Several of the Master Gardeners have been really busy getting plants ready to sell at the Farmers Market on the square in Charleston. The date is Wednesday September 17^th— from 7 am till noon or until we run out. Some of the plants that will be there are, coneflowers, daylilies, irises, grasses, sedums, bulbs, houseplants, trees, shrubs, just to name a few. So go outside and see where you can find room for a few more plants. This has been a wonderful year for our vegetables and flower gardens.

Even though I did not put out any hummingbird feeders—because of my Tabby cat—those interesting little birds still found their way to our plants. You know they will be getting ready for the long flight south before we know it. So keep your feeders out until later this month.

This is also a good time to walk around your area to see what if any changes need to be done with some of your plantings. Be sure and take a notebook to jot down your ideas, then make a trip to the Farmers Market in Charleston—on the date I mentioned above—to get some really nice plants.

I have not had any red tomatoes from my plant as of yet. I did have a visitor on it—a big fat worm. After checking into this a little further—it is called a Hornworm.—It can defoliate plants—which it did—and leave giant bite holes in the tomatoes. Their calling card is black droppings on the leaves. It is best to hand pick them off plants or use the natural insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis.

If you see worms covered with white sacs however, leave them alone. These sacs are cocoons of parasite wasps that will eventually kill the hornworm.

Another problem with tomatoes this year has been "blossom drop". These plants are very ticky about temperatures when setting on fruit. If it is too warm or too cool, then pollination suffers and blossoms drop off. Too much nitrogen fertilizer can also cause blossom drop, as can heavy rains and dry winds.

Oh yes and by the way—I still have my cast on—it has been six weeks!!!! I have to go a little longer yet—cannot wait to get it off.

GARDEN QUESTIONS FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Q) Could you tell me about growing the wildflower Queen-Anne's Lace? Can I start it from gathered seeds? A)The beautiful dainty-leaved Queen-Anne's Lace strongly resembles its edible cousin, the carrot. And indeed, wild carrot is still the British name for the plant that Americans, depending on their locale, call Queen-Anne's Lace, cow parsley, fool's parsley, or bird's nest plant. Queen-Anne's Lace is a biennial that typically grows from 1 to 3 feet tall. It prefers full sun and well-drained to dry soil, though it will tolerate almost any ground that isn't constantly wet. It can be found growing along the roadsides and in open meadows. Once established in an area, it sows itself easily, or the seeds can be harvested when the heads have turned dark. The plant's white flowers are superb for fresh bouquets it you don't mind the pollen shed, and they are also good for drying (be sure to pick them before the seeds ripen.) I am very lucky to have a whole area just northwest of our house, full of Queen-Anne's lace. I really do enjoy them in my arrangements.

Q) Someone told me that strawflowers were easy to grow so I tried some this year. Although mine are tall they are spindly and they don't have any blossoms. I kept them weeded, watered them faithfully, and fed them every six weeks. What more could I do? A)The feeding may have been a bit too enthusiastic—annuals that are overfed often make leaves, lots of leaves, at the expense of flowers. But such plants are usually bushy as well as bloomless, so it seems more than likely your plants simply didn't get enough sun. Strawflowers need at least 6 hours of sun a day. In fact they can handle the sun from dawn to dusk.

Q) What is the proper treatment for newly planted trees? A)Fall is also a good time to fertilize your trees. Most professionals prefer fertilizing trees and shrubs in early spring, early summer, or late fall. Spring applications provide nutrients for the initial flush of spring growth, when nutrients are often most needed. Fall applications provide nutrients that are absorbed by plants and stored until they are needed for growth. If not absorbed by the roots however, nutrients such as nitrogen can be easily lost by leaching and thus not be available for spring growth.

GARDENING GUIDE FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS

FLOWERS: Dig dahlias, tuberous begonias, cannas, caladiums, gladiolus, and callas before the first killing frost. Cure in warm room at 45 degrees. Peonies, poppies, and sweet peas (just to name a few) may be planted at the end of this month through late fall.

FRUITS: Harvest apples as they mature. Layer black raspberries and thornless blackberries for additional plants. Make pies for the freezer and jams for the toast.

INDOOR GARDENING: Before returning houseplants to the home—thoroughly rinse off foliage and container, inspect plants for insect pests, and treat if necessary. Remove spent blooms and/or dead leaves or stems. Prune if too large. Discontinue fertilizing in October. Start amaryllis dormancy by withholding water. Place in cool, dark location. Dormancy doesn't begin until all foliage is dead.

LAWNS: Since we have been lucky to receive the rains this past season then it is O.K. to fertilize your lawns this month. In fact, if you fertilize once a year, do it in September; twice a year, early May and early September; three times a year (if no continued summer watering), in the early days of May, September and November; and if four times a year, early May, mid-June, early September and early November. Our choice is three times a year, with November application a week after the mower is put away, but before the grass turns brown

If you have any horticulture questions, call the U of I Extension office 345-7034. Volunteer Master Gardeners are in the office on: Monday—2 to 4 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday—9-11 a.m.

This column is based on information and materials at the University of Illinois Extension office, located at 707 Windsor Road, Suite A., Charleston, 61920; phone 345-7034; or web site: www.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/