Vol. 12, No.5
September/October 2008
University of Illinois Extension, Pike County Horticulture Newsletter
Pike County
1301 E. Washington St.
Pittsfield, IL 62363
Phone: (217) 285-5543
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:
Upcoming Events ................................................. 1
Keep Bugs Outside for Winter ............................. 1
Burn Barrels Affect the Air You Breathe ........... 2
Repair/Replace Damaged Lawns Now ................ 3
Overwintering Geraniums ................................... 4
Crickets ................................................................ 4
It’s Apple Picking Time ....................................... 5
Storing Apples...................................................... 6
Bell Peppers – Using Fresh or Freezing ............. 6
Sorting Through the Mystery of PesticideNames 7
Fall is A Great Time to Garden ........................... 8
Wooly Worms & the Weather .............................. 9
Pumpkins ............................................................. 10
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Fall Horticulture Telenet Series
The program cost for each telenet is $2 or $5 if you would
like color handouts. If you would like a CD of the program
there is an additional $2 charge for each CD. All telenets
will be held at the Pike County Extension office beginning
at 1:00 p.m.
Going Green with Evergreens
September 30 at 1:00 p.m.
There are plenty of low maintenance, hardy
evergreens you can add to your landscape.
Think beyond yews and learn about other
evergreens such as hemlocks and
arborvitaes.
Backyard Composting
October 14 at 1:00 p.m.
Fall is a great time to start a compost
pile that will reward you with black
gold—compost! Come learn how to
make this natural soil amendment in your own
backyard.
Call us at 285-5543 to reserve your packet and a seat
for these upcoming and exciting horticulture telenets!
Keep Bugs Outside for the Winter
Cooler weather prompts bugs and other creatures to
seek warmer winter quarters. This usually means they
move indoors. The insect group includes the now
common imported multi-spotted Asian lady beetles,
spiders, millipedes, sowbugs and boxelder bugs; even
mice would like to share your warm home with you
this winter. And there is nothing as annoying as a
cricket chirping in the middle of the night someplace
in the basement.
Many of the insects and spiders do not last long inside
due to the dry conditions and lack of food. However,
some will simply hibernate, such as the lady beetles,
waiting for spring to roll around again.
The best and surest way to keep them out is to prevent
them from getting inside. Insects can squeeze through
the tiniest of cracks in the foundation or around utility
pipes. They also can enter through gaps around
windows and doors. Caulking all cracks and crevices
is probably the surest methods to keep them outside.
Sealing also helps keep out drafts.
Be sure weather-seals at the bottoms of doors and
around windows are tight. You can slip in a piece of
paper when the door or window is open, and then try
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
to pull out the paper when the door or window is
closed. It should be difficult.
Rake the accumulated leaves and grass away from the
foundation. This eliminates hiding places and easy
access to your house by the pests. Move potted plants
away from the foundation. Rake and mix mulch
around foundation plantings. Sweep spider webs away
from windows and corners.
A foundation spray, available at garden centers,
nurseries, home improvement or discount stores,
might be helpful in extreme cases. Apply the diluted
spray to the ground for about three feet out from the
house, and a foot or two up the side of the building.
Read and follow all directions on the label.
If you take a walk around your house, you probably
will find a couple of spots that are perfect openings
for bugs. Remember, all it takes is a crack as thin as a
dime. That's the advantage to having your skeleton on
the outside of your body as opposed to the inside.
Look around your doors and windows. Are they tight?
Do you see any gaps? Do screens fit securely and
snuggly?
Gas and water pipes also can provide an entry point.
Many of these initially are caulked, but the caulk
could have dried out and shrunk a bit.
Check the foundation. Many older homes have cracks
in the brick or concrete supporting walls that don't
look like much to us, but could beckon to insects and
spiders.
Unless you are on a slab or elevated off the ground,
these foundations are buried in the ground, so you
may not be able to see all the cracks. Check indoors,
too, though if your basement is finished with full
walls that may be difficult.
Another often-overlooked area is the dryer vent.
Chances are the insect isn't going into the dryer, but
most vents don't fit tightly, and few of us remember to
caulk around them to seal out the air.
A tube of caulking is a great weapon against insects.
Granted, it can be messy if you don't create a fine
enough bead and get carried away with the caulking
gun. It's not something that you have little Billy or
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Molly do, unless you want caulk everywhere. Make
sure you get indoor/outdoor caulk that can take
freezing and thawing.
For window screens and doors, weatherproofing strips
create tighter seals, which also should help lower your
heating bills while keeping pests outside.
Most pests that do get indoors die from low humidity
in a few days. Lady beetles, boxelder bugs and spiders
may survive indoors all winter. In either case, the
simplest way to eliminate them is to vacuum them up.
Try not to crush boxelder bugs and lady beetles. They
leave a smelly stain.
Check any plants you are bringing indoors, giving
them a thorough shower, and keep them segregated
from your truly indoor plants. Inspect the new arrivals
at least weekly, giving them another washing as
necessary.
Indoors, only spiders are able to continue their normal
habits, but only if they have insects on which they can
live. The other pests mentioned above do not feed or
reproduce indoors and are usually gone by January.
The good news is most annoying insects die off either
with a frost or lack of food. Only the ladybeetles
hiding between the walls make it to next April.
Burn Barrels Affect the Air You
Breathe
Many people use burn barrels to get rid of
household waste. However, the waste
generated by today’s households is much
different than what it was years ago.
Bleached paper, plastics and other
synthetic materials make up a large part of today's
waste. When burned, many of these substances
release toxic pollutants.”
The oxygen in a backyard burn barrel is usually
limited, which makes the waste burn at a fairly low
temperature. This low-temperature fire creates such
pollutants as dioxins and furans that are released into
the atmosphere. The smoke containing these
substances can easily be inhaled, and particulates can
be deposited on plants and soil.
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
Dioxins and furans refer to a group of chemical
compounds that share certain similar chemical
structures and biological characteristics. Dioxins and
furans are unwanted byproducts of combustion that
come from natural sources like forest fires and from
man-made sources like power plants, burn barrels and
industrial processes. Both chemicals pose serious
health concerns.
An E.P.A. study estimates the amount of dioxins and
furans emitted from burning household waste in the
U.S. is greater than all other sources, including
residential and industrial wood burning and utilities.
In fact, burn barrels produced dioxins at levels more
than two times greater per ton of refuse than
municipal incinerators.
In Illinois, open burning of food waste, food
packaging and diapers is prohibited. Other items that
cannot be burned include furniture, construction
debris and tires. Burning of household waste is
permitted only on the premises where it is generated,
and the premises must be more than one mile outside
any town with a population of 1,000 or more. Some
communities have even more restrictive burning rules.
If you do burn waste, do not overload the barrel. That
way, more oxygen will reach the fire and create a
higher burn temperature. To reduce the amount of
material being burned, buy fewer disposable items,
recycle as appropriate, and compost if possible.
For more information on burn barrels, visit these web
sites: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency,
www.epa.il.us, and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, www.epa.gov.
Repair/Replace Damaged Lawns Now
The weather has not been kind to our lawns the past 18
months. However, rains and predictions for normal
rainfall for the next 90 days mean that things should
improve.
Lawns thinned out—by hot, dry temperatures, diseases
or insects—but otherwise satisfactory can be renovated
without destroying the entire lawn. If the lawn is thatchy,
core aerify to produce a core hole every 2 inches
throughout the lawn.
Thatch is a brown fibrous layer between the soil and
the green part of the grass. Core aerifying machines
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can be rented, or landscapers and lawn companies can
provide the service.
Mow the lawn short and thoroughly rake it to loosen
the soil and to make a shallow seedbed. A power rake,
also available from rental stores, will make the job
easier if the area is sizeable.
Sow a blend of Kentucky bluegrass varieties. Use
about two pounds of seed per 1000 square feet of
lawn. Use a spreader. Over-seed with about 25 percent
by weight of perennial ryegrass. Drag or rake the seed
into prepared seedbed, and roll to firm.
To completely replace a lawn that has been invaded
by quackgrass or other tenacious perennial weeds,
close attention to certain procedures will prevent
reappearance of the problems.
If the old lawn was free of thatch and unevenness and
was otherwise satisfactory (other than the weeds), slit
seed into the old lawn with a blend of Kentucky
bluegrasses, and over-seed with perennial ryegrass. As
with core aerifiers, slit seeder machines are available
from some rental agencies, or landscapers can do the
work.
If the old lawn was thatchy, uneven, poorly drained,
compact or otherwise undesirable, strip off the
existing lawn with a sod cutter, being sure to remove
all the accumulated thatch. Plow, rototill, disc or
otherwise work the soil to a depth of six inches.
Remove stones and other debris, and smooth-grade
the area to provide a uniform surface free of
depressions and high spots. Apply "starter" fertilizer,
and rake it into the soil surface. The area is then ready
to either seed or sod.
If you seed, spread a blend of Kentucky bluegrass and
about 20 percent ryegrass. Rake in the seeds lightly,
allowing some seed to remain on the surface.
Mulch with about 2 inches of straw. Either water the
seedbed and keep it moist until plant growth is well
established, or allow nature to provide the water.
If you choose to lay sod, buy sod grown on soil as
nearly like that in your yard as you can find. Moisten
the soil before laying the sod and keep the sod wet for
about 15-20 days until roots begin to grow into the
soil.
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Your lawn is one of the most important components
of your landscape. It enhances the beauty of other
ornamental plantings as it provides an attractive
setting for your home. A lawn also reduces mud, dust,
heat, noise and glare.
To develop and maintain an attractive lawn, cultural
practices such as mowing, watering and fertilizing
should be performed regularly. Weeds, insects, and
diseases should be controlled soon after the early
signs of their development. Other problems, such as
thatch and severe compaction of the soil, should be
reduced by whatever means are appropriate to prevent
deterioration of the lawn.
Overwintering Geraniums
Geraniums, unlike marigolds, zinnias
and petunias, are classified as tender
perennials and not annuals.
Because they do not survive our harsh
winters, most geraniums are treated as annuals. In
frost-free climates, geraniums live outdoors year after
year, developing woody stems.
Geraniums, like bluegrass, thrive when evening
temperature are cool. September and October are peak
geranium blooming months, which makes losing the
plants to freezing temperatures, all the more difficult.
There are a few ways geraniums can be saved and
carried through the winter until next spring. First, it is
foolish to try to save diseased plants. Check plants
carefully. Discard plants that appear leggy, soft or
have produced few blooms.
Geraniums can be overwintered either as actively
growing plants or dormant plants. As actively living
plants, geraniums can be simply lifted from the
garden, potted, and cared for as houseplants. Plants
need bright light, preferably a southern exposure, and
moderate 60 to 70 degree Fahrenheit temperatures.
Insufficient light or high temperatures will cause
spindly, yellowish plants.
Bringing any plant indoors will cause a yellowing of
many leaves and dropping. Even the brightest
southern window cuts the available light by at least
half.
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Cuttings can be taken from plants in the garden this
fall, rooted indoors and grown as a houseplant until
spring. Cuttings can be rooted in moist peat moss,
sand, perlite, vermiculite or one of the commercial
artificial soil mixes such as Jiffy-Mix or Pro-Mix. Dip
or dust the cut end with a rooting hormone available at
garden centers or nurseries.
Geraniums can be overwintered as dormant plants.
The thick fleshy stems are able to survive adverse
conditions without leaves. Potted plants can be moved
into a cool, dark place or in a heated garage and
simply allowed to dry up. Keep them in a dormant
state until they begin to show signs of new growth in
the spring.
If stems begin to shrivel during the winter, add a little
moisture, but not enough to cause sprouting. Usually a
light watering once a month will keep the plant alive.
Another time-honored method, but the toughest on the
plants, is to hang the geraniums upside down in a
paper bag. Plants are cut back to a foot, dug, and most
of the soil shaken from the roots. Tie plants together.
Bags are placed in cool, dry locations. Check the
plants occasionally throughout the winter and wet or
mist if severe shriveling is noticed.
Next spring, repot or transplant all geraniums, and set
outside after danger of frost.
Crickets
Crickets are becoming quite prevalent
around many households. If the mere
presence of the insect is not alarming their incessant
"chirping" will eventually drive even the nature lover
out of their mind.
Field crickets are usually black in color and larger and
more robust than the house cricket. Their wings
project back beyond the front wings like pointed tails.
Field crickets at times can be injurious to field crops
and will also consume fellow crickets, grasshoppers
and other insects. Once in the house, they feed on
cotton, linen, wool, silk and furs. The cricket prefers
soiled fabrics. Additional items made of nylon, wood,
plastic, rubber and leather may also be attacked.
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
Fortunately, the field cricket is not capable of
surviving indoors. Most of them will die by
September or definitely by the first hard freeze.
Usually, there is only one generation per year.
The field cricket's city cousin, the house cricket may
also be prevalent and is much better suited for the
urban environment. It is light yellowish-brown with
three dark bands on the head and long thin antennae.
The female has a long slender egg laying device
called an ovipositor.
House crickets prefer warm conditions and during the
summer months generally live outdoors. However,
with the approach of cold weather, the cricket moves
indoors locating in cracks and crevices, near
fireplaces, in the kitchen, in the basement or near
heating systems. It is capable of breeding indoors and
as long as they are warm, they can remain active
throughout the winter months.
Nocturnal in habit, house crickets first appear at dusk
feeding on a variety of items similar to its country
cousin the field cricket.
Control of crickets involves several steps. Since
crickets are nocturnal (active at night), they are highly
attracted to lights. Reducing the use of porch and yard
lights or brightly lighted windows will help. If
outdoor lights are used, try to use yellow lights that
are less attractive to insects than white, neon or
mercury vapor lamps.
Keep lawns mowed, shrubs trimmed and excess
vegetation removed from around the foundation. To
prevent insects from entering the home, caulk and seal
cracks and crevices around windows, doors and other
openings.
Indoors, remove crickets by vacuuming and keep
garbage emptied on a regular basis. Eliminate
moisture sources by fixing leaky pipes and modifying
damp areas.
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It’s Apple Picking Time
Depending on the variety, apple harvest
can start in late July and continue into
early December. With over 2500 apple
varieties grown in the US apple season
is long and fruitful. Harvest time for
individual varieties can vary from year to
year depending on the weather during
the growing season. For the backyard
orchardist the perfect picking period can appear as a
botanical mystery.
For apples, the time to pick is when the fruit is fully
mature but before it becomes overripe according to
University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator
Maurice Ogutu.
Harvest time is determined by the time elapsed
between full bloom and expected harvest date,
changes in flesh and skin color, ease of fruit
separation, fruit drop, and apple softness and flavor,
according to Ogutu.
Color both outside and beneath the skin is a very
important indicator of maturity. In varieties of apples
that mature yellow their maturity is indicated once
green gives way to yellow. Once mature, flesh color
changes from green to white in red and yellow
varieties. Green skin varieties can maintain some
green flesh even at maturity.
Ease of separation from the spur usually occurs in
mature apples states Ogutu. To harvest apples, do not
pull the apple straight down but twist it upwards with
a rotating motion. The apple should easily separate
from the little twig known as a spur. This method also
protects the spur and therefore future fruit production.
Another maturity signal is when good fruit starts
dropping from the tree. A taste test is one of the best
methods to determine fruit maturity. When apples
become softer and taste sweet and juicy, it's pie time.
Fruits that are not going to be used immediately
should be stored in a cool place. Separate bruised and
damaged fruits. Only store those in good condition in
well-ventilated containers. Refrigerate if possible.
Apples also freeze and can well. For more info on
growing and preserving apples
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/apples/
If you don't have your own apple trees, there are
plenty of local orchards. Here is a tasty recipe using 3
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
pounds of apples. (Use firm cooking apples for
making apple crisp — Golden Delicious, Rome
Beauty, Baldwin, Jonathan, Braeburn, or Jonagold.
Any apples can be used for baking; however, baking
apples hold their shape better.) Now you only need
100 more recipes!
Apple Cranberry Crisp
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup each, granulated sugar and brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) chilled butter or margarine cut into
small pieces
7 cups peeled diced apples (about 3 pounds)
3 tablespoons apple juice or cider
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat eight-inch baking
dish with cooking spray or oil and set aside. In a bowl,
combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, granulated
sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well blended. Cut
in chilled butter using a pastry blender or clean fingers
until the mixture is crumbly. In another bowl,
combine apples, apple juice and cranberries. Spoon
the apple mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with
crumb mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30
minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes
or until golden brown. Serve warm topped with ice
cream or yogurt. Yield 9 servings.
If you are looking for recipes without so much sugar,
check out
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/diabetesrecipes/
Storing Apples
Correctly storing apples is important. It is
recommended that ripe apples be stored in the
refrigerator in a moisture resistant container, such as a
plastic bag with a few scattered small holes. The holes
in the bag allow the apples to ventilate. If you notice
any bruised or injured areas caused by handling of
apples, remove them from the bag and use as soon as
possible.
If the apples are not ripened, some recommend they
be stored in a cool place of 60 to 70 degrees F. Only
firm, good quality apples should be stored for later
use. Properly stored apples will keep a month or more.
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Check them often and remove any that are beginning
to spoil.
For more information on apples, including more
recipes, visit University of Illinois Extension’s
“Apples and More” website at
www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/apples.
Cabbage-Apple Salad
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups diced apples, unpeeled
1/3 cup salad dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar or sweetener equal to sugar,
Optional
1. Combine ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate
until ready to serve.
Yield: 6 servings, about 1/2 cup each
Nutrient Analysis Per Serving: 80 calories, 11 grams
carbohydrates, 4 grams fat, 3 grams cholesterol, and 274
milligrams sodium.
Bell Peppers—Using Fresh or Freezing
at Home
One of the most popular peppers in the United States
is the bell pepper. Peppers are available in a variety
of colors. They can be green, red, yellow, orange,
brown or purple, depending on the variety and
ripeness.
When analyzing the nutrient content, one large green
bell pepper is only 22 calories and 5 grams of
carbohydrate, has no fat or cholesterol and contains
only 13 milligrams of sodium. The Vitamin C content
is high too.
If you have an abundance of peppers from your
garden, store them unwashed in a perforated plastic
bag in the refrigerator. Keeping time in the
refrigerator is up to one week. Rinse peppers with
cold water just before using.
Use sweet peppers in salads, as a holder for a variety
of fillings, or add to other cooked vegetables such as
green beans, zucchini, squash, corn or asparagus.
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If desired, peppers may be frozen. To freeze, select
crisp, tender, green or bright red pods. Wash, cut out
stem, cut in half and remove seeds. Peppers may be
cut into 1/2-inch strips or rings. If the peppers are to
be used in cooked dishes, water-blanch halves 3
minutes, strips or rings 2 minutes. Cool promptly,
drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Seal,
label and freeze. If the peppers are to be used in
uncooked foods, package them raw, leaving no
headspace. Seal, label and freeze.
Sorting Through the Mystery of
Pesticide Names
Spinach-Stuffed Peppers
3 green, red or yellow peppers
2 tablespoons water
1 pkg. (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup seeded, chopped tomato
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
Many people are familiar with generic names for drugs.
Generally generic drugs are cheaper and work just as
well as their brand name counterparts. However you may
not realize the concept of generics and brand names can
also affect how we purchase pesticides.
Cut each pepper in half lengthwise; remove seeds. In a
10-inch casserole, arrange peppers, cut-sides up.
Sprinkle with water. Cover with plastic wrap.
Microwave on High for 6 to 8 minutes, or until
tender-crisp, rearranging once. Drain. Set aside.
Microwave spinach on high for 2 to 4 minutes, or
until defrosted. Drain, pressing to remove excess
moisture. Set aside.
Combine onion, margarine, salt, pepper and garlic
powder in 2-quart casserole. Cover. Microwave on
High for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are tender,
stirring once. Add spinach, tomato and breadcrumbs
to onion mixture. Mix well. Spoon spinach mixture
evenly into peppers. Recover. Microwave on High 4
to 6 minutes or until peppers are tender and spinach
mixture is hot. Sprinkle cheese evenly over peppers.
Microwave on High 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until cheese
is melted. Yield: 6 servings
Nutrient Analysis Per Serving: 100 calories, 5 grams protein,
15 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fat, 3 milligrams cholesterol,
and 456 milligrams sodium.
If someone offered you a twisted sodium
chloride encrusted baked ground wheat
product, would you accept it? Probably not,
but if they said a "salted pretzel" their offer
would be more appealing. Names or
phrases for items may be correct, but if they
aren't in common usage they can be as
foreign as any second language.
By law pesticide labels, organic or inorganic, must list
the active ingredient(s) as well as inert ingredients.
Active ingredient(s) are the part of the formulation that
affects the intended pest. The label will include the
accepted common name for the active ingredient
followed by the chemical name which usually causes
glazed eyes and tied tongues. Inert ingredients help the
active ingredient to be more effective or to be safer for
the applicator or the environment. For example inert
ingredients might allow easier mixing or better plant
coverage.
So why does this matter? Price can vary tremendously
depending on the product in much the same way generic
drugs and name-brand drugs vary in price.
While wandering through a store's garden aisle, I
decided to compare pesticides. Roundup, a well known
non-selective herbicide, was available as an 18%
concentrate. The common name for the chemical in
Roundup is glyphosate (gly'-fo-sate). Hardly a well
known name. A competitor brand to Roundup offered a
41% concentrate of glyphosate for the same purpose at a
less expensive price. So not only was the initial purchase
cheaper but because of the higher concentration of the
no-name brand, less product was needed per mixing. I
call that more bang for your buck.
So what is the moral of the name game story?
Learn the common names of products you purchase
regularly so you can look for the less expensive brands.
Bring your reading glasses with you when you shop for
pesticides. You will need them to read the tiny print on
the container label.
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
While you are looking for the common name you can
read if the product is appropriate for the intended
purpose and any warnings. Remember it is illegal to use
a pesticide against label directions.
Keep in mind although pesticides may contain the same
active ingredient their intended use may be very
different and the inert ingredients can vary between
products. Inert ingredients effect how the active
ingredients work but can also dictate the intended use.
For instance do not use a product on vegetable gardens
when the label says it's for flowers even if the active
ingredients are the same. In this example the inert
ingredients may not be appropriate or safe for edible
crops. It all goes back to reading and following the label
directions.
Here are a few common names for pesticides and
examples of just some of their brand names:
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki = B.t.; Dipel; Safer
Caterpillar Killer; Thuricide




Glyphosate = Roundup; Kleenup; many
different brand names of grass and weed killers
Carbaryl = Sevin; Bayer Advanced Insect Killer
for Gardens; Bonide Bug Beater Yard and
Garden
Permethrin = Bonide Eight Yard and Garden;
Bonide Eight Vegetable, Fruit and Flower Spray
Potassium salts of fatty acids = Bon-Neem
Insecticidal Soap; Safer's Insecticidal Soap
Pesticides are just one of the options available to manage
pests. Remember to always choose the least toxic
solution. For assistance in managing garden related
problems, contact your local UI Extension office.
http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state/
The new and improved UI Extension Home, Yard and
Garden Pest Guide is now available. It is a quick and
easy reference for managing insects, weeds and diseases.
Your local University of Illinois Extension offices can
order it for you or order it at https://pubsplus.uiuc.edu/
Fall is a Great Time to
Garden
The recent warm weather has lured us into a sense of
summer, but the winds of winter will soon be whipping
over the wheels of Winnebago’s headed west. Fall is our
second chance to get all the things done that we didn't do
this spring and get a head start on next season. I get the
most questions about when to do what, so I try to
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periodically give you a heads up on what to put on your
"to do" list.
Vegetable garden - Clean plant remnants from the
garden. Start a compost pile with all the leaves and
garden debris. Compost disease material or flowering
weeds separately. Spread compost, manure or shredded
leaves on the garden. Wood ashes can be spread on
gardens sparingly. Apply no more than 20 lbs. (5-gallon
pail) per 1,000 square feet per year. Wood ashes raise
soil pH so should never be used around blueberries,
rhododendrons, and potatoes.
Trees and shrubs - Fertilize trees and shrubs if not done
in the spring and soil tests reveal need. Trees and shrubs
can still be planted. Be sure not to plant too deep. Trunk
flare should be apparent when planting. Make sure trees
and shrubs are well watered as long as soil isn't frozen.
Roses - After roses are completely dormant, usually late
November, clean around bushes, removing any diseased
leaves. Pour well-drained soil or compost down through
the center of the plant to a depth of 8-12 inches. After
the soil is frozen, add 6-8 inches of wood chips or
shredded leaves over the mound. Or forget all this and
buy hardy roses.
Strawberries - Strawberries should be mulched before
temperatures go below 20 degrees F which is generally
around mid-November. Use a loose mulch of clean
wheat straw. To help alleviate weeds, pull the straw
apart in the lawn first or in some other area where the
seeds can fall and won't be a problem. Apply 2-4 bales
of straw per 1000 square feet of bed to a depth of 3 to 4
inches.
Flowers - Perennial flower beds can be mulched. Plants
should be completely dormant before mulching, usually
in mid to late November. Mulch should be loose such as
wood chips, pine needles, pine boughs, or shredded
leaves. Remove foliage once leaves die naturally or
leave attractive stems such as ornamental grasses until
spring.
For a beautiful display of spring flowers, it is not too late
to plant flowering bulbs of tulips, daffodils and crocus.
Ideally bulbs should be planted as soon as possible, but
they can be planted up until the ground freezes. Select
large firm bulbs. Large flowers such as tulips and
daffodils should be planted 8 inches deep. Small bulbs of
crocus and grape hyacinths should be planted 3 inches
deep.
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
Lawns - Fertilize a final time after the last mowing
usually later in November. University research has
shown that late fall fertilization instead of early spring
fertilization can minimize lawn disease problems,
promote color retention in the fall, and encourage early
green-up in the spring.
General – Don't underestimate the power of controlling
perennials weeds in the fall. As long as temperatures are
above 45 degrees F., herbicides can be effective as the
plants prepare for dormancy. Also perennial weeds pull
out easier with the rains of autumn.
Wooly Worms and the Weather
Despite the scientific evidence that
discredits any super weather-predicting
power for the wooly worm, people are
very passionate about them.
Several towns in the United States have their own wooly
worm festivals. Banner Elk, North Carolina, hosts an
annual festival complete with a wooly worm race. The
winner is declared the 'official' predictor of winter
weather.
Each fall, it's hard not to notice little wooly worms
crawling across roads, sidewalks, and paths everywhere.
Where ever they are going, they seem very determined.
Many people wonder what they actually are. Do they
stay as they are or morph into something entirely
different in time? And just how do they forecast the
winter weather?
Different species of wooly worms are found all over the
world. The ancient Romans used the Latin term catta
pilosa, literally "hairy cat," to describe them. The term
caterpillar traces back to these early descriptions.
The creatures we call wooly worms are, in fact,
caterpillars, so their time spent as a wooly worm is
limited. The United States is home to at least eight
species of the hairy caterpillars that are commonly called
wooly worms.
In central Illinois, the most common is the banded wooly
bear or worm, Pyrrharctia Isabella. Following the pupal
stage, the banded wooly bear emerges in its adult form,
the Isabella tiger moth.
Experts estimate around 260 species of tiger moths in
North America. Their caterpillars share some degree of
9
hairiness--from a few hairs to being completely covered
in hairs, like the wooly worms.
Tiger moths get their name from their bright coloration.
Their colors are typically some spotted or striped
combination of gold and black. Some species also have
red, white, and gray colors interspersed as well. This
Isabella tiger moth is a dull yellow-orange with some
black spotting, and its first pair of legs has bright redorange segments.
Each year brings two generations of banded wooly bears,
or Isabella tiger moths. One is typically hatched in May,
the other in August.
Most people don't notice wooly worms in the spring and
early summer, but they're around, feeding on various
plants and growing. One reason we probably don't
notice them is that essentially they're hermits, preferring
solitude over socializing.
Another tiger moth larva, fall webworm, is far friendlier,
and tends to congregate in large populations on their host
plants.
It is only in the autumn that most people notice wooly
worms, and the worms are usually in a big hurry to get
somewhere. What's the rush? Each wooly worm is
scrambling to find a warm nook or cranny in which to
overwinter.
Unlike other butterflies or moths, the wooly worm
spends the winter as a caterpillar, not a pupa or chrysalis.
The hairs covering their bodies are thought to offer some
degree of insulation from cold winter temperatures.
When the weather warms in the spring, the banded
wooly worm becomes active again. They feed for a short
time, then pupate, and emerge a few weeks later as adult
Isabella tiger moths.
A lot of folklore surrounds the banded wooly worm,
particularly related to its supposed ability to predict
upcoming winter weather each fall.
The typical banded wooly worm has sections of black
hairs at each end, and a section of orange-brown hairs in
the center. Legend says that the more black on a banded
wooly worm, the more severe the winter will be. Some
folks have taken this to an extreme, and noting that there
are 13 segments in a typical banded wooly worm, they
argue that each segment represents one week of winter.
Orange segments predict mild weeks, and black ones
foretell bad winter weather.
Pike County Down To Earth Newsletter
Some people also insist that the thickness of the hairs is
the predictor--thick hair equals a bad winter, sparse hair
a mild one. Another legend says that the direction a
wooly worm is found traveling is a hint about the
coming winter. If the wooly worm is traveling north,
count on a mild winter. If he's headed south, get ready
for a long, cold winter.
Research has shown repeatedly that the colors or hairs of
wooly worms have no bearing on weather the following
winter. Larvae hatched from the same clutch of eggs
reared under one set of environmental conditions will
show a range of hair thickness and colorations, from
fully orange to fully black.
This variation in a constant environment is a strong
argument against wooly worms being able to predict the
weather. There is genetic segregation for color and hair
thickness present in the wooly worm population. This
segregation would make it nearly impossible to visually
sort out any environmental influence if it did exist.
Still, the wooly worms have their defenders.
People come from miles around to participate in the
Banner Elk wooly worm festival races. Some bring
wooly worms they collected; others prefer to buy a
wooly worm from one of the 'breeders' who bring their
best racing stock to the festival. I guess you can sell just
about anything!
"Illinois had its first official wooly worm festival in
Camargo in 2006. Will wooly worm breeders be far
behind? Time will tell."
Pumpkins
The infamous pumpkin stays with us through two of our
holidays and sometimes a third. We just carved a jack-o'lantern and now we are ready for some of that pumpkin
pie that has become a tradition of the Thanksgiving and
Christmas holidays.
Since we were talking about eating the pumpkin, you
might want to know that the pumpkin is rich in beta
carotene which is a powerful antioxidant that is
converted to Vitamin A in the body and is essential for
healthy skin, vision, bone development and many other
functions. Pumpkins also contain potassium. In the
summer when the flowers are setting they can be added
to salads and battered and fried.
Pumpkins are used to make soups, pies, cakes, and
breads, and the seeds can be roasted as a snack. The
10
largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in
diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80
pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12
dozen eggs and took six hours to bake. In early colonial
times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust
of pies, not the filling.
Pumpkins originated in Central America and are
members of the vine crop family called cucurbits. They
range in size from less than a pound to over 1,000
pounds with the largest ever grown weighing 1,140
pounds. Pumpkins are considered a fruit and contain 90
percent water. Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply is
available in October.
Native Americans roasted long strips of pumpkin in an
open fire. They dried them and made mats, and called
the pumpkin the "isqoutm squash". They used the seeds
for food and medicine. The Colonists sliced off pumpkin
tops; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk,
spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the
origin of the pumpkin pie. The modern housewife opens
a can of pumpkin, adds the milk, eggs, spices, brown
sugar and pours this into a prepared pie shell and bakes
in an oven for a delectable Thanksgiving dessert.
Enjoy!!!
The articles in this newsletter have been
provided for you by University of Illinois
Extension, Pike County office.
The following have contributed articles to this
newsletter:
David Robson
Horticulture Educator
Sandra Mason
Horticulture Educator
Jananne Finck
Nutrition and Wellness Educator
Jennifer Schultz Nelson
Horticulture Unit Educator
Compiled and Designed by Cheryl Westfall, Secretary
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.
Jennifer Mowen, County Extension Director
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.