Only 13 more days to apply to become a U of I Master Gardener! November 21 is the last day to apply. The Master Gardeners are a great bunch of helpful, caring people to hang out with, and we have a lot of interesting projects to work on, such as Junior Master Gardeners, plant sales, the Idea Garden and Plant a Row at SBLHC. It's a congenial bunch of people with lots of plant wisdom to share. If you love working with plants, consider applying. You'll be glad you did! Another propitious factor is that this year the training is in Charleston, rather than Effingham. The contact information is at the end of this column. See Marsha Overton's October 29 article for more about why you might want to apply for the Master Gardener training. Her article is online at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/mg/081029.html.

NEW! You can now download the application form and read all about the Master Gardener program on the Coles County Extension website at the following link: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/mg/index.html. If you are computer savvy, there is also the option of taking an interactive on-line version of the training course. One of our group has done that and would be glad to speak with anyone contemplating that route. Call the office to obtain her number if that sounds like an option for you.

Saving Tender Annuals for Next Year
A number of tender annuals can be carried over from 2008 to the 2009 gardening season, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.

"The key to success is in following a few tips," says Greg Stack. "The first time we hear the word 'frost' from a weather forecaster, we go into high gear looking for bushel baskets, bed sheets, and newspapers to cover our favorite tender annuals in order to coax a few more days of enjoyment out of them. But soon even covering won't save them.

"Not everything is a good candidate for carrying over to next year and sometimes you have to just let go. Yet there are many plants that are excellent candidates for the carryover process."

"Coleus is easy to maintain over the winter to use in next year's garden," Stack says. "The best way is to take cuttings. Cut off about a four- to five-inch piece of the tips of the stems. Remove the leaves from about one to two inches of the stems and insert them into pots filled with moist potting media.

"Enclose each pot with cuttings in a zip-lock bag to maintain moisture. Check to see that the media stays moist and in about seven to 10 days you should have roots."

At that point, place them in a sunny location, and grow them over the winter. An occasional pinching will keep them short and compact. In the spring, about four to six weeks before planting time, take cuttings from these plants and root as before.

"You'll have plenty of coleus to spread around," says Stack. "If you don't have or don't want to use potting soil to root your cuttings, a glass of water works just fine. Change the water occasionally to keep it from getting murky."

Geraniums are another popular carryover plant. There are two ways to handle them, he noted.

"If you have a very bright, sunny area you can grow them as winter houseplants," he said. "Dig the plants up just before frost, cut them back by half, pot them up, and grow them all winter. Again, pinch occasionally during the winter to keep the plants short.

"If you don't have an indoor growing space, there is another time-honored technique. Dig the plants up just before frost, shake the soil from the roots, and allow the plants to air dry for a few days. Place them in a brown paper bag that has lots of ventilation holes punched into it and place it in a basement or crawl space where the temperature is about 45 to 50 degrees F, dark, and well ventilated. Leave them there all winter."

In February or March, pot the plants. Trim the stems back until you reach green sections, water well, place in a sunny location and start them growing.

So, all does not have to be lost when the weatherman predicts frost. "Just go out and round up your favorites and keep them for another year," says Stack.

If you go to http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/, you will find a link to the Miracle of Fall. Click on Learn More under Today's Feature. There are a lot of links about fall foliage colors.

Reminder: Contact the Extension office about becoming a Master Gardener! You'll be glad you did!

If you have any horticulture questions, call the local U of I Extension office Monday through Friday at 345-7034. Volunteer Master Gardeners are not in the office this time of year—they will return your call.

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/