The recent events dealing with contaminated spinach and other greens have resulted in questions concerning the use of manures in home gardening. There have been confusing reports given from all sides of this issue. 'Is it safe?' is the underlying concern. Of course, there is no simple answer.

Animal manures have been used for centuries as an amendment to provide nutrients to crops. In addition to feeding plants, manures improve soil health by providing foods for soil organisms and improving soil textures and drainage.

The concern is with contaminates found in manures that are used as fertilizer around edible crops. E. coli and salmonella, and other pathogens, can be found in animal manures. "While not all manures carry E. coli, manure is a documented source of E. coli contamination and should be handled cautiously in a fresh produce production system. Well-composted manures are recommended over the use of raw manures." (Source: Jasper Hempel, Food Safety Initiative Steering committee, California Certified Organic Farmers)

The National Organic Production (NOP) Rule, available online athttp://www.ams.usda.gov/nop, addresses the issue of using manures and composting requirements. Definite regulations are in place. Raw manures can be applied to land used for a crop not intended for human consumption. If used around edible crops, it must be incorporated into the soil not less than 120 days prior to the harvest of a produce whose edible portion has direct contact with the soil surface or soil particles, or incorporated into the soil not less than 90 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion does not have direct contact with the soil surface or soil particles. (Source 7 CFR 205.203 [c] [1])

The NOP Rule also has regulations for composting, which state required carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, specific range of temperature, time-length, and turning of materials. For an excellent overview of manure use in organics, check out the ATTRA publication, Manures for Organic Crop Production (http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/manures.pdf)

In addition, University of California at Davis has the Organic Practice Guide available online at http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/organic/complianceguide/organicguide.pdf

For the home landscape, composting manure is recommended–especially if it will be used around food crops. Do not use manures from meat eaters such as cats, dogs, or humans. When handling fresh manures, wear protective gloves, long-sleeve shirt, pants, and closed-toe shoes. Compost fresh manures with other materials at a C:N ratio between 25:1 and 40:1, and maintain temperatures between 131°F to 170°F for 15 days, turning the pile a minimum of five times. High temperatures over time are required to kill contaminates. For more information on backyard composting, visit this U of I website:http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/homecompost/

After working in gardens where manures have been applied, wash your hands and skin areas that came in contact with soil. It is also advised to thoroughly wash all harvested produce.

Organic Production Conference
December 6
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Specialty Cropsand Agritourism Conference
January 11-13
Springfield, Illinois
** Features 2 Special Workshopson January 11
Food Handlers Re-certification
Pumpkin Production
Southern Illinois Tree Fruit School
February 6
Mt. Vernon, Illinois

Southwest Illinois Tree Fruit School
February 7
Hardin, Illinois

Southern Illinois Vegetable School
February 15
Mt. Vernon, Illinois
Illinois Small Fruit and

Strawberry Schools
February 27-28
Mt. Vernon, Illinois

For more details on these programs, visit this website:http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/regions/hort/

A key factor to helping roses survive winter is maintaining a constant temperature around the plants. It is not severe cold temperatures alone that damage roses, but rather periodic late-winter warm spells followed by rapidly dropping temperatures. Successful rose protection buffers plants, protecting them from sudden temperature fluctuations.

Roses must be allowed to harden off and reach dormancy before any winter protection is applied. Reduced fertilization plus cool temperatures promote dormancy and winter hardiness. Anything that accelerates late-season growth will delay dormancy and reduce winter hardiness. Covering plants early, often before dormancy has been completed, is a major factor of winter rose mortality. In southern Illinois, late November is generally the time to apply winter protection for roses.

Before covering, lightly prune plants to prevent winter winds from whipping the cones and loosening the root system. Avoid severe pruning. Additional pruning can be done in early spring when the winter protection is removed. Remove fallen leaves and pruning debris. Any foliage left on the plants should be removed. If disease has been a problem, apply a fungicidal spray.

Every gardener has a favorite method for protecting roses during the winter. The following three methods are popular.

Soil Mound–Place a mound of soil around the crown or base of each plant. To avoid injury to plant roots, soil should be brought to the garden from another part of the yard. Soil mounds should be 4 to 6 inches high. As the soil begins to freeze, but before temperatures drop below zero, top the ground with straw mulch. You can lay chicken wire over the mulch to keep it from blowing away. This method can be risky unless your rose bed is well drained and the soil is low in clay content.

Cones–The cone approach to rose protection is simpler, but does not result in as good a survival record. For more insulation, bury the plants in mulch before covering. If you use cones, delay putting them on until the first sign of ground freezing. Cones are easily blown off, so weight them down with rocks or a brick. Punch holes in the sides of the cone to provide ventilation and to prevent heat build-up inside the cone. You may need to periodically remove or ventilate cones during late winter warm periods in order to reduce heat build-up within the cone.

Cylinders–Another idea is to encircle plants with a cylindrical column filled with loose material such as straw or leaves. Columns can be made from discarded boxes, sections of old newspaper stapled together, or tomato cages. When filling the columns, avoid materials that will pack or hold excess moisture.

Whichever method you choose, remember to uncover your plants when growth starts in the spring.

Summer-blooming bulbs like canna, gladioli, caladium, and dahlia have to be dug up and stored in the fall because they can't survive the freezing temperatures of winter.

Here's a quick run-down on proper storage of bulbs.

*Inspect your bulbs for signs of disease. Keep only large, healthy bulbs that are firm and free of spots. Discard undersized bulbs.

*The ideal temperature range for long-term storage of bulbs is 40 to 55 degrees.

*Try to keep the humidity in the storage area as low as possible. Never store bulbs in an area where ethylene gas produced by fruit is present.

*Bulbs can be stored in a container with peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, or shredded paper.

*Another common storage method is to place the bulbs in a very loose knit sack and hang in a sheltered, cool area.

*Do not divide or separate bulbs before storing them.

Juliet is a late-season apple that carries the Vf gene that provides a high level of resistance to apple scab disease triggered by a fungal pathogen, Venturia inaequalis. Juliet has also shown resistance to powdery mildew and fire blight and reduced susceptibility to another fungal pathogen that causes cedar apple rust.

Juliet is about 85 percent red with some green undercolor. It has less sugar than the Fuji but enough balance of sugar and acid to be considered full-flavored. It also stays on the tree for a longer time without dropping off and can be kept in cold storage for six to seven months.

But its resistance to apple scab is what makes it most attractive to growers who typically spray for scab 12 to 15 times per growing season. The fungus that causes apple scab is transmitted via infected leaves, including the fallen leaves that are left on the ground through the winter. The disease affects blossoms, leaves, and fruits, eventually killing the tree.

The resistance to scab makes Juliet environmentally a better choice because it requires less chemical sprays than other apple trees. And, it ripens two weeks after Red Delicious, making it more marketable as a late-season apple. It is being promoted as the new organic apple.

Juliet is the 15^th apple cultivar developed by the cooperative breeding program between the University of Illinois, Purdue University, and Rutgers University.

To learn more about 'Juliet' log on to www.pomme-juliet.com.