September 2005

Edible

Plant garlic cloves now. Large cloves will produce the largest bulbs. Plant cloves ½ to 1 inch deep and 3 to 6 inches apart. Mulch with several inches of straw for winter protection.

Plant spinach, lettuce, turnip, kale and radish for a fall garden.

Try arugula this fall. Arugula (Eruca vesicaria var. sativa) is a member of the mustard and cabbage family and has a spicy flavor. Plant seeds ½ to 1 inch deep in rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Thin plants to four inches apart. Harvest tender, young leaves about four to six weeks after planting.

Mix lettuce ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ and lettuce ‘Red Sails’ and seed empty areas in your flower and veggie gardens for a colorful and edible living mulch. Rake the soil to a depth of 2 inches and seed. Water lightly and keep moist. Seed will germinate in 3 to 4 days.

Fall is the best time to have your soil tested because the soil labs are not busy. To prepare a soil sample, take a trowel and collect four to six dry, soil samples from different locations in your garden or lawn and place in a bucket. Mix the soil and place about a pint of the soil in a sealed container and mail to a lab. The Cook County Farm Bureau for a fee will provide a kit that includes a soil sample bag, instructions on how to take a soil sample, a questionnaire about your soil sample and a shipping box with a pre-paid UPS shipping label. To order a kit call 708-354-3276. You will receive the test results and basic recommendations in two weeks.

Ornamental

Bring houseplants indoors before nighttime temperatures drop consistently into the 50’s. Hit the plants with a hard stream of water to remove any insects. Cut off any dead leaves. Repot if necessary. Gradually introduce them to the reduced indoor lighting. Keep the houseplants isolated from the rest of your plant collection for two to three weeks to make sure you do not introduce any insects or disease.

Start to plant spring flowering bulbs. Planting bulbs while soil temperatures are warm will insure good root development. Plant bulbs 2-3 times as deep as they are wide. Plant bulbs in soil with good drainage. Fertilize with a high phosphorus fertilizer. Phosphorus promotes good root development. Replace tulips that were planted 2-3 years ago because tulip flowering declines year to year.

Transplant perennials. Cut back by half just prior to moving. Water well, especially during our current dry spell.

Try growing a groundcover in some of those “ hard to grow grass areas” in your lawn. Remove all perennial weeds and grass before planting using a systemic non-selective herbicide. Dig or till the area to depth of 6 to 8 inches. Fertilize with a 5-10-5 fertilizer. Follow all label directions for timing of application, mixing and applying. Plant groundcovers in a diamond or staggered pattern. Space faster growing groundcovers further apart than slow growing types. If you plant on a slope, mulch the area after planting to hold the soil in place. It will take one to two growing seasons for the area to become established. For a fact sheet on growing groundcovers, call 773-233-0476.

Watch for boxelder bugs as the weather cools. Boxelder bugs are 1/2-inch long dark brown or black insects with red markings on their wings. They will migrate from boxelder trees to buildings for protection. Hundred’s will cluster on the sides of homes. They will crawl into cracks and crevices and make their way into your home. Boxelder bugs do not feed on food or clothing and they will not reproduce indoors. They may spot curtains and wallpaper with their fecal material. Also, they will leave a red or purple stain if smashed. If found indoors, remove by vacuuming. Caulk all cracks and crevices to reduce their chances of entering the home. Call 773-233-0476 for the factsheet, “ Fall Insect Invaders.”