Extension Fall Garden Packet--II
Published: Sep. 4, 2007
NOTE TO EDITORS: This is the second installment of University of Illinois Extension's Fall Garden Packet. The final installment will be sent Sept. 5. Bob Sampson, Extension Communications Specialist.
August 31, 2007
Source: Jennifer Fishburn (217) 782-4617 Contact: Bob Sampson (217) 244-0225 Extension Communications Specialist e-mail: rsampson@uiuc.edu
Winter Squash
A tasty, nutritious fall treat is provided by winter squash, which comes in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and flavors, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.
?There are hundreds of varieties available,? said Jennifer Fishburn. ?A few of the more popular winter squash include butternut, acorn, spaghetti, Hubbard, delicate, and buttercup.
?Winter squash must be cooked before it is eaten. Most can be baked, boiled, or steamed. The tough outer skin and hard seeds are not edible. The hard, tough rind is a challenge for most cooks to cut.?
Butternut squash, one of the most popular, is long, pear-shaped, and tan in color. Its rind is thin and easy to cut through or peel off with a vegetable peeler, she noted.
?Acorn squash is a small-sized squash that resembles an acorn shape,? she said. ?It is available in a variety of skin colors, including dark green, gold, and white.
?The cooked flesh of spaghetti squash resembles spaghetti strands. The strands can serve as a low-calorie, low-starch pasta substitute.?
Unlike summer squash, which are harvested in the immature stage, winter squash are harvested when the fruit is mature. Mature fruits have a rind that is hard and cannot be punctured with a fingernail. The rind should also have a dull, dry appearance that is free of cracks and soft spots.
?Be careful not to injure the rind,? Fishburn said. ?Fruits should be cut from the vine, leaving a two-to three-inch stem. Avoid handling fruit by the stem as the weight of the fruit can cause the stem to break.?
These fruits are generally harvested in September or October and must be harvested before a heavy frost. A light frost will kill the vines but not harm the fruit.
?Most winter squash, with the exception of acorn and delicata, will benefit from a curing process. Cure by placing squash at a temperature of 70 to 80 degrees F for 10 days,? she said.
?Winter squash have a long shelf life if stored properly. Optimum storage conditions for most winter squash include 50 to 55 degrees F temperature, 50 to 75 percent relative humidity, in a cool, dark location with good air circulation. If possible, store in a single layer and keep fruit from touching one another. All winter squash should be stored with stems attached except for Hubbard squash.?
Length of storage life varies according to variety and type. Properly cured and stored squash should remain in good condition for several months. Acorn squash can be stored up to two months, butternut up to three months, and Hubbard up to six months.
?Winter squash are often eaten as a side dish flavored with salt and butter, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, or basil,? Fishburn said. ?They are often sweetened with brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey. Winter squash can also be added to soups, stews, casseroles, pies, muffins, and cakes.?
If your garden didn?t include winter squash, Fishburn recommended local farmers? markets where most growers will offer several varieties.
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August 31, 2007
Source: Nancy Pollard (708) 720-7500 Contact: Bob Sampson (217) 244-0225 Extension Communications Specialist e-mail: rsampson@uiuc.edu
Collecting and Storing Seed
Collecting and sowing his or her own seeds can be a fun and gratifying experience for the home gardener, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.
?At first, the details may seem overwhelming,? said Nancy Pollard. ?Yet, as you gain experience, and are rewarded with new seedlings, you may find yourself inspecting your flowers closely in anticipation, and seed saving could become second nature to you.?
Home gardeners can collect their own seeds from their own plants. Information that is normally found on commercial seed packets can be located in books or on websites, she noted.
?While your choices are limited by how many plants grow in a particular garden area, joining a seed exchange group increases the availability of saved seed for your future planting,? she said. ?The joyful thought of watching seeds magically sprout next year, or the great disappointment if they fail, encourages us to look into best practices for collecting and storing plant seeds.?
The first step is to choose healthy plants with high-quality seedpods and fruits for seed collection. Healthy plants show vigorous growth, exhibit resistance to pests and diseases, produce good-quality fruit, and produce high yields.
?As the chosen plants finish flowering, look for swelling seedpods or ripening fruit,? she said. ?Wait until they are fully mature. It is important to collect only fully mature or ripened seed. Sometimes, nearly mature seeds may ripen off the plant, if they remain in their seedpods. If picked too early, the embryo will not survive the drying-out process, or if picked too late, the wind may blow away the seed.
?Fine, nylon-mesh bags work universally well for collecting seeds and seed structures. Paper bags work well for seeds, cloth bags for panicles or dry fruit, and open baskets for fleshy fruit but be sure not to squash the fruit. Do not let seeds become hot or moldy.?
With dry seed pods, extract the ripe seeds by hanging them upside down over a paper bag in a shaded, dry, airy place and wait for the seeds to fall. An occasional gentle tap will help.
?Cut clustered seed heads such as those of marigolds whole and lay on a newspaper to dry,? Pollard said. ?Whenever you harvest your own seed, remove as much of the chaff and other vegetable material as possible before storing. This material, if sown along with the seed, tends to rot and may encourage fungal diseases.?
For moist fruit, such as ripe tomato or cucumber, the seed is surrounded by mucilage. When the fruit is fully colored and ripe, scoop out these seeds and wash them in a fine sieve under running water to remove the mucilage. Allow them to dry in the shade. ?If the mucilage is difficult to dislodge, with a gloved hand gently rub the seed against the wire mesh screen of the sieve,? she said. ?Once the mucilage is removed, place the seeds to dry in a single layer on absorbent newspaper in the shade. Turn over so both sides dry or dry both sides at the same time by suspending the seed between layers of mosquito netting. ?Label batches of seed to keep track of what is drying where.?
Pollard recommended the following guidelines for storing seed.
?Only clean and well-dried seed should be stored,? she said. ?The two deadly enemies of stored seed are warmth and moisture. So, inspect the seed one last time before it is stored. Is it the very best you could collect? Is it clean, dry, and free of chaff and other debris??
To keep stored seeds cool and dry, store them in clean, airtight containers or in small paper bags in the bottom drawer of your refrigerator. Paper bags, unlike plastic, allow the moisture to escape from the seed, so mold and rot is less likely. The cool refrigerator temperature slows down the natural respiration and deterioration of the seed. Clearly label the containers with the name of the plant and the date and place of its collection.
?How long seed last in storage depends on the type and quality of seed saved and the storage conditions,? Pollard said. ?Some deterioration is inevitable. Aim to use all stored seed nest year or within two or three seasons from the time of collection, as sprouting or germination rates will go down with time.
?In general, the lower the humidity and temperature in storage, the longer the viability of the stored seed.?
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August 31, 2007
Source: Maurice Ogutu (708) 352-0109 Contact: Bob Sampson Extension Communications Specialist Phone (217) 244-0225; rsampson@uiuc.edu
Fall Care for Fruit Trees
While fall brings harvest for many fruit trees and owner satisfaction, it is also a time to look at the health of the tree, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.
"Tree health is very important in ensuring the longevity of the trees and giving the homeowner assurance of getting fruits the following year," said Maurice Ogutu.
He outlined some recommendations to follow to make sure the trees continue to provide fruit in the future.
"Water is very important for fruit trees," he said. "Fruit trees under water stress will drop their leaves too early, the leaves will curl, and they are more vulnerable to attack by mites.
"Water the trees very well in the summer so that water moves into the root zone. This will encourage deeper root growth; hence the roots are less liable to winter injury when the soil freezes. This will also ensure that trees go into dormant season with adequate soil moisture."
Fruit trees require adequate mineral nutrients for good growth. Plants should be fertilized as early as possible in mid- to late-summer to avoid applying fertilizers in the fall. Fall application can lead to excessive growth that season and lead to a lack of winter hardiness.
"If the leaves are light green or yellowish in color and there was poor growth in the summer, then the trees may be lacking essential mineral nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients," he said. "This can be confirmed by leaf tissue analysis carried out every three to five years. The samples should be taken between mid-July and mid-August.
"Homeowners can contact their local Extension office to get sampling procedures and find where to send the samples," he said.
When harvesting fruits from trees in the fall, make sure that spurs are not damaged as they are the ones that will bloom the following year and bear fruit.
"For winter storage of fruit, particularly apples and pears, store only fruits without blemishes," he said. "Fruits with any bruise or damage can be sorted and kept for immediate use. It is important to pick all the fruits from the trees, even mummies and fruits damaged by insect pests or infected by diseases, as they will act as a source of infection the following year."
All fallen leaves, fallen fruits, and other debris under the tree should be removed. This will reduce the build-up of disease--causing organisms and insect pests by eliminating overwinter sites.
"Mow grass between the trees and at the base of trees close to the trunk since tall grass will provide a good overwintering site for rodents," he noted. "Check for rodent paths and holes where they burrow and use state-approved control methods."
Fall is the time to control insect pests that tend to overwinter on the tree or on the ground close to the tree. It is the time to control canker worms by controlling moths before they move up the tree to lay their eggs. It is also the time to remove tent caterpillar egg bands from the twigs. Adult fruit tree borers should be prevented from laying eggs in tree bark.
"The south- and southwest-facing sides of the fruit tree trunk usually get more sunlight exposure in winter, leading to thawing of the back on the sunny side while the other side is still frozen," Ogutu said. "This eventually leads to bark cracking.
"Paint the south-southwest-facing side of the trunk of the tree, including lower branches, with white latex paint to reflect solar radiation when the bark is frozen."
Protect the tree trunk from rodents by wrapping the trunk from the ground level with wire net, plastic, or other materials used as rodent guards.
"Remove this material in the spring as it can hinder growth by restricting stem enlargement," he said.
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August 31, 2007
Source: Maurice Ogutu (708) 352-0109 Contact: Bob Sampson Extension Communications Specialist Phone (217) 244-0225; rsampson@uiuc.edu
Fall Vegetable Garden
As retail prices for fresh vegetables rise in the fall, many homeowners would like to be harvesting their own until the first freeze arrives, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.
"There are many challenges they need to overcome in order to do this," explained Maurice Ogutu, "such as a short growing season, cool weather in the fall, and sensitivity of warm-season vegetables to freezing temperatures.
"Some gardeners can extend the harvesting season until the first frost by practicing succession planting of warm-season vegetables such as cucumbers, summer squash, green beans, and sweet corn. Cool-season vegetables such as spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, and others can grow during fall's cool days and can tolerate light frost."
Planting time is very critical for fall vegetable gardening as there is a short growing period when it is warm enough for the vegetables to grow. It is very important to know the average date when the first killing frost is expected in your area and the days from planting seeds or transplanting seedlings to maturity for vegetable varieties you wish to grow.
"You also need to consider that it tends to be cooler in the fall so plant growth is slower. You need to put a factor of two weeks to account for that," he said. "If you are growing tender or warm-loving types of vegetables such as cucumber, green beans, and summer squash, you need to plant them so that they mature two weeks before the first frost.
"How long you intend to harvest the crop also needs to be considered. Add all these days and start counting back from the first frost date to determine when to plant the vegetables. The warm-loving vegetables for fall gardens can be planted in late summer, much earlier than the cool-season vegetables. Due to the short growing period in summer, try to use transplants as they take less time to mature compared to vegetables started from seeds."
If vegetables are to be grown on a site where other plants were grown during the spring or summer, the soil needs to be prepared, weeds controlled, and compost or fertilizer added.
"There are some pests that can be a problem in fall gardens, such as imported cabbage worm, cabbage looper, and diamondback moth in Cole crops such as cabbages, cauliflowers, and broccoli," Ogutu said. "Fruit worms can be a problem in tomato and peppers. You should practice crop rotation by growing vegetables from different families on one site to reduce build-up of insect pests and soil-borne diseases.
"Plant vegetables after rain or irrigate immediately after planting or transplanting if the soil is dry. After germination or transplanting, you can cover soil both around the base of the plant and between the rows with a layer of organic mulch such as straw to retain moisture and control weeds."
Plants should be given one inch of water per week if rainfall of more than one inch a week is recorded in your area. During extended dry periods, water the plants by thoroughly soaking the soil up to six inches in depth.
When the arrival of the first frost is predicted, harvest the ripe crops that are very sensitive to frost such as tomato, summer squash, watermelons, muskmelons, cucumber, pumpkin, eggplant, and peppers. Tender vegetables can be protected with plastic sheets, blankets, and other items so that immature fruits can develop during warm days to maturity if the freezing is mild--about 30 degrees F.
"Cool-season vegetables such as cauliflowers, cabbages, Brussels sprouts, spinach, collards, and Swiss chard can withstand some cold temperatures and can stay in the garden after the first frost," said Ogutu. "Other cool-season vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, kale, spinach, bunching onions, lettuce, and parsley may stay longer and need to be mulched by four- to six-inch-thick straw. These can be dug--if they are root crops--and used in the winter before snow covers the ground."
Perennial vegetables such as asparagus and rhubarb need to be prepared for winter.
"You can top-dress them with compost or well-rotted manure and cover them with mulch," he said.
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August 31, 2007
Source: Greg Stack (708) 720-7520 Contact: Bob Sampson Extension Communications Specialist Phone (217) 244-0225; rsampson@uiuc.edu
Note to Editors: For pictures of Echinacea and heuchera go to: http://www.skagitgardens.com, click on ?growers and hort brokers,? go down to superstarts cultural documents then to Echin con-fections, Heuch villosa; For AAS go to http://www.all-americaselections.org, and for impatiens go to http://www.ballfloraplant.com, go to plant information/plant search. Drop down to plant category annual and go to page 33.
Plants Coming On the Market
To list all of the new plants coming onto the market this year would take up volumes and leave the home gardener confused, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.
?The simplest way is to focus on a few of the interesting things that are available as you shop for your 2008 garden,? said Greg Stack.
?In the world of impatiens, look for a new series called ?Fanfare.? These impatiens are interspecific, meaning the breeder has crossed New Guinea impatiens with regular garden impatiens. The result is a very heat-tolerant impatiens able to go from sun to shade.?
These plants offer great colors, fast growth, and excellent glossy foliage, he added. The unique mounding habit is covered with large flowers and is able to fill beds quickly and even recover from water stress without losing any flowers or buds.
?For those of you still looking to add to your Heuchera collection, a new group of Heuchera is hitting the market,? he said. ?The Villosa types are native to the United States and are tough, robust, and adaptable. They form large mounds and can take the heat, humidity and sun. In addition, they make great plants for use in dry shade, an area that will challenge most gardeners.
?Look for ?Citronella? with iridescent lime-green foliage and white flowers; ?Mocha,? a compact mound of rich dark brown leaves and burgundy veins; ?Autumn Bride,? a rounded plant with fuzzy light-green leaves; and to round out the group, ?Brownie? with chocolate-colored leaves and red undersides.?
In the ornamental grass world, porcupine and zebra grasses have been on the market for years. But now there is ?Gold Bar.?
?This Miscanthus begs the question, ?How many stripes can fit on a leaf?? ?Gold Bar? answers with ?a lot,?" said Stack. ?This Miscanthus was selected for its amazing horizontal stripes?gold banding that never seems to quit going from the tip of the leaf to the ground.
?This grass grows three to five feet tall and is very erect, immune to flopping over late in the season and is hardy to zone 5. It flowers very late so in some areas the season may not be long enough for flowers but the foliage makes up for that shortfall.?
Stack said that caladiums are starting to be seen more and more in Midwest landscapes both in the garden and in containers. While all caladiums perform well in full to partial shade, two new varieties stand out as excellent choices for full sun. ?Garden White? is a tall (two to three feet) large-leaved plant. The leaves are pure white with dark green veins and marbling. ?Gray Ghost? is a shorter, fuller plant with grey white leaves. Both will provide the tropical look in the full-sun garden.
?Coneflowers?Echinacea?have seen a lot of breeding and selecting activity,? he said. ?With the introduction of the ?Big Sky? series, flower color now ranges from yellow to pink to orange. They are fragrant.
?Not to be outdone, the ?Cone-fections? series brings something new to coneflowers. With names like ?Coconut Lime? and ?Pink Delight,? gardeners now have double flowers with frilly cones. ?Pink Delight? has double pompom flowers in bright clear pink. ?Coconut Lime? has pompom flowers of creamy white and pale lime-green frilly cones.?
Stack said to also look for the 2008 All-America Selections winner. Two flowers were awarded AAS status. ?Asti White? is the first all-white osteospermum from seed.
?It is a great plant for the early spring garden and fall garden as it can tolerate cold temperatures and light frosts while still providing color,? said Stack. ?It can also be placed out in the garden weeks earlier in the spring than any other tender annual.?
The viola ?Skippy XL Plum Gold? is a unique viola, he noted.
?The small blooms are shades of plum surrounding a golden center,? he said. ?They cover the plant from spring through the heat of the summer. When planted in a well-drained location, the robust root system offers better-than-average overwintering possibilities for a very early show of color in the spring.
?This is just a teasing glimpse of the new things to be added to the gardener?s pallet for 2008. Look for these and others coming soon to a garden center near you.?
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