Gardeners often include plants that create habitats to attract birds and animals to their landscape. But sometimes, the result is unwanted wildlife around, or even in, a home. A few preventative measures will decrease the chances of wildlife becoming a nuisance.

To keep squirrels and raccoons from taking over bird feeders, use a gravity-operated treadle so that only birds can access feed. Also, do not allow feed to accumulate underneath the feeder. If pets are fed outdoors, move their feeders indoors at night.

Trees that have branches extending over the roof of a house should be trimmed. An alternative to this is to place a 3-foot-wide band of sheet metal around the trunk of the tree, at least 6 feet off the ground.

Installing a chimney cap will help prevent direct entry into a house. To find out if animals are already in the chimney or attic, sprinkle flour or talcum powder around the top of the chimney and watch for tracks for several days. If animals are present, they obviously will need to be removed before the cap can be installed. Contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to get a listing of licensed nuisance wildlife control contractors, or call your local city or county government offices to find out if they have animal control services.

Firewood should be stacked away from the house, at least 2 feet above ground. This will not only lessen the chances of wildlife making a home in the wood, but it will also decrease the chances of termites making a home in your house.

Openings around the foundation should be sealed. Cover openings with wire mesh, sheet metal, or concrete. If you are concerned about small animals that may dig underneath a foundation, place wire mesh at least 6 inches below ground to discourage digging.

Keep trash containers tightly closed. If needed, secure the lids with elastic cords. Do not add meat or grease to compost piles.

Having animals and birds around the home can be enjoyable. And, enhancing an area for certain types of wildlife can be done without attracting wildlife you do not want. For more information, visit U of I Extension's Living with Wildlife website at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/wildlife/.

With the onset of fall weather, deciduous fruits and nuts have stopped actively growing and have begun to drop their leaves in preparation for a long winter rest.

This rest period, termed endodormancy, is necessary to winter survival for not only fruits and nuts, but for many trees and shrubs.

Endodormancy is a type of dormancy where the buds are dormant because of an internal plant inhibitor system that prevents growth even under ideal external growing conditions. Once a plant has entered endodormancy, it will not grow again until it has received enough cold to overcome the dormancy.

However, the best temperature for chilling is not the extreme cold. Effective chilling temperatures to terminate dormancy are generally between 32 to 45^OF, and the approximate hours of chilling required to break dormancy vary according to species and cultivar.

For the most part, trees adapted to Illinois growing conditions rarely have difficulty attaining the proper chilling hours necessary to break endodormancy. When the chilling requirement has been met, rest (endodormancy) ends, and the plant is ready to grow, regardless of time of year.

The continued dormancy of the plant then depends on another form of dormancy called quiescence or ecodormancy. With this type of dormancy, buds are dormant as a result of external conditions unfavorable to growth—i.e. as long as the temperature is cold, the plant will not grow.

For this reason, late winter thaws and warm early spring weather in Illinois can be especially disastrous to fruit growers.

Early warm weather can overcome ecodormancy, allowing premature growth that can be damaged by subsequent cold and frosts. In general, the earlier a plant blooms, the more probable it is to suffer some amount of frost damage.

A general rating of sensitivity to winter cold and spring frost is as follows: apricots and sweet cherries>peaches, nectarines, and Japanese-type plums>pears and sour cherries>European-type plums and apples.

Luckily, fruit trees produce an overabundance of fruiting buds, which insures against quite a bit of frost damage and other mishaps. Apples, for example, have a fruit set range of 2 to 8 percent. That means 92 to 98 percent of the flowers are extra!

Plant Type	Approximate Hours of Chilling Required to Break Dormancy (<45°F)
Apple	800 to 1750
Raspberry	800 to 1700
Pear and Sour Cherry	600 to 1500
Currant and Gooseberry	800 to 1650
Walnut	400 to 1550
Plum (Japanese)	600 to 1600
Pecan	650 to 1550
Cherry (Sweet)	500 to 1450
Blueberry (Highbush)	800 to 1250
Peach	375 to 1200
Apricot	300 to 1000
Blackberry	350 to 600
Grape	50 to 400 (adequate growth) 400 to 1650 (better and faster growth)
Strawberry	50 to 300

The spectacular amaryllis is a popular flowering bulb during the holiday season that can be enjoyed throughout the winter.

When buying this bulb, which is available from October to March, select a large, fat one at least 2½ inches in diameter. Bulbs need to be 2½ inches or more in diameter to flower properly. Make sure bulbs are free of any mold or rot. If the bulb feels soft and squishy, avoid it.

Amaryllis bulbs are potted so that one-half to two-thirds of the bulb is exposed above the pot rim. Use a pot that is no more than 2 to 3 inches bigger in diameter than the bulb.

Leave ½ inch of the pot's rim above the soil line so you can water without spilling over the edge. Use a container that has one or more drain holes in the bottom. Bulbs will rot if sitting in water.

After potting, thoroughly soak the soil. When watering, make sure water comes out the bottom of the pot, but don't let the pot stand in this excess of water; pour the excess off.

Flower stalks with several blooms on each should develop in about four to eight weeks if a top-grade bulb was used.

Be careful not to injure the bulb when staking. Some people stake before planting. It is possible that one flower stalk will bloom out before another is formed.

It is important to keep the soil moist during the flowering period.

The cooler the night temperature, the stronger the stem. The stronger the stem, the less likely it will fall over, which means the longer the flowers will last. And, colors will remain more intense.

Getting the bulb to re-flower the next year isn't always simple, but it can be a rewarding challenge.

Cut off dead blooms immediately. However, don't remove leaves that begin to grow after the flower stalks have developed.

Keep the plant moist and in a humid location with bright light to full sun. Once the danger of frost is over, sink the pot with the bulb into soil outside in a sunny flowerbed and fertilize with a complete water-soluble fertilizer every four to six weeks.

In late summer, gradually reduce watering. When foliage has died down, trim it off. Bring pot inside and set in a place that is dry and cool, 40 to 50 degrees. Lay pots on their sides. The bulbs need a six- to eight-week rest period, which is critical to set the flower buds.

Repot every three years or so. Otherwise, do not disturb roots. Pots should be 2 to 3 inches larger than the bulb at planting, but pot-bound bulbs seem to flower nicely year after year with minimal care.

If you know of someone who enjoys gardening and would be a good Master Gardener, talk with that potential volunteer and explain how the program works. The 2009 training starts in January and runs through mid-April. In southern Illinois, training sessions will be held in the Edwardsville area and in Mt. Vernon. Encourage the gardener to contact the county Extension office for more specific information.

And remember, you can sit in on any sessions if you want a "refresher" on a particular topic. Just contact your county Extension office to let them know you will be attending.

As the holidays approach, you'll want to bookmark two handy websites.

The Poinsettia Pages at www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/poinsettia includes a list of things to consider when buying this plant. With care, poinsettias should retain their beauty for weeks, and some varieties will stay attractive for months. Suggestions for achieving this outcome are listed on the site.

Christmas Trees & More is a one-stop source for a broad array of information, not only about Christmas trees but flowers and greenery, tree farms, and even recipes. The site includes a page that has recipes for Christmas tree cookies plus a holiday tree-shaped cheese ball and a Christmas tree cake.

Other pages have helpful hints to follow in picking out a tree, as well as types of Christmas trees. Information on caring for the tree in the home is also included. Bookmark it at www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/trees.