It's hard to believe that fall is already here. And that it's time to take care of your small fruit beds. Strawberries need at least 4" of covering for the winter. Straw or hay works better than leaves or grass clippings which tend to mat down badly when wet. It's best to wait until the ground is frozen and the plants are dormant to cover the berries. Cover them to protect the flower buds for next years strawberries that are already set on the plants. Exposure of these buds to extremely low temperature can damage these buds and reduce next year's crop. Alternate freezing and thawing of the soil next spring will damage the plant roots. Uncover the plants and remove the mulch when the plants start to grow in the spring. Leave some of the mulch around the plants to keep the fruit from soil contact and to conserve soil moisture.

Renovation is an important part of strawberry care. In order to insure good fruit production, June-bearing strawberries grown in the matted row system should be renovated every year right after harvest. A strawberry patch will continue to be productive for three to four years as long as the planting is maintained. The first step in the renovation process is to mow the old foliage with a mower, cutting off the leaves about one inch above the crowns. Rake the leaves and if disease-free, compost or incorporate into the soil. Fertilize with one pound of a 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet. Narrow the rows to six to twelve inches wide by spading, hoeing or rototilling. Remove all weeds. Thin the plants in the narrowed row to 4 to 6 inches between plants. Water with one inch of water per week until frost to promote growth and to make new runners for next year's crop.

Raspberries All canes can be removed in late fall so only the fall crop is used. Often yields and berry quality is superior when following this method for these types of raspberries. Regular pruning helps reduce cane blight and other disease concerns. Viruses are also a potential major disease problem. Plants infected with virus will appear stunted, dwarfed, and will be unproductive. Remove and destroy these plants as soon as they are noticed. Always purchase certified nursery stock to help reduce potential virus problems. Do not share plants with other gardeners that have been dug out of gardens and keep wild brambles in the area under control.

- Cathy Trobridge Bureau County

The Marshall-Putnam Master Gardeners have been very busy this year with special projects along with answering hotline questions.

The Putnam County Courthouse has a new garden thanks to Sharon Acuncius and her helpers who planted flowers in the garden by the entrance to the Sheriff's Department and working in the Peace Garden with the hostas. Sharon also helped teach 4th graders from Henry about gardening at the annual Conservation Day at Condit's Campgrounds.

Rita Simpkins and Jean Davis can be found busily taking care of the Hosta Garden at the Marshall County Courthouse. Another one of Jean's projects has been a garden at St. Joseph's Nursing Home. Along with Grant Goolsby, Charlie and Gwen Wassilak. Other gardens at the nursing home were cleaned up by some much needed pruning. Tom Barnes helped Jean and Rita with the garden around the sign at the Immaculate Conception Church. They added annuals and some new perennials and are helping to maintain it in the heat. Jean & Rita also gave a talk to Lacon Seniors at their monthly birthday party in June on Hostas.

Amy Joos one of our new Master Gardeners, designed and planted the new garden at the new Extension office in Henry. You can find Amy watering and weeding many days over her lunch hour.

The Garden at the Marshall-Putnam Fair grounds again welcomes fairgoers thanks to the work of Anna Mae Jacobsen and her helper Rita Simpkins. This has been an ongoing projects for Anna Mae for many years.

Charlie and Gwen Wassilak can be found working in their garden, supplying fresh fruits and vegetables to the food pantries and others in need.

Jill Franklin another of our new Master Gardeners took on the projects of planting and maintaining the flowers around the monument and flag pole at the Lacon City Cemetary.

The urns by the doors to the mausoleum are also some of Jill's handy work. Jill was also a featured speaker at the Marshall-Putnam fair, talking about her tropical plants and birds.

Several projects are in the works for next year.

The emerald ash borer is metallic green, ½ inch long, 1/8 inch wide and native to Asia. It was first found in the U.S.A. in 2002. It is likely that it was well established in the Detroit, Michigan area for many years prior to that. It has killed more than 15 million ash trees. It has also been detected in Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Maryland, Ontario Canada and now in Illinois.

The Illinois infestations are: Lily Lake in Kane County – 19 infested trees within a ½ mile radius, Wilmette in Cook County – 16 infested trees within a five-block area, and the latest infestation is in Evanston in Cook County. The area around Kane County is quarantined; the property within a 3 ½ mile radius of the initial detection site east of Lily Lake is the quarantined area. Quarantined are any logs or lumber with either the bark or the outer one inch of sapwood, or both attached, or any item made from or containing ash wood capable of spreading the emerald ash borer. The quarantine prohibits the removal of any article, product, or means of conveyance determined by the Illinois Department of Agriculture to present a risk of spreading the beetle infestation. Anyone convicted of moving prohibited items from the quarantined area may be fined up to $500.00.

The emerald ash borer emerges from May – July and the female lays numerous eggs in the bark crevices. The eggs hatch in 7-10 days and larvae bore into the tree. In the tree they chew the inner bark and phloem, creating serpentine galleries as they feed. This cuts off the flow of water and nutrients in the tree, causing dieback and death.

The most visible sign of infestation is crown dieback. It appears after the first year of infestation. Branches at the top of the crown will die first and more branches will die in subsequent years. Typically the tree will be completely dead in about three years. The bark may also split vertically and woodpeckers may feed on the beetle, leaving visible damage to the bark. Treatments with insecticides are being studied. However, all ash trees proximate to any new infestation will be lost. As the adult beetles emerge from the tree, they will leave a 1/8 diameter distinctly "D" shaped exit hole that may appear anywhere on the trunk or upper branches.

The federal government will provide Illinois with $7.6 million in emergency funding to help the state stop the spread of the emerald ash borer, said the U.S.D.A. The money is to be used to survey the trees in northeastern Illinois and help the state in the eradication efforts of the emerald ash borer.

The Department of Agriculture has dedicated $101 million since 2003 to programs nationwide to eradicate the emerald ash borer.

If you think you may have the emerald ash borer, contact your local Extension Master Gardener.

Sources: articles from David Robson,

Phil Nixon and John Church

- Paul Barrett LaSalle County

Plant your fall bulbs deep. The rodents know they are down there but it is a big effort to dig for them when other food is more plentiful. Also, the secret is to leave the garden soil looking undisturbed after planting. Thoroughly soak the area as this helps settle the newly planted bulbs and disguises the digging area. They tend to avoid muddy areas. Good Luck!

- Lucille Ledger Bureau County

Long about August, weed pulling goes on my list just under a root canal treatment. I detest weeds. They grow even better during a drought. They take the place of the flowers and vegetables that they have shoved aside to die for lack of rain and searing heat.
Some of the plants and flowers go dormant during extreme heat, why can't the weeds? Just like purgatory in the hereafter, gardeners have weeds that fulfill that same purpose. I finally just let the weeds go come August. I have carpal tunnel in my right arm from pulling weeds with roots longer than the line for a restroom at a free beer tent... It seems to clear up by December, just in time to flip the pages of the seed catalogues that show pretty pictures of vegetables and flowers that by August, will be consumed by weeds and the whole thing starts over again.
Our weeds are very healthy. I swear a jealous gardener sprinkles weed seeds over our property at night. I am an organic gardener but the use of herbicides is becoming mighty tempting.
I've been told that weeding humbles the soul. My soul is humble enough. I raised teenagers ... all girls. Doesn't that qualify me for the Humble Soul of-the-Year Award? In fact, I can recall finding weeds growing under their beds.( No, not the kind police look for.) They were real honest to goodness, everyday weeds. They grew out from the dirt under the carpet, without water or sun. Tells us how prolific weeds are.
To escape weed pulling I decided to paint the barn, redecorate the house and finish the Great American novel. Sounds like good excuses to me. Too bad there isn't a prize for the biggest or best looking weed at the county fair. I'm positive mine would get the blue ribbon. That's of course, if I was able to pull it out without yanking a poor unsuspecting person from their home...in China.
The End ...until next year!

- Darlene Ray LaSalle County

What is a weed? I have heard it said that there are sixty definitions.
For me, a weed is a plant out of place.
- Donald Culross Peattie

A weed is a plant that is not only in the wrong place,
but intends to stay.
- Sara Stein

Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them
- A. A. Milne, Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh

The name pumpkin originated from a Greek word that means "large melon".

Native Americans dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats. They also roasted long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and ate them.

The origin of pumpkin pie occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in the hot ashes.

Pumpkins are used for feed for animals.

Pumpkins are 90% water.

It may be a little early to be thinking about pumpkins, but this is actually the time that you can do something clever with pumpkins on your vines. A neat trick is to take a young pumpkin and carve your name or some other message on the skin. Here is what you do:

You will need a sharp tool, so make sure to have an adult help you with this activity.

Choose your favorite pumpkin and write your message!

You will get better results if you just use many dots very close together rather than regular printing or writing. Poke just the surface of the pumpkin and watch your pumpkin and your message grow.

Once you have picked out your pumpkin, perhaps the one you want to decorate for Halloween, how does it measure up?

How much does your pumpkin weigh?

What is its circumference (how many inches around)?

How tall is it?

If you carved your pumpkin, how many seeds did it contain. You may want to save some seeds to plant at a later time.

Are you into the Halloween thing: costumes, ghosts, goblins, black cats, decorated pumpkins and trick or treating? If so, we want you to be very safe for this Halloween. Here are some suggestions to make your Halloween night a little safer: (mom and dad - pay attention now)

Don't wear costumes that block your vision. Be sure they are flame retardant.

Carry a flashlight - don't use candles or any other open flames.

Younger children should always go with mom or dad or an adult.

Stay in neighborhoods that you know.

Be sure mom and dad check out treats before eating them.

Help mom and dad pick up tools and other objects that someone could trip over.

Keep your porch and yard well-lighted.

Don't forget to keep 'Fido' secured away from trick or treaters for the evening.

- Sherry Hockings, Bureau County Program Director Educational Programs

many gardeners quit gardening.
#1. Know thy enemy! Knowing the types of weeds you are dealing with and their growing habits will help to win the war. A great source is the book 'Weeds of Nebraska And The Great Plains", published by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. It has great color photos and concise descriptions. There are many good Web sites on identification and their growing habits.
#2. An ounce of prevention is worth hours of weeding. "If you don't want weeds, remove the seeds". Pull or destroy weeds before they go to seed. Weed plants can reproduce thousands of offspring. Seeds lay dormant in the ground for decades until you till them up. If you don't have time to pull the entire plant, at least get the seeds or seed heads and pull the rest of the plant later.
How to prevent weed seeds from germinating?

Use weed seed-free mulch. Don't throw weeds or plants in your compost with its seeds or manure full of weed seeds. They may survive the heat of composting and sprout where you lay the finished compost.

To rid a new bed of seeds (if you have the time), till, water, let them sprout and till them up, water and till again and again until eventually you will exhaust the number of seeds. Takes a lot of time but it can work.

Solarize! This method also takes time. Cover the tilled bed with heavy black plastic and weigh it down with bricks or something to prevent the plastic from blowing off. Let it sit, preferably through a hot summer, and it should 'cook' the seeds. Seeds need at least 110 degrees F to 130 degrees F to keep them from germinating. The plastic also cuts down on oxygen to seeds and plants.

Experts have tried 'tilling in the dark'. No. This is not a new reality show or a 40's love song. Theory is that many seeds just need brief exposure to light to break dormancy and will miss that window of opportunity if brought up at night. At best it will give your neighbors something to chuckle about seeing you out there wearing a miner's helmet or a flashlight duct-taped to your baseball cap. Jeff Foxworthy would be proud.

'Paint' individual weeds that are hard to pull or dig up, that you can never seem to get the whole root or are in between flower plants you don't want to disturb. Mix your weed killer and use a small, disposable paint brush to paint the weed leaves. Take care not to drip or get on a good plant. Just a tad might do it in.

Good old-fashioned pulling, hoeing, or digging. If you don't have plants that you want to reseed themselves nearby, the granular seed preventer products work fairly well to keep weed seeds from germinating. And, you can do this in the daylight.

- Darlene Ray, LaSalle County

There is only one reason why the average gardener should not save seeds. If you are a seed saver, do not grow hybrid plants as the offspring seldom totally resemble their parents. Oh sure, the seeds can be saved and they will grow but they will seldom produce exactly the color or number of blooms as were in the parent plant.

- Lucille Ledger, Bureau County

As fall approaches gardeners think about bulbs. Planting familiar bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and crocus, all 'hardy bulbs' is done each fall. But there are other types of bulbs, referred to as tender bulbs that also need attention in the fall. The term 'tender bulbs' refers to plants that have fleshy storage structures, bulbs, corms, tubers and roots that are killed by cold winter weather if not brought indoors. Special protection including digging and bringing the fleshy storage structure into a warmer area for safe keeping during the winter is required to keep the 'tender bulb' plants for the next summer growing season. Many garden favorites are tender bulb plants, including gladiolus, tuberous begonias, cannas, freesia, calla lilies, caladiums, dahlias, tuberose, wood sorrel, and many more.

You must dig, clean, cure, manage pests and store each type of tender bulb according to its special requirements, the following suggestions are a general guide.

Most tender bulb plants can be dug after the foliage dries up or is killed by frost. Dig carefully, loosening the structures with a spade or fork digging back several inches from the base of the plant to avoid cutting storage structures or roots unnecessarily. Try to avoid cutting, breaking or skinning the fleshy structure. Diseases enter through cuts and bruises very readily and can then cause rotting and plant losses while they are in storage.

After digging, some plants should be washed gently with a garden hose. Placing a screen over a large garbage can and setting the clump of cannas or dahlias or other plants on the screen to be rinsed, is an effective technique to clean the plants while recycling the soil and water. Gladiolus corms are best left unwashed and just allowed to dry. After drying, clumps of soil can then be removed from the corms.

For most plants such as cannas, dahlias, callas, or caladium, the curing or drying period should be relatively short depending on temperature, 1 to 3 days. The drying should be done away from direct sunlight and wind. Temperatures for drying or curing should be 60 to 70° and the area should be well ventilated. Long term curing for gladiolus, tigridia and oxalis, should be about 3 weeks. After drying gladiolus, the old corm at the base of the bulb should be removed.

To manage pests the tender bulbs should be inspected for insects or diseases before storing. Dust with an insecticide-fungicide mixture labeled for the specific plant.

Remember to label stored plant material carefully. Being able to identify your plants is an important step in planning next year's garden.

Gladiolus and similar tender bulbs can be stored in a paper bag and labeled easily. Larger plant material like cannas or dahlias can be packed in dry peat moss, sand, sawdust, shredded newspaper or vermiculite and the containers marked with the contents. Be careful about storage temperatures. A garage maybe too cold if it is below 40° and finished basements maybe too warm (above 50°). A cool dry outside basement wall may be an ideal location to place your storage containers. Check your bulbs several times during the winter to remove any rotten ones and check the moisture level. If bulbs shrink and wrinkle they are too dry. In that case moisten the storage medium slightly and repack the bulbs.

Your tender bulbs will be ready to plant next spring or get started in pots for transplanting later.

- Marylou Sanders Bureau County

Pines are wonderful additions to any landscape, however they aren't foolproof and may at times need a little special care. There are over 100 species of the genus Pinus world wide, of which 36 are native to the United States.

Pines grow best in full sun on well-drained, acid soil. Maintaining healthy pine trees by following recommended cultural practices is the first line of defense in preventing most of these diseases.

TIP BLIGHT fungus Diplodia pinea can be a serious problem on seedlings or young trees. It causes a rot which extends upward from the collar below the surface of the soil. The disease may be recognized by the deep red color of the bark and by the black streaks that occur in the wood. The fungus also causes a dieback of branches of older trees. The new growth of such branches is stunted, the needles turn brown and the terminal buds exude an excessive amount of resin. With a hand lens, tiny black fruiting bodies may be seen at the base of diseased needles. Cankers may be formed at the nodes. The following pines are very susceptible to tip blight: Ponderosa, Austrian, red, white, Scotch, and scrub.

Prevention and Treatment: Control is possible for the tip blight phase of the disease on older trees. As soon as the blight is noticed, the infected needles, twigs, and cones should be pruned and destroyed. Pruning should be done when the branches are dry, because there is less danger of spreading the spores. Where infection has been particularly severe, preventative fungicides may be recommended. No cure is possible for seedlings or young trees that are infected at the base.

PINE NEEDLE RUSTS in North America are caused by more than 20 species of the fungus Coleosporium. Symptoms consist of yellow spots on the needles, which appear during the spring. They are followed by whitish blisters and orange spores. Infection may be serious enough to cause defoliation. This fungus requires an alternate host (another plant species) to complete its life cycle. The fungus infects aster or goldenrod during the summer and is able to over winter in these plants, before it is carried to the pine again in the spring.

Prevention and Treatment: Remove wild asters and goldenrods near valuable pines. Chemical control is usually not necessary.

WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST disease is caused by the fungus Cronartium ribicola. It is only a problem in ornamental pines when currants or gooseberries (Ribes species) are growing nearby. Currants or gooseberries are alternate hosts and are needed to complete the life cycle of the disease organism. The fungus attacks the living bark of white pine, first breaking out in blisters, which exude a secretion, later forming larger, bright orange-colored dots. These orange dots are filled with fungal spores that are carried to the alternate host, where it develops during the summer. Spores from the currants re-infect healthy pines. The disease spreads rapidly up and down the tree, killing the branches and the main trunk.

Prevention and Treatment: Remove all currant plants within a one-mile radius. Prune out cankered branches and excise stem cankers by removing bark at least 4 inches above and below, and 2 inches on either side of discolored bark.

NEEDLE CAST disease is caused by one of several fungi, such as Lophodermium species, Ploioderma species or Rhizosphaera species. It is most severe on young pine trees. Brown spots with yellow margins develop on the needles in March and April. Tips of older needles turn brown and premature shedding occurs. Infected needles are covered with spores, which are transported by wind and rain and infect healthy needles. Rhizosphaera species produce fruiting bodies (black pin dots, capped by a bit of white wax) on stalks in rows, on all faces of the needles. Lophodermium fruiting bodies are dark brown specks, and Ploioderma fruiting bodies appear as black lines on the needles.

Prevention and Treatment: Chemical control is usually not necessary. If trees are shaded, remove any shade-producing structures or plants, where practical, to allow increased light penetration and air movement.

European Pine Sawfly

The European pine sawfly, Neodiprion sertifer (Geoffroy), is the most common sawfly found infesting pines in landscapes, ornamental nurseries and Christmas tree plantations. Sawfly larvae look like caterpillars but they are the larvae of primitive wasp-like insects. They are common from southwestern Ontario through New England and west to Iowa. This pest was accidentally introduced from Europe.

Pine Needle Scale
The pine needle scale, Chionaspis pinifoliae (Fitch), is probably the most common armored scale found on conifers in the United States and Canada. The white, oystershell-shaped scales can completely cover needles, causing plant discoloration to needle and branch death.

Spruce Spider Mite

Despite its common name, the Spruce spider mite feeds on more than 40 species of conifers. Most often attacked are spruce (especially Alberta spruce), pine, juniper, fir, arborvitae, hemlock, taxus and false cypress. The mites have a similar appearance to those already discussed. Coloration varies from green to deep olive to brownish red.

Pine Adelgids

These insects can be found under a waxy white coating that the tree shoots develop in mid to late spring. Most adelgids overwinter on the tree as immature nymphs.

Do a little investigating.

Treating a tree can be a study in the life cycle of these insects or diseases, and treating the affected area at the proper time can have the greatest impact on the final outcome. Sometimes it can be an exercise in futility, and while the problem might be unsightly, it may not be fatal. Many times plants just have a way of taking care of themselves.

- Vicky Stacey

Compost, mulch, humus, loam, fertilizers. What is what?
Compost is a layered structure of garden refuse, soil, and vegetative kitchen scraps etc., which decays to become compost.
Humus is the organic constituent of soil, usually formed by the decomposition of plants and leaves by soil bacteria.
Loam is an even mixture of three mineral particle sizes - sand, silt and clay.
Mulch is straw, leaves, shredded bark or tree branches, grass clippings etc. laid around plants to insulate, discourage weed growth and conserve moisture. (Decorative rocks, etc. on black plastic or weed fabrics in garden beds or around trees and shrubs may not allow enough moisture or air to reach roots. Heavy rocks may also compact the soil below.)
Fertilizer-is a man-made or natural substance added to soil to make it more fertile. Any or all of the above could be considered to make a soil more fertile, or at least improve it.
Knowing the pH preference a plant needs for optimum growth will tell you how to amend the soil if you need to. The pH (the 'p' stands for 'potenz' or potential to be + the H symbol for Hydrogen). The relative concentration of hydrogen ions (an ion is an electrically charged atom or molecule) is represented by the symbol pH followed by a number. (Impress your gardening friends with this at the next garden party.) A pH of 7 is neutral, below 7 indicates acidity and above 7 is alkaline. Each plant prefers a soil in one of those ranges for optimum growth. A soil test can determine the pH.
To find out what pH a plant prefers Contact your local extension office, gardening Web sites online and several good gardening books may have a pH preference range chart. The nursery where you bought your plant may also have that information.
Compost versus fertilizers...which is right?
Most plants benefit from compost and mulching but not all plants need a lot of fertilizing. Commercial fertilizers are pricey and use non-renewable fossil fuels in the ingredients and manufacturing. They may provide a "quick fix" dose of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. They may green up fast but most commercial fertilizers are highly water-soluble and are quickly washed away during watering or rain.
Compost contains slow-released nutrients in addition to micro-nutrients that are released slowly during the growing season.
Compost also helps to control nematodes and soil diseases and attracts earthworms, plant growth stimulators and helps to 'fix' (instead of letting them be absorbed by the plant) heavy metals and other toxins. It adds trace minerals to soil and makes it hardier against disease and insects. Compost is a terrible thing to waste!

- Darlene Ray, LaSalle County

There are many things that can be added to your compost but leave these out.

Grass clippings are great but not if they were treated with an herbicide or other chemicals. Layer chemical-free grass clippings between other organic materials like leaves, hay or kitchen scraps. Grass heats up the compost pile, which is good.

Hay and straw are okay but not their seeds. The seeds may escape the heating process and remain viable to sprout where you spread your finished compost. (Large amounts of kitchen scraps such as tomato seeds, squash seeds, or Morning Glory/bindweed seeds may survive. Scads of tomato plants can pop up where you spread your compost. (Been there, done that.)

Do not use chemically-treated wood products or sawdust from wood treated with chemicals such as pressure-treated 'green' wood' or treated with creosote or 'penta' preservatives.

Diseased plants or plants treated with an herbicide.

Human wastes contain disease organisms that might survive a 'hot' compost pile. The same goes for pet waste.

Meat, bones or fatty wastes. These don't break down and may attract critters.

Pernicious weeds such as Morning Glory/bindweed, Sheep sorrel, or ivy. They will also drop seeds-in-waiting to sprout where the compost is laid.

Coal ashes or barbeque briquettes may contain too much iron and sulfur or who knows what chemicals in the briquettes.

Polyester, plastics or any synthetic materials.

Urban floor sweepings from heavy traffic may contain as much as 500 parts per million of lead.

Foods preserved with BHT (antioxidants). It can alter plant growth.

Bulky or hard materials such as corn stalks, sunflower stalks, nutshells, or bones. These can be first burned and then added to the compost pile.

Sludge may contain heavy metals or insecticides.

Happy composting!

- Darlene Ray LaSalle County