Bumps or galls are being spotted on leaves, twigs, roots and flowers of many plants. Plant galls often appear as balls, knobs, lumps, or warts of various shapes, sizes and colors. Galls develop from plant tissues that have been irritated and/or stimulated by a parasitic organism. Galls are believed to be caused by powerful plant-growth regulating chemicals produced by the parasite. If the parasite leaves the host or dies, normal cells are again produced. Aphids, midges, wasps or mites cause about 95 percent of the known types of galls. Bacteria, fungi and viruses cause the remaining 5 percent.

One common gall is the maple bladder gall. The small wart-like growths can easily be spotted on silver (soft) maple. Galls are first green, then turn red and finally black.

Hackberry leaf gall forms a tiny nipple on the upper surface of hackberry leaves. So common is this gall, many people believe it is a natural part of hackberry leaves. The gall is first green and then turns a purplish-brown.

Many different galls can be found on oak and hickory trees. Hickory galls are usually caused by aphids, while oak galls are caused by wasps. Although the galls are common, they are seldom important enough to control.

In general, insect- and mite-produced galls disfigure twigs and foliage but rarely seriously affect the health and vigor of the host plant. Once gall formations become noticeable, the insect or mite causing the injury is protected from chemical sprays. It is too late to exercise any control other than removing the infested part. Hand removal is only practical when there are a few galls. Chemical sprays are seldom warranted where gall infestations are light.

Plants with heavy infestation or those that are tremendously unsightly can be treated. Spray treatments can be used to prevent future gall formation, but these treatments must be correctly timed to eradicate the pest once it emerges and before it has had time to induce the gall. Sprays applied after galls are formed are ineffective.

Some gall producing insect populations can be reduced with a dormant oil spray applied to trunk and branches in early spring, just before buds open. Some insecticides will control gall formation on elm, hickory, and maple leaves when thoroughly applied to foliage as buds are unfolding. Contact your local U of I Extension office for the current recommended controls. Read and follow label directions when applying any chemical.

To control hackberry leaf gall, foliage should be thoroughly sprayed before the leaves are fully expanded. It is nearly impossible to treat large established trees.

All plants need water. When natural rainfall does not provide enough, plants suffer. Many home gardeners wonder how drought affects their perennial gardens.

The term drought refers to a period of time when precipitation is well below normal or completely lacking. During this time, the water content of the soil is reduced to such an extent that plant material can no longer extract sufficient water for normal life processes. Large plants, like trees, have extensive root systems capable of reaching other water sources nearby or deep in the ground. But, perennials and annuals don't have as extensive a root system and, therefore, are subjected to the conditions immediately around them. Some of these plants can tolerate dry conditions for a long time, while others succumb quickly.

Often, the first visible effect of drought a home gardener will notice is wilting. Perennials and annuals are herbaceous ornamentals. They do not have a woody structure that supports them. What holds herbaceous stems up has a lot to do with the water pressure within. Water is pulled into roots because of evaporation at the leaf surface. A water column forms because water sticks together. As the water evaporates into the atmosphere through the foliage, it is replaced through the roots. If evaporation exceeds the root's ability to pull in water due to drought, this column breaks and wilting results. Think of it as a tug-of-war between available soil water and evaporation through the foliage. If additional water is supplied within a reasonable amount of time, most perennials and annuals will respond and continue normal growth. If drought conditions continue, plants wilt beyond their ability to recover.

Plants that have suffered through one drought may not have been able to store enough food to help them through another drought year. They may be smaller in overall size or produce fewer flowers. If dry conditions and high temperatures continue over several seasons, these plants may be lost.

What can be done to minimize drought injury to herbaceous ornamentals? You can offer clients the following advice:

Prepare the soil. Increase the moisture retentiveness of garden soil before planting. Dry, sandy soils benefit when compost and aged manure products are incorporated in them. These materials give water something to adhere to. Tight clay soils also benefit from the addition of these materials. During drought, clay soils become hard and are difficult to re-wet. Water runs off before it can penetrate. Compost and aged manure open up clay soils and allow easier water penetration.

Mulch. Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch to help soil retain moisture.

Group plants according to their watering needs. Most gardening reference books have plant lists for various growing conditions.

Artemesia species, Coreopsis species and Sedum species are all tolerant of sunny, dry locations. These should be considered for a potentially dry area. Avoid moisture lovers such as Astilbe species, Trollius species and ferns.

Consider planting time. Perennials planted in late spring or early summer may not have enough time to establish a sufficient root system to survive a drought. Plant perennials in early spring or fall to avoid this problem.

Remove moisture competitors. Weeds and turf are also seeking water to survive. Get rid of these to make soil moisture available for ornamental plants.

Cut back on fertilizers. These additional nutrients promote growth, which increases water demands. Keep your plants lean and mean during a drought.

Supply additional water. Herbaceous ornamentals benefit from 1 inch of water every 7 to 10 days during the growing season. If moisture is not supplied by rain, drag out the hoses.

July is here and tomato problems will start appearing. Every year, gardeners call with their tomato afflictions. There are a number of diseases and problems that plague tomatoes, but the most common are Early blight, Septoria leaf spot and Late blight.

Early blight, also known as Alternaria leaf spot, can affect plants at any stage of development. All above-ground parts are susceptible. The most characteristic symptom of early blight are spreading spots, ¼ to ½ inch in diameter, that form on lower or older leaves. These spots have dark edges, and they are usually brown to black in the center. These spots frequently merge, forming irregular blotches. Concentric rings often form creating a "target" or "bulls-eye" effect. Affected leaves develop yellow areas around the lesions. Spotted leaves soon turn yellow, whither and drop off. The fungus may cause lesions on the fruit around the stem end and shoulder. The lesion is usually dark brown to black, up to 1 inch in diameter, and with distinct concentric rings.

Septoria leaf spot can also affect plants at any stage of development. Numerous small, water-soaked spots first appear on the lower leaves. These spots soon become circular to angular with dark margins and grayish centers often bearing one or more tiny black bodies called pycnidia, which are spore-bearing structures. Individual lesions are seldom more than ? inch in diameter and are usually quite numerous on an infected leaf. Heavily diseased leaves turn yellow, wither and drop off in large numbers, starting at the base of the plant. Defoliation can be severe during prolonged periods of warm, wet weather.

Late blight in tomatoes usually appears in mid- or late August. A primary source of this disease can be leftover potatoes from last year's garden. Ideal conditions for development are warm, humid days followed by cool night temperatures with heavy dew, fog or light rain that persists through morning. Heavy overcast skies during the morning prevent temperatures from rising rapidly, and the foliage remains wet. In moist weather, this fungus can be carried 20 miles or more by strong winds and rain. On older plants, the fungus causes small to large, irregular, rapidly enlarging, water-soaked, pale green to greenish black lesions, which usually start at the margins or tips of the leaves. In dry weather, these lesions turn dark brown, then dry and wither. A pale green "halo" often surrounds affected leaf areas. The spot may enlarge until entire leaflets are killed. Lesions can expand rapidly and result in extensive, if not complete, defoliation within two weeks.

Severely affected plants may appear as if damaged by frost. Infection of both green and ripe fruit starts at the stem-end or the side of the fruit. It soon spreads over the entire fruit. Infected areas are dark green, brown, or brownish-black and "greasy" with a firm but slightly wrinkled surface.

Successful disease control involves several steps. These guidelines should help to insure a healthy crop.

• Crop rotation is recommended every year. Don't plant solanaceous crops (tomatoes and potatoes) in the same area more often than once every three or four years. Destroy any volunteer plants. This will prevent buildup of disease organisms in the soil.
• Purchase only disease-free plants from a reliable grower.
• Allow adequate space between plants to increase the rate of evaporation of water (rain or dew).
• Harvest all ripe fruit at each picking. Ripe fruit left in the garden may decay and infect the remaining fruit.
• Don't cultivate or work plants when foliage is wet with dew or rain. The organisms spread under these conditions.
• Apply recommended fungicides according to label directions where the above measures fail to provide adequate control.
• Contact the Extension office for recommended fungicides.
• After harvest is completed, spade or plow under, compost, or burn all tomato vines. Destroy all potato cull piles, volunteer plants, and solanaceous weeds such as groundcherry, horsenettle, nightshade, and jimsonweed.

Hi everyone,

The summer heat has arrived and the Fourth has come and gone. I hope you took time to reflect on the sacrifices made by our founding fathers and today's soldiers so that we might enjoy the freedoms of our country. Did you also get to spend time with family, enjoy a backyard BBQ or savor a bowl of homemade ice cream?

The 'Open House' at the garden was fantastic–especially considering the high temperatures. I forgot the office camera, so Darla loaned her digital to us for the day. Hopefully some of the shots will turn out. The attendance exceeded my expectations –over 50 plus about 16 MGs. And the door prizes just added to everyone's delight.

Later this week, we will be hosting the Edgar County MGs at the 4-H Extension Center. They want to check out our landscaping around the center, look at the Museum plantings and then travel to the Idea Garden. Lastly they will be eating at What's Cooking at 12:15, where we hope several of you will join the group. We will have some specific topics to discuss and share ideas with our neighboring gardeners. Be sure to participate on Thursday, July 7.

I've made arrangements for the Distance Diagnostics through Digital Imaging (DDDI) training (or refresher for those who have attended once) on Thursday, July 14 at 9:00 a.m. Dennis Bowman will be at the Extension office for this class on using the digital camera and microscope for diagnosing plant diseases. The session will last until about 11:30. I will take sign-up from Coles MG first and then alert surrounding counties on Wednesday afternoon. So, it may not be just Coles MG participating. This training is especially important this summer with the possibility of Sudden Oak Death and Soybean Rust alerts.

Have a great month and I'll see you at the fair!

Sincerely,

Sharon L. Kuhns

Unit Leader

Children have enjoyed chasing butterflies for generations. Butterflies are significant plant pollinators and are good indicators of environmental quality. Unfortunately, butterflies are becoming harder and harder to find. Land development has destroyed much of the natural habitat and plants that butterflies require.

Most adult butterflies may live 20 to 40 days. But, some are believed to live no longer than three to four days, while others, such as over-wintering monarchs, may live six months.

To attract butterflies to your garden, plant flowers that are flat-topped or clustered and have short flower tubes. The "tube" flowers tend to be the main attraction for butterflies. These plants allow butterflies to reach the nectar with their long tongue-like proboscis.

Adults searching for nectar are attracted to red, yellow, orange, pink or purple blossoms. Grow nectar-producing plants in open, sunny areas since adults rarely feed on plants in the shade. Favorites include wild columbine, milkweed, pale purple coneflower, zinnia, salvia, goldenrod, New England aster and white prairie clover.

Butterfly weed (Ascelpias) and butterfly plant (Buddleia) are two popular butterfly plants, though both may be difficult to overwinter in the garden. Provide some protection and a well-drained soil. Provide a source of water as well. A flat pan filled with water and pebbles is sufficient for the butterflies to land on and take a refreshing drink. Change the water regularly in the summer. Butterflies need a place to rest during the evening or on windy days. Unfortunately, butterfly houses aren't the best and are seldom used. Shrubs and small trees are the best bets.