Earthworms ...Not just good fish bait

One of my fondest childhood memories is dew-worming with my Dad (Ron Simmons). We’d go out at dusk with a red lighted flashlight, sometimes after Dad had watered an area earlier in the day. I don’t remember ever buying worms; we just “harvested” them ourselves. Even as a child I learned the best way to grab a worm without breaking it before it escaped back into its earthly home.

Dad and me fishing on Anderson Lake

Most people know that earthworms (also called night crawlers) are very beneficial for our soil. They daily consume their weight as they grind large organic materials into smaller ones. The University of Illinois Extension Herman the Worm website) calls the earthworm “one of nature’s top soil scientists.”

Worms benefit the soil in many ways. The add air and water, which produces a perfect growing environmental for most plants. They essentially “turn” the soil as they bring organic matter down and mix it with the soil below. When they eat, they leave behind castings that area very valuable type of fertilizer. The equivalent of about one third pound of top-grade fertilizer is produced per worm each year. As the website says, “Having worms around in your garden is a real good sign that you have a healthy soil.”

A fact about earthworms that most people don’t know is that they are not native to North America. Early European settlers brought them here during the 1600’s and 1700’s. They tagged along in the soil of plants brought from their country. Fortunately, this foreign critter has proved to be mostly beneficial.

Here are some other interesting facts about worms. In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms. The slimy excretion of earthworms contains nitrogen, which is required for plant growth. Baby worms hatch from cocoons smaller than a grain of rice. Worms don’t have eyes, but they can sense light (which is why Dad and I covered our flashlights with clear red covering). The number of rings or segments of the body is species dependent: the common earthworm has about 150 segments while the red worm has about 95.

Obviously, worms are an important component in any composting process. An increasingly popular form of worm composting –vermiculture –uses worms to turn kitchen scraps into compost. It is easy and cheap. This process uses a red worm, not the larger earthworms. Take a plastic bin with holes drilled in it, newspaper, soil, worms, and fruit or vegetable peelings and you’ll soon have “black gold” to use in houseplants or outside.

So, the next time you thread a worm onto a fishing hook, remember that they are much more than fish bait. Good luck fishing and Happy Father’s Day!

Published in Canton Daily Ledger Column on 6-15-2013

NOTE: Since this article was written, the invasive jumping worm has been found in Illinois. View this Invasive Species Alert: Jumping Worms for more information. 

The Bald Eagle

Today (2-2-2002) is Eagle Days in Havana. Numerous eagles spend their winters right here in central Illinois. Many can be easily seen from Riverfront Park in Havana. If you’ve never seen a Bald Eagle in the wild, I encourage you to take a drive to Havana this morning.

On January 13, the Champaign County Audubon Society did its annual Eagle Count along the Illinois River from Havana to Beardstown.  They counted 206 Bald Eagles (95 adult, 111 immature) and one adult Golden Eagle.  The Golden Eagle was at Emiquon refuge across the river from Havana.  There were also lots of Bald Eagles at Lake Chautauqua, just north of Havana, where there were also thousands of Canada Geese, many Snow Geese, and 21 Swans.

My family has really enjoyed watching Bald Eagles this winter. I find this really awesome especially knowing that the eagles came very close to extinction. The story of the Bald Eagle comeback includes an important lesson for us all. 

The Bald Eagle was originally classified as endangered in 1967. Shortly after World War II, the use of chemicals such as DDT and other related compounds (including Chlordane) became widespread. These chemicals last a long time in our environment and started to accumulate in Bald Eagles due to their natural feeding habits. The DDT impaired the eagles’ eggs, resulting in thin eggshells and reproductive failures. Since that time, the US-EPA has banned such chemicals and conservation and breeding efforts have brought our national bird populations back.

I tell you this because I think it is a great story of how humans can fix a problem we created. Think of this story each time you use a pesticide. Pesticides are anything used to control a pest and include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc. Almost all of us use them. When you grab the ant killer under the kitchen sink, you are using a pesticide.

To assure you apply pesticides in a safe and effective way that will obtain the control you want and still protect your family and our environment, you simply need to read the label. Reading the label is extremely important and it is the law! Labels change frequently, so you need to reread them each time you use the product. Carefully follow all directions on that pesticide label.

Whether you use pesticides or not is a personal decision, but if you do use them with respect and READ THE LABEL!

Published in Canton Daily Ledger Column on 2-20-1999, 2-2-2002, 2-1-2003, 2-5-2005

Worm Composting

Composting is not just an outdoor activity. It can also be done indoors to get rid of those food scraps in your kitchen.

Worm composting involves using worms to turn food scraps, newspapers, and cardboard into a rich compost, which can be added to potted plants, lawns and gardens. It is convenient, and you can do it indoors (even in apartments) or outdoors.

Don’t worry! When done correctly, worm composting will not cause an odor or have worms crawling all over your house. The worms are quite small, but could still be used for fishing.

Worm composting (or vermicomposting) is one of the easiest methods for reusing fruit and vegetable scraps from your kitchen and yard. All you need is a container filled with moistened bedding, worms, and food scraps.

Even in cool winter weather, where outdoor compost piles lie dormant, you can compost your food scraps indoors with worms and reduce the volume of your household garbage by as much as 25%. The end result is unsurpassed as an organic soil builder and plant fertilizer, containing high amounts of nitrogen.

Worm composting is easy, rewarding, and fun! Given the right environment and a little routine attention, a handful of worms will multiply rapidly and digest your kitchen scraps.

Worm composting is a great way to recycle food scraps indoors all year long. 

To learn more about vermicomposting make sure to read Oregon State University Extension’s “Composting with Worms"

Published in Canton Daily Ledger Column 1-28-2006

New Plant Hardiness Zone Map in 2012

This has certainly been an unusually warm winter so far. Many people are concerned that the warm temperatures will results in plants sprouting too soon or in heavy summer insect problems.

Some people wonder if our climate is changing due to various factors, including global warming.

Source: Illinois State Climatologist  

The USDA released their new Plant Hardiness Zone map recently. The 2012 changes show that we are indeed experiencing overall warmer winter temperatures.

The USDA hardiness zones are based on average winter minimum temperatures. According to Jim Angel, Illinois State Climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, “This is certainly an improvement on the old USDA map that was based on data from a relatively short and cold period from 1974 to 1986.” Angel says that the new map is based on a longer period that includes the milder winters of the 1990s and early 2000s.

The new map can be found at http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

To reflect these milder winters, most zones have shifted northward. Angel says, “Here in Champaign I used to be in the middle of Zone 5 according to the old USDA map. Now I'm almost in Zone 6.”

These maps are a useful guide. Most garden catalogs list the hardiness zone rating for their plants. The hardiness zone is an important plant selection guide, but it is only one factor in determining if a plant will survive the winter. Other factors, such as moisture levels and critters (voles, rabbits, and mice), also affect a plants chance of winter survival.

Speaking of critters, will this mild winter affect insect populations this summer? According to Phil Nixon, Extension Entomologist, mild winters or cold winters have little effect on the number of insects that people typically notice.

Nixon says that it is true that in a mild winter, more pest insects survive, but so do more predatory insects, parasitic insects, and other natural enemies. Contrary to popular belief, Nixon says that the most important impact on insect numbers is spring weather. Cool, damp springs encourage the development of fungi that attack insects and slow the development of insects. The result is fewer caterpillars and other insects surviving through the spring.

And finally, if you have daffodils sprouting or plants leafing out early, don’t fret. Although some of the early growth could experience freeze damage later, the plants should be fine overall once our official spring finally arrives. You can add a layer of mulch over the sprouting plants to provide additional winter protection, but it is probably not essential.

Published in Canton Daily Ledger Column 2-4-2012

Removing Tree Stumps

Recent droughty summers, a cold winter, and various other environmental and pest problems have killed many trees in our area. Usually when a tree is removed a stump is left behind. Here are several suggestions on how to remove tree stumps easily, quickly, and economically.

According to Bob Frazee, retired University of Illinois Natural Resources Educator, the cheapest and easiest method of removal, although not the quickest, is to cut the stump at or below the ground level, cover it with soil, and keep the soil moist. Decay organisms will then rot the wood. Grass may be planted in the soil if the thin layer over the stump is kept moist during dry seasons. The decaying method may be hastened by boring several vertical holes in the stump before it is covered with soil. This method may be used any time during the year. 

Frazee says that stumps may also be burned out. However, before burning stumps, be sure to check your local ordinances to see whether open burning is permitted. Frazee suggests that stumps may be burned out rather quickly with charcoal or coal by making a “stove” from an empty 5-gallon metal container. A stove is made by removing the bottom and top from the can and punching 4 to 5 one-inch holes in the side near the bottom. Place the stove on top of the stump and build a fire in it. A hot fire is required to burn out stumps, since the wood absorbs moisture from the soil and burns like green wood. Stumps will burn best during dry seasons.

Grubbing or digging out stumps is another option, according to Frazee, but it is hard work. Stumps larger than 15 inches in diameter are usually rather difficult for the average person to remove.

A popular option for homeowners to explore is use of a commercial stump grinder. Mechanical stump grinders that chip the wood are available from some landscaping firms, tree removal services, and some community street departments. A stump-cutting or grinding machine is often the quickest and most satisfactory means of removal. It can chip out a stump to 8 or 12 inches below ground level in minutes.

Stump removal is not easy. Many people resolve to leave the stump and let it decay naturally. Chemicals are available that can help speed up the decomposition process. Instructions for stump removal chemicals will vary from product to product, but all require drilling several holes in the stump. A measured amount of chemical is poured in each hole, and then water is added to fill the holes. Let the mixture stand for four to six weeks. Repeat applications may be necessary.

Sometimes the decaying stump is included in the landscaping. I saw a stump used as a miniature fairy garden recently that was really cute. Try adding containers on top of the stump for a different look. I once put a wooden wheelbarrow filled with annual flowers on a stump and added more annual flowers around the stump. Use your imagination and you may find leaving the stump is a good option.

If the tree is not completely dead when it is cut down the stump may produce sucker growth. You have two options to solve this problem. The quickest solution is to immediately treat the cut surface with an herbicide. You can also cut off all new sucker growth before it reaches eight inches to gradually deplete the stored food, but this can take five to ten years to be completely effective.

Finally, remember that dead trees are an important part of our ecosystem. Many birds and small mammals nest in dead trees. Consider leaving the tree if it is located in an area where it won’t be an eyesore or cause safety issues over time.

Originally Published in Canton Daily Ledger Column 6-21-2014; News Release 6-24-2013

Sticky Plants are Annoying

While hiking recently I got to thinking about the various plants that stick to our sock and pants. Certainly, they are frustrating; but, as a plant geek, I wanted to know more.

Sticky plants attaching to clothes, hair, fur, and feathers to disperse their seeds into new areas. They do this with hooks, spines, barbs, and burrs. Let’s look at a few common examples that we find here in central Illinois.

The biggest challenge on my property is Spanish Needles (Bidens bipinnata). This weedy plant grows one to three foot tall in dry, shady areas. Its leaves are finely textured, looking a bit like flat-leaved parsley. The non-showy, yellow flowers develop into 2-4 prong, barbed fruit. They get their name from the fruit’s needle-like prongs, each with its own backward pointing barb.

Virginia Stickseed

Virginia Stickseed (Hackelia virginiana), also called beggar’s lice, has very small prickly bur fruit that clings to clothing. It grows one to four foot tall in dry woods. The burs are less than ¼” in size. Burs are arranged along one side of stems (racemes) that are held 2-8” above the plant.

Probably the most commonly known hitchhikers are burdock and cocklebur. In fact, Velcro is said to have been designed after the burs of the burdock plant. After a hunting trip, the inventor looked closer at the tiny hooks on the bur and created the hook and loop fasteners design.

Cocklebur

Burdock (Arctium sp.) is a robust plant. It is also called wild rhubarb due to its large leaves that can reach 20” long. This is a biennial plant that grows rhubarb-like leaves the first year. In the second year, it sends up 2-5 foot stalk with large egg-shaped leaves and ½ to 1” bristly purple flowers. Each fruit is a prickly, clinging bur. Unlike rhubarb whose stems are edible, burdock has an edible taproot.

Cocklebur (Xanthium sp.) is related to burdock. This plant sprouts from seed each year, reaching 2-5 foot by summer’s end. Its triangular, lobed leaves are 2-6” long. Cocklebur has both male and female green colored flowers. Female flowers form ½-3/4” burs that are held in the axils of the leaves. The football-shaped burs cling with hook-tipped prickles.

Bedstraw

Bedstraw (Gallium sp.) is sometimes called velcro-plant or stickywilly. Bedstraw attached to us in two ways. Its leaves and stems have fine hook-like hairs that cling to clothing and fur. However, it is the extremely small seeds that really create havoc. At less than 1/25 of an inch, the seed burs are covered with small hooked bristles. Because each plant produces hundreds of seeds, they quickly cover large areas of clothing. Their small size and abundance make them difficult to remove.

There are many more, but you get the idea. I have not developed a magic way for removing these from my clothes or pet’s hair. Washing clothes does not remove most hitchhiker seeds. They usually need to be picked off individually, though some can be scraped off with a butter knife.

Enjoy a fall hike in the woods, but try to avoid those hitchhikers!

Published in Canton Daily Ledger Column 11-4-2017

Trees in Winter

Each season brings a different look to the garden. I enjoy each one, but I must say that plants are uniquely beautiful in winter. Now is a great time to see a plant’s texture and form - each unique and mystical.

left to right: Silver maple, red maple/dogwood, & redbud 

Look for the differences between these trees this winter: oak, maple, and redbud. Oaks are the kings of the forest. They soar well above the maples and smaller redbuds. Oaks are majestic in size and texture.

The white and bur oak are most majestic. A white oak will grow well over 100 feet tall in the wild. It has a medium to coarse texture in winter, but the wide-spreading branches exhibit a strong, bold appearance. Bur oaks are a bit more coarse in texture and probably even more majestic with massive trunks and stout branches.

There are many different types of oaks though. A pin oak is much different from the white and bur. Although still medium to coarse textured in winter, a pin oak has a strongly pyramidal habit. It is a strong central leader and pendulous lower branches. My college classmates called this the 55-mile per hour tree because we could recognize it even at highway speeds.

Maples also come in many different shapes and sizes, from the dainty amur maple to the sturdy sugar maple to the weak silver maple. Sugar maples grow 60 to 75 feet tall with a rounded character. They are hard, sturdy trees. Their texture is medium in winter. Notice their beautiful bark, which with age becomes deeply furrowed, with long irregular thick plates or ridges.

Silver maples are very popular because they grow fast. Unfortunately this is not always a good trait, since fast growing trees are usually also weak-wooded, often breaking in wind and ice.

The silver maples grow a bit more oval than rounded and are a bit coarser in the winter, often looking disheveled.

Amur maples and redbuds are similar in that they are both small, understory trees. The amur maple is a small tree or sometimes a multi-stemmed shrub, but is usually round shaped. It has very slender, fine branches and thus a medium-fine texture.

Redbud is a small tree with medium winter texture. Although best known for its spring flowers, it also has interesting bark in winter. The older bark is black or brownish with orange inner bark peeking through.

Enjoy looking at trees this winter. Also notice how terrible the topped trees look! Please do not top trees. It results in very weak, ugly trees!

Originally Published as: Ledger Column 1-8-2000, 1-5-2013; News release 1-8-2018