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Pumpkins

Pumpkins are actually a type of winter squash with a hard rind, grown primarily for Jack-O’Lanterns at Halloween and in pies at Thanksgiving.

Growing pumpkins requires a fair amount of space and care. Space bush types 12-2 feet apart; vining types 3-4 feet apart. They are heavy water users, so you may have to water if rainfall is inadequate. Fertilize at planting, when plants have 2-3 leaves and when plants begin to vine.

Harvest pumpkins when the vine starts to dry up and fruit are well colored — before a heavy frost. Pumpkins will last several weeks if stored in a cool, dry place.

Pumpkins are high in carotene (helps protect against vision loss, heart disease, and cancer. Pumpkins are also a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamins C & E and iron.

Ornamental Grasses

This group of plants, which includes true grasses and close relatives such as rushes and sedges, adds variety to many types of gardens. Grasses look good against a dark background and placed to catch morning or evening light. They add a significant vertical presence to the winter landscape and are commonly left standing until spring.

Grasses come in many heights, colors, textures and have varying water requirements. Some grasses grow best under warm temperatures (warm season) and others in cooler temperatures (cool season). Consult books or experts to determine the best species for your conditions.

Plant ornamental grasses in the spring for best results. Most grasses benefit from mulching and many from cutting back, usually just before new growth begins in the spring.

Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis

Despite the fact that this non-native beetle is an effective biological control agent of aphids and other pests, it is a nuisance to homeowners when it invades houses in large numbers while searching for protected sites to overwinter in autumn. The adults occur in many color forms, from pale yellow-orange to bright red-orange, with or without black. Prevention is the key to keeping this beetle from getting into homes.

Control

• Seal windows and doors with weather stripping.
• Caulk cracks around windows, doors and pipes.
• Screen or seal attic and exhaust vents.
• Use a vacuum cleaner to pick up beetles in the house. Using pesticides to kill them is not suggested.

Recycling Leaves

This year, recycle your leaves at home rather than burning, leaving them for street-side pickup or sending them to a municipal compost site.

There are a variety of ways to use your own leaves in your yard. Oak leaves do not make soils too acidic so they can be used, too.

• Let leaves lie as they fall on gardens and wooded areas, but remove them from lawns.
• Use shredded or chopped leaves as mulch around trees, shrubs and perennials. A blanket of leaves is also good insulation during winter months.
• Turn your leaves into “black gold” by composting them yourself, and then use the finished compost to improve your garden soil. Consult extension publications or other sources for information on composting to get started with this easy process.

Tomato

Tomatoes are one of the most popular summertime vegetables in home gardens, with hundreds of cultivated varieties including heirlooms that have been grown for generations. Tomatoes can be classified by type: cherry, grape, beefsteak, plum (paste), slicing, and pear tomatoes, based on their size, shape, and color.

To grow your own, plant transplants 2-3 weeks after the average date of last frost and keep well watered. Pick individual fruits when they are firm (not hard or squishy) and appropriately colored for the variety. Several diseases affect tomatoes.

When purchasing tomatoes, look for those that are well-formed, smooth, and free from blemishes. Heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes will likely be more irregular in shape and color than other varieties.

Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C, fiber and potassium.

Aster

These perennial plants bloom late in the year, with daisylike flowers in shades of lavender, blue, pink, purple and white. There are numerous species that range in size from 6 inches to 7 feet tall, many of which are native to North America. There are many good cultivars of New England aster (A. novae-angliae e.g. ‘Alma Potschke’ or ‘Purple Dome’), Michaelmas daisy or New York aster (A. novi-belgii e.g. ‘Professor Kippenburg’) and other species that do well in our area.

Asters are easy to grow in full sun or part shade in moist, well-drained soil. They are best planted in spring. Place tall types at the back of the border. Space widely to provide good air circulation to minimize powdery mildew. Stake tall asters in late summer to keep them from flopping. Cut back dead stems to the ground in late winter, and divide clumps every two or three years.

Cluster Fly
Pollenia rudis

Those annoying flies that resemble house flies that have invaded your house are only looking for a place to spend the winter, often within walls, attics, storage rooms and basements of houses. The fly maggots are parasites of earthworms, and the adults appear during late autumn, winter and early spring at windows. Since they generally crawl through small openings, screens are of no use in preventing their entry. Isolated houses in the country are especially prone to invasion, since they offer the only warm shelter for miles around.

Control

• Around the home, use caulk to seal openings to the outside.
• Treat building exteriors, especially the sunny side of the house, with a synthetic pyrethroid during the first two weeks of August.
• Adults indoors can be vacuumed up or killed with an aerosol spray.

Tubakia Leaf Spot

This common, late-season disease (caused by the fungus Tubakia (=Actinopelte) dryina) produces multiple, small to large dark brown or reddish-brown spots or blotches on leaves of oak trees, especially those in the red oak group (such as pin oak and red oak). Brown or curled leaves are most commonly in the lower crown; the infection progresses from the lower crown into the upper crown. Although trees may be severely defoliated, infection usually occurs late enough in the growing season that there are no adverse effects on tree health.

Control

• Maintain good tree vigor by watering and fertilizing trees appropriately.
• Remove and discard fallen, infected leaves.
• DO NOT use fungicide sprays for this disease.

Zucchini

Zucchini is one of the most popular of the many types of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo).

Zucchini is easy to grow. Plant 4-5 seeds in hills 2-3 apart. The flowers are bee-pollinated so leave them uncovered to allow for fruit set. Pick every few days to maintain plant productivity.

Squash vine borer can severely affects or kills plants by mid-season. Otherwise, zucchini has few pests or diseases.

When harvesting or purchasing zucchini, choose ones that are small to medium-sized (2- 3” in diameter), firm and without soft spots or wrinkled skin. They will last for up to a week in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.

Zucchini is a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. Zucchini is also a good source of the carotinoids lutein and zeaxanthin.

Sunflower

Sunflowers are easy, fun and inexpensive to grow from seed. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from in a range of yellows, oranges, and russets and in heights from pint-size plants for containers to giants for the back of the garden. With large seeds, quick germination and rapid growth once the weather is warm, this is an ideal plant for children to grow.

Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. Stake taller varieties before they bloom. Once blooming, the flowerheads tilt to follow the sun, so consider this when planting so you can appreciate the flower faces. For cut flowers, harvest when the flowers are almost completely open.

Leave the seed heads standing for birds to eat. Or cut the heads with 2” of the stem when they start to turn brown and hang to dry in an airy place; store in a dry place.

Fall Webworm
Hyphantria cunea

The tents of this native North American moth are noticeable in July or August. It differs from the Eastern tent caterpillar (which is present only in spring) by creating silk webs on the branch tips instead of in branch crotches. The hairy caterpillars grow to about 1” long and vary in coloration. They feed on leaves within the web. Shade trees and ornamentals can be heavily defoliated, and the large webs are unsightly, but tree health is rarely affected. Elm, fruit and nut trees and maple are preferred hosts, but they will feed on over 100 species of hardwoods.

Control

• Wipe out tents with a long stick.
• Make applications of BT or chemicals when larvae are less than ½ inch long (read the label FIRST). Only treat the web and associated foliage, not the entire plant.

Deadheading to Prolong Bloom

Promote new flowers and make your garden look better by deadheading — the process of removing spent flower blossoms. You can snip, prune, pinch, cut or use any means you want to remove the old, dead blooms. It is best to remove spent blooms shortly after the flower has died.

Plants have flowers to make seeds. Once seeds have been produced, the plant has satisfied it’s need to reproduce and flower production stops. By deadheading, you trick the plant into trying to make seed by making more flowers.

Not all plants will produce more flowers after deadheading. Many perennial plants and flowering shrubs are pre-programmed to bloom only once. However, deadheading will improve the appearance, and often the vigor, of these plants.

Sweet Corn

This quintessential summer vegetable is not the easiest crop to grow for the space it occupies — there is generally only one or two harvestable ears per stalk.

To grow your own sweet corn, plant seeds when the soil temperature reaches 65ºF in blocks rather than long rows to aid in pollination.

The “supersweet” varieties available today convert their sugar to starch more slowly than the older supersweet varieties and the “sugary enhancer” varieties. Supersweet corn can be yellow, white, or bicolored.

When purchasing sweet corn locally, shop early in the day to get the freshest ears available. Look for corn with husks that are bright green and have well-filled ears with plump kernels. Eat within a couple days for best flavor. Sweet corn is a good source of carbohydrates, B vitamins and fiber.

Petunias

Petunias are a popular summer-flowering annual for massed display, in pots and hanging baskets. The color range is huge, with varieties available in every color except orange.They are available as single and double blooms. Petunias are easy to grow in well-drained soil.

There are 5 main types:

• Grandiflora – have larger flowers, but not as many of them.
• Multiflora – have more flowers than Grandiflora, but not as large.
• Milliiflora – have more flowers than Multiflora, but even smaller.
• Spreading – plants cover a lot of space or hang in baskets; includes “Wave” petunias.
• Hedgiflora – are vigorous and spreading, creating small “hedges” 2-3 feet tall.

Japanese Beetle
Popillia japonica

Japanese beetle can be a destructive pest of trees, ornamental plants, fruit and turf. The adults, with their shiny, metallic-green body and ronzecolored outer wings, feed on the foliage of over 300 species of plants. Some of their favorites are roses, linden and birch trees, Virginia creeper and crabapples. The grubs feed on roots of grass.

Control

• Grow less preferred plants.
• Place traps at the borders of your property, away from plants the beetles may damage. Traps actually attract more beetles than they capture — only about 75% get into the traps. Traps are most effective when many of them are spread over an entire community.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew — caused by a number of species of fungi — appears as a dusty white to gray coating over leaf surfaces or other plant parts. The different fungal species are limited to certain plant species, and they cannot infect others. Lilac, beebalm, phlox, zinnia and some rose varieties are some plants that are frequently infected, but all by different fungi. The injury to the plant varies greatly. The tissue under the fungal growth dies soon after infection, so early-season infections have a greater impact on plant growth.

Control

• Plant resistant cultivars.
• Avoid overhead watering.
• Remove fallen leaves.
• Begin fungicide applications (according to label directions) when the first white patches are noticed. Repeat as indicated on the product label during cool humid weather.

Peas

Green peas are cool season legumes that are ready to harvest in late spring. They should be planted in early spring when soil temperature is above 45ºF and not too wet. Soaking the seeds for 24 hours before planting speeds germination. Provide a trellis for support of vining types. Pick shelling peas about three weeks after bloom. Edible pod types are ready earlier;snow pea pods should be picked before the peas have begun to swell.

Garden peas sold in the pod should be green and appear “filled” yet not too large. Select firm, medium-sized pods.

Peas are low in fat and high in fiber and protein and are great for stir-fries, crudités, salads, or steamed.

Bulb Care Now for Next Year

The spring flowering bulb show is over for this year, and now is the time to give those bulbs some care to encourage them to bloom next year.

• Remove spent blossoms to prevent seed production.
• Wait until the leaves turn yellow or brown to remove the foliage; don’t cut green leaves off plants.
• Resist the urge to braid or tie leaves into bundles.
• Fertilize after the flowers have faded.
• Water green foliage when the weather is dry.
• Make bulb foliage less noticeable by interplanting perennial and annual flowers among the bulbs. If you select plants that bloom at different times, you’ll have color in that area throughout the season.

Viburnum Borer

Synanthedon viburni and S. fatifera Two species of clearwing borer moths are responsible for major branch dieback, plant decline, and death of American highbush cranberry and other Viburnum species. The caterpillars tunnel in the bark at the base of the plants.

Severely attacked bushes typically have sparse foliage with just a few leaves at the tips. Damage tends to be most severe in the first 2-3 years after transplanting into the landscape.

The adults — bluish-black with yellow markings— are day-flying moths that resemble wasps in flight. They are active during June and July, laying eggs on Viburnum plants near wound sites.

Control:

• Maintain vigorous plants.
• Avoid wounding the bark.
• Apply chemical control according to label recommendations in mid- to late-June.

Black Spot of Rose

This fungal disease (caused by Diplocarpon rosae) produces black or dark brown spots on the leaves of susceptible rose plants. Spotted leaves often turn yellow and fall from the plant, making the plants unsightly. Highly susceptible roses plants that are defoliated year after year are more likely to have other problems.

The fungus overwinters on infected canes and leaves. Fungal spores are disseminated by splashing rain or sprinkler irrigation.

Control

• Plant less susceptible cultivars.
• Avoid overhead watering.
• Remove fallen leaves.
• Apply fungicide treatments according to label directions; sprays may be required throughout the growing season.

Pansy

Pansies — and related Johnny-jump-ups — are charming, small, cool-weather flowers. They come in many colors, with a variety of markings and flower sizes. The most common types of pansies have a dark center called a face.

Grow in rich, well-drained organic soil. Add compost to soil to increase organic content.

When purchasing plants, choose stocky plants with dark green foliage and few blooms but many buds. Many types self seed, some may over winter, and others are relatively heat tolerant; most decrease flowering when the weather warms. The flowers are edible, as long as they have not been sprayed with pesticides.

Radish

Spring radishes have crisp, pungent roots that are small, globe-shaped and white, pink or red. They are easy to grow and mature quickly — a good crop for kids to try! Sow seeds in the garden in early spring, making successive plantings to extend the harvest. Thin to 1” apart. Pull up the whole plant when the radishes are the right size for eating. When purchasing radishes with the leaves attached, look for bunches with crisp, green leaves as these can be added to salads. Roots 1 inch or less in diameter will have a mild flavor and not be woody. Radishes are a good source of vitamin C and potassium.

European Pine Sawfly - Neodiprion sertifer

This pest is a common sight on Scotch and mugo pines in the spring in Wisconsin. They appear when the saucer magnolias are in the pink bud stage. Caterpillar-like larvae with black heads and legs, and gray-green bodies feed on the previous year’s growth in groups of 10- 100, eating all the needles on one branch before moving on to the next one. Control:

• Wearing gloves, smash, wipe or shake insects
  off the plants.
• Clip out infested branches (but this can damage
  the tree’s appearance).
• Make chemical applications when larvae are
  less than ½ inch long

Veggies to Plant Early

Not all vegetables should be planted right away in the spring. Only those that are tolerant of cool germination temperatures and are able to withstand light to moderate frosts should be planted as soon as the ground is ready to work in the spring. Common cool season vegetables include:

They can be planted a few weeks before the date of the average last frost in your area Vegetables grow best if
they get lots of sun and water, so no matter what you choose to grow, make sure you’re planting in the sunniest part of your yard and within easy reach of the garden hose.