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Poinsettia
Care The poinsettia, the most popular holiday plant, is best known as the plant with bright red flowers on a green background. But what most people think of as the flowers are actually colored bracts or leaves, which surround a small, yellowish-green structure that is the true flower. Today's poinsettia is much improved from the poinsettia of even five years ago, thanks to plant breeders. Although red is still the most popular color, pink-, salmon- and white-colored bracts are also available. Even speckled pink, red and white bracts are now available in cultivars, such as Jingle Bells and Monet. Even more recent on the scene include those with variegated green and yellow leaves, bracts that have sharply pointed lobes that resemble holly leaves and a few that have ruffled bracts. Harvest
Holiday Greenery from Your Landscape Give your home the festive mood of the holidays by bringing a bit of your landscape evergreens indoors. Wreaths, swags, garlands and centerpieces can all be made from plants that are commonly found in the home landscape. Some of the best materials to cut include balsam and Douglas fir, yew, holly, boxwood and juniper. Pines boughs are attractive in arrangements, but this is not a good time to prune them. If pine branches cannot be cut from your tree inconspicuously, look for boughs at nurseries, garden centers, florists or Christmas tree sales. Needles of hemlock and spruce drop easily and should not be used for indoor decorations. Preparing
the Garden for Winter Many of us gardeners have mixed feelings about this time of year: sad to see another garden year draw to a close, but at the same time relieved to get a break from the chores of weeding, watering, pruning and more weeding. But before you hibernate, there are still a few more chores to take care of outdoors. Winter mulch isn't necessary for all garden plants, but it can mean survival for some less hardy plants. Winter mulch has a different purpose than summer mulch. The main benefits of winter cover are to protect against wide temperature fluctuations in the soil and to prevent extreme cold temperatures from harming plants. Soil tends to heave when subjected to wide temperature changes, pushing plant roots up out of the ground. Heaving is most harmful to relatively shallow-rooted plants, such as strawberries and newly planted specimens of any kind that have not yet had a chance to develop solid footing. Winter mulch also prevents extreme cold damage to above-ground plant parts. Control
of Broadleaf Weeds in Home Lawns The fall represents the best time to control perennial broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, plantain, and clover. These weeds are storing energy reserves for the winter in their roots. Thus the herbicide will enter the plant and travel to the roots with the food reserves, thereby giving a complete kill of the weed. The second best time to apply herbicides is in the late spring or early summer period after the weeds have flowered. If applying in the late spring, be extremely cautious with these herbicides near ornamentals, trees, flowers, and vegetable gardens because these plants can be damaged by these herbicides through direct application, drift, and/or volatilization. This is one of the reasons we prefer to apply herbicides in the fall. Still
Time To Plant Spring Flowering Bulbs This Fall There's still time to get those spring-flowering bulbs in the ground yet this fall. Though generally it is recommended to get the bulbs planted by early October to give them enough time to root before winter, it is better to plant now rather than try to store the bulbs over winter. As long as the soil temperatures are above 40° F., the bulbs should continue their root development. Most garden centers still have a supply of crocus, daffodils, tulips, and other spring-flowering bulbs. While the best quality bulbs may already be gone, you can often find good bargains on what's left at the end of the season. Select large, firm bulbs and avoid those that are sprouting or molding. Much
Ado about Leaves Ah, the beauty of Mother Nature's palette coming to life in the fall color of our forest and landscape plants. For some, this marvel is overshadowed by the chores of raking and disposing of fall leaves. What's needed here is an attitude adjustment! Autumn leaves don't have to become trash. On the contrary, they easily can be turned into valuable soil-enhancing organic matter. For many urban dwellers, who already have their yard waste picked up by the city, this service is likely to continue. Many communities compost their leaves and make the finished compost available to their citizens. Compost improves soil aeration, moisture retention and drainage, and nutrient-holding capabilities. Fall
Ideal for Planting Trees Because spring is the time for new growth, most people think of planting trees and shrubs then. But cool temperatures and adequate rainfall make fall a good time to plant as well. The soil may be warmer and less damp than in the spring, and you may have more time to get the job done in fall. Fall-planted stock does demand extra attention. Plants may not have enough time to establish a good root system before winter hits. Cold winter winds and sunshine cause plants to lose water from their branches, and the roots must be able to replace that water if plants are to survive. Evergreens, particularly broad-leaved evergreens, are more susceptible to winter desiccation because their leaves have more surface from which to lose water than narrow-leaved evergreens and bare trees. Why
Leaves Change Color - The Physiological Basis Myths about Jack Frost are so ingrained in our folklore it is difficult to separate fact from fantasy when explaining the spectacle of autumn color. These legends compensated for the lack of knowledge concerning the natural phenomenon. Today, however, the display of color we enjoy each fall is explained by understanding plant pigments, the physiology and anatomy of leaves, and the influence of climate and seasonal weather conditions.
Coping
with Storm-damaged Trees Homeowners assessing tree damage caused by recent storms will want to make a few important decisions soon. Small trees with minor damage can probably be taken care of by the homeowner, but large, mature trees likely will need the help of a professional tree service. It can be hard to decide whether trees with severe damage should be completely removed. Homeowners often are reluctant to cut down a tree, either because of sentimental attachment or because the tree provides shade or screening that won't quickly be replaced. For more storm related stories and links, visit Purdue's Consumer Horticulture page on , "After the Storm; Garden and Landscape Triage."
Look
for Early Fall Color
Just as sure as you try to predict the weather, it is likely to change. But going out on a limb, I predict that we will have an early fall regarding color display this year. Not a very risky prediction, considering that many plants already are starting to display their fall colors! And to go even farther out on that limb, I'll predict that the colors won't be as brilliant as perhaps they were in some other years.
Fall
Webworm Outbreaks What is webbing and defoliating the shade trees? Fall webworm caterpillars have been covering shade trees with webs throughout much of Indiana. These caterpillars are fuzzy, with black dots on their backs and can extend to about 1 1/2" by the time they complete their development. When unchecked, webs can cover an entire tree, and the caterpillars can consume all leaves in the process. To make matters worse, while these caterpillars defoliate trees, they have a nasty habit of dropping massive amounts of black fecal pellets. Fortunately, most trees can survive a single defoliation. Controls are readily available for home and woodlot owners. Effective use of these controls requires a good understanding of the biology of this pest.
Doing a few simple things this summer can go a long way to help keep gardeners safe and healthy, as well as improve the environment.
Water in the Landscape..."Waste not, want not" It's a well documented fact that, for life as we know it, plant and animal alike, water is essential. In plants, water generally accounts for 80-90% of fresh weight. Without adequate water the plant cannot produce its own food, eliminate waste products, "breathe" or even maintain its physical shape. This water must be available not only in adequate quantity and at the right time, but it must be of a quality that will not cause harm from pathogens and dissolved toxins. During a drought it comes as no surprise that even if plants survive, they become far less attractive, less productive and more vulnerable to other stressors such as disease, insects, etc.
Transplanting in Summer Not the Best Summer is usually the worst time of year to move any plant. Transplants often wilt during hot, dry weather because they lose water faster than they can take it up. When plants are lifted out of the soil for transplanting, many of the feeder roots which are responsible for water uptake are broken. Newly set transplants need time to develop new feeder roots. Ideally, you should wait until late summer or early fall to move most perennial flowers and woody shrubs. Late winter or early spring, before new growth begins, is also a good time to transplant established plants. Helping the Lawn Through a Hot, Muggy August The recent hot weather is very stressful for cool season turf such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and especially perennial ryegrass. Photosynthesis slows drastically as temperatures approach the 90° mark, and the root system begins to decline as heat stress increases. In this weakened state, turfgrass plants become vulnerable to disease. Read the full story for do's and do not's. Hot Weather Tough on Plants and Gardeners Sultry summer weather is not only tough on gardeners, but on our plants as well. In addition to garden and landscape plants gasping for water, some vegetable crops have trouble producing when under stress. Operation Thistle teaches horticulture to young gardeners Dr. Thistle kidnapped Queen Flora – or at least that is the story Junior Master Gardeners in grades six through eight will hear as part of Operation Thistle. The Junior Master Gardener program educates children in horticulture and environmental science, as well as teaching leadership and life skills. Operation Thistle, or the Junior Master Gardener Level Two, is a book with the appearance of a computer game and graphics that resemble computer components. Green Flag for Grub Control Applications!! If you have been anticipating the ‘go ahead’ for grub control applications in your lawn, now is the time to 'let ‘er fly.' Keep in mind that this go ahead is only for the application of ‘preventative’ grub control products. These include imidacloprid (Merit) and halofenozide (GrubX or Mach 2). Both products are very long lasting but must be applied as preventative treatments, before the grubs hatch. They may be applied anytime from now until the first week of August for best results. As with all homeowner-applied insecticides, it is critical to follow the label directions exactly when making applications. Japanese Beetles Eating Away at Hoosier Trees, Flowers and Crops Japanese beetles are out in full force, munching away at trees, flowers and crops across Indiana. And in two more weeks, they will invade the rest of the state. These metallic green and bronze beetles are emerging for yet another summer feast on roses, shrubs, flowering fruit trees and deciduous trees such as linden, sassafras, sycamore, Norway, maple, birch and elm. More Japanese beetle and white grub information --> Cicada Emergence - A Natural Wonder With amazing predictability large masses of periodical cicadas emerge all together for one month every 17 or 13 years, depending on the group. Hoosiers often call these wonders of the insect world 17-year or 13-year locusts. During these spectacular emergence events, millions of unique (ugly) looking cicadas emerge from the ground where they have been feeding for years on tree roots, crawl up the trunks of trees and hatch into the adult stage. Anthracnose is the common name for a type of leaf spot and canker disease caused by certain kinds of fungi. Anthracnose diseases affect many trees, but are particularly prevalent on white oak, ash, maple, walnut and sycamore. Each species of tree is infected by a different species of fungus, thus the fungus does not spread from oak to maple or maple to ash or ash to sycamore. A different fungal species is also responsible for dogwood anthracnose.
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