Thursday, May 7, 2009 • 6:30 p.m.
Wish you could attract more hummingbirds to your backyard? Curious as to how you might get started? Do you just want to find out a little more about these beautiful backyard visitors?
Mason County Extension and the Mason County Extension Master Gardener program will offer a chance to get some of those questions answered during a special program scheduled for May 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Mason county Farm Bureau building. The session will be offered for free and will feature Lois White of rural Smithfield.
Lois White, a central Illinois hummingbird enthusiast, has been in the business of attracting hummingbirds to her property for decades and maintains nearly 50 hummingbird feeders that attract an army of hummingbirds annually. Her property has become the preferred site for researchers who band these small visitors to find out more about them. Join Lois for a presentation that details their migration, nutrition needs, and suspected life history. Learn how to care for feeders, how to choose the right feeder, the right sources of feed, and how to keep those pesky bees away.
Pre-registration is required to attend this program. Those interested can call for more details or pre-register by calling Mason County Extension at 309-543-3308 or register online. Don't miss this interesting evening sponsored by Mason County Extension and the Mason County Master Gardeners.
Spring is here and it is time to think about getting outside in the garden! There is still time to register for the final two of the three-program University of Illinois Extension spring gardening series. Both programs will be offered twice for your convenience.
Buy local, Eat healthy! When you purchase fresh produce locally grown you know the only way to get it fresher is to grow it yourself! Whether it is a U-pick farm, farmer's market, roadside stand or your home-town grocery selling locally grown produce you are assured it hasn't been shipped long distance and stored. But when is the best time to buy local to get fruits, vegetables and herbs when they are at their peak, full of flavor and nutrients? Elizabeth Wahle, Horticulture Extension Specialist, gives you a timeline of when the most popular produce is ready in your part of the state. Buy Local, Eat Healthy is offered Tuesday, April 28 at 1:00 p.m. at the Mason County Extension office and Thursday April 30 at 7:00 p.m. at the Forman-Valley Library.
The Introduction to Basic Water Gardens class will cover the different styles of water gardens to help determine which one is best for you. University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Jeff Rugg will explain the differences between Re-circulating Water Features, Starter Ponds, Basic Water Garden Ponds and Koi Ponds. Follow the step by step Water Garden installation to see how easy it is to install your own pond. Plan on attending Introduction to Basic Water Gardens that is being offered twice; Tuesday, May 12 at 1:00 p.m. at the Mason City Library and Thursday May 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the Forman-Valley Library.
The presentations will be via the University of Illinois telenet system and local computer PowerPoint presentations, allowing live discussion between the instructor and gardeners throughout Illinois. The Forman-Valley Library location is free thanks to a generous contribution from the Forman-Valley Library Board. All other locations will charge a fee of $3 for each attendee. If interested please call Mason County Extension at 309-543-3308 and reserve a seat and packet of information. Online registration is also available.
Planting Dates for Central Illinois Summer Gardens
Frost-Tolerant Vegetables (April 10 - 25)
- Beet
- Broccoli, plants
- Cabbage, plants
- Carrot
- Cauliflower, plants
- Chard, swiss
- Chinese cabbage, plants
- Leek, plants
- Lettuce, head, plants
- Onion, plants
- Parsley
- Parsnip
- Radish
- Salsify
Successive Plantings:
- Kohlrabi
- Lettuce, leaf
- Radish
Tender Vegetables (April 25 - May 10)
- Beans, snap
- Corn, sweet
- New Zealand spinach
- Tomato, plants
Successive Plantings:
- Lettuce, leaf
- Mustard Greens
- Radish
Warm-Loving Vegetables (May 10 - June 1)
- Bean, lima
- Cucumber
- Eggplant, plants
- Muskmelon
- Okra
- Pepper, plants
- Potato, sweet, slips
- Pumpkin
- Squash, summer
- Squash, winter
- Watermelon
Successive Plantings:
- Bean, snap
- Beet
- Carrot
- Corn, sweet
Successful Disease Control in Tomatoes
- Crop rotation is recommended every year. Don't plant solanaceous crops (tomatoes and potatoes) in the same area more often than once every 3 or 4 years. Destroy any volunteer plants. This will prevent buildup of disease organisms in the soil.
- Purchase only disease-free plants from a reliable grower.
- Allow adequate space between plants to increase the rate of evaporation of water (rain or dew).
- Harvest all ripe fruit at each picking. Ripe fruit left in the garden may decay and infect the remaining fruit.
- Don't cultivate or work plants when foliage is wet with dew or rain. Organisms spread under these conditions.
- Apply recommended fungicides according to label directions when the above measures fail to provide adequate control. Contact your local Extension office for recommended fungicides.
- After harvest is completed, spade or plow under, compost, or burn all tomato vines. Destroy all potato cull piles, volunteer plants, and solanaceous weeds such as groundcherry, horse nettle, nightshade, and Jimson weed.
Source: Martha Smith, University of Illinois Extension, horticulture educator, Macomb Center
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