EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) Updates

Emerald Ash Borer infestation have now been confirmed in the following N.E Region Counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane (Elgin, St. Charles), Will (Naperville), La Salle and recently in Mclean (Bloomington) and McHenry. Quick removal of the infected trees in these counties helped in minimizing the beetles spread. The cities are taking the following steps to minimize the spread:

· Inspection and inventories of all area trees

· Installation of traps to determine the extent of the EAB beetles spread

· Areas with EAB have been placed under a quarantine (including DuPage and Will counties)

· Trees and logs in the quarantine areas are chipped to one inch or less

· Movement of firewood from or into quarantine areas is prohibited

· Transplant of trees from quarantine areas to non quarantine areas is also prohibited.

The department of agriculture has now allowed the use of an insecticide called Tree-age™ which has an active ingredient called emamectin benzoate which is injected directly into the tree's vascular system where the EAB larvae feeds. The advantage of the direct injection is that only the EAB larvae is affected by it and it will not harm anything coming into contact with the tree such as butterflies, birds or squirrels. A single injection provides control over a 2 year period. Tree-age™ is most appropriate for trees in close to EAB infected areas.

Harvest Day at Kids On Track

Noreen Fahrner

Harvest day at the Kids on Track and the accompanying end of program fair were a great success. For a successful harvest process, we had a new group of kids every fifteen minutes to harvest their individual group gardens. Half of each group did a scavenger hunt while the other half harvested as much as they could from the growing gardens. Basil, cucumbers, squash, cilantro (mostly seeds by then), peppers, and a few green tomatoes by mistake. If you tell them to pick, they really pick anything they can see. The harvests were all combined for display the next day at the harvest fair. We took many pictures and displayed them on a board at our table. The kids were really excited at seeing themselves in the pictures and they had a great time picking themselves out in the pictures, as well as their brothers, sisters, cousins and even uncles!

The Cook County Science Bus "Science on the Go" was on hand with some interesting "weird science" demonstrations. There was also a dunk tank, bounce house, storytelling from the library, and a few games with prizes. It was a fitting end to a hot week and a great summer camp. It was hard for all of us to walk away from the gardens, as there is still so much growing. We were assured by District 214 Leader, Alba, that the vegetables would be harvested and forwarded to the parents of these kids at their new locations (the kids and their parents move from camp to camp in search of work).

We met two weeks afterwards for a review of the program and to "tweak" the curriculum for next year. Most of our concerns included getting lesson plans that were tailored to meet the specific needs of the older kids in the program (lesson plans for the Junior High age campers) who were "too cool" for some of our projects. When these older kids were asked to help the 5 and 6 year olds with their scavenger hunt during the harvest festival, they jumped right in. It was wonderful to see. Maybe a "Junior counselor" role would work for them next year? We also have other ideas in mind from the Junior Master Gardener curriculum. Changing the pre- and post-surveys was discussed to make it more kid friendly. All in all we had a great summer camp experience. The lessons were really organized and I think everyone involved had a great time. Please join us next year as we will have more fun gardening in the sun! Many thanks to that helped make this gardening season a success: Denise Beedy, Donna Bloxsom, Juanita Crear-Price, Elizabeth Denny, Noreen Fahrner, Paula Flintroy, Anne Gachuhi, Joan Henning, Roy Jensen, Jane Jurek, Bev Krams, Lida Miller, Mary Sapienza, Beth Warren, and Harry Warren.

Letters to the Frugal (Master) Gardener

Barbara Arvidson

Dear Frug,

There are hundreds of Japanese Beetles making shreds out of my Rose of Sharon bushes and "trees". I can't pick them all off—some are just too high. Can I wait until it's dark out, and the bees have all gone to bed, to spray them?

Bugged & Freaking Mad

Dear Bugged (Can you say 'freaking' in this publication?),

Don't spray. Your insect killer will stick to the flowers and pollen structures and still
rub off on the bees. I understand you are mad and wanting a satisfying and effective solution. The pick-and-stomp method of control is very satisfying and mostly effective, but I can see that you wouldn't be able to reach all of them. The blast-them-off-with-the-garden-hose method is very satisfying, but the bugs eventually dry off and fly back. My new and most fun solution is to vacuum them off. This is the Frug's idea of fun.

If you have or can borrow a wet-dry shop vacuum, clean out the tank and put some very hot water in the tank. Select some attachments that allow you to reach very high and vacuum away! Try different end-attachments to see which ones don't suck off entire flowers, but are just big enough to permit the beetle inside. You may damage a flower here and there among the already damaged ones, but it's a small price to pay for the enjoyment you are getting. The beetles should die quickly in the hot water. "Beetle water" is not an environmental hazard to pour down the storm drain or flush into the sewer system. The loud sound of the shop vacuum will drown out all the cursing at the beetles you wish to do. Are you happy now? What? I can't hear you over that blasted vacuum!

FG

PS. Thinking of trying this with your household vacuum and throwing away the paper filter bag? Japanese Beetles can chew their way out of a paper bag.

PPS. You may want to brush off the shop vac's washable spongy filter before returning it to your neighbor with little bug parts clinging to it. The level of the neighbor's squeamishness might work against you the next time you want to borrow the vac.

Eco-chic Replacing Chemical Needy Gardens

Mary Boldan

In a national survey conducted in late June, the Garden Writers Association Foundation (GWAF) asked consumers who have a lawn or garden to rate their interest level several key topics. Gardening for the good of the environment seems to be replacing gardening for personal gratification. Seventy-two percent of the respondents had a high interest in conserving water, while fifty-two percent expressed an interest in using native plants.

Sustainable gardening (38%) and Web-based garden information (27%) fell in last place. Still a relatively new concept, sustainable gardening, may suffer from a lack of uniform definition and public understanding. Since the Web is clearly a tremendous information resource, the challenge is in making on-line gardening information interesting and useful to the public. Even among the tech savvy, a very small percentage took advantage used this media for information.

Question & Answer

Mary Boldan

How to get rid of Milkweed and Thistle

Unfortunately, many useful plants are marked for destruction merely because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. In SILENT SPRING, Rachel Carson wrote, "Such plants are "weeds" only to those who make a business of selling and applying chemicals." Many of these plants that have been labeled "weeds" have incredible drawing power for butterfly and bird species because of their seeds, nectar, or the insects they attract. For instance, honeybees and wild bees depend heavily on goldenrod and dandelions for pollen that serves as the food for their young.

While there is no need to turn your yard into an unsightly weed patch, there is no reason not to let a small portion of your garden go wild.

Milkweed attracts butterflies like few plants can. The common milkweed is the sole source of food for the Monarch butterfly caterpillar, in addition to acting as a nursery for its young. A chemical in the milkweed, which is distasteful to birds, acts as a means of protection against enemies for both the caterpillar and mature butterfly. Milkweed also provides nectar for the Pipevine Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, American Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Viceroy, and Mourning Cloak.

While thistle is an aggressive plant, it is also necessary for the survival of the American Goldfinch. The American Goldfinch is one of the last nesting birds, and its late timing is attributed to suitable nesting materials and seeds for feeding young. Their primary food is thistle seeds and they used the down to line their nests. Goldfinches won't nest where there is not a good supply of thistle. If you wish to grow thistle, transplant it to a container so it is self-contained. By the middle of summer, if you are lucky, a pair of goldfinches will be busy pecking at the down and carrying it to their nest. What's interesting is that if you have a thistle feeder nearby filled with niger seeds, don't be surprised if the birds ignore the commercial food and opt for the natural source.

However, if you still aren't convinced, the best way of removing milkweed and thistle is by hand pulling. It should be done before flowering. Cut the plant below the ground or as close the ground as possible to prevent regrowth. Never put the weeds in a compost bin. Instead, wrap them up and throw out, or place the plants in a tight container to allow them to rot to prevent seed germination.

Gardening Tips

Mary Boldan

As the cooler weather approaches September finds gardeners concerned with planting, transplanting and harvesting. Yet, the garden still flourishes with beauty and color with the New England Aster, white and pink Turtlehead, Cardinal Flower, and Goldenrods all at their peaks, while the Jack-in-the-Pulpit reveals its bright red berries. It's the time to bring your garden journal up-to-date to evaluate successes and failures and make reminders for next year.

Perennials, Annuals and Bulbs

· As perennials fade away, mark their locations with small sticks. Some might not be apparent after the winter and might be disrupted by spring cultivating.

· Stop fertilizing roses and perennial flowers in mid-September to encourage dormancy.

· Cut back fading vegetation of early flowering herbaceous perennials. Take tip and stem cuttings of annuals such as geraniums, impatiens, coleus, and dusty miller before the first frost. Cut a 4- to 6-inch piece, dip it in rooting hormone, and stick in a flat of sterile potting soil or vermiculite. Cover with clear plastic and wait for roots to form (usually a few weeks). Pot them up and put in a bright spot out of direct sun.

· The return of cooler weather is a good time to refresh annual containers with cool-season favorites such as pansies, ornamental cabbage and kale, chrysanthemums, or fall-blooming asters.

· Fuchsias, geraniums and other tender perennial and shrubby plants which will not survive the winter outdoors should be lifted and prepared for over-wintering indoors.

· After frost has blacked the foliage of summer bulbs, dig the tuberous roots of dahlias and begonias gladiolus, tuberous begonias, caladiums, cannas, and dahlias, gladiolus, tuberous begonias, caladiums, cannas, and dahlias, to store for winter. Some, such as calla lilies, amaryllis, caladiums, and cannas, can be simply dried down in their pots and stored in the basement as long it's fairly dry.

· Plant spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and crocus can all be planted.

Vegetables and Herbs

· Encourage late tomatoes to ripen by cutting off lower leaves.

· Most vegetables include carrots, beetroot, turnips, potatoes and onions can be harvested now and stored.

· Dig up your rosemary, basil, tarragon, oregano, marjoram, English thyme, parsley, and chives to grow them inside as houseplants. Keep them in a cool, sunny spot, and allow the soil to dry out before watering. Snip off the leaves as needed in the kitchen, but do not strip them completely.

· Clean out any older growth of mint. It can become a nuisance, running rampant. Leave the younger stock.

· Transplant rhubarb, strawberries, and raspberries before the first light frost so that some root development may take place. Rhubarb and strawberries deplete the soil of nutrients in a short time, so find new locations for them every three or four years.

· Potatoes that will be stored should not be dug until after the vines die. If they are reluctant to die, cut them off close to the ground and wait a week before digging.

· Improve your vegetable garden by sowing a cover crop such as winter rye within the next month. It will be four or five inches high before winter comes and can be plowed or spaded in early next spring to add organic matter to the soil.

· Begin harvesting winter squash and pumpkins in late September and early October, usually after a light frost. The rinds should be tough enough so that you can't puncture with a thumbnail. Harvest with about an inch of stem to help them keep better. Wash gently and store in dark, cool spot.

Fruit

· Apples that will be stored should be picked before fully ripened.

· Everbearing raspberries should be providing their fall crop about now. Check the plants daily so you can harvest the berries before bugs get to them. Either eat the berries fresh or freeze them in freezer bags. When the harvest is finished, prune the canes to the ground and destroy the prunings to avoid virus problems.

Shrubs and Trees

· Mid-September through mid-October is a great time to plant or transplant trees and shrubs since they will have up to two months to settle in and spread their roots before they go dormant.

· Don't be alarmed if your evergreens, particularly pines and arborvitae, begin dropping older needles. It's normal for inner, older needles to turn yellow or brown and then drop off, leaving newer, green growth on the outside ends of branches.

· Young trees should be staked to prevent the roots from being pulled by fall and winter winds.

· As the weather cools, begin watering established trees and shrubs less often, giving them time to harden off for winter, but continue to water evergreens until the ground freezes hard. Evergreens continue to lose moisture through their needles throughout winter and must have adequate water in their root zones to avoid winter burn or desiccated needles.

Miscellaneous Garden Chores

· Dig compost, rotted sawdust, manure and other organic matter into the soil. Fairly warm temperatures this month will give these additions a chance to begin breaking down before the ground freezes.

· Fall is a great time to start a compost pile. Select a place in a somewhat sunny area. Put your garden waste on the pile, shredding the larger stuff if possible, and layer it with soil. Sprinkle to keep it moist.

· Now is a good time to evaluate the success of this year's garden. Make notes that will help you improve your garden next spring.

· Even if your first frost is still only a dream, get blankets, boxes, and cloches ready just in case the temperature suddenly drops below 35°F. Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are easily harmed at low temperatures, even if it doesn't drop below freezing.

· Keep on top of the weeding even though the season is coming to a close. Weeding now prevents fewer problems next season.

· Bring in houseplants that have summered outdoors. Don't wait until the last minute before a frost is predicted to madly scramble about protecting plants. Check houseplants carefully for insects and spray them with horticultural oil before bringing them in.

· Leave Christmas cactus outdoors until the night temperatures drop to 40°F. The cooler weather causes the plants to develop flower buds. As soon as the temperatures drop below 40°F, move it indoors to a cool, bright spot. Keep it watered, but don't bring it into a warm room until after it blooms to prevent flower bud drop.

· Poinsettias saved from last year can reflower for this year's holiday by placing them in total uninterrupted darkness for 15 hours a day, starting the last week of September and continuing through Thanksgiving. Do NOT leave the plants in darkness all day!

Plant some hyacinth bulbs now and they will be ready for Christmas.