The Plant Clinic will open for the 2003 season May 2. There is no mail service to the building until that date, so please don't mail packages earlier. Although there are few changes in policies or fees from last year, these facts may be useful as you work with clients who have need of a diagnostic clinic.

Part of U. of I. Extension, the Plant Clinic was instituted to provide impartial plant-problem diagnosis across a range of disciplines. Services include insect, plant, and weed identification; disease diagnosis; nematode assays; help interpreting chemical-injury symptoms and nutrient-related problems; and management recommendations. The clinic cannot handle herbicide-injury problems on ornamental plants, nor can it assess nutrient levels in tissue or soil samples.

Diagnoses are available electronically, as well as by U.S. mail. We welcome digital images of plant problems with the actual plant sample. The Plant Clinic is a distinct entity from the distance digital diagnosis system and often receives samples that could not be diagnosed by images alone. Unlike the digital diagnosis system, there is a fee for all Plant Clinic samples. It varies depending on the type of service. Fees are the same as last year and are required with the sample. There is no billing office.

General diagnosis (including cultures) $12.50
Specialty tests (PWN, foliar nematodes, ELISA)* $18.75
Complete nematode assay $40.00

*PWN indicates pinewood nematode analysis. ELISA is a technique used to test for various viral pathogens. ELISA fees may be higher depending on the number of tests requested.

The Plant Clinic Web site provides information such as service fees; data forms to accompany samples; directions for preparing and submitting a sample; directions to the clinic; and links to newsletters, publications, and other clinics. The Web address is plantclinic.cropsci.uiuc.edu/. Most plant specimens still arrive by mail. The mailing address, beginning May 2, is: Plant Clinic 1401 W. St Mary's Road Urbana, IL 61802 The Plant Clinic can be reached at (217)333-0519, weekdays 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m.

- by Nancy Pataky, Plant Pathologist

The ICC/Tri-County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden came through the winter with flying colors so we are up and running, and ready for this new year! Sunita Shastry, Joni Wolfe, and I just finished in the greenhouse transplanting our annual seedlings to bigger trays. They should be ready for planting by the middle of May. What's next? Well, a lot. All that is needed is a little tender care by US. Are you ready to get your hands dirty? You will have three workdays a week from which to chose: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, all starting at 9 a.m. We start next Tuesday, April 29th at 9 in the morning and hope to see you there.

A message board designated for the Master Gardeners' Demonstration Garden is in the ICC Hort building with a diagram of the overall garden, with some of the individual gardens in greater detail. There will be a sheet listing what you can work on for the week. I say week because you never know what Mother Nature has in store for us. She might send rain forcing us to cancel for that day. One person will be there who will guide you.

Our initial efforts will be to get the vegetable garden ready. It needs a lot of weeding. We need to turn the soil over and add peat. When that is done, we'll do the same to the annual flower garden. We have rose bushes ordered. They will need to be planted, but we will just let you know when.

We hope you all are ready for some good old-fashioned work in the Garden. I am, and can't wait to get properly dirty. This is a great way to get your Master Gardener hours in and we hope to see you there.

- Mary Dart, Woodford County Master Gardener

Sap beetles of a variety of species are vectors ... agents for the transmission ... for this disease. They are attracted to the oozing sap of oak trees and carry the organism that causes oak wilt from infected trees to healthy trees. If you wait to prune your oaks until after their sap is no longer flowing ... in late fall and winter ... and also after the beetles have retired for the year the chances of infection are greatly reduced. The combination of no sap and no beetles is the best way of protecting oaks from this mode of contagion. Where many oaks are growing in a limited area their roots may grow together. If one tree becomes infected then it may spread through the grafted roots and infect adjacent trees. Trenching can sever these connections.

If an oak is injured by mechanical means or by storm damage, broken branches should be cut away and the wound sealed with a "wound" or "sealing" paint. Although arborists frown upon use of these compounds, in this case leaving the wound exposed to attract sap beetles is the worse alternative. Places where bark has been scraped away should also be sealed for the same reason. The sealing paint closed the wound and repels the beetles.

One problem every home gardener has with daffodils and tulips is the unsightly foliage that is left for weeks after the flowers have faded. This is a universal problem with these spring flowering bulbs. In well-funded formal gardens a corps of gardeners will descend upon the beds, dig up the bulbs and discard them. In fall they will plant new bulbs ... and they can afford to but since most home gardeners cannot enjoy this wasteful luxury the following suggestions are made to minimize the spent foliage problem.

It should be understood that the foliage serves an essential role in the health and growth of the bulb. The green leaves are absorbing sunlight and carbon dioxide as a part of the life process of the plants. They are necessary. Spent blossoms are not necessary and should be deadheaded as soon as the flowers fade. Leaving the flower remnants may encourage seed formation. Unless the gardener is interested in growing daffodils or tulips from seed the old blooms should be snapped off the stalks. Bulb growth is promoted when seed development is prevented.

About a month after the flowers have faded and been removed the leaves will to turn yellow. This is the signal that they have done their work and can be trimmed off. Cut them about an inch above the ground and add a layer of fresh mulch to the area. This will conserve soil moisture and discourage weeds.

Question: It is late April and all of my flowering shrubs at least have leaf buds. My Rose of Sharon has nothing! The twigs are green inside so I know they are not dead but where are the leaf and flower buds?

Answer: Be patient. The Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is probably the last shrub to open its leaf buds. Since this plant will bloom from July to nearly frost its flower buds will be slow to appear. The beautiful and abundant blossoms will make the wait well worthwhile.

Have you ever had a fall blooming mum that doesn't look at all like what it is supposed to come September? Is it tall, leggy and flopping over with a few flowers at each stem tip instead of short, compact and full of flowers? Pinching at the right time is the answer.

Depending on what book you refer to, fall blooming mums are listed as Chrysanthemum X morifolium or Dendranthema X morifolium. Whichever way they are listed, their flowering is a response to shorter day length and their size is controlled by hormones within the plant. What gardeners need to understand with these fall bloomers is a simple form of pruning called pinching. We control both flowering and height with pinching.

Pinching, very simply, is the removal of the growing tips and about 2 to 3-inches of growth. You can do this by hand or cutting back the growth with pruning shears. Debates rage as to which method is preferred by the plant! Either way, you can shape the plant as you go. Why do we do this?

Mums are short day plants. Their flowering responds to shorter day length. In spring and early summer, our length of daylight is longer so the plants only produce vegetative growth. As fall approaches and day length shortens, their flowering response is triggered and they set buds.

Size is controlled by hormone dominance in the plant. In spring, each growing tip is dominant over the lower side buds along its stem. As long as the tip bud is present, the side buds won't break and branch out. You have to break the hormone dominance by removing the tip. Once this is done, the side buds will break and branch out. An unpinched plant results in a leggy plant that flops over. A pinched plant remains shorter producing tight, compact growth.

Now as the plant continues growing, all of the new growing tips are dominant, so we pinch a second time. The first pinch is in spring when returning plants are about 8 to 10-inches tall. If you are planting mums in the spring, start the first pinch 2-weeks after planting. The second pinch is done around the summer solstice. This is the longest day of the year. Day length is shorter after that and the plants will naturally set buds. Many gardeners plan their final pinch on or about the 4th of July.

You now have a compact plant that will set buds and bloom according to its internal schedule. Mums need several weeks after the final pinch to set buds. Early blooming mums set buds more quickly than later blooming mums. Experiment. Mark in your garden journal the pinch dates and when the mums flower. If you want later bloom, your #2 pinch could be delayed 1-2 weeks, or add a third pinch. If you want a tighter, more compact plant, take more plant stem when you pinch, or add a third pinch.

Enjoy your fall garden mums. Ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus 'Morning Light" or "Malapartus", fall blooming aster "Purple Dome' or "Monch" and goldenrod "Fireworks" all are wonderful companion plants for your fall garden.

- by Martha A. Smith, Horticulture Educator, Macomb Center, University of Illinois Extension

Tulip bulbs bloom in the spring, then gather nourishment until their leaves turn yellow and dry. As long as the leaves are green the bulbs are feeding on minerals in the soil, carbon dioxide in the air and sunlight. After the leaves have died back and the bulbs are completely dormant it is time to move them to places where they will make a better display or leave room for other plantings.

After the foliage is gone is not the time to look for the bulbs. In spring, when the flowers are in full bloom, you can tell what and where the bulbs are. Place markers in the bulb bed identifying "15 Orange Emperors" or "20 Red Riding Hoods". When it is time for digging, in late summer or early fall, you will know what to look for and where to look for them. This is also true of any spring-flowering bulbs.

When digging bulbs be careful not to cut the bulbs. Loosen the soil with a spading fork and work through the soil very much as you would when digging potatoes. Do not remove as little of the dried layer surrounding the bulb as possible. Store the bulbs in a cool, dry place ... an old refrigerator if possible ... and decide where you want the bulbs to bloom next year.

If it becomes necessary to move the bulbs before they are totally dormant, dig as much soil with them as possible and store in a cool, dark location as they complete their dormancy.

May is a time for planting, and for harvesting some early vegetables. These suggestions are appropriate for West Central Illinois, assuming "normal" spring weather.

• Plant green (snap) beans but be ready to cover for late frost.
• Plant corn throughout the month at one-week intervals.
• Plant cucumbers throughout the month.
• Pick or cut lettuce all through the month.
• Replant lettuce with heat resistant varieties.
• Pull green onions as needed all through the month.
• Pull radishes as they mature. Pull early rather than later.
• Continue planting Irish potatoes throughout the month.
• Cut spinach leaves as they reach optimum size and texture.
• Continue planting Summer squash, Zucchini & others.
• Set out Tomato transplants after the first week but prepare to cover.

Although it is May, light frosts are possible until the 10th. Protect plants at night with temporary cover such as newspaper "tents", cardboard boxes or buckets.

Peonies in May are a sure sign spring has arrived! They require very little care and reward us with their blossoms every spring. Peonies are the backbone of the spring perennial garden but many people tend to overlook them as new additions to the garden. Single, double, semi-double and Japanese peonies are available in a wide range of colors!

Two kinds of peonies are primarily grown. Garden or herbaceous varieties have full bushy stems that grow 2 to 4 feet tall and die to the ground every winter. Tree peonies often grow taller and have a woody stem that remains above ground all year.

Garden peonies are grouped into types according to the shape of the petals. These types are single, semidouble, double, Japanese and anemones. Each of these types has many cultivars and varieties. Fern leaf peonies have also become popular having finely divided foliage that resembles a fern. The single flowers are deep red. Garden peonies often take 5 to 7 years to produce a flowering plant from seed so division is the usual propagation method. Divide and replant garden peonies only when they have become crowded which can be every 10 to 12 years. In late summer, the large clumps can be cut into sections containing 3 to 5 buds or 'eyes'. These divisions should be set about 1" below the soil surface. Deeper planting delays or inhibits flowering. Normal establishment time is 3 years before full blooming is experienced.

Every fall cut back the foliage to ground level to reduce the spread of Botrytis and Phytophthora, both problems that affect peonies.

Tree peonies produce many flowers on a shrub like plant. This spectacular flowering plant should be utilized as a focal point in the perennial border. One plant may produce over 75 blossoms over the 4-6 week blooming period. Tree peony cultivars are grafted onto a desirable rootstock and do not need to de divided. Do not cut these back in the winter since they are a woody plant.

Both types of peonies do well in full sun to very light shade. Choose a well-drained location. Tree peonies do better in our area if they receive protection from winter winds. Also, tree peonies can benefit from a winter mulching. In the spring, remove all but 2-3 inches of the mulch. The extra attention they need will be well worth it when they reward you with their floral display.

Fertilize in the spring when flower buds are about the size of a pea on the garden types, and about the size of a dime on the tree types. Choose a complete fertilizer such as 10-10-10.

For more information about peonies and other perennials, contact your local University of Illinois Extension office.

- Martha Smith, Horticulture Educator, Macomb Center University of Illinois Extension

Never depend on the spring weather in Central Illinois. Recommending for specific dates is unwise. Consider all suggestions to be plus or minus a week, watch your thermometer and listen to the weather forecasts.

First Week... 5/1 – 5/8

• Set out broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower & cabbage plants
• Make another planting of beets, radishes, carrots & lettuce.
• Use herbicide sprays carefully. They can't identify weeds.
• Make a first planting of zucchini & other summer squash.
• Set out early varieties of tomato transplants. Protect against cutworms by wrapping the stems with aluminum foil.
• As fruit trees bloom watch for pollinating bees & other insects. The more pollination, the better the fruit set.

Second Week...5/9-5/16

• To prevent crowding, be sure to thin your plantings.
• Continue picking lettuce & pulling radishes.
• Add fresh mulch to your strawberry bed.
• Don't let weeds get ahead of you. Pull or hoe while they are small.
• Deadhead your tulips & daffodils for appearance & bulb growth
• Be careful of late frosts. Simple covers should protect most plants.

Third Week...5/17-5/24

• Make a light application of lawn fertilizer. Weeds don't need it but the grass will be able to compete better.
• Plant sweet corn with different maturity dates for sustained yield.
• Their flowering is over so now is the time to prune forsythia bushes for size shape.
• Leave the foliage of your spring-flowering bulbs in place until they leaves turn yellow. Green leaves produce food for the bulbs.
• After you have planted new shrubs don't forget them. Water them every other day as their roots become established.
• Transplant perennial flowers to form new beds & thin old ones.

Fourth Week...5/25- 5/31

• Make succession plantings of beans & sweet corn.
• Keep picking asparagus for continued yield.
• If you plant mint or any of its relatives, plant them in pots set in the ground to prevent spreading.
• Spray strawberries for insects & fungus diseases.
• Check cucumbers and melons for cucumber beetles. When the fruit is set and the pollinating insects have left, spray your fruit trees for insect pests.

There are no seed packets for butterflies or hummingbirds, but there are seed packets for Parsley, Dill, Salvia and Nicotiana. When you plant these seeds they won't grow into butterflies or hummingbirds but they will do nearly as well by providing the plants that butterfly larvae need for food. Their flowers will supply nectar for hummingbirds and adult butterflies.

The larva of the Yellow Swallowtail feed on the foliage of parsley, dill & carrot. The Tomato Hornworm, after munching the foliage of tomato plants, will become a five-spotted hawk moth. These larvae are favorite foods of songbirds, especially cardinals. Flowers of the Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) are food sources for many adult butterflies as is the Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii). Although considered a weed the Common Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) provides leaves to feed the larvae of the Monarch Butterfly.

Generally speaking, any flower that produces much nectar will attract butterflies. The tubular or trumpet-shaped ones, especially if colored red or orange will host hummingbirds. To attract butterflies the gardener should choose flowers that are fragrant and offer rich nectar. The annuals Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens), Common Stock (Mathiola species), and Nasturtium are typical. Perennials that attract butterflies are Bee Balm (Monarda species), Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata) and Stonecrop (Sedum spectabile). The shrubs Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), and Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) also attract butterflies.

To lure hummingbirds to your garden there are many annuals from which to choose. Plant Nicotiana, (Nicotiana alata grandiflora), Red Salvia, Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), or Fuchsia. Among the perennials success is likely with a number of flowers such as Columbine (Aquilegia species), Bee Balm, Coral Bells (Heuchera sanguinea), Hibiscus, Lupine, and Tall Garden Phlox. Two all time favorite woody plants for hummingbirds are Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) and Weigelia.

Gardens that are not the neatest in the neighborhood seem to attract the most butterflies and hummingbirds. It may be the more nearly natural surroundings that make them feel at home. If you plant flowers to attract butterflies and hummingbirds the time will be well spent.

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.

Preemergence herbicides (weed killers) are available to use in spring for crabgrass control. These need to be applied to the lawn before crabgrass germinates. Late April into early May is the suggested time for applying preemergence crabgrass herbicide in the Central Illinois area. If April is unusually warm, apply by late April, otherwise early May is not too late.

For digging, edging or any of the other myriad tasks for which you may pick your spade, each will be easier if you sharpen the edge of your spade with file. Clay and roots will be cut much more easily. The same applies to your hoe. Even just cutting through the top layer of soil and newly sprouted weeds, the work will be easier if the tool is sharp.

To keep grass from sticking on the underside of your lawnmower deck clean it well, dry it and spray with a thin layer of PAM, the nonstick cooking spray. Renew the coating as needed.

FIRST HARVEST

In order to keep our readers fully informed, the staff of the Master Gardener JOURNAL conducted an exhaustive survey of area MGs to determine the status of garden production in late April. The survey consisted of a phone call to one gardener who has sat all winter with nose pressed against the window overlooking the garden.

The first harvest of the season, performed in the third full week of April consisted of chives, for eating and drying for use later, Egyptian onions, for eating and drying and best of all ... that which we do not share, ASPARAGUS! Unfortunately asparagus suffers, as do sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes, from "finger blight". This is a condition that reduces the amount of the harvest that makes the trip from garden to kitchen. Another sign of this condition is the self-satisfied smile on the face of the gardener as she heads back to the house.

HOMEMADE SEED TAPES

Many commercial seed companies manufacture seed tapes. Easy to use, these tapes are simply a strip of paper, with seeds glued on it at the proper spacing for the particular variety. These tapes are well suited for small seeds that need to be thinned after germination, such as carrots, beets, and lettuce.

Sound simple enough to make yourself? Here are the details: You will need some paper, flour, water, a small watercolor paintbrush, and seeds. Cut plain paper, such as copy paper or newspaper, into long one-inch wide strips. If you can find it, the perforated ends of computer paper, used in the older style tractor feed printers is ideal. It is already cut and has regularly spaced holes that serve as a gauge for spacing.

Make glue by mixing the flour and water to the consistency of gravy. With the brush pick up a small dot of glue, then touch the brush to a seed, and place the seed with the adhering glue on the paper. Continue this process spacing the seeds according to the directions on the seed package.

After the tapes have air dried on a flat surface, roll or fold them up and store in a plastic sandwich type baggie. Be sure to date and label the baggie. When it is time to plant, just unroll, lay it on the soil surface, cover with a thin layer of soil, and water.

University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener program is open to all gardeners who wish to learn more about gardening, and who have the time and the inclination for volunteer service. Known for their highly regarded training and many volunteer public service activities, Master Gardeners are proud to serve their communities.

The next Master Gardener training classes in the Tri-County area will begin in January 2004. Gardeners wishing to register for Master Gardener training in 2004 may call their county Extension Unit office (Peoria 685-3140, Tazewell 347-6614 & Woodford 467-3789), leave their names, addresses & phone or e-mail numbers. They will be sent application forms in October or November 2003 when the class schedule has been completed.

Come join us. You will be glad you did!

The Master Gardener JOURNAL is published every month by Master Gardener volunteers from Peoria, Tazewell & Woodford Counties, Illinois at the office of the Peoria County (Illinois) Unit of University of Illinois Extension. Its mission is to assist home gardeners with common gardening and landscaping problems, and to inform them and the general public of opportunities offered by University of Illinois Extension programs.

Subscribers to the Master Gardener JOURNAL are asked to report address changes to the Peoria County Extension office. The phone number is (309) 685-3140. The MG JOURNAL is sent by 3rd Class Mail. Undelivered copies are neither forwarded nor returned.

MG JOURNAL subscriptions are available to gardeners in West-Central Illinois, free of charge, upon request. Single copies may be obtained at the Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford County Extension offices, Luthy Botanical Garden, Forest Park Nature Center, Lakeview Branch of the Peoria Public Library, and Lakeview Museum. Free-will donations, in any amount, are welcome and will be used to support the continued publication of the MG JOURNAL. Please make checks payable to "The Peoria County 4-H & Extension Foundation" and mail to the address below.

Gardening-related notices and other contributions are welcome in the Master Gardener JOURNAL. Material for our June issue must be received at the Peoria County Extension office not later than 4:00 pm, Friday, May 23, 2003.

Please mail to: University of Illinois Extension,
Peoria County Unit
Attention: Master Gardener JOURNAL
4810 N. Sheridan Road
Peoria, IL 61614

...or send by FAX to (309) 685-3397, or e-mail peoria_co@mail.aces.uiuc.edu

The deadline for fund raising to save the Peoria County Unit of University of Illinois Extension will be May 15th and we are bending every effort to meet this challenge. Volunteers from 4-H, Homemakers, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Program, the Family Nutrition Program and the Master Gardeners have put forth every effort to secure the funding needed to assure Extension's survival in Peoria County.

At the time of this writing we are close to our goal of $55,000 and we expect to pass it very soon, but the month of May will determine whether our efforts will be successful. It is our hope that the campaign we have conducted, since our usual funding by the Peoria County Board was terminated, has developed new relationships within the community and that these will provide support in the future.

Extension's program benefits everyone and since embarking upon this campaign we have found that nearly everyone is interested in supporting Extension. We will know within the next few weeks whether we have been able to make our case to the people and business community of Peoria County. To everyone who has worked with us and for the generous support we have received we extend our sincere thanks.