Clearing the way

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Richard Natanek of Seneca stands next to the Morris Area Garden Club’s IDOT Adopt a Highway sign on Illinois 47 in Morris.

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The Morris Area Garden Club has adopted, through the Illinois Department of Transportation, the stretch of Illinois 47 between Saratoga School and Morris Airport.

Members worked eight hours, collecting about 40 bags of trash from the area in September. The next clean up date is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5.

The MAGC met in September in its new meeting room at New Community Christian Church. Jeff Rugg, extension unit educator, Horticulture/IPM of the Kendall County Unit, lead a discussion on “Preparing Your Landscape and Garden for Winter.”

Jeff told the group how important it is to keep a journal, even if it’s just a pictorial journal. He said to go out on the first of each month during the growing season and take a picture of each of garden beds.

This will keep an easy record for when the landscape is bare and when it’s time for planting bulbs.

Gardners will know where plants are needed and they won’t disturb previously planted bulbs.

The second week of September is the best time to begin bringing houseplants back indoors.
The in-house and outside temps are similar, so there will be less shock to the plants.

Be sure to pull the plants out of the pots and check the root ball for insects and rot. Put the plants in the shower to wash away any pests.

He also said to stop fertilizing plants in mid-August so that they will begin hardening off and ready themselves for winter. The last half of August is the best time to seed the lawn. It’s a good idea to reseed the lawn every couple to three years in fall.

Plants, especially evergreens, should be well hydrated. Water the plants well and often throughout fall.

Jeff said that fall is the perfect time to begin a compost pile. Don’t worry about layering, just toss everything in there. Toss in annuals, and clean and store the containers.

Jeff said to keep a bucket of sand mixed with used motor or vegetable oil, and push in your gardening tools for the winter.

He also said to buy spring bulbs when they show up in the stores, but save them until mid-October to plant when soil temps are in the 50s.

Roto-till the vegetable garden in fall and plant a ground cover, such as clover, if you have a large garden and then lightly till in spring before it sets seed. Rotate the crops when planting in spring.

Mix sand with your de-icing chemicals and salt to cut down on the amount of salt and chemicals going into the soil.

The MAGC collected 24 cans of soup at the meeting for We Care of Grundy County and next month will collect pancake mix and syrup.

Door prizes were won by: Lorraine Vilt — a jar of homemade raspberry jam; Francine Ciotti — note cards; Melissa Ciota — a lady bug back massager; Jane Jennette — a bird bell; Dee Norris — deck plant hooks; and Karen Gronski — a ceramic flower knick knack.

MAGC meets next at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at New Community Christian Church, 705 E. Washington St., to hear Richard Fielding from Up-Cycle Products speak about composting and water conservation.

Guests are welcome.

Sponsors needed

• The Morris Area Garden Club is looking for sponsorship from area businesses to help support their scholarship program and civic projects planned for next summer. Sponsors’ ads will be published in The Latest Dirt, the MAGC monthly newsletter, and on the web site. Information regarding MAGC, sponsorship and membership, along with gardening tips, photos and upcoming events, can be found at morrisareagardenclub.com.

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