June 2005

Edible

It is strawberry picking time. For a listing of local strawberry farms, call 773-768-7779 or check out our web site, Strawberries and More at www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/strawberries.

Water the vegetable garden with the equivalent of one inch of water per week. Watering deeply, 8 - 10 inches, will promote deep root development. This will help the vegetables tolerate drought periods.

Watch for blossom end rot on tomatoes. It starts as a water-soaked spot on the bottom of the tomato. It will turn black. Blossom end rot often appears when first fruit are ripening. It is not a disease, but a physiological disorder, which is caused by a calcium deficiency in the plant caused by wide fluctuations in soil moisture. Peppers and eggplant can also be affected. Remove the affected fruits, maintain even soil moisture (one inch per week) and use mulches to help reduce the problem.

Keep some buckwheat seed handy. Buckwheat can be used as a cover crop to improve soil structure. Sprinkle the buckwheat seed on bare spots in the garden as crops are harvested. The buckwheat will germinate quickly and smother weeds. Keep the flowers cut, so it doesn’t reseed. When you’re ready to plant the spot, turn the buckwheat under.

Enter the NatureSweet Tomatoes Homegrown Tomato Challenge and win $5,000. Entry forms will be available at any Jewel grocery store in the Chicago area after July 30. Judging will take place on August 20 at the Jewel grocery store at 7900 North Milwaukee, Niles, Illinois between 9 and 11 am. One entry per household. For more information call 1-800-315-8209 or log on to NatureSweet’s web site at www.naturesweettomatoes.com

Ornamental

Watch for Sudden Oak Death. This is a devastating disease to trees in the oak family. Trees can die within months or years of the first symptoms. Symptoms include leaves suddenly turning brown and staying on the tree up to a year following death and cankers with a dark red ooze on the trunk and branches. This disease can infect other plants like rhododendron, viburnum, azalea, horse chestnut, honeysuckle, buckthorn, Camellia, Douglas fir, huckleberry and lilac. Sudden Oak Death has not been found in Illinois, but it has spread from California to other states. For a fact sheet call 773-768-7779 or check out the web site -Pest Alert –Sudden Oak Death at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/pest_al/sodeast/sodeast.htm

Fertilize containers with a timed-release fertilizer. This fertilizer looks like small beads that releases nutrients to plants at each watering. One application of the fertilizer will last the entire growing season.

Water newly planted trees. Water regularly for two to three years until the tree’s root system is established. Place a hose at the base of the tree at a slow trickle.

Do not use pruning sealants to seal pruning cuts. Research has shown that sealants do not prevent decay or speed up the healing process.

Mulch around trees and shrubs. Mulch should be 2-3 inches deep. The mulch should not touch the trunk. Mulching newly planted trees will help preserve moisture.

Be careful when using your mower. Each year thousands of adults and children are injured while mowing the lawn. Keep the following safety tips in mind.

Be sure the mower is in good working condition. Walk the lawn before each mowing checking for any rocks, sticks or other hazards.

Wear long pants and sturdy shoes. Please, no flip-flops.

Do not cut the lawn when wet. Wet grass will clog the discharge shoot, jamming the blades. Never reach into the discharge chute to remove the grass while the mower is running.

Refuel the mower only when the engine has cooled off.

Disconnect the sparkplug when servicing the mower.