Time running out to plant fall greens for your salads
Cool-season lettuces, mesclun mixes and other greens that were planted in early spring can be planted again.
If the weather is unusually hot, plant these greens in partial shade or wait a few days until there is a cooler forecast.
• It is time to protect the trunks of smooth-barked trees such as young maples from deer rubs. Deer rub their antlers on trees, typically using the trunks of smooth-barked trees. This can damage the bark and even kill trees if the damage goes all around the trunk.
Wrap the trunks with hardware cloth, chicken wire or plastic snow fencing to a height of 5 feet to help protect the tree. This is especially important if you live near a forest preserve where deer are present. This protection can be removed in late winter or early spring.
• Powdery mildew (a disease that causes a grayish, powdery film on leaves) is present now. Common plants that get powdery mildew are lilacs, phlox, beebalm, zinnias and nannyberry viburnum.
This disease typically occurs in late summer when the weather is warm and humid. Fungicides can help control powdery mildew if applied before the infection becomes severe. In most cases, there is no need to apply any controls for powdery mildew at this time of year.
Other options include selecting more mildew-resistant varieties, or moving the infected plants to an area of the garden that has better air circulation.
• Fertilize your lawn in early September to improve the color and vigor of the grass. Nitrogen is the nutrient required the most, although too much nitrogen can cause excessive top growth and disease problems. In most cases, a rate of 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn is adequate.
Many soils in the Chicago area have adequate levels of phosphorus, so it is likely not needed for your lawn. Some villages ban the use of phosphorus to help protect water quality, as it can fuel algae growth in lakes and streams.
If you only fertilize your lawn once a year, this is the best time to fertilize it.
• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.