Vol. 14, No.1
January/February 2010
University of Illinois Extension, Pike County Horticulture Newsletter
Pike County
1301 E. Washington St.
Pittsfield, IL 62363
Phone: (217) 285-5543
Fax: (217) 285-5735
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate
in any program we offer, please contact University of
Illinois Extension, Pike County at 217-285-5543.
Articles in This Issue:
Looking for Email Addresses .............................. 1
Upcoming Events ................................................. 1
Other Upcoming Extension Activities ................. 2
You Can’t Text a Tomato .................................... 2
Predicting A Plant’s Winter Survivability ........... 3
Roach Control in Home ...................................... 4
New Plants for 2010 ........................................... 4
Propagating House Plants................................... 5
Miniature Roses Make Nice Valentine’s Gifts.... 6
Extending Life of Fresh Flowers ........................ 6
Timely Landscaping Activities ............................ 7
The Master Gardener’s Plot ................................ 8
The Language of Flowers ................................... 9
Looking for Email Addresses
If you would like to receive your “Down To Earth”
horticulture newsletter via email, please email
cwestfal@illinois.edu with your address.
And, if you are not interested in receiving
this newsletter, please let us know and we
can discontinue mailing it to you. We
really appreciate your help!
Upcoming Events
Winter 2010 Horticulture Telenets Offered
They all begin at 1:00 p.m. Please call our office at
(217) 285-5543 by the deadline for each session.
ideal conditions. They can also provide multi-season
interest, even in the winter months. Specific ferns and
growing conditions will be discussed during this hourplus program. Deadline to register: February 19, 2010.
The Elusive Morel
March 9 at 1:00 p.m..
This program will cover the basics of
mushroom classification and identification, with an
emphasis on the various species of morels and the
non-morel look-alikes. Tips for hunting the morel
mushroom will be discussed, as well as safety in the
woods and hunting etiquette—making this program
especially useful to the novice morel hunter. Deadline
to register: March 5, 2010.
A Gardener’s Guide to Plant Propagation
March 23 at 1:00 p.m.
Propagation simply means to reproduce or make new
plants. There are many ways to “make more plants.”
This session will focus on a variety of propagation
techniques and try to take away some of the mystery
so that you succeed. Soon, you may have more plants
than you thought possible. Deadline to register: March
19, 2010.
Registration Details: Each session is $5. Handout
materials will be in color. Advance registration is
needed one week before the program you attend. If
you would like a CD of the program, please add an
additional $2.
The 2010 Spring session will include:
Ferns in the Landscape
Vegetable Gardening in Small Yard Spaces – April 13
Don’t Fear the Shade Garden – April 27
The Bountiful Flower Garden – May 11
February 23 at 1:00 p.m.
Many garden-worthy ferns can thrive under less-than-
Watch the next newsletter for more details!
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
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Other Upcoming Extension Activities
You Can’t Text a Tomato
All workshops and classes listed will be held at
University of Illinois Extension, Pike County, 1301 E.
Washington St., Pittsfield, Illinois (we are located in
the Pike County Farm Bureau building.) Please call
us at (217) 285-5543 for more information or to
register.
Sandra Mason, U of I Horticulture & Environment Educator
Food or Supplements? What’s the Answer? –
February 9 at 1:30 p.m. What is a dietary supplement?
Should you take a supplement? Will a supplement
interact with your prescription medication? Answers
to these questions and more will be presented at the
local leader lesson “Supplements or Food”.
15-Hour Food Service Sanitation Manager’s Class
Starts Monday, February 22 from 5:15 – 9:15 p.m.
The class will be held four Monday’s . Cost for the
four classes is $50 plus the cost of a handbook for
$25. Deadline to register is February 15. Held at
University of Illinois Extension Office.’
Pike County 4-H Extension Foundation Taters To
Go Fund Raiser – February 26 from 11:00 a.m. –
1:00 p.m. Individuals and businesses can order a
baked potato along with a variety of toppings for $4
and a bowl of chili for $2. Pre ordering is
recommended by 4:30 p.m. on February 25. Dine-in
is available.
5-Hour Food Service Sanitation Manager’s
Refresher Course – Will be held March 17 from 1:00
– 6:30 p.m. Deadline to register is March 12. The
class will be held at University of Illinois Extension
Office. The class fee is $25.
Pastry & Pies Workshop – March 30 from 5:30 –
7:30 p.m. Workshop is $10 which will cover supplies
and handouts. Call us at 285-5543 to reserve a spot for
you.
Advanced Breadmaking – April 13 from 5:30 – 7:30
p.m. If you have participated in the breadmaking
workshop in the past or are an occasional bread baker,
this workshop is for you. $10 will cover the cost of
supplies and handouts. Call and reserve your seat
now by calling us at 285-5543.
As we look to a new year, talk show banter
revolves around change; what changes
we have seen over the last decade and
conjecture as to what changes we will see
during the next years. Of course much of it revolves
around technology. I'm at the age where I drag one
foot in the old and stick a toe in the new which is
summed up in the look on kids' faces when I
reminisce about the time before internet and iPods.
The same look I gave my grandmother when she
talked about the time before electricity and indoor
toilets.
You can't text a tomato or unfriend an onion. As much
as I enjoy new fangled contraptions, I find great
comfort in knowing gardening hasn't changed all that
much over the years. We still plant seeds. (Although
some of us do buy transplants when we are feeling
really wild.) Plants grow by using air, water, nutrients
and energy from the sun to make their own food. We
take advantage of their food making ability by eating
the fruits of their labor.
I enjoy reading old garden books. Much of the advice
in the old books mirrors the advice of the new books.
"Plant tomatoes after frost." "Don't plant seeds too
deep." And of course both the old and the new include
lots of discussion about manure. One garden book I
enjoy reading is A-B-C of Vegetable Gardening by
Eben Rexford published in 1916, a part of Harper's AB-C series including A-B-C of Housekeeping, A-B-C
of Correct Speech, A-B-C of Good Form and others.
Evidently they had "Dummy" series back then too.
Popular vegetables to grow in 1916 were pretty much
the same as today: asparagus, beans, cucumbers,
radish, squash, rhubarb, tomatoes and potatoes. Of
carrots Rexford said, "Comparatively few persons
give this plant a place in their gardens, but it richly
deserves a place there because of its value as an
article of food as well as because of its health-giving
qualities." Even in 1916 carrots were considered
healthy. Interestingly broccoli and sweet potatoes
were not mentioned.
Despite all the similarities between the old and new
gardening books, some things have changed including
our tastes. Rexford's 1916 book states, "The currant is
one of the garden's indispensables. It furnishes us with
fruit of just the right degree of tart acidity… and who
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
does not get a deal of enjoyment out of a green currant
pie?" I'd venture to say most of us have never
experienced that enjoyment.
Much can be learned about gardening influences
through cookbooks such as The Everyday Cookbook
and Encyclopedia of Practical Recipes by Miss E.
Neil published in 1892. It includes not commonly
seen recipes for pickled mushrooms and calves' feet
jelly. The book also details home care tips such as
how to clean corsets and rid homes of vermin. In 1892
the mosquito repellent recipe states "Rub exposed
parts with kerosene. The odor is not noticed after a
few minutes, and children especially are much
relieved by its use." And we think our mosquito
repellants stink.
The 1892 Everyday Cookbook includes recipes for
treating everything from dog bites to drunkenness.
One caught my attention entitled "to restore from
stroke of lightening." For this affliction the book
suggests, "Shower with cold water for two hours; if
the patient does not show signs of life, put salt in the
water, and continue to shower an hour longer." At
least no one can say they didn't try.
The 1892 cookbook also lays out some life recipes.
"Laugh heartily, laugh often…let the gladness of your
hearts bubble up once in a while, and overflow in a
glad, mirthful laugh." Let's follow this recipe for our
new year.
Predicting a Plant's Winter Survivability
Sandra Mason, U of I Horticulture & Environment Educator
Once we settle into our winter survivability our
thoughts pass to whether our landscape plants will
survive. One of the first questions to ask in winter
plant survival is what is the plant's hardiness zone
rating. The National Arbor Day Foundation in 2004
revised the1999 United States Department of
Agriculture plant hardiness map. It may seem counter
to our winter but The Arbor Day map lists several
areas in a warmer zone. USDA lists much of our area
as zone 5b with an average annual minimum
temperature of -10 to -15 degrees F. National Arbor
Day lists us as zone 5 at -10 to -20 degrees F or zone
6 at 0 to -10 degrees F. The smaller the number the
more cold hardy a plant's rating. To find your zone
just go to the website and type in your zip code.
http://www.arborday.org/media/zones.cfm
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However cold hardiness maps are only indicators.
How well an individual plant will survive depends on
additional factors such as the overall health of the
plant, plant maintenance techniques, planting site,
plant maturity and what stage of growth it's in when
cold hits. Healthy plants will survive cold temperature
better than plants entering winter in poor health. Some
diseases may actually predispose plants to winter
injury. Plants weakened by drought or root rot are
more prone to cold injury. Generally more mature
plants will survive cold stress better than newly
established plants.
A deep snow cover helps plants to survive severely
cold temperatures and may help to keep them dormant
if we get a winter warming. Snow is one of the best
plant insulators. (See there is something good about
snow.)
Hardiness is also affected by the return of warm
temperature. A few days of warm weather in mid to
late winter can reduce plant cold hardiness
significantly especially in trees and shrubs. Once cold
hardiness is lost from late winter warming, the plant
cannot return to the same level of hardiness. If mild
winter temperatures continue, then damage is not
likely. However should severe cold temperatures
return the plant may be damaged. Gradually colder
temperatures are less stressful on plants than a sharp
drop in temperature.
If severe cold temperatures hit when a plant is not
quite dormant in the fall or if it's coming out of
dormancy in the spring, the plant may not survive
down to the -10 degrees its rating declares.
Just like my feet and hands are consistently icebergs,
not all plant parts are equally winter hardy. Cold
temperature which destroys peach blossoms may do
very little, if any harm to the peach tree. Our late
spring frosts often damage the magnolia and peach
blossoms but the plants continue to thrive. Also
flower buds are more cold hardy than the open
flowers. For example dormant blueberry flower buds
can tolerate minus 20 degrees F whereas the open
flower buds can be damaged at 28 degrees F.
Hardiness zone ratings don't take into account
microclimates. Your backyard may have a slightly
different microclimate than your neighbor's. Areas
with south facing brick walls, courtyards, areas near
concrete parking lots, or near bodies of water may be
warmer.
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
We won't know for sure the extent of plant damage
until spring. Don't be too anxious to pronounce a plant
dead. Many times twigs may die but enough of the
plant remains to resprout.
Once the snow melts be on the look out for plant roots
that have been frost heaved out of the soil. Rather than
squishing roots back down, just place some mulch or
soil over the roots as soon as possible.
Much of gardening is experimental. An old garden
adage is "You have to kill a plant at least three times
before you can consider it not hardy." And a dead
plant is a shopping opportunity.
Roach Control in the Home
4
your local Extension office may also be needed. Spray
the insecticide into cracks and crevices along
baseboards and around cabinets, appliances and pipes
where they enter the apartment. Since the cockroaches
are hungry and have few places to hide, thanks to your
sanitation and caulking, the insecticide will be much
more effective. Make sure to read and follow the
directions on the label. Keep insecticide applications
away from pets and children.
Improper control of cockroaches is usually due to any
or all of the above procedures not being followed. In
an apartment building, the refusal of one tenant to
fully cooperate in a control program may result in his
apartment being a source of re-infestation for the
entire building.
David Robson, U of I Horticulture Educator
Cockroach control is a problem that requires more
than one approach. Sanitation,
caulking and insecticide use are the
important parts of good roach
control.
German cockroaches are the most common roaches
that are indoor pests. The adults are small, about an
inch long, tan, with long antennae and legs. They have
two dark stripes on the back between the head and
wings. These roaches live primarily in the kitchen,
dining room and any other area where food is
prepared or served.
Without proper sanitation practices, such as storing
food in insect-proof containers, washing dirty dishes,
keeping floors and counters clean of crumbs of food
and not leaving pet food out overnight, the roaches
will have a steady supply of food easily available to
them, and their numbers will increase despite
insecticide use.
Caulking cracks and crevices, particularly in food
preparation areas, removes hiding places for the
roaches—making them more likely to crawl into an
area that has been sprayed with insecticide. Caulking
these cracks and crevices also eliminates places where
food might collect in hard-to-clean areas. If you live
in an apartment, caulk around water and drain pipes
where they come into the apartment in order to reduce
the entrance of roaches from other apartments.
Since it is almost impossible to starve a roach to
death, monthly use of an insecticide recommended by
New Plants for 2010
Sandra Mason, U of I Horticulture & Environment Educator
News flash from the underground groundhog news,
"Punxsutawney Phil is sick of winter". I'll bet even
Phil is dreaming of gardens. One of my great joys is
drooling over plant catalogs. I can revisit with my
favorite plant friends and imagine how I might use
new plant acquaintances.
All America Selections announces nine new varieties
that earned the AAS award for 2010. The All America
Selections, a not-for-profit organization of seed
developers and producers, helps to entice gardeners to
try new cultivars. Winners are tested at trial gardens
across North America including the Hartley Gardens
at University of Illinois Arboretum. Each winner has
superior qualities or traits that distinguish them from
similar varieties in side by side trials. 2010 winners
include a perennial flower, annual flowers and a
vegetable.
The past few years we have seen a
multitude of purple coneflower cultivars.
'PowWow Wild Berry' purple coneflower
differs from all others for flower color,
branching and plant size. The deep rose-purple 3
to 4 inch flowers retain their bright color as they age.
With the additional branching and numerous flowers
'PowWow Wild Berry' makes quite a flower show as a
perennial in a sunny garden.
'Mesa Yellow' gaillardia is the first hybrid blanket
flower with a mounded plant habit and prolific
flowering. I've always liked blanket flowers but the
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
5
old cultivars had that "bad hair day" look. Breeders
called in the hairdresser to get 'Mesa Yellow'. The 3inch daisy-like flowers offer a color show throughout
the summer on neat, mounded plants. As an annual
flower 'Mesa Yellow' reaches 20 to 22 inches tall in a
full sun garden. They are adaptable to smaller space
gardens or cascading over containers. 'Mesa Yellow'
plants are wind and rain resistant unlike most blanket
flowers. 'Mesa Yellow' blooms two to three weeks
earlier than comparison blanket flowers.
Propagating House Plants
I know it's hard to believe we need one more
marigold, but they are tough annual flowers with a
myriad of sizes and colors. 'Moonsong Deep Orange'
marigold is a true Illini orange. The double flowers
are 2.5 to 3.5 inches for an eye-popping show. The
vigorous 12-15 inches tall plants are heat and drought
tolerant and easy to grow from seed.
Seed propagation is of secondary importance due to
unreliability of the end product. The most common
means of reproducing houseplants is by means of
cuttings. A cutting, by definition, is any detached part
that will not only produce the missing tissue, but will
finally result in a new plant. Of the various types and
methods of making cuttings, probably the most widely
used are the stem and leaf types.
'Twinny Peach' is a snapdragon without the snap. As a
double or butterfly flower form it lacks the jaws or
joints to snap. The large open flowers of 'Twinny
Peach' are winners with their color blend of peach,
yellow and light orange tones. No other snapdragon
offers this range of colors. It's a knockout matched
with blue flowers or purple foliage plants. In the full
sun garden, 'Twinny Peach' will produce abundant
flower spikes with plenty to cut for fresh bouquets.
I've always thought zinnias have been underestimated
as tough annual flowers. The old cultivars did have a
nasty habit of getting fungal leaf diseases, but there
are several new cultivars that combine a zinnia's
durability with disease resistance. 'Zahara Starlight
Rose' zinnia offers a new rose and white bicolored
flower as well as resistance to fungal leaf spot and
powdery mildew. As a zinnia it is heat and drought
tolerant and easy to grow in sunny gardens. At 12 to
14 inches tall and wide it's perfect for landscapes and
containers. Other colors in the 'Zahara' zinnia series
were also 2010 winners including 'Double Zahara
Fire' and 'Double Zahara Cherry'.
One vegetable won a 2010 AAS designation. In a
taste test against comparisons, 'Shiny Boy'
watermelon won overwhelmingly for its sweet
tropical flavor and crisp texture. The red fleshed
melon with dark seeds weighs in at about 20 pounds.
'Endurio Sky Blue Martien' viola is also a winner with
its mounding plants covered in flowers. Thanks to
AAS for information and pictures. Check out past
winners at http://www.all-americaselections.org/
David Robson, U of I Horticulture Educator
As a science, propagation of houseplants is relatively
new; as an art, it is quite ancient. The most
economical way to replace a houseplant in the past
was to buy it from a florist or garden center. However,
today, with the influx of plastics, new rooting material
and a little common sense, it has become possible to
propagate almost any plant.
It is important to select plants that are healthy and
vigorously growing. Plants grown under high fertility
conditions appear to develop roots twice as fast as
those grown under poor nutritional conditions.
The optimum length of stem cuttings varies between 3
and 4 inches. Cuts are best made just below a node,
the slight swelling in the stem where leaves originate.
After the cuttings have been prepared, they may be
handled in one of several ways. Cuttings can be
placed in a container filled with sand, vermiculite or
perlite—with the latter two the most recommended.
The rooting media is slightly packed around the plant
and then well watered. Plastic bags filled with
sphagnum moss are also used. The cutting is placed in
the moist peat, and the bag tied securely to prevent
water from evaporating. A final means of preparing
cuttings is to place the entire cutting in a clear plastic
bag with moist peat and secure the bag. The result is a
miniature greenhouse.
Cuttings should be kept at 70 degrees F to insure rapid
development of roots. Avoid placing plants in direct
sunlight, as plants are capable of wilting. An increase
in the humidity level has shown an increase in the
production of roots. If the humidity level
is low, place plants near a humidifier,
near a vaporizer or in the bathroom.
Rooting hormones are available for
plants that appear difficult to root.
Do not root cuttings in water if possible.
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
Plants with roots established in water often die when
transplanted to a soil mixture. Evidence indicates the
roots rot due to the presence of microorganisms and
the abundance of air.
Transplant plants as soon as two or three good roots
appear. It is advisable to transplant a little of the
rooting medium to avoid shock.
Miniature Roses Make Nice Valentine’s
Day Gifts
Sandra Mason, U of I Horticulture & Environment Educator
Roses share a colorful history with people.
They have been symbols of love, beauty,
war, states and nations. Roses were in such
high demand during the seventeenth century
that royalty considered roses or rose water as legal
tender. Roses were also an important symbol in
meetings. If a rose was hung from the ceiling at a
meeting, all those present were vowed to secrecy.
6
in containers, borders, rock gardens, and other small
spaces. Plus your sweetie can remember you and your
thoughtfulness for years to come.
Once you get your mini home, make sure it is well
watered. If the soil is really dry, soak the pot for about
an hour in a dish of warm water. Tiny miniature roses
are often marketed in tiny miniature pots. They are
definitely going for the cute factor. For the rose it's
like us wearing shoes two sizes too small. It's best to
repot the roses into 4 or 6 inch pots with drain holes.
These pots can then be set into a decorative pot.
Soilless mixes are good potting mixes since they
retain moisture well but also drain well.
Roses are sun loving plants so indoors they will need
a south or west window. Supplemental lighting will
keep them blooming longer. A combination of cool
white and warm white fluorescent bulbs about three
inches from the plant work well. Even a desk halogen
light will help. Light should be kept on 14-18 hours a
day.
Garden cultivation of roses began some 5,000 years
ago, probably in China. Roses have been grown not
only for their beauty but for cosmetics, fragrances,
medicines and for making rosaries.
Indoor temperature for roses is pretty much what we
like. They are best at low 70's during the day and low
to mid 60's at night. Roses do appreciate some extra
humidity indoors. They can be placed on shallow
dishes of wet pebbles.
Roses have their own day of celebration – Valentine's
Day. Roses and chocolate tantalize all your senses.
Valentine's Day not only brings out bunches of long
stemmed red roses but also pots of miniature roses.
Miniature roses should be kept evenly moist, but not
soggy. Just feel the soil to test for dryness. If the roses
dry out too much, the lifetime of existing flowers will
be reduced and any flower buds may fail to open.
Miniature roses are indeed miniature with miniature
flowers, leaves, thorns and plants. Miniatures range in
height from 3 inches to 18 inches. Flowers are about
the size of a quarter. Most are continuous bloomers
and very adaptable in sunny gardens. Unfortunately
most have little or no fragrance due to their lineage
from a single dwarf China rose called 'Rouletii'.
"Cinderella" and "Sweet Fairy" are among the more
popular ones that do have fragrance. Miniatures were
very popular with Chinese gardeners long before they
became popular in the United States just after World
War II.
Spider mites can be a problem. The pot and soil can
be covered with a plastic bag and the plant given a
warm shower. Insecticidal soap is also effective
against any of the soft bodied insects.
Miniature roses make nice gifts. They can be grown
indoors this winter than transplanted outdoors once
frost is unlikely. Most miniatures are very winter
hardy. Few miniatures are grafted. So even if the top
dies back or gets eaten by rabbits, the plants will send
up new stems. Miniature roses are excellent outdoors
For more info on roses
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/roses
Extending Life of Fresh Flowers
David Robson, U of I Horticulture Educator
Flowers are a favorite way to say "You are
special" or just to perk up any room in the
house. However, once cut, flowers start to
fade. There are some techniques for
extending the beauty of fresh flowers
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
7
When you get ready to place the flowers in a
container, re-cut the stems under water. This allows a
fresh cut to absorb the warm water and limits air
bubbles in the stem. Some professionals will
recommend cutting stems at an angle to help absorb
water. A fresh cut, clean container and fresh water are
more important.
little warm weather ignites our spring cleaning genes
and our passions to make this year better than last
garden season. This is the year we will finally trim the
tree that hits us in the face every time we mow or
rejuvenate that ugly mess of a privet hedge. If your
"honey do" list needs some entries, here are tips of
what to do now in the landscape.
Strip off all leaves that will be under water. This is a
must. Leaves harbor many of the bacteria that cause
stems to plug and flowers to wilt faster. Take care not
to break the stem.
Tree/Shrubs

Prune trees and summer flowering shrubs
while still dormant. Many shrubs can be
reduced in size by using renewal or heading
back methods. Sterilize tools in between each
cut with ten percent bleach when pruning
diseased plants. Summer flowering shrubs
bloom on new wood after mid June. Renewal
pruning method is the removal of the oldest
stems leaving the younger stems to develop.
Wait to prune lilacs and forsythia after they
bloom.

If needed, rejuvenate shrubs such as Anthony
Waterer spirea, honeysuckle, redtwig
dogwood and privet by cutting stems down to
4 to 6 inches.

Transplant or plant trees and shrubs. Plants
preferring spring transplant over fall include
most oak, birch, baldcypress, dogwood and
magnolia.

Inspect trees with a past history of tent
caterpillar. Look for dark brown or gray egg
masses that encircle the twig. Destroy by
pruning or scratching off with thumbnail.

Scout for bagworm bags on evergreens
especially spruce, juniper, and arborvitae.
Bagworms often start in the tops of trees so
remember to look up. Remove and destroy
bags now. Each bag could produce hundreds
of caterpillars. Sprays are ineffective until
mid to late June.

Apply dormant oil spray to euonymus to
control the insect euonymus scale. Dormant
oil sprays will also give partial control of pine
needle scale. Temperatures should be above
freezing for 24 hours after spraying.

Some scale species such as oystershell scale
are not controlled by dormant oil sprays. Get
Place stems in a clean, sanitized container or vase
with a warm water preservative solution. Vases can be
sterilized with a 10 percent bleach solution. The
bleach will kill the bacteria that cause the water to
turn murky, smelly and ultimately reduce the life of
the flowers.
It is always a good idea to make sure all containers are
rinsed with a bleach solution after being used to
display flowers. Rinse with warm water afterwards to
remove the bleach.
Use a commercially prepared preservative available at
most florist shops. The floral preservative makes the
water more acidic, which inhibits the evil bacterial
growth. If none is available, you can add some clear
carbonated soda to the water.
The best way to make sure flowers last is to change
the water daily or at least every other day in the
container. Every third or fourth day, re-cut the stems
to expose fresh water carrying tissues.
Keep flowers out of direct sunlight. Sunlight can
encourage bacterial growth. Also, keep flowers away
from apples, which will cause them to mature and turn
brown quickly. Once the flowers start fading and
wilting, remove them from the container and throw
them away.
Timely Landscaping Activities
Sandra Mason, U of I Horticulture & Environment Educator
Listen carefully and you can hear the gentle hum of
pruners and rakes in movement. A couple days of
warm weather and the tremors begin in many
gardeners' hands. Tremors that aren't registered on the
Richter scale, but on the pickup scale - the number of
twig piles strategically located throughout the yard. A
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
accurate identification of insect to determine
control program.
8
General

Scout late March and into April for winter
annual weeds such as henbit, chickweed and
creeping speedwell. Remove before flowering
or seed set.

Order seeds and garden plants.

Harvest finished compost from compost pile
to use in planting holes.

Sharpen tools for less strenuous gardening.
Flowers

Clean up any plant debris that wasn't removed
last fall.

Cut back ornamental grasses to 4-6 inches
before growth starts. The cool season grasses
such a Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis
acutiflora) green up quickly in spring so don't
wait. The popular Miscanthus cultivars are
warm season grasses so a little more time is
available to prune them.
“I’m sorry.... The chickens have cut way back on their egg
laying...” E-mail message from local
organic farmer

Late March – early April gradually pull back
mulch from roses.

Be on the look-out for rabbit damage on
newly emerging perennials and spring bulbs.
Fencing or inverted wire mesh baskets
provide the only complete protection.
Repellants may give some control.
The Master Gardener’s Plot

Wait until broadleaf weeds are actively
growing before treating with postemergence
herbicides.

Get lawn mower ready. Sharpen blades,
change oil and clean air filter.

Wait until late April to early May for first
fertilizer application.

I don’t just want to “cut way back”, I don’t want to
produce anything. I certainly don’t want to plan for
next summer. I need to decide how to plant next
summer’s garden to minimize the spread of soil borne
plant diseases, but I don’t want to. To suggest I
could clean last summer’s dirt off my gardening tools
makes me want to say “Not I!” to the little red hen. I
can’t even get excited looking at packets of seeds. So
if there are no eggs available, I understand.
Rake up any twigs and debris.

Wait until April to apply crabgrass control
otherwise a second application may be
necessary to control late season crabgrass
seed germination.

Establish lawns by sod throughout season as
long as adequate water is available.

Establish or renovate turf by seed. Prepare
soil properly and get good seed to soil
contact. Select turf mixes and blends
appropriate to the site and to maintenance
practices. Southern Illinois – March; Central
Illinois – March15-April 15; Northern Illinois
– April.
Lawns
by Duane Lanchester, Pike County Master
Gardener
I can identify with those hens. This is the season to
huddle in a warm coop, ruffle up your feathers, and
decline to produce. Go girls!
But I still want to eat. I don’t expect fresh localgrown lettuce. I know the local winter squash is gone
from the market. There may still be some root crops
in local fields and gardens, but they are frozen in the
ground. What does the gardener/cook do now?
She/he looks in the pantry or the freezer to see what’s
left.
And what does the garden writer do in the middle of
the winter doldrums? Well, I went back to my literary
larder, the notes which I kept for future columns.
I found a lot of information about the death of cedar
trees. (Was that from last summer, or two years
ago?) I found Professor Phil Nixon’s comments on
the use of Listerine as a mosquito deterrent. (He
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
thinks it would probably work briefly, but DEET is
better.) I found an article from a Seattle newspaper
about the best apples to raise in the Pacific
Northwest. (I’ll erase all those notes - if I can find the
energy.)
I did find my evaluation of my experiment in
“natural” planting of my tomato and pepper plants.
Nature doesn’t start a new crop by sweeping away all
remnants of the old crop. So instead of cleaning my
garden last spring, I just planted in holes scraped in
the debris that had over-wintered on top of my
garden. It wasn’t a success. The tomatoes did okay,
but the peppers had trouble peeking above the debris
to see the sun and had barely produced before first
frost.
But no experiment is ever conclusive. I had a poor
pepper crop but it may not have been because of the
planting conditions. Instead of buying the best plants
available, I bought plants available from my favorite
nursery. Good for personal relationships: not good for
producing plentiful peppers.
Back in my idea file I found an article I had already
used that says the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources feeds birds mostly
black-oil sunflower and cardinal mixes.
(Cardinal mix is sunflower, safflower and
peanuts.) It also said if you want to avoid the
mess of sunflower seed hulls, try feeding
shelled sunflower seeds.
I did, and using shelled sunflower seeds eliminated a
lot of the mess under our feeders, but not all of it.
Birdies, in addition to being mean, are naturally
messy. But I love to see them at our feeders. The
snow-cover this winter has made our feeders
especially popular.
When we first moved to our mini-farm we tried
feeding the birds suet in those little screen feeders. It
took us a long time to find suet in our grocery store:
and then it took a long time for the fat-eating birds to
discover our feeder. So two years ago we tried a
faux-suet recipe which attracted more birds and more
different kinds of birds. I shared the recipe in this
column, and then repeated it for last winter. But this
winter the birds liked it so much - which pleases me
inordinately - that I’m repeating it again in hopes
you’ll finally try it.
9
1. One pound of lard, (Do not try to substitute
vegetable oil.) and one cup of peanut butter melted
together over low heat.
2. Half a cup of flour, half a cup of cornmeal, and
one cup of sugar mixed together and added to lard
mixture.
3. Enough bread crumbs to absorb all the liquid. This
might take quite a lot; perhaps half a loaf. (You can
substitute other bread-like things: old doughnuts, leftover pancakes, stale buns, etc.)
4. An apple or other fruit chopped in small pieces and
if you really love those birdies, half a cup of pecans.
5. Pour it all into a 9 x5 inch bread pan and keep it in
the refrigerator. When you need a slice to put in your
suet feed, just slice it off the end. It doesn’t make
neat slices like butter, but it is easy to load into your
feeder because it is malleable - and greasy.
While still looking in my idea file… oh, here’s a
recipe for preparing a Mexican delicacy from Prickly
pears. I filed it after I discovered Prickly pear grows
well in Pike County and before I found out Pike
County Prickly pears are not like Mexican Prickly
pears.
And here’s a recipe for making your own insecticidal
soap....and.....
The Language of Flowers
Sandra Mason, U of I Horticulture & Environment Educator
Ever wonder why red roses are the
symbol of Valentine’s Day? Why
not white or yellow? The reason
lies in the language of flowers.
This does not include the language
we use after the bunnies have eaten
the flowers. It's the delicate, subtle meanings given to
flowers in order elicit emotion in the receiver.
The language of flowers also known as floriography
has been around for centuries. Writings of the ancient
Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Chinese all included
flower and plant symbolism. Meanings were probably
passed orally through a largely illiterate audience.
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
The 1800's seemed to have been the heyday of flower
symbolism. Intimate emotions could be conveyed
with flowers. Emotions that the delicate sensibilities
of the time were not dared to be uttered aloud. During
Victorian times many small colorful handbooks were
produced to guide the giver and givee as to the
meanings. Unfortunately depending on the culture and
the author, not all of the books agreed on meanings.
Even today different cultures assign different
messages to the same flower. One would only hope
that each party was literally on the same page when it
came to the interpretations.
For instance hyacinth can mean games, play or
forgive me. I guess this is the perfect flower for a man
to give to a woman. It pretty well covers all the bases
and he probably needs to be forgiven for something.
Also how the flowers were presented and the
condition of the flowers was also important. It didn't
take a genius to figure out that wilted flowers wasn't a
good thing. Or it could have just meant a slow
messenger. Flower symbolism had a few inherent
problems.
If the flowers were given upside down then the
meaning was the opposite of the traditional meaning.
Just how the ribbon was tied had meaning. Tied to the
left, the flower symbolism was in reference to the
giver. If it was tied to the right, the symbolism was
about the givee. Flower symbolism was not for the
unobservant. Flowers were also used to answer "yes"
or "no" questions. A "yes" answer was signified if the
flowers were handed over with the right hand, if they
were handed over with the left hand the answer was
"no". Handing over flowers is just like spending time
at an auction, don't scratch your nose; you never know
how someone might interpret it.
The following is a lovely discussion of the language
of flowers from: Collier's Cyclopedia of Commercial
and Social Information and Treasury of Useful and
Entertaining Knowledge, (actually I just really like the
title of the book) compiled by Nugent Robinson. P.F.
Collier, 1882
"Flowers have a language of their own, and it is this
bright particular language that we would teach our
readers. How charmingly a young gentleman can
speak to a young lady, and with what eloquent silence
in this delightful language. How delicately she can
respond, the beautiful little flowers telling her tale in
10
perfumed words." We all could use a bit of eloquent
silence and perfumed words these days.
Today flowers are still an important part of our
weddings, funerals, holidays and ceremonies although
we may not know their true meaning. Wedding
bouquets often include ivy that symbolizes fidelity. If
you are looking for new ways of saying I love you,
consider a bouquet of these.
Red chrysanthemums and heliotrope - I love you

Forget-me-nots - true love

Red tulips - perfect love

Red rose - desire and love

Cedar - I live for thee

Coreopsis - love at first sight

Phlox - our hearts are united.
On the other hand, the language of a new BMW is
always clear.
The articles in this newsletter have been
provided for you by University of Illinois
Extension, Pike County office.
Jennifer Mowen, County Extension Director
Newsletter Compiled and Designed by Cheryl Westfall, Office
Support Associate
If you have any questions or comments regarding the issue of
“Down To Earth”, please contact University of Illinois Extension,
Pike County, at (217) 285-5543.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of
Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
United States Department of Agriculture • Local Extension
Councils Cooperating University of Illinois Extension provides
equal opportunities in programs and employment.