These articles are written to apply to the northeastern corner of Illinois. Problems and timing may not apply outside of this area.

Avoid Monoculture Landscape Plantings Popular plants can be overplanted in the landscape. Planting lots of one specific plant not only gets monotonous, but also it can lead to problems. Monoculture plantings consisting of mostly or all of one species should be avoided, primarily because if a major pest or problem develops, all the planting may be wiped out. Diverse plant populations, created through mixing species and varieties (or cultivars) of the same species, can withstand insects, disease, and environmental problems better than a single type of plant can. Planned properly, diverse plantings are also much more attractive to view. Dutch elm disease and the decline of the American elm makes a classic example of why not to plant the same tree over and over again. Rows of American elms were planted along streets throughout the country. Along came Dutch elm disease, a fungus that kills elms very rapidly and readily spreads from tree to tree. Once the disease got started, little could be done except watch one mature elm shade tree after another die. Streets that were lined with excellent shade trees were suddenly barren. Similar disease and insect problems could occur if the same planting ideas are repeated. Plantings of various types of trees would not be subject to this devastation, as different trees are prone to different problems. Keep this in mind when planning landscapes and windbreaks. These same principles apply to lawns. Mixtures of turfgrass species, such as Kentucky bluegrass with fine fescue and/or perennial ryegrass, can adapt better to varying conditions on a site. Even more important is the use of turfgrass blends. A blend is the combination of different cultivars (or varieties) of a single species. For example, most quality packaged bluegrass seed contains 3-4 cultivars. Using mixtures and blends when seeding turf areas helps assure a diverse population that withstands most problems or stresses that may occur. When planning vegetable and flower gardens, groundcovers, and other landscape plantings, keep these ideas in mind. There are significant differences in weather stress tolerance and disease resistance in all types of plants.

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