures stay above 90 degrees F. Once cooler temperatures occur, fruit set will happen. High temperatures have also caused cracking of tomatoes. Cracking occurs during hot weather when a heavy rain falls during a dry spell or if you do not water your tomatoes on a regular basis during dry weather like the drought we are currently experiencing. The skin of the tomato cannot stretch enough to absorb all the extra water from a heavy rain or watering, so cracking occurs.

During this hot weather, pick your tomatoes every couple of days. 90 degrees F and higher temperatures can speed up the softening process, slow down color development and reduce quality. Picking your ripening tomatoes will also keep the squirrels from snacking on them.

Start a compost pile. As we go later into the growing season and fall, dead plant material is more readily available for composting. The Chicago Home Composting Program has an excellent, well-illustrated booklet on the basics of composting. Call 773-233-0476 for the booklet or check out their web site at www.chicagohomecomposting.org

Become a Master Gardener. Classes start in late January at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. Apply online at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cook/mgchicago/index.html or call 773-233-0476 for an application,

Ornamental

Seed the lawn from mid-August to mid –September. This is the prime time for seeding those bare spots. There is less competition from weeds, the seeds will germinate quickly in the warm soil and the cooler fall weather will allow for rapid turf growth. For a fact sheet on seeding and sodding your lawn call 773-233-0476 or check out the University of Illinois extension website, Lawn Talk at www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/lawntalk

Plant trees, shrubs and evergreens from mid–August through mid-September. Planting during this 30-day period will allow the plant to become established before winter sets in. Water every 7 to 10 days during dry weather until the ground freezes.

Harvest flowers in the morning after the dew has evaporated for drying. Cut the flowers at the same length with long stems. Flowers should not be completely open when picked because they will continue to open during the drying process. Place stems immediately in water to prevent wilting. Gather the stems in small bundles and wrap with rubber bands. Tie the bundles to a clothes hanger and hang them upside down in a dry, dark room like an attic. Avoid direct sunlight. Flowers will take two to three weeks to dry.

If it is August, it must be yellowjacket season. Yellowjackets are responsible for one-half of all human insect stings. They will also sting more than once. They are often confused with honeybees. Yellowjackets have very little hair and have bright yellow and black stripes while honeybees are covered with pale fuzzy yellow hairs and do not have sharply defined stripes. Encounters between humans and yellowjackets most often occur around food. Yellowjackets will make a beeline for open cans of pop, open garbage cans, perfumes and bright clothing. Avoid using chemical controls for yellowjackets, because they are a beneficial insect helping to pollinate plants. Instead keep garbage and pop covered with lids. Keep rotting fruit under trees cleaned up and avoid wearing brightly colored clothes. Above all do not try to swat them away with your hands and arms. They will only sting if they are disturbed. For a factsheet on yellowjackets, call 773-233-0476.

Take cuttings from annuals like begonias, coleus, impatiens and geraniums to overwinter in your home. Take a 3-4 inch cutting, remove the lower leaves, dip the cut end in a rooting hormone, and stick the cut end into a 6-inch container of moist perlite or vermiculite. You can put several cuttings in the container. Water and cover the pot with a clear plastic bag. This will provide a mini-greenhouse for the cuttings. Place the container in indirect light. Cuttings should root in 4 to 6 weeks.

Avoid using post emergent herbicides during hot weather when lawns are dormant and under stress. Post emergent herbicides can damage the lawn when applied when temperatures are above 90 degrees F.