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Illinois Gardener on WILL-TV - Program Info & Resources
Thursdays at 7 pm - repeated Saturdays at 11 am
One of WILL-TV's most popular programs, Illinois Gardener features experts with extensive knowledge of horticulture, landscape design, and entomology. Dianne Noland and her panel of experts answer viewer questions about gardening. Call in your questions during the show at 217-333-3495.
Program Info & Resources
Hanging Baskets
Hanging basket
Hanging baskets are great for non-traditional gardens, on your porch, patio or any area that could accommodate the basket.
Overview
The main characteristics of the hanging basket are that it spreads out and trails down over the edge of the basket. It should be full and bushy in appearance, and a vining growth habit. Do not use plants that have an upright growth habit.
Some plants that do well in hanging baskets are the Ivy League geranium, Black-eyed Susan vine, Dahlberg daisy, coleus, and the cloud or cascade petunia.
Planting Tips
Any container that can be hung or suspended can be used. If you reuse an old container, be sure to sterilize it in a bleach/water solution. Just dip the container in the solution before filling it with it with a combination of soil-less and soil mix.
We use the combination because soil has better water holding capacity than soil-less. This will help in keeping the plant from drying out. With any plant you should monitor the moisture level of the soil carefully, making sure it doesn't get too moist or too dry.
Place plants around the outer edge of the container and then place some of the taller plants in the center. Make holes where you want to place the plants. Remove any brown or dead foliage from the plant. Place the plant into the hole in the soil, at the same level it was in its previous container. Repeat the process for each plant.
Finally, pinch off and remove any flower or bud that may be on the plant. This will stimulate more foliage growth. Water and fertilize as it bushes out. Pinch it back a little more. When temperatures get up to about 60 degrees at night, put the plant outside and enjoy a wonderful hanging basket all summer long.
The Austree
Austree tree
Jim Appleby discusses caring for Austree and American Bittersweet trees
Download Jim Appleby's presentation on Austree and American bittersweet species
How to Reflower Your Poinsettia
Poinsettia plant blooming
Step-by-step instructions for keeping that Poinsettia thriving
1. When the leaves fall, cut back the stems to 4-inch-high stumps.
2. Keep the compost almost dry and the pot in a mild, shady area
3. Water thoroughly and repot the plant in early May, removing some of the old compost. Continue to water and shoots will soon appear.
4. Feed plant regularly and remove some new growth to leave four to five strong new stems. Prunings can be used as cuttings.
5. Careful light control is essential from late September. From early evening to morning, cover with a black plastic bag so the plant is kept in total darkness for 14 hours. Proceed daily for eight weeks, then treat normally. You plant will bloom at Christmas time but it will be taller than is was the previous year.
The Emerald Ash Borer
The Emerald Ash Borer
What should you know about the Emerald Ash Borer?
Prepared by Jim Appleby, Dept. of Natural Resources, University of Illinois
The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, was discovered in summer 2002 in the Detroit area. It presently is found in a 6 county area of southeastern Michigan, one county in central Michigan, one county in Ontario across the river from Detroit, and one county in northwestern Ohio. In Michigan it is estimated that 6 million ash trees have already been killed or are dying.
No one knows for sure when or how this exotic beetle became established in Michigan but it is a guess that it has been there for some 5-10 years. The insect is native to China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and parts of Russia. It probably was introduced into Michigan from one of those countries in ash wood used as shipping material.
This is a tiger beetle, not to be confused with the Emerald Ash Borer.
The emerald ash borer adult beetle is a very dark emerald green and is about ½ inch in length. The underside and wing coverings are a dark metallic green color.
In Michigan the adult beetles begin emerging from trees in the latter half of May. The D-shaped emergence holes that measure slightly more than 1/8 inch in diameter can be found on the larger branches and tree trunks. Adults are most commonly seen during the months of June and July on sunny days feeding on the ash foliage or crawling on the branches and trunks of ash trees.
Female beetles deposit eggs in bark crevices during June and July. Eggs hatch in about 10 days, and then the larvae bore into the bark and feed under the bark where they make serpentine mines filled with fine sawdust and frass. The full-grown larvae overwinter in shallow galleries they make in the sapwood. The mature cream-colored larva measures about ¾ inch in length.
Borer infested trees may go undetected until symptoms such as upper tree canopy dieback occurs and the D-shaped emergence holes are seen on the trunk and branches. Depending on tree size the symptoms may not show for a year or a couple of years. In some infested trees a vertical bark split may occur on the trunk. If the bark is removed at such sites, the serpentine larval galleries can be exposed. Trees that are near death often have an abundance of trunk sprouts below the dead trunk tissues.
Throughout the entire Midwest many ash trees are in a state of decline due to such factors as drought, poor growing sites, lilac and native ash borer infestations, and ash yellows, a disease. White ash seems particularly vulnerable. Tree symptoms caused by these factors can be confused with symptoms caused by the emerald ash borer. A native tiger beetle that is a brilliant green and often seen on the ground in open areas should not be confused with the emerald ash borer adult.
If you do find the D-shaped emergence holes in the ash trunk or branches, the very dark metallic green ½ inch long adult beetle, numerous serpentine mines under the ash bark, and many ash sprouts at the base of the tree then contact your local IL Dept. of Natural Resources Forestry Office or Extension Office.
Successful containment and eventual control of this beetle will require the utmost vigilance of everyone. All infested areas in Michigan, Ohio and Canada are under quarantine, which prevents the movement of any ash trees, branches, logs, and firewood. The accidental transportation of infested firewood and trees from Michigan are probably the mostly likely ways a new infestation might get started in Illinois.
Intensive studies are underway at Michigan State University and the USDA Forest Service in cooperation with the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources, Michigan Dept. of Agriculture, and the USDA APHIS PPQ.
This is an extremely dangerous ash pest with the entire ash resource of Illinois at risk. For more information visit the U.S. Forest Web site, which has additional links.
James E. Appleby, Phil Nixon, Univ. of Illinois, Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences; Charlie Helm, IL Natural History Survey; Kenneth Kruse, APHIS PPQ; and Kathy Sharpe, IL Dept. of Agriculture.
