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 If you’re one that usually suffers from the fall allergy season,
you know the symptoms all to well. Many people blame goldenrod
as the culprit, when it is mostly ragweed problems. This season,
the pollen has been prolific due to a great growing season for
many weeds – including the ragweeds.
In our area, we have two types of ragweed.
The most noticeable is giant ragweed. Giant ragweed, also called
horseweed, and it can grow well over 10 feet tall. It is very
noticeable as one of the few weeds that grows taller than our
Illinois corn.
The other type of ragweed is common ragweed. It is generally
less than six feet tall, and not nearly as noticeable.
Ragweeds tend to bloom in late summer. The period can range from
mid-August to mid-September. They put out a lot of pollen when
they bloom. The amount of pollen is one problem, but the shape
of the pollen is the other. The shape of the pollen is more
jagged and sharp along the edges, making it more of an irritant
than other types of pollen.
Add in the usual ragweed problems, alternating wet and dry
conditions, and early leaf drop, and we have the recipe for an
allergy sufferer’s nightmare. There are also several leaf molds
that are at work, and that compounds the allergy problem.
What can you do? First, try to eliminate ragweed in your
particular area. Two, avoid the mid to late morning period in
the great outdoors. This is when more pollen is released. Three,
you can stay indoors (or office or car) with air conditioning.
And, if your problems are particularly troublesome, talk to your
doctor. There are prescriptions and over-the-counter that can
help alleviate at least some of the symptoms. My doctor keeps
telling me this particular season was the latest in the “worst
ever” category – for about six years running it keeps getting
worse. At least, there is the old statement of “misery loves
company” and you’re not alone.
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Sooty Blotch of Apple
Apple development seems to be running ahead of normal this year.
Sooty blotch and flyspeck are caused by different fungi that
commonly occur together on the same fruit.
The sooty blotch fungus causes surface discoloration with black
spots or blotches which can be a fourth of an inch or larger.
These spots may run together, making the apple appear to be
covered with something like charcoal dust. This disease is more
superficial than anything, since it is only on the skin.
Vigorous rubbing, or scrubbing, will remove the black
discoloration. If you want to be sure, you can always peel the
apples.
This disease is most common with moderate temperatures and wet
weather. Wet weather can include heavy dews which don’t get
dried out very well. Anything that cuts down on air circulation
helps promote sooty blotch. Pruning and thinning fruit will help
improve air circulation, and lessen the disease problems.
The best chemical control program is to use a multi-purpose
fruit tree spray, containing captan fungicide, as a
preventative. For this disease, it is recommended to begin by
early June, and continue the program until harvest. For the
organic gardeners, sulfur will help some. However, it is not as
good as the captan. Remember many diseases are preventable in
home fruit production, but they are not curable. Once you see
the problem, it becomes a to-do list item for next year.
[By JOHN FULTON, COUNTY EXTENSION
DIRECTOR SERVING LOGAN, MENARD, AND SANGAMON COUNTIES]
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