Garlic is a garden specialty that can be grown in Illinois, but it does take some advance planning. It is a long-season, over-wintered crop, with planting best done in the fall for a bountiful harvest next summer.

Like flower bulbs, garlic and its close relative, elephant garlic, are perennial bulbs. When planted in the fall, garlic cloves will root and make limited growth before the first hard freeze. In the early spring, growth resumes. Bulbs, and eventually seed stalks, form; then, the tops die down in early summer. Garlic can be spring planted, but an internal chill requirement must be met for the cloves to properly grow. Thus, spring-planted garlic should be stored in the refrigerator for at least eight weeks prior to planting to ensure proper chilling. Fall-planted garlic will obtain its chilling in the soil and has the advantage of gaining fall root growth and earlier maturity. If properly planted, cold temperatures will not hurt garlic.

Timing for fall planting is important. In south-central Illinois, a mid- to late-September timing is ideal. In far southern Illinois, garlic can be planted through mid-October. Depending on local conditions, too early may lead to too much tender top growth by winter; plant too late and not enough root development occurs.

Soil requirements for garlic include high organic matter levels and good drainage. A waterlogged soil will cause cloves to rot. Prior to planting, add about 1 to 2 pounds of a general analysis fertilizer (10-10-10) per 100 square feet along with compost. Spade and thoroughly till these amendments into the soil. Form raised beds if your soil is heavy or poorly drained. Lay out planting rows 15 to 18 inches apart. Separate individual cloves from the main bulb and plant them about 4 to 6 inches apart in the row. The larger cloves of elephant garlic should be set 6 to 9 inches apart. As a general rule, the larger the clove, the larger the bulb will be at harvest. Cloves should be set with tip up, and 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface.

Because garlic is a poor competitor, good weed control is important. Though fall and winter weed problems are minor, spring and early summer weeds can be invasive and should be controlled. Mulch the soil with straw or other organic materials soon after planting. This will also help to alleviate winter soil frost heaving that can damage new roots.

In heavy soils, remove the straw once top growth is evident in the spring–otherwise excess moisture may rot bulbs. Only during drought-like conditions should garlic be watered. As bulbs approach maturity, avoid any supplemental watering. One or two soluble fertilizer applications (e.g. Miracle Gro™) in early and mid-spring will help promote vigorous, uniform growth.

During the growing season, garlic is susceptible to the same disease and insect problems as onions. These problems include thrips, onion maggots, and bulb rots.

However, garlic is relatively care- free when given a well-drained site with good air circulation, fertilized, and kept on a good rotation with other vegetables.

As flower shoots (scapes) form in late spring, be sure to cut them off. If allowed to mature to seed, they can reduce bulb size. Young garlic scapes are considered a garden delicacy and can be chopped into fresh salads.

Harvest garlic before the tops completely die down, preferably with 4 to 6 green leaves still attached. Remove excess soil, but do not wash. Lay whole plants on screens or hang in small bunches to dry. Allow it to completely cure in a warm, well-ventilated room, but not in direct sunlight.

Watch for rotting bulbs; remove these and, if needed, increase air circulation using a box fan. Curing will take about four to six weeks. After that, roots and tops can be trimmed, and outer dirty skins can be removed. Store cured garlic in a cool, dry place.

Remember, all garlic varieties taste the same at harvest time, but after curing and a few weeks of storage time, individual variety flavors will come out.

A few good varieties which have performed well in University of Illinois trials include "Spanish Roja" and "Carpathian" (both rocambole or hardneck types). Softneck types include "Inchelium Red," "Idaho Silverskin," and "Persian Star." There are many varieties of garlic, and the best sources for planting stock are mail-order and internet specialty seed companies and diverse garden centers.

For more information on growing garlic, check out the book, Vegetable Gardening in the Midwest, available from your local U of I Extension office.

Using a tree windbreak around a home can lower fuel consumption by 10 to 25 percent. Windbreaks reduce and shift air movement around the home, thus slowing heat loss from the walls of a house or building.

Windbreaks can reduce wind velocity by approximately 50 percent. How effective a windbreak is depends upon the type, rows, and height of plants as well as the wind speeds.

Winter winds in the Midwest are typically from the north and northwest. So, windbreaks should be planted to block winds coming from those directions. If space permits, a windbreak should be approximately 50 feet from each corner of the area to be protected. For small areas, a row planted next to the outside of a house can also be effective by acting like a blanket. However, do not plant a windbreak on the south or southwest side of the residence since evergreens may block solar heating in the winter.

If you only have room for one row of plants, evergreens like pine (Pinus spp.), spruce (Picea spp.), or arborvitae (Thuja spp.) should be used. Pines and spruce perform best when allowed to grow naturally. Arborvitae can be pruned to form a hedge as they grow. Furthermore, if you have a small yard, the addition of just two or three trees sited in the right location can help block winds.

For extremely small areas where trees and shrubs just will not fit, an evergreen vine such as English ivy (Hedera helix) may be used to climb a wall or structure. However, clinging vines should not be used on wooden material because they tend to retain moisture and speed up the decomposition of wood. Only use evergreen vines on the north side of a home to block winter winds.

The most effective windbreaks are made up of several layers of evergreen and deciduous trees. An example would be a row of evergreen trees placed behind small flowering trees and shrubs. Rows should be planted at least 15 feet apart. In addition, the windbreaks that are most effective are typically planted in "U" or "L" shapes.

There are four key points to remember when planting a windbreak:

·If more than one row is planted, stagger the plants.

·Plants that branch to ground level are the most effective.

·The broader the planting, the more effective it is.

·Some wind penetration is necessary; otherwise, a partial vacuum may be created on the protected side, reducing its effectiveness.

Windbreaks are essentially an investment in the future. It may take years before the plants are fully mature. However, they can still provide some protection until then.

Other potential benefits of windbreaks are that they can provide cooling effects during the summer, provide a natural habitat for wildlife, and act as a privacy screen.

As fall approaches, many spiders reach adulthood, mate, and lay eggs for next summer. When fully grown, some of these spiders are large enough to cause concern for some people.

Orb weavers are the most obvious large spiders since they spin large webs a foot or more in diameter during the night. You'll see webs across sidewalks and doorways, between garden plants, and in other areas. Most of the large, common orb weavers (Araneus) grow to a leg span of 1 to 2 inches and have light and dark banded legs.

Another common orb weaver is the yellow and black garden spider, or Ariope. This large spider, with a 2-inch leg span, builds a 2-foot diameter web with a zigzag strip of white silk running vertically across the middle. Both types of spiders feed on the flies, grasshoppers, wasps, and other flying insects that get caught in their webs.

Wolf spiders also may have a 2-inch leg span, but they do not build an orb web for catching prey; instead, they run down and overpower the crickets, earwigs, and other insect prey without using a web. These spiders are hairy, black, and usually have brownish markings on the back. They live among fallen leaves in taller grass and ground covers as well as in other protected areas. In the fall, they enter houses through cracks and crevices in the foundation.

These spiders can bite but will usually do so only if they are being crushed. Their venom, which is used to subdue their insect prey, is not toxic to humans. But, like anything, some people may be more allergic.

You can keep wolf spiders out of your home by spraying the outside foundation and the soil next to it with an insecticide. Read and follow label directions.

As with most spiders, they will die outdoors with a killing freeze. Indoors, they seldom live past Christmas since their food supply is practically non-existent.

The Illinois Nut Tree Association will have its annual meeting on Sunday, October 21, at 10 a.m. at the Madison County Farm Bureau, 900 Hillsboro Avenue, Edwardsville.

Wayne Loveless, president and CEO of Forest Keeling Nursery, will be the featured speaker. He will share the nursery's work in pecan and chestnut production advances. Bring a dish for the potluck carry-in, plus your own table service (plate, silverware, cup). Lunch is scheduled for noon. A dessert contest will be held as well, and all desserts containing nuts are eligible.

The meeting will continue after lunch and will conclude with door prizes. The attendees bring the door prizes, which can be anything you feel another attendee would appreciate winning. At past meetings, prizes have included perennial plant starts, small trees and shrubs, bags of nuts, handmade items, and lots of other odds and ends comparable to those found at a good garage sale.

Anyone interested in nut production is invited to attend this informative meeting.

Mark your calendar for the winter teleconference series and watch this newsletter for more details. Sponsorship of these TeleNets depends on each county office.

Jan. 29 and 31

Soils/Plant Nutrition

February 12 and 14

Carnivorous Plants

February 26 and 28

Ornamental Vines