False African Violets

Nancy Carls

Woodford County Master Gardener

One of my Master Gardener Trainee sessions last year covered the topic or propagation. We had an oppor-

tunity to propagate several plants in different ways. One of the plants I selected to make a stem cutting

from was Gesneriaceae or commonly called False African Violet.

The False African Violet is a member of the true African violet family and is native to east Africa. This year,

it has been the sign of spring for me as mine bloomed for the first time this March. It has small soft, fuzzy,

oval-shaped leaves that vine and droop. I have made several cuttings from it and have twined it around a

plant support. Even then, I have had to pinch it back to keep it in the shape I want. It has delicate blue-

violet and white flowers that cascade out on long thin hairy stems.

I am planning on putting several of my cuttings in a hanging basket this spring. I will need to keep it in a

sheltered location as it prefers temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 55 to 60

degrees at night. This plant is frost sensitive and sensitive to direct sunlight. Light shade is best for grow-

ing healthy plants with plenty of flowers. They thrive in 20 to 40 percent humidity and need a potting mix

that drains well.

False African Violets occasionally attract pests including cyclamen mites and spider mites. Diseases in-

clude viruses and stem and root rot. I have enjoyed growing this plant with little difficulty in keeping it

very healthy.

Woodford County

MASTER GARDENER

JOURNAL

Volume 8, Number 2

Woodford County State Master Gardener Award Winners

The State Master Gardener Award winners

are in. Congratulations to the following:

2014 State Outstanding Master

Gardener Award

2014 Sustained Excellence Master

Gardener Award

Pamela Terry

Kenneth Smith

2014 State Master Gardener Teamwork Award

Simpson-Bandeko

Learning Garden

At Germantown Hills Middle School

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 a reasonable

accommodation to participate in any University of Illinois Extension programming, please contact your local Extension office.

Woodford County Welcomes

Two New Master Gardener Interns

The Woodford County Master Gardeners are excit-

ed about welcoming two new interns to our ranks.

Penny Bocelli and Barry Ankney are both from

Washburn and completed their Master Gardener

training this year. I believe they are the first

brother-sister duo we have had in the county.

Bee-neficials: It's All About The Bees This Year

Pollinators are an essential requirement for many of our favorite food crops. “News on bee and other pollinator populations is everywhere this spring,” says Rhonda Ferree, University of Illinois Exten-sion horticulture educator. Pollination is a process that takes place in a flower to transfer pollen from the male to the female flow-er part, thus producing a fruit (or vegetable). There are many ways that plants are pollinated, including wind and animals. Most people think of bees and butterflies when thinking about pollinators, but bats, beetles, moths, flies, hummingbirds, wasps, and more also spread pollen in some plants.

Kelly Allsup, University of Illinois Extension horti-culture educator, provides the following tips to help you choose the right plants and herbs for your pollinator garden. Pollinator gardens typically contain native perennials such as the aromatic anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), drought-tolerant coreop-sis (Coreopsis grandiflora), spring-blooming wild indigo (Baptisia australis), and the white-flowering foxglove penstemon (Penstemon digital-is). Native insects have evolved with native plants and prefer them to non-native ornamental plants. Pollinator gardens also incorporate flowering herbs such as lavender, marjoram, oregano, thyme, chives, fennel, and parsley. Their aroma and consistent flowering make them attractive to pollinators, and are sources of nectar and pollen for beneficial insects and wasps. “Provide pollen and nectar sources all throughout the growing season by planting perennials, herbs, and ornamentals that flower at different times,” said Allsup. Plant flowers of different colors and contrasting shapes in the pollinator garden. Butterflies are at-tracted to orange, red, and yellow and need a land-ing platform. Bees are attracted to blue, yellow, and white and can see ultraviolet markings, the nectar guides, leading them to the source of nectar and pollen. Hummingbirds prefer plants with long tubular flowers in shades of red. Allsup urges gardeners to include a decorative bird bath to serve as a source of water for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. She warns that chemical pesticides should not be used on pollinator gardens and surrounding areas. Accept some insect damage, or use organic pesti-cides.

- Rhonda J. Ferree, Extension Educator,

Horticulture

Nature never goes out of style.

-Unknown

Gretchen Strauch—Woodford County’s Very Own Superstar!

Earlier this year, Gretchen Strauch and Bunny Randall were talking

about upcoming educational programs that the Woodford County

Master Gardeners sponsor with their partner, the Eureka Public

Library District. Gretchen mentioned that she had read a great book

by Joel Karsten entitled “Straw Bale Gardening.” Bunny asked if she

would want to develop an educational program for presentation at

the library. Little did Gretchen know at the time how successful the

program would be. The first offering closed almost immediately.

Gretchen quickly agreed to do a second presentation which was an

instant sold out performance also. So, what could she do but offer a third presentation. Some of us Master

Gardeners who were tardy to register finally got to enroll in the third one. Thank you Gretchen for a

fantastic program! Watch for an article from Gretchen in an upcoming Woodford County Master

Gardener newsletter on straw bale gardening.

Straw bale gardening works well with

either flowers or vegetables.

Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts

are the seeds. You can grow flowers.

Or, you can grow weeds.

--Unknown

Landscape Maintenance Calendar

June

Flowers Deadhead flowers to encourage additional blooming, reduce reseeding and to reduce disease. Trim back some perennials such as aster and beebalm to lessen the need for staking and delay or

stagger bloom times. Monitor roses for black spot fungal disease. Remove and destroy infected leaves.

Lawn

Mow and water as necessary. Fertilize in mid-June if making four applications per year and only if adequate water will be supplied

in summer. Slow-release nitrogen forms are preferred. Continue post-emergence herbicide treatment for weeds if necessary. Establish or renovate lawn with sod only.

Tree/Shrubs Early June- when catalpa starts to bloom- scout for and apply control for euonymus scale. Trim pine candles if reduction of growth is needed. South of interstate I-80, monitor for bagworms feeding on plants especially junipers, arborvitae and spruce. Mulch with organic mulches to at least the drip line of the tree.

General Remove any stagnant water to avoid mosquito problems. Consider flowerpots, gutters, and birdbaths.

July Flowers

Fertilize container plantings. Continue deadheading. Renew organic mulches.

Lawn Mow and water as necessary. Raise mowing height to 2 ½-3 inches as temperatures exceed 85° F. Decide if lawn will be irrigated adequately to keep it from going dormant. Do not bring cool season

grasses in and out of dormancy by watering sporadically. Treat for grubs depending on product and past pest history.

Trees/Shrubs Water newly planted trees and shrubs. Scout for fall webworm nest building near ends of branches.

General Monitor for insects and diseases. Early management is best. Do not let weeds go to seed. “A year of seeding equals 7 years weeding.” Water plants if not receiving at least one inch of water per week. Water deeply and thoroughly. Avoid

light sprinkling. Sandra L. Mason

Extension Educator, Horticulture

Special thanks to all the Woodford County Mas-

ter Gardeners for the hard work and donations

to the May 17 plant sale. Thanks to all of you

and the community, it was the most successful

plant sale to date. And, it was probably

the coldest day we have had the sale.

One of the most delightful things about a

garden is the anticipation it provides.

--W. E. Johns

Woodford County Extension

109 East Eureka Avenue

Eureka, IL 61530

(309) 467-3789

web.extension.illinois.edu/lmw

University of Illinois

Woodford County Master Gardeners

Jack Pfaffmann

Bunny Randall

Karen Ruckle

Linda Simpson

Ken Smith

Gretchen Strauch

Pam Terry

Joni Wolffe

Bruce Brown

Roger Burdette

Nancy Carls

Lisa Garber

Karen Kaufman-Dickson

Karel Kaufman

Mary Niemi

Interns:

Barry Ankney

Kat Arnold

Penny Bocelli

Amy Kiefer

Four-Seasons Gardening Webinars

Home Orchards

June 24 at 1:30 p.m. at the El Paso Public Library

June 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Eureka Public Library

One of the most rewarding gardening activities is the production of fruits in the home garden. Nothing equals the taste of tree or vine-ripened fruits wherever you are in Illinois. This presentation will focus on the general considerations for getting started in developing and cultivating your own orchard; it will also provide you with growing tips for several types of small fruits. Starting a Youth Garden July 8 at 1:30 p.m. at the El Paso Public Library July 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Eureka Public Library Whether you call it children's garden, youth garden, or school garden, gardens created as educational and play spaces for youth can be very rewarding to create. These gardens allow space for children to connect with nature and help them make the connections with where their food comes from. We will discuss the benefits of youth gardens, the important steps to planning a youth garden, and ways to get youth engaged in gardening. The presenter will also share some tips on how to make the garden as sustainable, success-ful, and rewarding as possible. Mosquitoes and West Nile Virus July 22 at 1:30 p.m. at the El Paso Public Library July 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Eureka Public Library Control northern house mosquito in your neighborhood, and you control West Nile Virus. The annual threat of West Nile Virus builds in early summer and continues into the fall. The number of cases has been higher during the last two summers, with about a dozen deaths in Illinois each of those years. Learn how to control and cope with northern house mosquitoes, floodwater mosquitoes, and other mosquitoes to protect yourself and your community from bites and diseases. There is no registration fee to attend this program, but advance registration is needed. Please register at web.extension.illinois.edu/lmw/register or call the Extension office at (309) 467-3789.

Gardeners are artists, their brush a tiny seed, an ever changing picture emerges from their deed.

- Unknown