This article was written by Marsha Overton, University of Illinois Extension, Coles County Master Gardener.

By the time you are reading this column--Thanksgiving Day 2007 will be a thing of the past. It has really been hard to think of the holidays when we have had such beautiful fall weather.

The red maple trees in our yard were just spectacular–I tried capturing them on film but they just cannot be duplicated. The burning bushes were exceptional this year also. We even have flowers still blooming!! I am not complaining just enjoying them as long as I can.

There are several of you who have asked me "What do I need to do to get ready for winter". Well, for the time being just enjoy the beauty of this season. Outside of cutting back some obvious plants which were hit by one of the frosty mornings–you really don't need to do anything. Of course, there are those of you who want to "clean" everything up or those who want to get an early start to spring. Around our yard we needed to cut back the hyacinth bean vines and the porcelain vines. We also trimmed back the peony bushes and some of the asters. It would be O.K. to cut back the lilies, too.

The one plant that you will need to be careful with is the hydrangea. If yours are like mine, the only thing left on them is the stems or canes as they are called. You must protect these canes from winter injury by covering them in the fall with a bushel basket or leaves held in place by chicken wire or something similar. It is not necessary to cut your hydrangea back at this time. In the spring, you can prune them if they have winter injury, but only to remove injured tips. Some common species, such as Hydrangea pancilata "Grand flora' and the hills of snow type, bloom on new wood, and can be pruned in the early spring. On a few other types, particularly the common greenhouse or French varieties, the buds originate near the tips of the canes, formed the preceding year, and should be pruned after flowering, or not at all.

GARDEN QUESTIONS FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Q) How low should fall-planted barberry, spirea, and Rose-of Sharon be pruned? A) With the barberry and spirea, cut at about ground-level, (half of the strongest stems); reduce the remaining about half their length. If the Rose-of Sharon is on a single stem, it must not be cut to the ground. Cut out some of the branches at a point where they fork, and shorten the remaining ones to one fourth or one third their length.

Q) Do I have to dig up my Gladiolus bulbs? A) Yes. Gladiolus "bulbs" (actually corms) should always be dug, once the foliage has matured or after frost. You should lift the corms carefully from the ground to avoid losing the small corms which will become future grads. Cut the tips about an inch above the corms and cure the corms for two to four weeks in a warm spot with good air circulation. Brush off any dried soil with a soft cloth. Remove the shriveled corm on the bottom of the new tan one. Before storing the corms, dust them with an insecticide-fungicide mixture to prevent the corms from rotting and to control thrips. Store the corms in onion bags or old nylon stockings hung in a place with temperatures from 35 to 45 degrees F. and good air circulation. This pretty much applies to other plants such as cannas also.

Q) Is winter protection necessary for roses? A) For our northern states winter protection is a must. But for us in the Midwest the only recommendation is a preventive measure. Summer treatment is the key to winter safety. A rose without plenty of food reserve in its canes, depleted by repeated defoliation from black spot, may die no matter how well protected in the winter. You can lose a few bushes to crowding, too much shade, too deep planting, crown gall and little "critters" but usually not to lack of winter protection. If you feel like protecting your roses a little, it is suggested to mound some soil around the base of your roses. Leaves and peat moss are not recommended for mounding because they retain too much moisture and increases canker diseases.

Q) Why do some English holly trees have no berries? I also have some that produce a good berry crop, but when the berry is half formed, they all drop. A) The male or pollen-bearing trees never have berries. Only the trees with the female or pistillate flowers will fruit. The problem of the berries dropping off sounds like the female flowers have not been properly fertilized with pollen. A male tree should be near by to make certain pollination occurs. There are incidents where a male tree has been present and the Holly tree stops producing berries. Such incidents are difficult to explain. Some trees are alternate in their bearing habit, having a large crop of fruit one year and very few fruits the next. Sometimes a cold, rainy season, just when the pollen is ripe, prevents its distribution by wind and insects. INDOOR GARDENING: Give Christmas cactus full sun and keep the soil moderately moist. Avoid over-watering houseplants to prevent root rot problems. Fungus gnats around houseplants may indicate the soil is too moist. Place Christmas pepper, cyclamen, kalanchoe and other blooming plants in cool (55-60 degrees F), sunny window for maximum blooming time. Place cacti and other succulents in cool, bright location, and keep dry to encourage flowering in spring and summer. Check all plants for insects and diseases before they are placed near other houseplants.

Extension Master Gardener Training–In Coles County, we are accepting applications through next Friday for the 2008 University of Illinois Extension training. If you enjoy or want to know more about gardening, and are willing to help others by sharing information, this volunteer program will meet your needs. Call the Coles County Extension office at 345-7034 for complete details. Completed applications are due November 30.