Creating a beautiful, functioning landscape depends on putting the right plant in the right place at the right time. Iowa State University Extension horticulturists describe the correct plants and care to give late summer and early fall plantings. To have additional questions answered, contact the experts at hortline@iastate.edu or call 515-294-3108.

Is fall a good time to plant trees?

Late summer and fall is an excellent time to plant balled and burlapped and container-grown trees and shrubs. Evergreens should be planted by early October in Iowa. Evergreens retain their foliage (needles) through winter. Evegreens need adequate time to get established at their new site before the onset of winter to prevent desiccation injury. Deciduous trees and shrubs drop their leaves in fall and go dormant. Deciduous trees and shrubs can be planted up to mid- to late November.

Late summer and fall planted trees and shrubs should be watered on a regular basis during the remainder of the year. Periodically check the moisture status of the plant's root-ball. Water newly planted trees and shrubs when their root-balls begin to dry out. Continue watering until the ground freezes in winter.

When is the best time to sow grass seed?

Late summer (mid-August to mid-September) is the best time to seed new lawns and overseed existing lawns. Late summer planting has several advantages over spring seeding. The seeds of cool-season grasses germinate quickly in the warm soil of late summer. The warm days and cool nights of early fall promote rapid turfgrass growth. The growing grass also has less competition from weeds as few weed seeds germinate in the fall.

After seeding, keep the upper 1 inch of soil moist with frequent, light applications of water. Most turfgrasses should germinate in two to three weeks if the seedbed is kept uniformly moist. Gradually reduce the frequency of watering, but water more deeply, when the turfgrass reaches a height of 1 to 2 inches. Mow the grass when it reaches the height of 3 to 3 ½ inches.

Can perennials be planted in fall?

Late summer and early fall is an excellent time to plant many perennials. It also is a good time to move or divide perennials, such as peony, daylily, garden phlox and oriental poppy. Perennials planted in late summer or early fall should be mulched with 4 to 6 inches of straw, pine needles or other materials in late fall. Mulching helps prevent repeated freezing and thawing of the soil that can heave plants out of the ground. Plants heaved out of the soil may be severely damaged or destroyed due to the drying of the exposed plant crowns and roots.

Is fall a good time to plant chrysanthemums?

Unfortunately, fall planted garden mums usually don't survive the winter even when given winter protection. Flowering mums purchased in late summer or early fall should be regarded as temporary additions to the landscape. Spring is the best time to plant mums in Iowa. Spring planted mums have the entire growing season to get established and usually survive the winter much better than those planted in fall.

When is the best time to plant peonies?

Peonies are available as potted and bare root plants. Potted peonies are often available at garden centers and can be planted anytime during the growing season. Bare root peonies are best planted in late summer/early fall (September in Iowa). When planting bare root peonies, position the "eyes" (buds) 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa youth now can quickly find science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) resources near them. CYSTEM, an online map resource created by Extension Science, Engineering and Technology (E-SET), is designed to link Iowa youth with STEM programs, careers and mentors. E-SET is part of the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 4-H Youth Development Program.

"As 4-H increases the program opportunities for youth relating to science, engineering and technology, we needed a way to link youth with mentors, opportunities and clubs across the state," said Holly Bignall, with E-SET. "An interactive map seemed like a great way to allow our clients to find out what is available and connect with each other, as well as find mentors. The map also allows us to take advantage of all our great ISU alums and the many STEM careers that are in Iowa."

CYSTEM can be accessed at http://ags.gis.iastate.edu/cystem. Once on the map, youth can quickly and easily find the programs, mentors or careers they are interested in, by topic, with several check boxes and drop-down menus. The resources are marked on an Iowa map so youth can pinpoint the resources closest to them.

Each resource item on the map also includes extra information so youth can learn more about it. For example, mentor entries give information on the type of work they do, what they love about their job, what they can mentor in and past projects they`ve enjoyed.

"Many times youth don`t have access to role models and mentors who can help them pursue their interests. This map helps conquer this sense of isolation and connect youth with knowledgeable mentors who are ready and willing to assist," said Jay Staker, director of E-SET.

CYSTEM will only be as useful as the resources posted to the map, so E-SET is ready to start taking submissions from around the state. A form is available online for anyone to submit a youth program, career opportunity or name as a mentor. The information then will be added to the map for all Iowa youth to access.

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AMES, Iowa - As consumers check their refrigerators and freezers for recalled fresh and frozen ground turkey products, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach encourages following food safety best practices all the time.

"Food recalls and salmonella outbreaks certainly get people thinking more about food safety," said Catherine Strohbehn, an ISU Extension specialist and professor in hotel, restaurant and institution management. "However, Iowans should always be mindful about food safety when purchasing, storing, preparing and serving food. That's why Iowa State provides consumers, foodservice operators, students and educators with 24/7 access to research-based, unbiased information on food safety and quality at www.iowafoodsafety.org."

On Aug. 3, Cargill initiated a voluntary recall of approximately 36 million pounds of ground turkey products produced at its Springdale, Ark., plant, as reported on the Cargill News Center website. As of Aug. 4, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 78 people in 26 states had been confirmed with SalmonellaHeidelberg infections and that eating ground turkey was the likely source of this outbreak. One person from Iowa has been affected. CDC provides a summary of the situation at http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/heidelberg/index.html.

"Symptoms of most salmonella infections are the usual of any foodborne illness ? diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps manifesting eight to 72 hours after ingesting the contaminated food. Affected individuals also may experience chills, headaches and sustained vomiting. Many of these symptoms are similar to those experienced with the flu, so often people don't realize they have a foodborne illness," Strohbehn said. If symptoms persist, see a doctor.

Cargill has posted a list of recalled ground turkey products at http://www.cargill.com/news-center/news-releases/2011/NA3047807.jsp, Strohbehn noted. Consumers should return opened or unopened packages to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Strohbehn recommends the following general food safety best practices:

Cook foods thoroughly to recommended end point temperatures. For poultry, this is a minimum of 165 F. Use a meat thermometer rather than relying only on cooking times listed on the package, because oven temperature sensors will vary. Looking and touching are not good indicators of doneness ? only a calibrated thermometer can tell for sure.

Keep cold foods cold either by refrigeration (below 41 F) or by freezing. Put cold foods away after shopping first, rather than after canned goods. Don't leave potentially hazardous foods out at room temperature for more than two hours. In summer, don't leave these foods out for more than one hour.

Separate raw from cooked or ready-to-eat foods, and separate clean from soiled ? chefs use the term mise en place, or everything in its place. Be mindful of this concept when working in the kitchen.

Keep it clean. Keep hands clean and keep materials that contact food clean. Clean means washing and rinsing using cleaning cloths and brushes designated for food surfaces only. Consumers may wish to sanitize certain surfaces after cleaning, such as the cutting board. Use a ratio of 1 tablespoon of unscented bleach with 1 gallon of water and allow contact for at least 7 seconds. Let the product air dry.

More information is available from the ISU Extension Food Safety Project website, www.iowafoodsafety.org.

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• Most 2- to 5-year-olds watch TV an average of 31 hours each week, or more than 4 hours each day.
• Prime time TV has an average of 6 violent acts every hour; children's programming has an average of 26 violent acts every hour.
• The average American child witnesses 45 acts of violence on TV each day.
• Children watching TV may see 50,000 TV commercials each year.
• The average American family has the TV on for 6.2 hours every day.

TV Violence

Children may:

• develop strong emotional fears;
• become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others;
• become "immune" to the horror of violence;
• gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems;
• imitate the violence they observe on television; or
• identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers.

Parents can limit the negative effects of TV violence

• Refuse to let children see shows known to be violent.
• Refuse to buy violent videos.
• Change the channel or turn off the TV when something offensive or violent comes on.
• Verbally show disapproval of violent episodes.
• Emphasize the belief that violent behavior is not the best way to solve a problem.

Who is watching?

Use your child's age and development to guide you in choosing TV programs.

Preschoolers have longer attention spans and are able to watch short programs. However, they often are not able to understand the whole story of a program. They can remember only small pieces of what they see and often cannot tie everything together.

School-age children understand much more than preschoolers; however, they often misinterpret what they see. School-agers can distinguish between reality and fantasy portrayed by live actors versus cartoons, but may have difficulty interpreting more subtle messages.

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