Fall webworms are here, and that means Master Gardeners will likely get questions about control measures. Control is most effective while the caterpillars are still small and have not caused much damage.

Fall webworm adults are white moths that lay eggs in mid-summer on the leaves of crabapple, black walnut, dogwood, birch, persimmon, white ash, and many other trees. The eggs hatch into yellowish caterpillars or larvae in late July and spin a silk tent over several leaves.

As the caterpillars use up the food inside of the webbing, they make the tent larger to enclose more leaves. They seldom feed outside of the tent, although droppings are pushed out and fall to the ground. When fully grown, the caterpillars are about an inch long.

In late August or early September, the caterpillars form pupae, or cocoons, in debris under the tree. They spend the winter as pupae and emerge as moths next summer. Since the caterpillars are later this year, expect them to feed into September.

Control should be done now while the caterpillars are still small. Clipping off any branches containing tents and larvae and destroying them is a good bet; but, many feed up high, making pruning difficult.

Infested trees can be sprayed with the organic insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Dipel, Thuricide). Several inorganic products are also available. Be sure to read and follow all label directions.

The insecticide spray does not penetrate the silk webbing so control depends on the caterpillars enlarging the tent over treated leaves while the insecticide is still potent.

Many birds feed on the fall webworm. Insect populations run in peaks depending on the predators the years before. It is possible to have significant damage one year, then less and less for several years, followed by a gradual build-up again.

Damage by these insects does not usually result in the death of the tree because most food production by the leaves occurs in the spring and summer before the fall webworms hatch. However, trees might be weakened to the point that other injury can affect the overall health of the plant. For the most part, damage is only aesthetic.

Flower beds going into the fall often look just a little bit tired. Annuals may have started to decline and gotten overgrown and perennials may not have a lot of color.

When that is the case, think cabbage and kale—not the kind you eat but the kind you plant in the garden to offer brilliant color and unique habit well into the fall and early winter.

Ornamental cabbages and kales have been developed to fit the time slot when things may not be looking their best in late autumn and when you want color in early winter. While they may be called flowering cabbage and kale, it is not the flower that is prized but the colorful foliage. Ornamental cabbages look much like their vegetable garden relatives except they do not form heads, while the kales tend to have a more fancy or cut leaf.

Ornamental cabbage and kale do not tolerate summer heat and that is why they are best planted as fall garden annuals. If you want to grow your own from seed, it should be planted six to eight weeks before the first frost in the fall. Otherwise, the next best option is to visit your local garden center. They usually start to show up after the mums start to arrive.

Using these plants as a fix for late-season color and planting them in early fall has several advantages. The white, pink, and red pigmentations for which these plants are noted do not appear until after several frosts, and then the color really starts to intensify when temperatures get below 50 degrees. And once they get acclimated to the garden, you can count on them to survive and provide color even when temperatures get as low as 5 degrees. So that means you might be seeing color peak through a soft blanket of snow.

Just as with other plants, the larger the size pot the more you will pay for plants. However, this is one crop in which getting larger plants may pay off.

When ornamental cabbage and kale get root-bound in the pot, they tend not to get much larger once planted out in the garden. Since the goal of planting these plants is to achieve a solid mass of color, paying less for small plants usually requires planting more of them, and as a result it costs more to get the job done.

When planting ornamental cabbage and kale, plant so the lowest leaves are flush with the soil and the stem is buried. They are heavy users of water so keep them well watered in order to keep them looking their best. Plants that dry out are not nearly as attractive.

These fall garden stars are great for replacing worn-out annuals both in containers and in the garden. Use them as mass plantings or as edgings in the front of the border. They look great combined with fall ornamental grasses, asters, and dark-leafed sedums.

While both ornamental cabbage and kale are edible, they tend to be bitter. Also, the pretty colors turn an unappealing gray when cooked. Ornamental kale often is used as a fancy garnish on plates.

Look for plants in garden centers this fall and consider planting them in your garden to add a pick-me-up and provide dependable late fall and winter color.

The transition period from summer to fall is the best time to seed new lawn areas, renovate or over-seed old lawns, and patch bare spots.

The main types of grass grown in central and southern Illinois are cool-season species such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, and hard fescues. For these species, the first part of September is the ideal target date for seeding.

One of the first steps is to select the right type of grass for your site. For new lawns, the choice comes down to either Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue. When over-seeding into existing grass, or spot-seeding, it is important to determine which type of grass you have, and use that species. Avoid "common" bluegrass, or pasture/waterway grade tall fescue. These may be cheaper, but they do not have the lawn quality of newer bluegrass varieties and "turf-type" tall fescues.

Kentucky bluegrass is often a preferred lawn species because of its appearance and durability. The "turf-type" tall fescues have much finer leaf blades than pasture types, and rival Kentucky bluegrass in appearance.

Perennial ryegrass and hard fescues (red, chewings, hard) are often mixed with bluegrass but are usually not planted alone. Hard fescues are included for shade tolerance, while perennial ryegrass is used to help fill-in until the slower growing bluegrass begins to dominate.

Generally it is not recommended to mix together bluegrass and tall fescue in lawns because fescue has a bunching growth habit while bluegrass spreads by rhizomes. Thus, tall fescue will stand out in clumps in a predominantly bluegrass lawn. However, some tall fescue blends now have a small percentage of Kentucky bluegrass mixed in, which helps to fill-in between clumps. In this case, the distributors are carefully matching the two species by variety to leaf size and color.

An alternative to consider is buffalo grass, which is now being introduced on the market. As a native species, its benefits include adaptability to various soil types, durability, low growing height and less mowing, and irrigation and fertility requirements. The downside is its light green color, dormancy and browning at first frost, and high seed cost. Newer varieties are improved in color. Information about buffalo grass and its establishment can be found online at: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/turf/publications/buffalo.html.

The choice between species depends on several factors. Soil and site conditions are the most important. For predominately clay soils that can become hot and dry, and are not always well-drained, tall fescue is more adapted and will stay green longer under tough conditions. Tall fescue also has limited thatch development. A negative aspect of tall fescue is that it spreads slowly, making it slower to fill in damaged areas and spots.

For irrigated urban lawns and parts of the state that have better soil types, Kentucky bluegrass is often a better choice because of its uniform appearance, softer texture and better color, and its ability to fill bare and damaged spots as it spreads by short rhizomes. However, in adverse sites, it will go "summer dormant" quicker than tall fescue, often giving a place for summer weeds to establish. Bluegrass is also more susceptible to disease problems, partly because of its thatch-forming tendency (dead material layer next to ground), especially under high fertility and irrigation.

Using a blend of several varieties of a species is a good hedge against drought, disease, and other factors affecting the lawn. Just make sure you always match the existing species when over-seeding and spot seeding lawns.

There are a number of high-quality Kentucky bluegrass and turf-type tall fescue varieties on the market. Blends of varieties and mixes of species can be found depending on the distributor. A few of the top performers in recent university tests include Kentucky bluegrass varieties such as 'Midnight,' 'America,' 'Sky,' and 'Adelphi.' Top turf-type tall fescue varieties include 'Finelawn Elite,' 'Falcon,' 'Jaguar II,' 'Rebel,' and 'Guardian.' A few outstanding hard fescue varieties for tough, dry shade areas include 'Firefly,' 'Oxford,' 'Predator,' and 'Reliant.'

For a comprehensive list of recommended turf varieties, along with establishment information and turfgrass care, visit the U of I turfgrass program website at www.turf.uiuc.edu/ or one of the topical turfgrass websites posted by University of Illinois Extension: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state/hort32.html.

When calls come in or clients stop by the Extension office for help with a plant problem, you can often find the information you need on one of the U of I Extension websites. Bookmark the most useful ones in your web browser for handy reference. Here are just a few timely web resources for the fall season:

Selecting Trees for Your Home
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/treeselector/

Selecting Shrubs for Your Home
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/shrubselector/

Focus on Plant Problems
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/focus/

Fall Lawn Care Guide
http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/regions/FallLawnCare.pdf

Fall is in the air this morning--what a relief to have cooler temperatures! We had a great attendance at the Master Gardener meeting on the 2^nd. One of the highlights each September is to say thank you with a treat of homemade ice cream. We appreciate all the services Coles County Extension Master Gardeners and your leadership team provide to University of Illinois Extension during the year. A special thank you goes to Susan Turner for bringing apple pie and to Juanita Sherwood for the nut crunch topping.

Committee assignments are almost complete—I'll e-mail the listing as soon as we get one final 'yes' to a chair position. Thanks to Richard and Phyllis for contacting chairs and thank you to everyone who said YES. Looks like we will have a great Advisory Board and hard working committees for 2008-09!

If you are behind on education hours these are some upcoming opportunities:

September 30, 1 pm – Going Green with Evergreens
October 16, 7 pm – Backyard Composting
October 21, 1:30 pm – Introduction to Prairies

Each will be held at the Extension Office via our teleconference system. Seating will be limited and there will be a nominal fee for handouts. Call for complete details and to register ahead.

Don't forget the Fall Plant Sale held in conjunction with the Farmer's Market on the Charleston Square. Everyone is encouraged to contribute 4 or 5 plants (or more) and be ready to help on September 17^th.

Sharon