Brenda's Notes:

We have a full schedule for this Spring. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated by me and you receive Service hours for your time!

April 2^nd 4-H Club Gardening at 6:30 pm. Monday night -35 kids.

April 13^th- 9am to 2 pm. Kindergarten Conservation Day- Scavenger hunt at wetland and prairie walk finding caterpillars and /or spiders/fake

April 15^th Butterfly Gardening for 4-H club.

April 16^th Seed 1:30 P.M. and Plant 2:15 pm program at Edgewood school- Needs assistance- kids planting and passing around samples.

April 17^th- Telenet on Diseases of Perennials 1pm.

April 18^th- Telenet on Aquatic Weeds i.d. at 1:30.

May 1^st-Telenet on Culinary Herbs-1pm.

May 15^th telenet on Tropical Plants-1pm.

June 2^nd_Women in the Outdoors-Dividing Perennials at 8:30 am and Container Gardening at 1:30 pm.–Ballard Nature Center.

June 5^th- Roses program at Sacred Heart- Brenda and Rita

July 12,19, 26^th- CSI Mystery Camps 9am to 3pm Need Assistance.

July 17^th Telenet on Landscape Maintenance-1pm.

July 31^st- Telenet on Rain Gardens-1pm.

Any Time-Office Help

Jr. Master Gardeners–Nursing Home Planning & Planting

April 28th-Plant Sale Brenda Roedl

Natural Resources & Master Gardener

- Brenda Roedl

University of Illinois Extension

Master Gardener Meeting

Effingham County

February 20^th, 2007

Purnima Shah, President, called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M. Members present included Betty Boos, Normalie Strickland, Joan Fitzwilliam, Purnima, Brenda Roedl, and Rita Kemme. The meeting was moved from the 2^nd to the 3^rd Tuesday due to snow and ice on the 13^th.

Minutes

The minutes of the January meeting were reviewed. Normalie moved and Joan seconded to approve the minutes as read. Motion carried.

Financial Report

No change in the report.

Old Business

Authors are always appreciated. Brenda reported that the Teutopolis Press would be running some of our articles. She will make a CD of the 2005 and the 2006 articles and take to them and Rita will start emailing this years articles to the press as well as to the Eff. Daily News.

Brenda's Notes

Cross Money: Monies, a little over $400.00 needs to be spent by the first of April. This is the remaining money from the grant from Trees Forever. Suggestions given were grasses, (Joan will find out about a nursery in Paris), perennial hibiscus, butterfly bush, mock orange, weigelia, quince, and hummingbird vines. Also talked about were seed bearing shrubs and to place bluebird houses in the vicinity. Landscaping the other side of the door on the south side of building was also mentioned.

Jr. Master Gardeners: Lakeland is interested in adding flowers to the areas around the building and still wants an enabling garden.

March Projects: March 1^st will see Brenda and Rita at the church hall in Bishop with a presentation on the Cross Project, for the Deanery Meeting of the CCW.

Other: The. meeting snowed out in Feb. for the Sacred Heart CCW has been moved to June 5^th. Brenda and Rita to do a PPT presentation on Roses. Also coming in June is the Women in the Outdoors.

Brenda gave a demonstration on the differing garden tools and supplies that are available and the benefits of wearing rubberized gloves and knee pads to make gardening easier. An assortment of herbs seeds available was also explained, as well as other ideas on gardening. The demonstrated items were raffled to the membership, with Kitty Simmons winning the bucket containing the items.

New Business

Election of Officers: Will take place in March.

New Email: Joan Fitzwilliam has a new email. It is tjfitz@fbconnectu.net

Adjournment

Normalie moved for the meeting to be adjourned and Joan seconded. Meeting adjourned at 8:35 P.M. Next Meeting will be March 13^th, 2007.

Submitted by: Rita Kemme, secretary.

- Rita Kemme

Set Up: April 27th –All Day til 6 PM

(If you need to come before 8 AM call Brenda)

Date: April 28th

Time: 7 AM-Sold Out

Be Here by 6:30 AM if possible

Get those plants separated, plant those seeds, take cuttings to start rooting or dig it up and repot those plants to make ready for the plant sale!

If you need help digging or carrying please call Brenda at 217-347-7773. There are several master gardeners who are willing to help in any way.

All plants will be taken-vegetable, ornamental, flowering, trees, herbs, grasses, perennials, annuals, vines, cactus, succulents, tropical, fruit-you got it, we will take it! Last year we had a banana tree!!!!!

- Brenda Roedl

Spring is just around the corner, and many gardeners can't wait to start planting vegetables. How early you can plant depends on the last freeze date for your area and the cold hardiness of the vegetable. For southern Illinois gardeners, the time to plant the early-season vegetables is fast approaching.

Vegetables are usually classified into two groups to help distinguish when they can be safely planted.

The first group is the cool season crops, which includes the very hardy and frost-tolerant vegetables. Very hardy vegetables withstand freezing temperatures and hard frost without injury, making them the first to be planted in the garden. As soon as the ground can be worked, these vegetables can be planted four to six weeks before the average frost-free date, which is around April 15 to May 1 in Southern Illinois. Examples include leaf lettuce, spinach, andturnip.

The second group is the warm-season vegetables, which include the frost-tolerant (semi-hardy) vegetables are planted next. These vegetables can withstand light frost and can be planted two to three weeks before the average frost-free date in the area. Examples include carrot, chard, and radish.

Next comes the tender and warm-loving vegetables. Tender vegetables need to be planted after the frost-free date in the area. They can be injured or killed when exposed to freezing temperatures, and their seeds do not germinate well in cool soil temperatures. Tender vegetables can also show signs of injury with cool temperatures.

Tomatoes, for example, will show signs of chilling injury with temperatures between 32 and 54 degrees. The warm-loving vegetables, like sweet potato, pumpkin and watermelon, are even less tolerant of cool temperatures. These crops require warm soil temperatures for good growth and development and are the most tolerant of high summer temperatures.

One potentially difficult challenge for a gardener is dealing with a shady area. As a reference point, the definition of "partial shade" is that the plant receives no more than a few hours of dappled shade with no direct sunlight. "Shade" means the complete absence of direct sunlight.

One obvious choice for shade areas is Hosta (Hosta spp.). They come in a variety of colors and sizes. However, there are other species that can also be used. As you get questions from clients, offer these suggestions for a perennial shade garden.

Common Bugle Weed (Ajuga reptans) is a tough European plant that grows 3 to 6 inches in height with an indefinite spread. In other words, it can be aggressive. Do not plant it next to a lawn, unless you want it to mix with the grass. Flowers are typically violet blue and occur in late spring. Some cultivars have foliage that is variegated with bronze-red to reddish-pink-white markings. The less sun it receives, the more green the leaves will be. Common bugle weed prefers moist soils but manages in dry locations. It really prefers full sun but does quite well in partial to full shade.

Astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii), from the Orient, is a mainstay for shade gardens. Flowers occur in late spring to mid-summer. Colors come in tones of pink, lavender, red, and white. Depending upon the cultivar, the mature height may range from 1 to 4 feet with a spread of 1 to 2 feet. It prefers moist soil and partial to full shade for best growth.

Goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus) has creamy white flowers that visually pop in the shade. They are born in late spring and last until early summer. Goat's beard is a native plant that prefers full shade in the lower Midwest. It resembles astilbe. However, it is much larger and may be mistaken for a shrub. It grows 4 to 6 feet in height with a spread of 2 to 4 feet. Goat's beard requires consistently moist soil conditions.

Bleeding heart (Dicentra exima) is a native plant with bluish-green foliage that somewhat resembles a fern. It has heart-shaped flowers that are pink to purplish-red. The inner petals protrude and give the appearance of a drop of blood at the bottom of each flower, thus the common name. The blooms occur in summer, and under ideal conditions, can continue until fall. The plant grows 12 to 18 inches in height with a similar spread.

It requires partial shade and consistently moist soils that are not overly wet. Be aware that Japanese bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis), which is not native, is a related species that goes dormant in the summer.

Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.) is a genus of plants that are native to Europe and Asia. The flowers are small and occur in mid-spring. Depending upon the species or cultivar, they are typically white, pink, or red. Mature height will vary from 6 to 16 inches with a similar spread. Barrenwort prefers partial to full shade and evenly moist soil. However, it will tolerate dry sites. Some species' leaves attain red fall color.

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are true harbingers of spring. Buds and the emerging funnel-shaped flowers are pink before turning bluish-lavender early in the season. The one disappointment is that by mid-summer, the foliage has turned yellow and died as the plant goes dormant. Plant this native among other plants that require the same conditions. It grows 12 to

18 inches in height with a spread of 12 inches. Virginia bluebells require moist, well-drained soils and partial to full shade.

Bethlehem sage (Pulmonaria saccharata) has fuzzy foliage that has attractive white or silver spots, depending upon the cultivar. In early spring, this

European native has pink flower buds that open into pink flowers before turning blue. The plant's mature height is 12 to 18 inches with a similar spread. Bethlehem sage requires partial to full shade and well-drained soils that are rich in organic matter.

As you work with clients in your county, help them explore the possibilities of a shade garden. Granted, the number of plants that can be grown in a shady area is fewer than in a sunny area. But with careful selection and a little planning, a shade garden can rival a sunny border.

Every year, Extension offices get questions from clients about pond weeds, and algae is one of those weeds people ask about a lot. Spring is the ideal time to control algae, that greenish, slimy stuff that becomes problematic for pond owners. The key to effective control is to start early in the year, preferably in early April, while the water is cool and the algae is growing slowly.

The safest herbicides are copper-containing products like copper sulfate or copper chelates.

Applied in April, these products provide good control with little danger to the fish, and there are few restrictions on using the pond. The water can still be used for drinking, fishing, and swimming. Just remind clients to carefully read and follow all label directions on the herbicide.

Another product that can be used is a dye. The product is known by various labels but is normally a dark blue solution. When the dye is added to the pond, it changes the color of the water to a bright blue. This process does two things–it reduces the light penetrating the water, and it reduces the plants' ability to grow. The result is less algae and submerged plant growth.

Pond owners need to use the dye product in April before the water temperature gets above 60 degrees. The warmer the temperature, the faster the plant kill. If weed control is done later in the season with warmer temperatures and more weeds, the decomposing weeds in the pond may remove too much oxygen from the water, causing a fish kill if aeration isn't provided. That's why it is important to start early in the season while there are few weeds and the water is cool.

Be sure to explain to clients that is not necessary to control all the weeds in a pond. Some vegetation in a pond is beneficial because it provides cover for the young fish, adds oxygen to the water, and is a food source for fish and other organisms that fish will eat. But when there is too much vegetation, it can interfere with other uses of the pond. The goal is to keep weeds under control but still leave some vegetation for the fish. Advise clients to properly identify the problem and then select an appropriate control measure.

Are your ornamental grasses flopping over? Is the center of the plant dying? Or, has one of your grasses outgrown its space?

These are signs that ornamental grasses need to be

rejuvenated. Dividing is a method of re-establishing a

smaller grass clump that will stand. Dividing grasses is also an opportunity to relocate or transplant them in the garden. The best time to divide an ornamental grass is during the spring, just before or at the onset of growth.

Dividing is an easy process. Start by digging up the grass clump. In some situations, these clumps may be quite large. Next, take a spade and divide the clump in half. Larger clumps can be divided into several smaller clumps. Then, replant these clumps at the same depth they were dug.

The ideal time to seed a lawn in southern Illinois is in the late fall. But if you decide to establish a lawn in the spring, March is normally the best month.

The greatest threat to a spring- seeded lawn is the increased weed competition, so a good weed control program is important for success.

Be sure to read the product label on any pre-emergent herbicide that is used on a newly-seeded lawn. Most products have restrictions on how soon after grass emergence they can be applied.

Tupersan (Siduron) is the only pre-emergent control for annual grasses that can be applied to a newly-seeded lawn. Once the grass plants in the lawn are well established, any pre-emergence herbicide will work.

Broadleaf weed control should not be applied until the lawn has been mowed at least three times. Fertilizer can be applied when the new seedlings have reached a height of 2 inches. Apply ½ pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn area. Then, thoroughly water the lawn after fertilizing.

A newly-seeded lawn should be mowed when the foliage has grown about 50 percent higher than the desired grass height. The height that a lawn is mowed affects the rate of weed invasion and the lawn's ability to recover from insects, diseases, and stress such as drought. The higher the lawn is cut, the deeper the root system develops in the plants. The recommended cutting height for cool-season grasses like tall fescue or bluegrass is between 2 and 3 inches.

If you notice rusty-brown patches of dead grass showing up in your lawn, you may have an infestation of crabgrass–though the dead grass is from last year. Crabgrass is an annual weed that germinates during late spring and summer and dies with the first frost. Plants do not overwinter.

From a distance, crabgrass blends into your lawn during the summer. Upon close inspection, it can be identified by its wide leaf blade and light green color. During the summer, this low-growing weed will have a seed spike that looks like a turkey foot. The seeds turn a lovely maroon color with cool temperatures. Freezing temperatures kill this pesky weed, leaving you with splotches of brown throughout the green lawn.

Pre-emergence weed killers for crabgrass control are applied to lawns in the early spring. The herbicide forms a chemical barrier or blanket at the soil surface, which prevents the seeds that have absorbed the weed killer from emerging.

Crabgrass control needs to be specifically timed. The annual seeds don't germinate unless the soil temperature is around 60 degrees for 7 to 10 consecutive days.

In southern Illinois, this usually occurs sometime between March 15 and April 1.

This is the time to apply the first crabgrass application. Look for a "pre-emergent" crabgrass weed killer that contains no fertilizer. The reason is that fertilizer stimulates green shoot growth at the expense of root growth. At this time of year, we want to promote root development so that we get a vigorous, dense competitive turf, which helps prevent crabgrass infestation.

Most crabgrass preventers have residuals of six weeks, so another application in mid-May can help control the late-germinating crabgrasses, as well as other weed seeds. A fertilizer application can occur at this time. When shopping for lawn care products, you'll probably see pre-packaged "step" programs. While these programs can be beneficial, remember that they are based on the "average" lawn. Each lawn is different, and a packaged program might not be the best bet for your lawn. For example, if you don't have dandelions or grubs, why apply those products? In fact, U of I Extension experts suggest that early September is the best time to apply fertilizer and broadleaf weed killers–not spring.

For more information on lawn care, contact your local U of I Extension office for the free fact sheet, Spring Lawn Care. Or, download it from Extension's You and Your Family website, http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/regions/SIfamily. Click on Tip of the Month in the Around the House section.

- David Robson, horticulture educator

The bright colors and fanciful flight of butterflies make them a joy to watch. To attract butterflies to your garden, you have to provide the environment they need.

Place several flat rocks in your garden. Butterflies are cold-blooded and need to warm up in the morning before active flight. The rocks will provide a basking site. Since they are most active in sunlight, a garden that receives a minimum of 5 to 6 hours of sunshine is recommended.

Shelter is a necessity so that they don't have to fight windy conditions. Planting a garden next to a fence, house, shrubs, trees, or other structures provides a windbreak.

Butterflies also need water. Researchers currently believe that male butterflies, in particular, acquire minerals that have leached into water from surrounding soil. Provide a small wet or muddy area in the garden for them to drink.

Butterflies are insects. Many chemicals may harm them and their larvae, even those products that are organic in nature. Keep the garden environment free, or as free as possible, from insecticides.

And last but not least, provide food for the butterflies. Adult butterflies must have access to nectar, which is their food source. Furthermore, if you want butterflies to remain in your garden, provide host plants for the female butterfly to lay eggs on. These host plants will become the food source for the larvae.

Adult butterflies actively search for nectar, and flowers that have vibrant colors are highly attractive to them. Plants with red, yellow, orange, pink, or purple flowers are ideal. Butterflies also prefer blooms that are relatively flat-topped and that have short flower tubes. Butterflies are near-sighted so plant masses or small groupings of the same plant species together to make it easier for them to see.

Different species of butterflies have differing preferences for nectar. So, plant a diverse number of species to encourage a diverse range of butterflies.There are many plants that attract butterflies and support their larvae. Here are just a few suggestions.

Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii, also Buddleja) truly lives up to its name and is a butterfly magnet. Flower colors come in shades of blue, purple, and white. It is a sub-shrub, which means its stems will be woody. But, treat it like a perennial and cut back to within a few inches of the ground every spring. This plant can bloom all summer, especially if spent blooms are removed. Its mature height is 6 to 8 feet.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is another terrific plant. It is a perennial with flowers that are typically orange. In addition to attracting butterflies, it is a food source for some species of butterfly larvae. Its mature height is 3 feet.

Beebalm (Monarda didyma) is a perennial that has red flowers that resemble a mop head. As the name implies, it attracts both bees and butterflies. Mature height ranges from 2 to 4 feet.

Sedum (Sedum spectabile), also known as (Hylotelephium spectabile), is a favorite of monarch butterflies in the garden; they literally swarm to these plants in late summer. This perennial grows to approximately 2 feet in height.

Spider flower (Cleome hassleriana) is an annual that, despite its name, is a favorite of butterflies. It grows 3 to 6 feet in height and will reseed itself. Flower colors come in pink, purple, or white.

Zinnia (Zinnia elegans) is an old garden favorite. Its flowers come in red, orange, yellow, pink, rose, lavender, green and white. Plant height can be 6 inches to 4 feet, but the norm is 1 to 3 feet.

- Tony Kahtz, University of Illinois/Land of Lincoln AmeriCorps

This year, vegetable growers have a new resource for troubleshooting problems in the garden. The new U of I Extension website, Common Problems for Vegetable Crops, helps you stay on top of insect and disease problems. The site is located at:

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/vegproblems/.

Available in both English and Spanish, the new site is organized in an easy-to-use fashion, and the information is research-based. To find the answers you need, you can browse by problem or by vegetable.

By problem, the website features groups on common insect problems, common disease problems, and other problems.

Browsing by vegetable, you can pick common insect and common disease problems under each vegetable species, ranging from asparagus to tomato.

Visit the site today and bookmark it in your web browser for easy access throughout the upcoming growing season.

- Elizabeth Wahle, horticulture specialist

Q. Last summer my pumpkin plants were destroyed by squash bugs within one to two week's time.There were hundreds of bugs on each hill, and foliage-applied insecticide did not save the plants. What are the best control methods for squash bugs?Is there an insecticide that can be applied to the soil at planting?I have a private pesticide license, so I can use restricted-use pesticides if that is the best approach.

A. Elizabeth Wahle, U of I Extension horticulture specialist, says that squash bugs have always been difficult to control, seeming to have a natural (not acquired) resistance to most insecticides.Of the few labeled insecticides that have activity against squash bugs, those that contain the active ingredient bifenthrin (Capture, Discipline) are the most effective.

You must treat when the first eggs begin to hatch (around June 15 to July 15) if infestations exceed 1 to 1.5 egg masses on average per plant.Treat when squash bugs nymphs are young because registered insecticides are not effective against older nymphs or adults–you have to control them immediately after hatch. Regular scouting for egg masses, followed by detection of early egg hatch, will be the key to insecticide effectiveness.

Esfenvalerate (Asana) and permethrin (Pounce and numerous others) are also labeled, but not as effective as bifenthrin.

.Q. Is there anything we can do to save a sunset maple that has had its bark peeled most of the way around the trunk from a deer scraping it?I used a tree wrap to cover the exposed area for the winter but have been told it is not a good idea to leave it on in the summer months. I will appreciate any advice you can offer as I really want to save this tree.

A. Martha Smith, our U of I Extension horticulture educator, offers these thoughts. It sounds like the rubbing may have girdled the tree... bark has been removed completely around the trunk. This severs the connection of the flow of water and nutrients between roots and crown. Without seeing the damage, I don't know how wide an area has been damaged nor how deep. The damage is not the exposure to the winter elements but the fact that the vascular system is no longer connected.Time will tell how the tree will respond. This spring, remove any loose, dried bark. Do so by carefully cutting or chiseling back to where the bark is attached.Loose bark provides a great environment for pests.This is the same for any wrap or covering around the trunk–protected moist areas under wrapping will invite insects and fungus.Help the tree avoid further stress by providing water in times of drought. In the future, place a sturdy wire cage around the tree trunk to protect from winter rubbing. Leave a space between the cage and the trunk.