September 2007Hire a reputable tree service for repair or removal of trees. Look for companies that have certified arborists on their staff. Certified arborists have to pass an exam and maintain their certification through continuing education. Arborists are not required to be certified in Illinois. Be sure the company has current certificates of insurance. You can find a certified arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture website. September is a great time to have your soil tested. A soil test will give you the pH and potassium, phosphorus and organic levels in your soil. PH measures the acidity or alkalinity of your soil. Most plants will grow well at pH between 6.0 and 7.5. Fall is the best time to have your soil tested because the weather is more settled than in the spring and soil labs are not as busy. To prepare a soil sample, take a trowel and collect four to six soil samples from different locations in your garden or lawn in a bucket. Spread the sample on newspaper and allow it to dry. Place about a one half pint dried soil sample in a sealed plastic bag and send it to the lab. For a free listing of local soil testing labs, go to http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/soiltest/cooksouth.html. Contact the lab before sending in the sample for any special instructions. Fall is prime time for the appearance of the adult boxelder bug. The boxelder bugs are 1/2 inch long, 1/3 inch wide and brownish-black with three red stripes on the area behind the head. During the fall large numbers of the adults can be found on boxelder trees or the sides of homes and buildings. They will often enter homes looking for someplace to over winter. They will enter the home through open windows and doors and cracks and crevices in the foundation. They will not feed or reproduce indoors. Remove them by vacuuming them up. Caulk any cracks and crevices in the foundation to keep them out of your home. 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 two inches and seed. Water lightly and keep moist. Seed will germinate in 3 to 4 days. Stop watering amaryllis in late summer to revive the bulb for flowering. Let the leaves die. Cut the dead leaves off to within 2-3 inches of the bulb. Place the potted bulb in a cool, dark place like the basement for 6 to 8 weeks. Bring the amaryllis into a bright, warm area and start watering. Keep the soil moist. It should bloom in 4 to 8 weeks after the start of watering. Remember the general rule of thumb for planting spring bulbs is to plant two to three times as deep as the bulbs is tall. This means most large bulbs like tulips or daffodils will be planted about 8 inches deep while smaller bulbs will be planted 3-4 inches deep. Planting depth is measured from the bottom of the bulb. Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths should be planted with the nose of the bulb upward and the root plate downward. The best method of planting is to dig and loosen the entire bed to the proper depth. Press the bulbs into the soil in the planting area and cover with soil. Because the soil in a spaded bed is better drained and prepared, the planting will last longer. This method of planting is preferred over trying to plant bulbs one by one with a bulb planter. In many soils bulb planters do not work well, if at all. Water the bulbs following planting. This will help settle the soil in the planting bed plus provide needed moisture for the bulbs to start rooting. Fall planted bulbs must root before cold weather. Avoid over-watering at planting time since this can result in bulb rot. Plant a “green manure” crop. Green manure crops include clover, annual ryegrass, winter wheat, winter rye and buckwheat. Green manure crops turned into the soil in the spring will improve soil structure and will add organic matter and nutrients to the soil. Sow the seed thickly. Keep moist until germination occurs. Cut back plants that flower to prevent self-seeding. In early spring turn the green manure into the soil.
For a listing of local apple orchards, check out the University of Illinois Extension’s website Apples and More at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/apples/appleorchards.cfm. |
