Perennials for Hot, Dry Areas

Southern Illinois summers can be extremely hot and dry, making flower gardening a challenge. But, don't despair! There are many drought-proven perennials that you can add to your gardens.

Silver foliage plants that thrive in full sun also tolerate drought conditions. Roots of gray-foliaged plants will often rot in wet soil, and the foliage tends to decline in high-humidity climates. Artemisia cultivars such as 'Powis Castle,' 'Silver King' and 'Silver Mound' tolerate rock garden conditions. Echinops ritro (Globe Thistle) performs well under hot, dry conditions. Stachys (Lamb's Ear), Perovskia (Russian Sage), Achillea (Yarrow) and

Santolina (Lavender Cotton) cultivars all prefer well-drained, hot sites.

Hemerocallis (Daylily) cultivars withstand hot and dry conditions as well. These adaptable plants are available in a wide range of flower colors and sizes. Be sure to choose early-, mid- and late-blooming cultivars to extend your season of visual interest.

Coreopsis and Gaillardia cultivars are two other considerations for the dry, sunny garden. Coreopsis offers flowers in shades of gold, and

Gaillardia contributes orange to burgundy flowers. Both of these species will provide color most of the summer.

Callirhoe involucrata (Poppy Mallow) requires little moisture due to a long taproot. This low-growing, sprawling perennial offers reddish-purple blooms all summer.

Many of the ornamental grasses do very well with little water. Miscanthus, Saccharum (Northern Pampas Grass) and Panicum (Switch Grass) cultivars are all warm-season grasses that love the heat. Helictotrichon sempervirens (Blue Oat Grass) shines in the hot summer garden. Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' also gives a good show in July and August. Many of the ornamental fescues rot in heavy, moist soils and thrive in drier locations.

Many perennials that survive extreme summer growing conditions can be incorporated into your garden. Realize that pre-plant soil preparation also aids their survival as does a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch.

Using Repellents to Survive the Bug Season

Insect repellents are one way to make outdoor activities possible while protecting yourself from the pesky creatures that bite and suck.

People who are often outdoors are exposed to numerous species of insects, ticks and mites. Mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, fleas, stable flies, horse flies and deer flies are just some of the creatures that irritate and annoy people.

But these creatures are more than just nuisances. Some of them may inflict painful bites, cause rashes or lesions, or in isolated cases, transmit diseases such as West Nile Virus and St. Louis encephalitis. Fighting the biting insects is one step in preventing some of these diseases.

People who are outside when insects are active should consider using a repellent. Most repellents do not kill the insects–but they make humans unattractive or offensive to the insects.

Commercial repellents come in sprays, liquids, creams, lotions, sticks and pre-moistened towelettes. Some are applied to exposed skin, and others are applied to clothing.

Review the list of EPA-registered repellents that are applied to the skin, along with tips for proper use.

Always read and follow label directions when using a repellent. Other general precautions include the following:

· Do not apply repellent to the eyes or mouth.

· Do not apply to cuts, wounds, abrasions and sunburned or irritated skin.

· Do not apply to infants.

· Do not apply to the hands of young children because they often rub their eyes and put their fingers in their mouths.

· Apply only to exposed skin. Do not apply under clothing.

· Frequent application and saturated use are not necessary for effectiveness. Label directions should provide information on timing of repeat applications.

Since its introduction, DEET has been used safely by millions of people, but there have been a few cases of suspected reaction to this chemical. While individual sensitivity varies, anyone who suspects a reaction to DEET should immediately consult a physician.

Another factor to consider when applying DEET together with a sunscreen product is that it will reduce the sun protection factor of the sunscreen. However, products with both DEET and sunscreen can guarantee the sun protection factor of the total product.

Another type of repellent which contains permethrin can be applied to outer clothing, shoes, and camping gear. But, products containing permethrin are not applied to the skin.

Permethrin is an insecticide that kills and/or repels insects, ticks and mites. It has 'knock-down' activity, so you need to carefully follow all label instructions when spraying these products on clothing.

Diseases that Plague Garden Plants

Plant health can be threatened by diseases, insects, weed competition, animals, changes in the environment or poor care.

Diseases and insects often attack plants despite good growing conditions and care. They cause similar damage but in different ways. Both may cause leaves or fruits to be distorted, spotted and decayed. Both may result in the loss of leaves or leaf discoloration. By closely observing damaged plants, it is usually possible to distinguish disease from insect damage.

Diseases that attack vegetable plants are caused mostly by fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes. These organisms are spread by the wind, rain-splash, insects, infected seed or transplants, and by the movement of infested soil.

Many bacterial and fungal diseases cause discoloration of the leaves. An area in the leaf may turn yellow, gray, brown or black. Infection may remain as a small, discolored spot or expand into a large, irregularly shaped dead area. These infections often have a yellow to light green, brown or black margin or "halo" around the original diseased area.

Damping-off

Damping-off is a disease caused by soil fungi that attack germinating seed and seedlings. A seedling collapses and dies when it is attacked at soil level. Damping-off can be avoided partly by planting seeds in warm, well-drained soil in a sunny spot and by proper culture (correct planting depth, spacing, watering and fertilization).

Most commercially purchased vegetable seed has already been treated against seed decay and damping-off. Drenching the seedlings as they emerge from the soil with a fungicide is often beneficial.

Fungus Diseases of Older Plants

There are many different types of leaf and stem spots and blights. Fungicides will prevent common leaf and stem blight diseases of carrots, cucumbers, Irish potatoes, melons, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants.

To control these diseases, select a recommended fungicide and cover all plant surfaces. Some diseases, such as Fusarium and Verticillium wilts, are best controlled by planting resistant varieties.

Virus Diseases

Viruses may cause plants to be stunted with the leaves mottled and deformed. Viruses are spread from weeds and diseased plants to healthy plants by the feeding of insects (mainly aphids, leaf hoppers, thrips, and a few beetles). A few viruses can be spread by pruning, cultivation and harvesting. Virus-infected plants should be removed from the garden when first found.

Nematode Diseases

Nematodes are small, transparent, worm-like animals that live in the soil. They feed on plant roots, often causing the plant to lack vigor and be stunted and yellow. Root-knot nematodes burrow into the roots of plants causing small, knot-like galls in the roots.

Do not confuse these galls with the larger, beneficial bacterial nodules which are attached loosely to the roots of peas and beans.

Root galling causes plants to grow slowly or to wilt on hot, dry days. If root-knot nematodes are found, change the location of the garden or fumigate the area with a soil fumigant. Carefully follow the directions on the container.

University of Illinois~U.S. Department of Agriculture~Local Extension Councils CooperatingUniversity of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need special dietary or disability accommodations to participate in any events listed in this newsletter, please contact your local U of I Extension office.

Repellents Registered with the EPA

· DEET. This chemical has been registered for use by the general public since 1957. It is considered the gold standard by which all other repellents are compared. DEET is available in formulations ranging from 5 percent to 100 percent, with higher concentrations giving longer control. Concentrations in the range of 10 percent to 35 percent normally are adequate for casual use; 10 percent to 15 percent concentrations normally are recommended for children. DEET is highly effective for most insects, but the residual effective-ness will vary with the concentration as well as the pest species. Nevertheless, several hours of protection can be expected in most situations. Some of the commercial repellents that contain DEET include HourGuard, OFF! (several formulations), Sawyer Gold, Cutter (several formulations), Repel (several formulations) and Ben's Wilderness.

· Citronella. This plant extract chemical serves as a natural or herbal repellent. Citronella products usually provide moderate protection. They can be effective, but most studies show they provide shorter complete protection time than DEET. Effective repellency for one or two hours is probably a reasonable expectation for a citronella product. Commercial repellents that contain citronella include Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard, Buzz Away, Natrapel, Herbal Armor and Green Ban for People.

· Bite Blocker. This is another plant-based repellent that uses soybean oil as one of the active ingredients. This product is relatively new in the U.S., but the limited research available indicates that it is effective at least on mosquitoes.

· IR3535. This biochemical was recently labeled as a repellent. It has been safely used in Europe for the past 20 years. The chemical repels mosquitoes, deer ticks, body lice and biting flies, but itseffectiveness has not been as thoroughly investigated as DEET. One commercial repellent with IR3535 is Avon Bug Guard Plus.

We're on the Web! www.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/

Hi everyone,

The spring rains and summer sunshine are working their wonders in area gardens. The Idea Garden is looking great. Thank you to the work crew that shows up each Wednesday (and in between) to keep things weeded, labeled, and updated.

Now we just need to continue promoting the location to the public. Any new ideas??? Please share them with Glennie and Shirley. Do you think some pictures on the web site would be a good idea? Let me know.

The Coles County Extension Master Gardeners will be involved with two area garden walks, have an activity with Habitat for Humanity families, and travel to the botanical gardens this month. Office hours are in full swing and June dates are almost filled already. So, summer activities are underway.

If you need some hours, please check out the calendar the next time you are in the office. And, be sure to get your hours up dated this month. We will be adding up January – June hours early next month and removing those pages from the book, so it doesn't get so full. I'll try to have a copy of hours-to-date at the July 11^th meeting, so you have an idea of how you are doing half way through the year.

Happy digging, planting & nurturing!

Sincerely,

Sharon

Sharon L. Kuhns

County Director