* Use a rake or hoe to remove mushrooms that appear in lawns and gardens. Yes, some are edible, but unless you are expert in recognizing edible mushrooms, don’t risk eating wild mushrooms. Many are deadly poisonous, and since you are the only one who reads this column I would miss you.
* Take extra precautions when working outdoors to avoid deer ticks (a.k.a. black-legged ticks) from latching on. It seems everyone I know has had an issue with deer ticks this year. For protection, apply an insect repellent and treat with permethrin clothing that is routinely worn when hiking or working outdoors (https://www.consumerreports.org/insect-repellent/how-to-use-permethrin-on-clothing-safely/), wear light colored clothing to make spotting of these tiny critters easier, tuck shirt and pant legs into socks, check for ticks on clothing and skin every few hours, and check entire body at the end of the day.
* Make the last harvest of rhubarb leafstalks for this season, but don’t pick them all. Leave about one third of the leafstalks on the plant. These will be needed to replenish food reserves needed for next year’s crop. Rhubarb that is not used immediately can be cut into pieces and frozen. No need to blanch the pieces.
* Place a light layer of straw, salt marsh hay, or lawn clippings between rows of recently seeded or transplanted vegetables. With the arrival of hotter and drier weather, this mulch will shade the soil surface and reduce drying as well as crusting of the soil. Just be careful that the mulch does not interfere with the emergence and growth of tender seedlings.
* For maximum growth, thin out crowded seedlings of corn, carrots, and other vegetables. If uncertain of the final spacing between specific vegetables, check the seed packet from which they came. Another source for information on spacing can be found on this University of Illinois Extension site: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/vegguide/step02.cfm
* Pick garden peas, also called English peas and shelling peas, when the pods have filled out. This can be determined by gently squeezing the pods and feeling the firm round peas within. To remove or shell the peas, simply squeeze the pods until they split open. Peas are best picked in early morning as that is when their sugar content is highest.
* Be sure night temperatures are consistently above 50oF before moving houseplants outdoors for the summer. Since most of our popular houseplants originated in tropical forests, they need to be protected from exposure to direct sunlight. Place them in filtered sunlight such as that beneath shade trees – Nature’s sun block.
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You may have noticed that I often recommend B.t. as a control measure for many insect pests – as I did this week for cabbage worm. B.t. is an abbreviation for Bacillus thuringiensis (Now you know why I refer to it as B.t.!), a species of bacteria commonly found throughout the world. These bacteria live and multiply inside insects and can kill certain ones including many of our most common garden pests. Interestingly, B.t. affects only the larvae, or immature forms of these insects. Many different strains of B.t. have been identified: one kills mosquito larvae, another is effective against Colorado potato beetle larvae, and another kills many caterpillar pests such as gypsy moth which, interestingly, are being found in very large numbers this year. B.t. is non-toxic to humans, other mammals, birds and fish. It is as safe a product to use as you’ll find.
