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The Master Gardener Volume 16, Issue 3 March 2009 Time for Crabgrass Control Pre-emergence weed killers for crabgrass control are applied to lawns in the early spring. The herbicide forms a chemical barrier or blanket at the soil surface, which prevents the seeds that have absorbed the weed killer from emerging. Crabgrass control needs to be specifically timed. The annual seeds don’t germinate unless the soil temperature is around 55 to 60 degrees for seven to 10 consecutive days. In southern Illinois, this usually occurs sometime between March 15 and April 1. This is the time to apply the first crabgrass application. Look for a “pre-emergent” crabgrass weed killer that contains no fertilizer. The reason is that fertilizer stimulates green shoot growth at the expense of root growth. At this time of year, our goal is to promote root development so that we get a vigorous, dense turf, which helps prevent crabgrass infestation and helps the turf survive the heat and drought of summer. Wet conditions caused by spring rains may delay crabgrass seed germination until May or early June. Dry conditions can cause the same thing. Most crabgrass preventers have a residual of six weeks, so another application in mid-May helps control the late-germinating crabgrasses, as well as other weed seeds. A fertilizer application can occur at this time. Shelby County 1125 W N 2nd Street Shelbyville, IL 62565 Jim Looft County Director [email protected] Ellen Trainor Program Coordinator [email protected] Tel: 217-774-9546 Fax: 217-774-9549 Office Email: [email protected] Web: www.extension.uiuc.edu/shelby While pre-packaged “step” programs can be beneficial, remember that they are based on the “average” lawn. Each lawn is different, and a packaged program might not be the best bet for any given specific lawn. Some good lawn management practices will help control crabgrass. Weed seeds need light to germinate. A thick, lush turf prevents the weed seeds from getting enough light. So, avoid mowing the lawn less than 2 inches high because a short turf allows more light to reach the weed seed. Lawn seeding is another consideration. Most pre-emergent weed killers can’t distinguish between weed seeds and “good” grasses such as fescue and bluegrass. For that reason, it’s better to seed a lawn in the early fall when crabgrass won’t be germinating. For more tips, check out the Spring Lawn Care fact sheet at our SI Gardening website, http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/regions/hort. In this Issue Perennial Plant of the Year Announced Starting Seeds Indoors Controlling Disease on Flowering Crabapples Perennial Plant of the Year Announced The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) 2009 Perennial Plant of the year is Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’—commonly called Golden Hakone Grass. PPA members annually submit nominations, and the top five are sent out for the membership to make the final decision. Growers, retailers, designers, and independent gardeners make up the diverse mix of membership from all across North America and Europe. To be selected as the perennial plant of the year is to be chosen from a large cross section of the green industry. Golden Hakone Grass grows 12 to 18 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide with an arching form that resembles a cascading miniature bamboo. Individual blades are ½ inch wide and bright yellow with thin green stripes. Cool autumn weather brings out shades of pink and red in the foliage. Mainly grown for its golden foliage, Hakonechloa produces tiny flower spikes August through September. Hardy to Zones 5 to 9, it should do well in most Illinois gardens. The exception would be far northern Zone 4 areas. Hakone grows best in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soils. If you have poorly drained soil, heavy clay soil or very dry soil, this grass will not perform well. Amend the soil with organic matter or aged manures to improve the conditions for Golden Hakone Grass to survive. Partial shade is the preferred location, though more sun brings out the golden foliage color. Deep shade often results in foliage that is more green than golden. Golden Hakone Grass does spread by stolons but so slowly that it is not a threat to take over a garden. In fact, many gardeners wish for a faster pace! Due to this, the plants don’t need to be divided for several years. When division is required, do so in early spring as new growth is developing. Another plus is that this shade-tolerant grass has few insect or disease problems and is not favored by deer. Hakonechloa is a great hosta companion. The golden foliage contrasts well with blue-foliaged hostas and accents those with golden centers or edges. Other companion plants to consider are astilbe, tiarellas, heucheras (Coral bells), bleeding heart, and lady’s mantle. You can also use it in a container and let it cascade over the edge like a waterfall. Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ brightens a shady spot, complements purple, red or blue foliage companion plants, and offers an oriental feel to a garden. The foliage also catches the breeze, offering motion to your landscape. Go for the gold this year and try Golden Hakone Grass. From Page 4 Homeowners interested in treating susceptible crabapples can consider topical treatments to the foliage along with the cultural practice of sanitation each fall. Treatments will need to be applied several times during the early spring when the spores are in the air and while the weather remains cool and wet. These treatments must start as the leaves are expanding out of the buds and continue until the leaves are The Master Gardener—2 nearly full grown or until about three-fourths of the flower petals have fallen. Once warmer, drier weather arrives, most of the spores cannot survive the time it takes to float to the leaf and infect it. If homeowners are also growing fruit trees in their yard, those will need to be sprayed for Apple Scab throughout the season to protect developing fruit. Instruct homeowners to look for Apple Scab on the label of the fungicide sprays they are using. Most multi-purpose fruit tree sprays contain the right material. Remember that as the tree develops more foliage, more spray per tree will be needed, and complete coverage of each leaf is necessary. Starting Seeds Indoors March is an ideal month to sow seeds indoors for your own transplants. Starting your own seeds holds several advantages over purchasing plants. First, you can choose exactly what plants or cultivars to sow. You may want a certain type or color that is unavailable locally. Sowing seeds is also an inexpensive means of obtaining a large quantity of plants. The cost of raising 100 marigolds is much less than buying them. Starting your own seeds also lets you get a jump on gardening by having plants ready when you want to transplant. Most plants can be set outside six to eight weeks after sowing. However, all the advantages disappear if seeds aren’t properly sown and maintained. Seeding success can be attributed to four factors: quality seeding medium, moisture, temperature, and light. Most homeowners use houseplant soil for starting seeds. Packaged mixes are satisfactory as long as the material is sterilized. If the mix isn’t sterilized or if the package has been opened, sterilize the soil by placing the moistened soil in a metal pan for 30 minutes in a 200°F oven. An old meat thermometer can be used and should register between 130 and 140 degrees. Cooking soil smells, so you may want to place the soil in a roasting bag, or make sure the windows are open. Houseplant soil should be loose and well-drained. If it isn’t, add peat The Master Gardener—3 moss, vermiculite, or perlite. Garden soil is generally too heavy to use as an indoor seed medium unless it is modified with equal parts of peat moss and vermiculite. Some gardeners report success using individual peat pots for starting seeds. A common type is the Jiffy-7 pellet, which expands when wet. Make sure you don’t allow the pots to dry out. Likewise, avoid setting the Jiffy-7 pots in water. Seeds need uniform moisture to germinate and grow. Part of the germination process involves absorbing water. It’s important the water supply is present during the entire germination process. But, too much water can deplete the seeding medium of needed oxygen. Water only to maintain a moist soil, never soggy or saturated. Once seeds have germinated and are established, you might be able to reduce the amount of water needed. Do so carefully to avoid wilting the seedlings. Once wilted, most seedlings never recover. It’s a toss-up by professional horticulturists which is more important: temperature or light. Both are related and dependent on the other. Soil temperature is crucial for seed germination. The ideal temperature is 75°F. However, the air temperature for seeding should be 65 degrees. Greenhouses can supply bottom heat by placing the seeding flats on steam pipes. For home germination, heating cables are available at most garden centers, greenhouses, and nurseries. You can also set the seed flat on top of the refrigerator to get some of the bottom heat needed. Just don’t forget the flat is up there. Once seeds have germinated, keep the air temperature on the cool side. In fact, lower temperatures usually produce a shorter, stockier, and healthier transplant. Night temperatures can be as low as 55 degrees. Day temperatures should not be above 65 degrees. Light is important for growth. Seedlings need at least 14 hours of bright light each day. Setting the plants in a south window helps, but temperatures may be too warm and produce vigorous but spindly growth. Plants can be placed under lights. Make sure plants are close enough to receive the maximum benefit, but far enough away to prevent burning. Plants should be placed no closer than 6 inches and no farther than 12 inches from fluorescent bulbs. If using incandescent types, keep plants 12 inches away, but closer than 24 inches. If seedlings are tall and lanky with a large distance between sets of leaves, the cause is usually temperatures being too warm or not enough light. Avoid fertilizing transplants indoors unless growing conditions are ideal. It is better to wait until you transplant the seedlings outdoors. Shelby County 1125 W N 2nd Street Shelbyville, IL 62565 We’re on the Web! www.extension.uiuc.edu/shelby Helping You Put Knowledge to Work Articles written by U of I Extension staff: David Robson, Martha Smith, Richard Hentschel University of Illinois~U.S. Department of Agriculture~Local Extension Councils Cooperating University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need special dietary or disability accommodations to participate in any events listed in this newsletter, please contact your local U of I Extension office. The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products and trade names do not constitute endorsement by the University of Illinois and do not imply discrimination against other similar products that are not listed. Controlling Fungal Disease on Flowering Crabapple Trees Every year when the weather has been cool and wet in the spring, homeowners find their flowering crabapples with olive green spots on the leaves. Worse than that, by mid-summer nearly all the leaves have fallen, leaving just a few at the ends of each branch for the remainder of the summer. What remains is a tree that will be stressed and lacking in the production of nutrients since the leaves are the “food factory” for the tree—plus, the flowering crabapple will not look very good. This is a fungal disease called Apple Scab—the same foliar disease commercial and home orchardists face on a number of apple varieties. Apple Scab overwinters on the decaying leaves laying underneath your crabapple and surrounding area. When the early spring wet weather arrives, the disease becomes active and releases spores into the air. These spores then infect the newly developing leaves on the tree. Apple scab can also attack the crabapple fruits themselves, but since we do not eat those fruits, it is the foliage loss that bothers us most. So, what advice can you give when the calls start coming in? Start by raking up the leaves and crabapples for disposal—remove the source and you lessen next year’s outbreak. Homeowners will not be entirely successful just raking up the old leaves and crabapples since the spore is airborne and can float into the yard from anywhere in the neighborhood. But, they will have a lot less disease. Pruning a crabapple for more sunlight penetration and air movement will allow the foliage to dry sooner, limiting the time when fungal spore can penetrate the leaf and infection takes place. If planting a new flowering crabapple, there are many new disease-resistant cultivars on the market. Buyers should ask about Apple Scab resistance before making their selection. Today, flowering crabapples come in a variety of plant shapes, mature plant sizes, levels of disease resistance, and flower color. Continued on Page 2