Fall Grassy Weed Control

Many grassy weeds thrived on all the rain this year. Crabgrass, foxtail, goosegrass and quackgrass are several of the problem species popping up in lawns and gardens.

Grassy weeds are difficult to control. Most are aggressive and smother desirable grass species in the lawn. In garden areas, weeds seem to grow to large lengths overnight.

No chemical on the market satisfactorily controls the weeds without damaging the grass. Hand pulling and regular mowing seem to be the only options to limit seed production.

Crabgrass is the most common grassy lawn weed. Its large leaf and aggressive nature prevents bluegrass from growing adequately. Seeds germinate throughout the spring and early summer. Crabgrass is often called watergrass.

Seed heads form in late August and resemble a chicken's foot. Crabgrass's initial growth is upright, but mowing it causes the plant to grow horizontally. When the plant starts to flower, the first flower spikes are upright until they are mowed. Then, the plant responds by producing seed heads practically at mower level. Frequent mowing can limit next year's crop, but not completely.

Goosegrass tends to be prostrate with a grayish-green color and an obvious open whitish center.

Foxtails are more difficult to identify. Flower stalks are usually erect and subject to mowing off. Leaf blades are as wide as or wider than crabgrass.

Quackgrass is sometimes given the name joint grass since the plant produces runners that root frequently, increasing a problem in the turf.

With the exception of quackgrass, the other grassy weeds are classified as annuals. Cooler temperatures will kill most of them, but not before they produce seeds for next year's crop. You'll see patches of dead turf scattered throughout the yard.

In garden areas, hoeing and tilling are options to remove weeds. Avoid hoeing or tilling deep; most grass roots are shallow. Deep soil cultivation may damage the roots of vegetables and flowers, increasing the chances of late diseases.

Remove the weeds to the compost pile. Quackgrass can root after removal and actually increase your problem.

Grassy lawn weeds may need to be spot treated with a non-selective herbicide such as glyphosate (Round-Up or Kleen-Up). Careful application of the chemical can limit damage to desirable turf. However, expect some damage to occur, adds Robson. There are some selective herbicides for annual grasses, but they are influenced by high temperatures and humidity. Don't forget about hand weeding. This may be an acceptable method for limited weed infestations.

You can make a herbicide applicator by tying or taping a sponge or cotton washcloth to the end of a mop or broom handle. Dip the sponge or cloth in the pre-mixed chemical solution and run it across the weeds. Avoid dripping the chemical on desired species.

An old wringer/roller mop will also work. Make sure the chemical bucket is large enough to handle the mop or applicator without spilling.

Read and follow all label directions when mixing and using the chemical.

Grass seed can be sown approximately two weeks after a glyphosate treatment. New grass seed should be sown as soon as possible after September 1 to allow for quick establishment and development before winter.

For more helpful tips, download our Fall Lawn Care Guide at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/regions/hort.

- David Robson

September doesn't seem like the time to be thinking about your spring garden, but when it comes to hardy spring-blooming bulbs, fall is the right time. We purchase and plant tulips, daffodils, crocus and many other bulbs as the days get shorter and our night temperatures start to dip into the 50s. For Illinois, this is usually about mid-October.

When you buy a spring-blooming bulb in the fall, it is basically dormant. There are internal activities going on, but the bulb seems to not be growing. When we plant the bulb, it begins to grow, developing roots and elongating its flower stalk. This stage is important to prepare the bulb for its spring debut. The bulb senses colder temperatures and stops growing. For spring-blooming bulbs to flower correctly, they need a cold resting period called vernalization. For spring bulbs in Illinois, this is called winter. Each variety has its own internal time clock regarding how long it needs to be in this cold resting state. Early blooming bulbs have a shorter time period than late spring-blooming bulbs.

When selecting bulbs, pay attention to flowering times and where you will be planting them in your garden. Combine early-, mid-, and late-blooming bulbs for a fantastic display from early March through late May. Select a site that does not hold water or stay wet at any time during the year.

Bulbs are modified underground storage organs. What they store is primarily food needed to support the above-ground plant until it can produce its own through photosynthesis. Once the above-ground portion starts to die down, food is being sent back to the bulb to reform for next year.

Think of an onion in your pantry… that is a type of bulb. If it gets too wet, it will rot. If your bulbs are in a low-lying area where snow melt drains, they will rot.

Do these bulbs need full sun or partial shade? Plant according to sun requirements.

Smith says to plant bulbs two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall. For most tulips and daffodils, plant them 6 to 8 inches deep, measuring from the bottom of the bulb to the soil surface. Phosphorous is needed to encourage root development and moves very little in the soil. Mix the recommended amount of phosphorous in the soil below where you will place the bulb. Read and follow product quantity instructions. Dig your planting hole or area, spread phosphorous, and stir into the soil. Place bulbs and follow with 5 tablespoons of 10-10-10 soluble fertilizer mixed into the soil that will be placed over the bulb. When soil temperatures warm in the spring, the bulbs will start to grow.

For more tips and ideas, download our flowering bulb fact sheets at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/regions/hort.

- Martha Smith

These flowering plants are extremely popular today. The color diversity is exceptional, from bright yellow to dark red; there is a color for everyone. It is said there are over 50,000 different cultivars to pick from.

Daylilies do well in full sun. They will tolerate light shade but one gives up some bloom. They will survive in heavy soil but they do not like wet soils. The really great thing about this plant is its long season bloom. With a selection of different cultivars one can enjoy color starting in early spring lasting until fall.

Daylilies are perennial. This means they will come back year after year. Most daylilies get their name from their bloom lasting a single day.

Daylilies can be planted anytime. Most gardeners plant them in spring, but I like to plant them after flowering. This is due to the color of the flower being easily identified. One might be confused in the spring without good records.

Daylilies can be divided every four years in most cases. The division should have two to three stems with roots intact. One should cut the foliage back to six inches. Cover the crown with about one inch of soil and water thoroughly.

Mulch helps to control weeds around plants. There is little insect pest control necessary for these plants.

A complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10 will help maintain their vigor. There is some debate on if seed pods and spent flower heads should be removed. I suggest it because the plants just look better and more flowers should be produced next year.

So if your landscape needs some color and a relatively easy growing plant, then maybe a clump of daylilies is for you.

- Ed Billingsley

Garden produce is ripe and ready for picking. Green beans that are young, tender and firm can be ready for the table or for canning at home fairly quickly.

Using the proper canning equipment and methods will help ensure that home canned green beans are safe for later use. Green beans are a low acid food and must be processed in a pressure canner. The temperatures reached in a boiling water bath canner are not high enough to destroy the dangerous botulism spores, so using is a pressure canner is the only safe method to can green beans.

To prepare green beans for safe home canning, you should follow these steps recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture's National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP).

The best product will result when you preserve the beans fresh from the garden—in other words, process them as soon after picking as possible. Start by washing the beans several times. Sort through them, and discard any diseased or rusty bean pods. Trim off the ends, and cut or snap the beans into 1-inch pieces.

If you plan to hot-pack the beans, place them in a pan and cover them with boiling water; boil for 5 minutes. Pack the hot beans loosely in the jars leaving 1-inch of head space. Canning salt may be added to the jars at this point—1/2 teaspoon for pints, and 1 teaspoon for quarts. You may use less canning salt to reduce the sodium content. Add boiling water to the jars of beans to within 1 inch of the top of the jars.

If you prefer to raw-pack beans, fill the jars tightly with raw beans leaving the 1-inch headspace. Add canning salt if desired, and then add boiling water leaving 1-inch of headspace at the top of the jars. Standing the beans on end for a vertical pack is not recommended because the beans may be packed too tightly in the jars for the heat to penetrate them.

Use a clean paper towel to wipe the jar rims clean, and then place the pretreated lids on the jars so that the sealing compound is in contact with the glass rims. Screw the metal bands on finger-tight; do not force them onto the jars.

In Illinois, pints of green beans (either hot or raw packed) should be processed at 11 pounds pressure in a dial-gauge canner for 20 minutes; quarts should be processed for 2 minutes. In a weighted gauge canner, process at 10 pounds pressure for the same amount of time. At the end of the processing time, let the pressure drop to 0, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock, then wait 10 minutes longer. Unfasten the lid, and remove it carefully.

The jars should then be taken out of the canner and placed on layers of cloth towels or a cooling rack away from any drafts or air movement. After cooling for 24 hours, check to make sure the jars have sealed. If you have jars of beans that have failed to seal, you may refrigerate them and use them within a few days, freeze them or reprocess them immediately in a pressure canner using the same directions as before.

Under no circumstances should beans or any other foods be processed in an oven or microwave oven. These methods will not produce a safe product.

If you have questions about home food preservation, contact Bev Long or Cindy Kinate at your local University of Illinois Extension office at 815/842-1776 or go to the NCHFP website at www.homefoodpreservation.com.

- Shirley Camp

At the peak of the season when fresh produce is abundant, it is difficult to think about planting more crops. However, the supply will dwindle, and late July through September is the time to extend the vegetable growing season by planting a fall garden.

This planting will add more vegetables to your supply and make use of the full growing season. The fall garden requires less time and labor because the soil was already worked up in the spring. Many vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, are of higher quality when grown in the fall rather than during the mid-summer. Some vegetables, such as kale and Swiss chard, develop a better flavor after a frost, but they should be planted now.

Remove all previous crop residues before seeding fall vegetables. As in spring planting, till the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches and incorporate 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of all-purpose dry garden fertilizer (12-12-12, for example) per 100 square feet.

Plant the seed according to directions on the seed packets. A good rule to follow is to plant the seed about four times its diameter. Keep the soil evenly moist until the seedlings are up and growing; the upper two inches of soil must be moist at all times to ensure germination. This is particularly important because the soil dries quickly.

One easy way to hold moisture is to place a board over the row until the seedlings start to emerge. Once they start to break through the soil, remove the board promptly. The seedlings should be protected from the sun until they are well established. Boxes placed over the plants or boards placed alongside the rows will provide temporary shade.

Transplants should be planted slightly deeper than they were growing in the container. Firm the soil around each plant and water thoroughly with a starter solution. Prepare by mixing 2 tablespoons of a soluble, high phosphorus fertilizer in 1 gallon of water and apply to the plants.

Cabbage can be directly seeded in the garden. Since transplants of broccoli and cauliflower usually are not readily available in midsummer, they should be started 6 to 8 weeks before planting time.

The suggested planting dates for a number of fall vegetable crops for central Illinois are July 24 to August 5 for beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, endive, snap beans and summer squash. For Cos lettuce, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, mustard, turnip and winter radish, plant August 15 to 24. Leaf lettuce, mustard, spinach, spring radish can be seeded from mid-August to mid-September. The rest of the fall gardening program is standard procedure. Watering and weed control are the order of the day until harvest or frost.

Gardeners that do not want to plant fall crops can improve garden soils and reduce problems next year by cleaning up all debris including weeds and removing them from the site. Then sow rye, wheat or annual ryegrass for a winter cover crop. These crops generally smother out weeds while increasing the organic matter content of the soil with roots and top growth.

- David Robson

Depending on where you live in Illinois, late summer and fall lawn care will differ. Areas receiving plenty of water during the season will have less lawn recovery issues than those parts of the state that have experienced periods of dry weather during June and July and into August.

It is a good time to do a weed inventory and determine your best management strategy. Are your main weeds annuals which will die with the first frosts or has your lawn been invaded by the germination and growth of perennial weeds like dandelions? Areas that have had considerable annual crabgrass will need to be reseeded to help cover the ground that was previously home to the annuals. You may need to modify the soil to encourage good seedling establishment or if your soil is in good shape, just top dress and then reseed. If annuals is the main problem, you have a "do over" as you have the opportunity to try again next spring to keep them from invading your lawn. You will still need to repair any damage caused by the annual this fall. If you don't, you leave that open area for more annuals to sprout spring.

If your weed inventory reveals lots of seedling broadleaf weeds like dandelions and plantains that have grown throughout the season, be sure you control them yet this fall, eliminating them now and lessening the need for a spring dandelion treatment, when our vegetables and flowers are more prone to damage.

A good indicator for compacted soils is knotweed. This is a common condition along the driveway apron where the car tire runs just off the driveway as you pull in or back out. You will have to relieve that soil compaction for your lawn to grow into that area and keep the weeds from reestablishing after the weed control treatment. We are not going to stop driving, yet we can be sure to pull ahead a little more before turning in or backing out a little farther before turning the wheel as we leave the driveway.

If your lawn suffered through a dry period and went dormant, it will take about two weeks once you start to water or cooler, wetter weather returns before the lawn will start to green up. During those dry periods, some of the grass may have actually died. Those thin spots will need to be top dressed and reseeded to establish a think lawn again that will resist weed establishment. Lawn disease is another possibility this summer. The weather has promoted lawn diseases longer than normal and has resulted in lawns having been thinned out. When you are over seeding or reseeding be sure to use the newer improved grasses for your area that have that disease resistance already built in to their DNA. Buy a blend of several grasses over a single variety. This will provide a better chance of always having a green lawn without a disease outbreak. Over time those hybrid varieties will continue to spread and establish in your lawn as the weaker grasses die from leaf diseases. Besides the weather, mowing too short, under or overwatering can also promote lawn diseases.

You also may have had grub damage in your lawn this summer. Check for grubs and only treat if necessary. Treat for white grubs in the late spring or early summer, eliminating them from causing damage during August and September. A word of caution here: Earthworms eat and digest organic matter and are present in your lawn. Repeated use of soil insecticides will also kill earthworms.

How you treat and manage your lawn this fall will be reflected in how well it overwinters and how good it looks next spring.

- Richard Hentschel

Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables eaten by Americans, and they are the most widely home-canned prod­uct in the U.S. Canning recommendations have changed over the past few years, so get the most recent guidelines by calling your local University of Illinois Extension office at 815/842-1776

There are thousands of tomato varieties. The most common varieties fall into three groups: cherry, plum or paste, and slicing tomatoes. Canning whole cherry or grape tomatoes is not advised. Plum tomatoes are best for making sauce, ketchup, purees and salsas. Slicing varieties are good choices for making juice as well as crushed and whole tomato products.

When canning, select only disease-free, preferably vine-ripened, firm fruit. Do not can tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines. For best results, process tomatoes within 2 to 3 hours after harvest or purchasing.

To ensure safe acidity in whole, crushed or juiced tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or 1⁄2 teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice or 1⁄4 teaspoon of citric acid. After opening, you can add sugar to offset acidic taste, if desired.

Canning Whole or Halved Tomatoes Packed in Water

Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Then dip in cold water, slip off skins, and remove cores. Leave whole or halve. Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to jars.

• Hot pack: Place prepared tomatoes in saucepan and cover with water. Bring tomatoes to a boil in water and boil gently for 5 minutes. Fill jars with hot tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart if desired, and add enough hot cooking water to cover tomatoes, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a Boiling Water Bath Canner: pints 40 minutes, and quarts 45 minutes.

• Raw pack: Fill jars with raw, peeled tomatoes, add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart, and add hot water to cover tomatoes, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process. Process in a boiling water bath canner, pints 40 minutes and quarts 45 minutes.

Canning Crushed Tomatoes

Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Then, dip in cold water, slip off skins and remove cores. Trim off any bruised or discolored portions and quarter.

Heat quarters quickly in a large pot, stirring to prevent burning. Boil gently for 5 minutes. Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to jars. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart, if desired. Fill jars immediately with quartered hot tomatoes, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace.

Adjust lids and process jars in a boiling water bath canner, pints or quarts for 85 minutes. To save time, you can process in a dial-gauge pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure (weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds) for 25 minutes.

This time of year, duckweed and watermeal can be found on farm ponds. These free-floating plants can completely cover a pond. If this occurs for several summers, fishing quality may eventually be reduced.

Duckweed plants are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. Each plant will have a single hair-like root. Watermeal is smaller than duckweed and looks like tiny green seeds.

These plants are found in nutrient-rich ponds and can be spread from one pond to another by humans and by ducks or geese. During the fall, the weeds lose their buoyancy and settle to the bottom of the pond. Then the following spring, when photosynthesis begins, they regain buoyancy and float back to the surface.

Non-chemical control of these two plants has limited effectiveness. Reducing the nutrients flowing into the pond helps but does not usually eliminate the plants. Mechanical skimmers will physically remove the plants, but the plants must be moved far enough away to prevent them from washing back into the pond.

Chemical control can be effective if the right products are used. Diquat, a contact herbicide, can be effective on duckweed but is generally not effective on watermeal. Diquat should be used as soon as the plants are seen. Several treatments may be needed during the growing season.

Fluridone is also effective on duckweed. Split treatments, about two weeks apart, are usually required. Fluridone is not a contact herbicide; if there is a heavy rain within 30 days, effectiveness may be diminished. It may also take some time to see results. Fluridone is generally effective on watermeal, but it is critical that the chemical be applied according to label directions.

Both products can be purchased through local farm chemical suppliers. If used properly, these products will not harm fish or fowl. But, they cannot be used within 1/4 mile of a potable water intake. Always read and follow all label directions on chemical products.

Keep in mind that when large amounts of aquatic plants are killed, especially when pond temperatures are high, there is a risk of oxygen depletion. As the plant material decomposes, oxygen is taken out of the water. In some cases, oxygen levels become too low for fish, which creates a fish kill. Pond owners need to realize this risk if they apply aquatic herbicides in mid- to late summer.

For more information on duckweed and watermeal management, check out these online resources:

www.ipm.uiuc.edu/weeds/aquaticWeeds.pdf

www.btny.purdue.edu/pubs/APM/APM-2-W.pdf

www.ohioline.osu.edu/a-fact/0014.html

- Duane Friend