By Martha Smith, Horticulture Educator,
Macomb Center, University of Illinois Extension.

The Easter season means many things to many people. It is a time of joy both for the religious significance and for the promises of spring. What better symbol for all this season means than the Easter Lily? With it's beautiful, clear, 6 to 8 inch long, bell-like white flowers and it's wonderful fragrance, it offers a sense of peace and hope for the coming spring and summer seasons. Lilium longiflorum is the Latin name for the common Easter Lily. Popular cultivars are 'Ace' which grows to 18 inches. 'Croft' which grows to 24 inches and 'Estate' which can reach 3 feet tall. In the United States, over 8 million Easter Lilies are grown for this spring holiday.

Care for your Easter Lily during the holiday is very easy. They do best in indirect, bright light or curtain-filtered sunlight when in flower. Cool, nighttime temperatures between 40 and 50 F help extend the bloom period. Daytime temperatures no higher than 68 F are ideal. Keep the soil moist while in flower, but don't fertilize at this time.

Inside the white, bell-like flowers, you see golden anthers, which are the pollen bearers, or the male parts of the flower. Most people prefer to remove these. Why? By removing the pollen, the flower doesn't become pollinated, so the theory is the blossoms last longer. Another more practical reason is that the golden yellow pollen stains clothing very easily if someone brushes up against them. The pollen also stains the white flowers. The anthers are easily removed as soon as the flower opens, which is usually before the pollen is freed. Just reach in and gently twist and pull, or you can use a pair of scissors.

After-care of Easter lilies is also easy. After the flowers fade, remove the lily flowers and clip any browning leaves. Place the plants in a sunny area and water as the foliage matures. As soon as danger of frost is past, plant the lily in a sunny, well-drained garden spot. Their real bloom times are mid- to late-summer and have been artificially forced for Easter bloom. Place the bulbs a few inches deeper than they were in the pot. Fertilize with an all-purpose garden fertilizer at this time. The old top will wither and die but soon afterwards, new shoots should emerge and the plant will bloom again in July or August.

Lilium longiflorum is not 100 percent hardy in our area. Many people report good results with them with winter protection, but do realize you may lose them in cold, cold winter. Forcing them indoors for Easter bloom is tricky. Professional growers are always challenged due to the fact that Easter is never at the same time from year to year. With Christmas poinsettias, growers can follow a traditional calendar method – but not so with Easter Lilies. A technique known as leaf counting is often the most reliable for scheduling Easter Lilies.

If you want to try forcing your Easter Lily, it is recommended that you do not let it flower in July or August. You will have to disbud the plant at this time. Allowing the bulb to flower outdoors weakens the bulbs for indoor forcing. You will need to dig them up before the chance of fall frost. Plant the bulb in a pot about the same size as the original pot. Place the bulb as low in the pot as possible and add potting soil only to the top of the bulb. Water thoroughly and keep as near to 45 – 50 F as possible through Christmas. During this time, only water to prevent drying out.

After Christmas, put the plant in a sunny window, water and fertilize as with any houseplant. Add the remainder of the soil needed to fill the pot to near the rim after the stem has grown to 3-4 inches in height. If staking is necessary, be careful and place the stake near the pot wall instead of through the bulb. After the first buds turn white, keep the plant out of direct sunlight.

By Dr. Phil Nixon, Entomologist
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Several species of white grubs are present at this time as larvae or adults. Although these species are primarily a problem in turf, May beetles cause feeding damage to trees.

True white grubs, also known as 3-year white grubs and May beetles, consist of many species in the genus Phyllophaga in Illinois. Their life cycle varies from 1 to 3 years. At least one 3-year species is present as adults at this time in central Illinois. These 1-inch-long, dark brown, stocky May beetles are active at night, feeding on the foliage of oak, ash, crabapple, and other deciduous trees. They eat the edges of the leaves, occasionally removing leaf tissue to the mid-vein. Because the feeding occurs at night, no pest is seen during the day: They are hiding in the thatch of the lawn. Scouting the trees after 9 p.m. usually reveals the feeding beetles. Several insecticides are effective in controlling these leaf-feeding beetles, but the damage is usually not heavy enough to warrant treatment. Having a 3-year life cycle, other May beetles are likely to be found as grubs during tree planting and other soil digging, Many of these are 1 to 1-1/4 inches long. They will pupate during the summer, emerge into the soil in early fall, and spend the winter underground as adult beetles before emerging next spring to feed on tree foliage and reproduce.

Black turfgrass ataenius adults have been reported in early May on golf course turf in central Illinois. These 1/4-inch, cylindrical, black or brown beetles are obvious in the clipping baskets of greens mowers. If adult beetles are numerous, applying imidacloprid (Merit) or halofenozide (Mach 2) 2 weeks after the adult beetles are seen is recommended for control.

Japanese beetle larvae have successfully survived the winter in central Illinois and are in the turf root zone feeding. White grub activity in turf has been reported from other locations in central and northern Illinois as well. These are in areas where Japanese beetle is prevalent and are probably also Japanese beetle grubs. Research has shown that Japanese beetle grubs do not migrate deeper than 11 inches into the soil for the winter. They die if the temperature reaches 15°F or if they are subjected to freezing temperatures (32°F and below) for 2 months.

With the previous cold winter in which landscapers reported the soil being frozen to 15 inches deep in central Illinois and 30 inches deep in northern Illinois for several weeks, it was anticipated that there may have been little to no survival of this species.

It may be that under colder conditions, Japanese beetle grubs migrate deeper than 11 inches or that the soil was not frozen long enough. Not only does it appear that Japanese beetle adults will be present in Illinois this summer, but that their numbers will be large. I am still interested in whether Japanese beetle grubs are being found in northern Illinois. Let me know what grub species are being found in northern Illinois or send me some grubs to identify.

Realize that Japanese beetle grubs pupate in early to mid-June and that these mature grubs are very hard to control. Irrigation can keep the turf growing faster than the grubs can eat it at this time of year, greatly reducing obvious damage. If grub numbers are very high or if the raccoons, skunks, and birds are feeding on the grubs and damaging the turf, try triclorfon (Dylox) or Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Hb) nematodes for control. Neither trichlorfon nor other insecticides are reliably effective in controlling large grubs. Hb nematodes are effective against large grubs but will probably provide only about 60 percent control.

Very few gardeners know everything there is to know about gardening. It is for the rest of us who are toiling in the soil, that these hints are shared.

• The secret of clean lawn mowing is sharp lawn mower blades, and the secret of sharp mower blades is having the right size wrench for taking the blades off to sharpen them. Some blade nut sizes are very odd so get a wrench of the right size and keep it near where the mower lives. If you take off the blade every couple of times you use the mower and touch it up with a file the grass will be cut much cleaner and the mowing will be easier.
• NEVER, spelled N E V E R, fuel your mower on the lawn. Do it on a walk or driveway but never on the lawn. Even the steadiest hand will occasionally spill some fuel and this is totally toxic to turf grass, and most other plants.
• Bare ground is the perfect place for weed seeds to land and sprout. In a flower or vegetable bed or lawn, any areas of exposed soil are invitations for weeds to begin growing. A dense turf, mulch of almost any material or straw between vegetables and on paths will protect these areas from invasion by opportunistic weeds.

Spring Pruning Is Necessary But Do It Carefully!

As your spring-flowering shrubs finish blooming it is time to prune them to the size and shape you want. This is the best time for this but be sure to check the bushes for nesting birds. Many of our favorite songbirds are having their first nesting at this time. Robins, house finches, cardinals and mourning doves are among our most common back yard nesters.

Just because you have located one nest in a bush and plan to avoid it doesn't mean that there aren't other nests quite nearby. One Master Gardener has four robins nesting in separate locations within a few hundred feet of each other. These nests are a delight to observe. Regardless of the bird species. Each starts as a succession of newly laid eggs. When the laying is done the incubation begins. Once the young are hatched the feeding begins, and suddenly the youngsters are gone. Often a nest filled with four young robins will fledge in a single day.

When the eggs or young are still in the nest they provide a delightful sight for any children in the family. This is very much a "see but don't touch experience." The young people will find the young birds a source of fascination, especially as they see them grow and develop.

The best way of insuring the safety of the nest is to look for them very carefully when you start your spring pruning. Some pruning may be possible in an occupied bush, but it is better to wait until the birds are finished with before starting the necessary upkeep.

When you think of endangered species, you never think of soil fungi. Yet the fungi that make plants hardier have had their numbers greatly reduced by the intensive agriculture practiced in the United States since the 1950s. ARS scientists are trying to figure out how to put these beneficial soil fungi back, as farmers make the transition to using less chemicals. One approach researchers are evaluating is to mix the fungi–called mycorrhizae–into potting soil planted with grass or other host plants. Farmers would buy these "inoculated" seedlings and plant them in compost. Then, after the fungi multiplied, farmers would apply the colonized compost with manure spreaders.

The mycorrhizal fungi are beneficial organisms that live on plant roots and help them extend their reach for water and fertilizer. In exchange, the plant gives the fungi the sugar they need to grow. The most common type lives inside root cells and extends long, root-like threads in the soil.

Farmers today have to rely on whichever of these native fungi survived years of chemical use--from synthetic fertilizers to fungicides. An ultimate goal is to produce the fungi in large quantities efficiently and economically, without host plants. They would then be applied as a biofertilizer before planting.

- Philip E. Pfeffer, USDA, ARS Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, Pa

As you stare forlornly at your six-foot tall shrub, you reminisce about the plant label that said, "Grows to three feet." In our rich soils plants may exceed their usual height. Regular pruning can correct many problems. Pruning can promote new plant growth, maintain plant size, encourage flowering, remove diseased or dead limbs and help control insect and disease problems.

However, timing is important, especially when pruning spring blooming shrubs. Early blooming shrubs develop their flower buds during the summer and fall of the previous year. This is often called "blooming on old wood." Therefore as a general rule, shrubs that flower before June 15 should be pruned soon after flowering. Pruning these shrubs in late summer, fall or early spring will remove the flower buds and therefore the flowers.

Spring flowering shrubs are generally pruned by the renewal method. Each spring after flowering, prune out the largest stems to the ground to stimulate new growth from the crown and remaining stems. Remaining stems can then be shortened to shape.Shrubs that should be pruned this spring soon after flowering include lilac, deutzia, kerria, mockorange, weigela, forsythia, viburnum, St. Johnswort and redtwig and yellowtwig dogwood.

Shrubs that bloom after June 15 can be pruned in early spring. Summer and fall flowering shrubs bloom on new wood or stems that were produced in the same season as flowering. Many of these shrubs can be pruned by the scary rejuvenation method. Rejuvenation is the complete cutting of all stems down to 4 to 6 inch stubs generally done in February and March.

Rejuvenation is used when multistemmed plants become too large with too many stems to justify saving any one to two year old growth. In other words, the shrub is a tangled mess of stems. However, don't wait too late in the year for rejuvenation pruning. To be cautious large old shrubs should not be rejuvenated in late spring or summer. With the early flowering shrubs that need rejuvenation, you may decide to just sacrifice the flowers one season and prune them to the ground in late winter. However I have rejuvenated Anthony Waterer spirea after bloom and they recovered well. I guess it depends on how much you mind risking their recovery.

The following respond well to rejuvenation pruning: Anthony Waterer spirea, abelia, honeysuckle, beautybush, snowberry, slender deutzia and privet. Potentilla is another common summer blooming shrub. However, it should be pruned by the renewal method (selectively removing some of the older growth) in early spring just as the green buds appear. Pruning at other times can cause dieback and sunscald, which could kill plants. Before pruning, examine the plant thoroughly. If you are new to pruning, tie a colorful ribbon or spray paint the branches to be removed to help you visualize what will be remaining.

Shrub pruning requires a good set of pruning shears or loppers not hedge shears. At each cut of hedge shears, many new growing points are produced making the shrub very dense at the top. The dense growth causes the leaves in the interior of the plants to die. Hedge shears should only be used on formal hedges. However, formal hedges must be pruned in the correct shape or the shrubs will lose their leaves at the base. Hedges should be pruned so the width at the top is less than the width at the bottom. This allows light to penetrate to the lower leaves. Deciduous shrubs should not be maintained at a permanent size during the growing season, but allowed to grow an inch or so at each shearing to maintain a good cover of new leaves.

By Bruce Spangenburg
University of Illinois Extension Educator

Mowing has a major impact on lawn appearance and health, yet it is often overlooked in terms of importance. Homeowners need to follow a few simple guidelines to assure lawns are being mowed properly. For most lawns, a mowing height between 2 to 3 inches is suggested; the upper range is best for summer. Lawns mowed at higher heights tend to have deeper roots, fewer weed problems, and look much better. Mowing too close invites problems such as weed invasions. Simply raising the mowing height can have a major impact on the quality of many home lawns.

A height of two inches is fine when grasses are growing rapidly, but the height should be raised as growth slows, stress increases, and when the lawn is in shade. The first mowing before green-up should be slightly below normal. Lawns should be mowed according to the rate of grass growth; remember not to remove more than one-third of the grass leaf in any one cutting. Mowing on a regular basis as the lawn needs it is essential. Don't mow when the grass is wet.

Another issue related to mowing is whether clippings should be collected. As long as the lawn is mowed on a regular basis and the clippings readily filter back down into the lawn, clippings do not need to be collected. Returned in this manner, clippings readily decompose (contain 75 - 80 percent water) and do not cause thatch. Clippings also recycle nutrients, in particular nitrogen, so less fertilizer is needed.

Selecting a mower can involve a number of factors, many being personal preference. Rotary mowers are the most widely used type on home lawns. Both conventional rotary mowers with bag attachments and mulching mowers are readily available for homeowners. A study at the University of Illinois showed mulching mowers did not provide any additional benefit over conventional rotary mowers returning clippings assuming proper mowing frequency and lawn fertilizing was followed. Regardless of the type of mower, blades need to be kept sharp.

Mow in the direction that is safest. Periodically change directions if desired, although mowing the same direction each time should not be a problem on taller turf typical of home lawns. The first and last mowing of the year should be at a height of about 2 inches; avoid scalping in spring and allowing the grass to remain excessively high at the end of fall.

June is the beginning of the most productive part of the growing season. Replanting for continued harvest and harvesting early vegetables make this a busy time in the vegetable garden. These suggestions are appropriate for West Central Illinois, assuming "normal" late-spring weather.

• Plant more green (snap) beans for harvest in July and August.
• You may begin harvest the first of the beets planted in March & April.
• The broccoli you planted in March will be ready to cut this month.
• Cut the first cabbage of the season. Leave the stems to develop axial heads.
• About mid-month the first corn of the early varieties should be ready to pick.
• Plant the season's first cucumbers. Allow enough space for them to sprawl.
• Continue picking lettuce. This will be the last of the early spring crop.
• The last of your pepper transplants can be planted in the garden.
• The last of your green onions should be picked for the table in June.
• Spring sowed spinach will be finishing for the season.
• Late in June the first summer squash (zucchini & kin) will be ready.
• Plant a second crop of summer squash for harvest in August.
• Plant the rest of your tomatoes grown for transplanting in the garden.

By Nancy Pataky, Plant Pathologist
University of Illinois Extension Plant Clinic

Anthracnose will be visible on several tree species soon. The fungus infects as buds open and requires warm, wet conditions for infection. Succulent new plant growth is most susceptible. Older leaves and drier conditions later in the season usually retard repeating cycles of infection. Anthracnose causes water-soaked spots; young lesions from dark green to brown; and possibly some stem cankers on ash, oak, maple, and sycamore. Other trees are susceptible to varying degrees, but the trees listed are those on which we traditionally see anthracnose in Illinois. Dogwood anthracnose is much more severe but occurs later in the season.

Rust galls of cedar-apple rust are now fully swollen and full of spores in central Illinois. Spores are most likely moving from cedars to their alternate hosts as this article goes to press. Keep this in mind if you are fighting cedar-apple, cedar-hawthorn, or cedar-quince rusts.

Pruning dead wood. It is very tempting to prune out any dead wood in trees and shrubs as it appears. In most cases, I would agree with that practice as long as conditions are dry. Pruning in wet weather allows pathogens to survive and move on equipment. In addition, wetness allows the pathogen to remain alive or possibly germinate on the cut surface to which it has been inoculated.

Oak Wilt. There is one other exception to the rule. In areas where oak wilt is present, do not prune oaks in the spring or early summer. Sap on fresh cuts attracts beetles that may be carrying the oak wilt fungus to your tree. Oaks should be pruned in late summer or the dormant season.

By Martha Smith, Horticulture Educator,
University of Illinois Extension, Macomb Center, Macomb, IL.

For most gardeners, pruning is one of the most frustrating and least understood horticultural practices. 'When do I prune what, and how do I do it' are common questions. Proper pruning involves the selective removal of specific plant parts for the benefit of the whole plant. Pruning supplies additional energy for the development of such plant parts as flowers, fruit, and limbs that shape the plant. Most commonly, shoots and branches are pruned, but pruning may also be practiced on roots, flower buds seedpods or fruit.

Why do we prune? Well, the reasons vary, but the most common are to control size and to maintain the plant's overall health and appearance. Other reasons include the training of young plants, influencing flower and fruit, thinning out the canopy, removal of diseased portions, correcting damage, preventing injury to people and property, opening a view or developing unnatural forms. Incorrect pruning can leave a plant susceptible to disease and insect damage.

When we prune depends on the plant type, the desired outcome of the pruning operation and the severity of the pruning. The recommended time of year to prune trees is when the plant is dormant. Even if you are not sure what type of tree you have, the majority will come through a late winter pruning just fine. March is a good time because plants are dormant. They are not actively growing. Their spring growth is about to begin so healing of wounds will be fast. Another reason is you can see the structure of the plant better without its foliage.

Early spring, just before bud break is the time to prune summer flowering shrubs such as Hydrangea, Rose-of-Sharon, Buddleia, shrub Dogwoods and Potentilla. This is also a good time to prune most vines. Avoid pruning species at this time that are prone to excessive sap flow such as maples, birches and yellowwoods. It is best to avoid pruning at, or immediately after bud break due to the movement of carbohydrates and growth hormones within the plant.

The best time to prune spring blooming shrubs is after blooming and when the leaves have fully expanded. Plants such as Lilac, Mock Orange, Rhododendron, Bridal Wreath Spirea and Weigela all benefit from a late spring, early summer pruning.

Don't prune in the early fall. The main reason is that pruning can stimulate new growth and at this time of year there may not be adequate time for the new growth to harden off. In other words, the new fall growth will not have sufficient time to mature in order to tolerate the extremes of winter. Also, the cuts will remain open all winter and freeze damage may occur.

Good design and proper plant selection can reduce the need for pruning. Visit a local nursery or garden center this year and talk to them about the eventual size certain plants will reach. Proper plant selection will eliminate the need for major pruning in the future.

University of Illinois Extension has announced a tour and seminar on watershed management and water quality to be held on Thursday, June 12. The event will consist of a hands-on explanation of the importance of a healthy watershed and how it relates to water quality, decreased flooding and the over-all quality of life for everything in the area.

Attendees will meet at the Peoria County Extension office, 4810 N. Sheridan Rd., Peoria at noon and travel by bus to Three Sisters Park near Chillicothe for a complimentary lunch at 12:30 pm.

The program, including some walking, will conclude around 4 pm. The bus will return to the Peoria Extension office at about 4:30. The program, lunch and transportation are free. Registration is requested for the meal count and for seating. Call Susan Meeker at (309) 694-7501 to register and for additional information.

The Illinois EPA, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Peoria County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Illinois Council on Best Management Practices and University of Illinois Extension are sponsors of the Watershed Walk.

The Horticulture Department of Illinois Central College is inviting gardeners, photographers and garden photographers to submit their best picture for judging in their annual Garden Photography Contest.

Photograph Categories are:

1. The Digital Garden
2. Garden Panorama
3. Up Close in the Garden
4. Critters in the Garden
5. People in the Garden

First place winners in each category will each receive $50. Second place in each category will win a photo or garden related gift. The first Place Winner of the Peoples' Choice Award will receive $100.

The rules of the contest are:

• Photos must be dry mounted on single white matboard.
• Photos must be no larger than 8"x10" with mat no larger than 11"x14".
• Minimum photo size is 5"x7".
• No frames or glass may be used.
• A completed entry form must be secured to the back of each entry.
• Mounted photos with entry forms attached must be submitted no later than August 22, 2003.
• There is a limit of three entries per category by any entrant.

Submit all entries to Linda Barnes, One College Drive, Ag/Industrial Bldg., Room TK-8, East Peoria, IL 61635

Entries may also be placed in the drop-off box in the Horticulture Land Lab foyer, Lot G.

Entry forms are available at Illinois Central College, all campuses. All photos will be displayed at Landscape and Garden Day, Saturday, September 6, 2003.

MG Journal Staff, with information from the ICC Horticulture Department.

Rotating crops is a strongly recommended farming practice because it prevents depletion of soil nutrients? In the home garden crop rotation can be important disease controls measure since many disease-causing organisms only attack plants in the same family. Unrelated plants do not serve as hosts on which these organisms can multiply. Therefore, if possible, avoid planting any vegetables within each of the following groups in the same location more than once every two or three years.

Cole crops: (cabbage family) broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, mustard greens, kale, kohlrabi, radish, rutabaga and turnip.

Cucurbits: (cucumber family) cucumber, gourds, muskmelon, pumpkin, squash (all types) and watermelon.

Solanaceous crops: (tomato family) eggplant, husk tomato (ground cherry), potato, pepper, and tomato.

Chenopodiaceous crops: beets (red and sugar), chard and spinach.

Amaryllidaceae: (onion family) chives, leeks, onions, shallots and garlic.

Legumes: (bean family) peas and beans (all types),

Umbelliferous crops: carrot, parsnip and celery.

For example, cabbage, broccoli, radish or turnips should not be planted in the same location for two successive years. Beans could follow cabbage, a vine crop such as cucumber, or with sweet corn.

Diseases affecting beans, peas, sweet corn, carrot, lettuce, spinach, rhubarb, okra, edible soybeans and similar plants are usually specific to only one of these crops, and generally will not infect others or members of the major vegetable crop groups.

MG Journal Staff with information from RPD No.900," Controlling Disease in the Home Vegetable Garden", University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension

In June and July Master Gardeners and Extension Units in three locations in Central Illinois will sponsor Garden Tours and Garden Walks.

Seven gardens in the Edwardsville area will welcome visitors on the 2003 Garden Tour, June 14 from 10 am to 4 pm. There will be examples of hosta gardens, woodland gardens, displays of roses and tropical plants plus original landscape designs. Master Gardeners of Madison and St.Clair Counties will also present a plant sale at the Madison-St.Clair County Extension office. For further information call the Madison-St.Clair Extension Unit office at (618) 692-7700.

The Spoon River Garden Club and the Fulton County Unit of University of Illinois Extension will present the Fifth Annual Spoon River Garden Walk. The event will be held on June 21 and will present three gardens in Lewistown, One in Canton and one garden in Monterey. Master Gardeners will be present to answer visitors' questions. For more information call (309) 547-3711.

The Garden Walk on Sunday, July 13 will be a first for the Master Gardeners of Sangamon and Menard Counties. From 10 am to 4 pm visitors will tour the 30-acre estate of Coyn and Susan Richardson on West Lake Shore Drive in Springfield. Their rose garden has over 300 roses. There are 7 acres of prairie planting with ornamental grasses, perennial flowers, shrubs and trees. For information call the Sangamon-Menard Extension Unit office at (217) 782-4617.

All of these garden walks and tours are fundraisers and deserve the patronage of Master Gardeners everywhere.

Luthy Botanical Garden has announced its First Annual Rhapsody in Bloom Arts Festival, to be held in the Rose Garden at Luthy on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29. The inspired works of regional artists will be on display, a variety of local culinary creations will be available for the sampling and local swing bands will perform.

Everyone is invited. For more information stop by Luthy or call (309) 686-3362.

MG Journal Staff, with information from Luthy Botanical Garden.

The weather is still undependable in Central Illinois. Watch out for occasional very cool nights. Use weather forecasts and your thermometer for guidance. Summer hail storms can do a lot of damage. Be prepared to cover vulnerable plants.

First Week... June 1 to 7

• Check roses, privet, spirea and other plants on which aphids feed. Remove with a hard spray of water from the hose.
• Conserve soil moisture for tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers with a layer of straw mulch.
• Edible pod peas are best picked when the pods have begun to fill.
• Don't let the weeds get ahead of you. If they do, you may never catch up.
• Broccoli should be ready to harvest. Cut the center head and smaller lateral heads will develop.
• When lilacs, spirea and other spring-flowering shrubs have finished blooming prune to maintain their size and shape.

Second Week...June 8 to 14

• Asparagus beds should be fertilized with 2 lbs. of 10-10-10 balanced fertilizer per 100 square feet of bed.
• Check cabbages for cabbage worms. Control by dusting or spraying with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis).
• To encourage your annual flowers to continue blooming, deadhead frequently.
• If fruit trees drop fruit now don't worry. There is nothing to be done and there should still be plenty to harvest later.
• To keep continued-blooming roses continuing to bloom dead head them before they set fruit (hips).
• If you water your garden or flower beds, water deeply and less often. Don't worry about the lawn. It will survive.

Third Week...June 15 to 21

• Hardy annual flowers can be started by direct seeding in the flower beds.
• Chrysanthemums will bloom more fully if you pinch out many of the growing tips now.
• Continue your battle with the weeds.
• Cut asparagus now. Cutting later may weaken the roots and reduce next year's harvest.
• When mowing you grass, set the height so you cut only about one third of the growth each time.
• As you peas finish bearing cut the vines at ground level and replant another crop.

Fourth Week....June 22 to 30

• Check roses for black spot. Pick off infected leaves and dispose of but not in the compost. Put in the trash. Spray with a fungicide.
• Cut your first cauliflower of the season. Steam and serve with herb butter for a real gastronomic treat.
• Put your houseplants outdoors for the summer but not in direct sunlight or where unprotected against strong winds, rain or hail.
• Watch for cucumber beetles in your squash and cucumbers.
• After your roses have bloomed for the first time this season, scratch in a cupful of 10-10-10 fertilizer around each plant.
• Cover the paths in your vegetable garden with a layer of straw to keep weeds down and conserve moisture.