The fall series of University of Illinois Extension's Four Seasons Gardening ends Oct. 15. Each seminar features a color slide presentation accompanied by the voice of the instructor as people from all over the state participate.

Bonsai. Bonsai is the art of aesthetic miniaturization of trees by growing them in containers. Participants will learn about shaping, watering and re-potting these plants in various styles of containers.

It is offered on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 1 pm and repeated on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 pm.

All sessions, both afternoon and evening, will be presented in Carroll County; NOTE: only the afternoon session will be held in Jo Daviess County. Cost per session is $5. Pre registration is required. Register by calling your county extension office (Jo Daviess 815-858-2273, Carroll 815-244-9444). If you have disability needs, please indicate when registering.

Nancy Gmitro of Mount Carroll was presented with the State's Top Master Gardener Award, the Sustained Excellence Plaque. Only 12 of these awards were presented.

Criteria for the Sustained Excellence Award includes being active in the MG Program for a minimum of four years and a minimum of 480 hours of volunteer service since receiving the State Outstanding Award which includes an additional 180 hours of volunteer service. Gmitro earned the Outstanding MG Award in 2007.

The award recipients were selected based on volunteer hours, dedication to the program's mission of "helping others learn to grow" and being active in more than one project.

Very few of these awards have been presented; however she is the second recipient from the Jo-Carroll Unit to be so recognized. Congratulations to Nancy from all your Jo-Carroll Unit fellow Master Gardeners and all those who have appreciated your work.

Gardeners who love roses and who live and garden in cold climates are often beside themselves when trying to find roses that will overwinter successfully year after year, according to Greg Stack a U of I Extension horticulture educator. He goes on to say that "a real bonus would be a rose that needed minimal or no winter protection and still make it through the winter undamaged."

The Canadian Explorer series of roses is a group of about 22 cultivars bred from the 1960s through the 1990s.

Starting with the next issue of Good Gardening, we'll "explore" them

This past summer brought many inquiries into the help desks regarding diseases of tomatoes and in some cases of potatoes. We all know that this was not a typical northern Illinois summer and the mystery of these "new" diseases has been explained by Elizabeth Wahle, Ph.D., Extension Specialist – Horticulture, Fruits and Vegetables.

There were numerous reports of an outbreak in the Mid-Atlantic and Eastern states of Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans)—the same disease responsible for the Irish potato famine. So this is not a new disease, just a species of Phytophthora not common to Illinois in a normal year. This disease does not overwinter here, but can "blow in" during the season from other states where it does overwinter. The cool, wet conditions this season have been very conducive to its development, allowing its movement to a larger than normal area. Like Soybean Asian Rust, it does not usually make its way here in time to cause a problem in tomatoes and potatoes because conditions were not conducive—this year was different. The disease is moving westward on weather patterns and just recently a late-blight-infected tomato was confirmed in Northern Illinois through the UI Plant Clinic.

Wahle directs interested readers to visit the U of I website for a six-page published report at: http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/pdfpubs/913.pdf.

Although this information comes too late for this season's crop, it's good for all of us to keep in mind for future "strange" summers.

She goes on to say that homeowners have a few fungicide options for protection of plants not already showing serious signs of infection. Look for fungicides labeled for tomatoes/potatoes with one of the active ingredients. She includes a link for one example of each active ingredient, but points out that other brands are available depending on your location and supplier. Spray every 5-7 days unless the label states otherwise, making sure to not the Pre-Harvest interval (when to stop spraying before harvest). If clients have been spraying regularly with one of these active ingredients for control of other common tomato/potato (like Septoria or Early Blight) they should continue their program for continued protection against Late Blight this season.

The listed fact sheets are:

Mancozeb: http://www.hi-yield.com/products/InfoSheets/33553.pdf.

Maneb: http://www.hi-yield.com/products/ProductLabels/32209.pdf

Fixed copper: http://www.bonideproducts.com/products/product.php?category_id=775

Chlorothalonil: http://www.bonideproducts.com/products/product.php?category_id=879

Some control recommendations for next year:

1. Before planting, destroy potato cull piles and prevent growth of volunteer potatoes. Plant tomatoes as far as possible from potatoes.
2. Purchase only certified, disease-free transplants or seed. If potatoes are also planted purchase only blue tab tubers certified disease-free.

3. Plant in a well-drained, porous soil. Follow a 3-year rotation excluding susceptible crops. Where possible, keep tomato fruit off the ground by staking or caging each plant or mulch the ground with black plastic, straw, hay, ground corn cobs and so on.

4. The soil in plant beds and greenhouses should be disinfested with steam or a soil fumigant.

5. When transplanting, discard and destroy all tomato seedlings with lesions on the stem and leaves.

6. Control all weeds. Eradicate all diseased potato tubers plus nightshades, Jerusalem- cherry, groundcherries and other weeds in the Solanacea family.

7. When foliage is wet with fog, dew, or rain, do not cultivate or work with the plants. This spreads fungal spores from plant to plant.

8. The use of protective fungicides is essential in controlling late blight and buckeye rot. For information on current fungicide recommendationss, refer to Midwest Management Guide for Commercial Vegetable Growers.

May next year be a more normal season.

Plants with tender bulbs, corms, tubers and roots are valuable additions for the home gardener to use in the perennial border, cutting garden, or as bedding plants. Because of their tender nature these plants require special attention, but will be rewarding if given the special treatment they deserve and require. What is a tender bulb? The term 'tender bulb' refers to plants which have fleshy storage structures which are killed by the cold temperatures of winter if not brought indoors. Special protection, such as digging and bringing the fleshy storage structure into a warmer area for storage through the winter months is required.

Most tender materials should be dug after the foliage dries up or is killed by frost. An exception to this is Hymenocallis (ismene or Peruvian daffodil), which should be dug before frost damages the plant.

Dig carefully—For all structures such as dahlias, cannas, and other materials, it is important to loosen the roots gently with a fork or spade, digging several inches back from the base of the plants so that the roots are not cut off unnecessarily. With dahlias or other large plants, loosen the soil on all sides of the plant before lifting the clump of roots and soil. In all cases, avoid cutting, breaking or "skinning" the fleshy structure. Diseases enter through cuts and bruises very readily and can cause rotting and losses in storage.

Curing—For most species listed, the curing period should be relatively short (e.g., dahlias, cannas, calla, caladium). This short-term curing or drying period should be 1 to 3 days, depending on temperature. It should be done in a room or area away from direct sunlight or drying winds. Long-term curing, for gladiolus, tigridia and oxalis, should be approximately 3 weeks. Then, in the case of gladiolus, the old corm and cormels should be removed. Drying and curing temperatures for such materials should be 60-70° in a dry, well-ventilated area.

Pest management—Before storing corms inspect for insects or diseases. Dust with an insecticide-fungicide mixture labeled for the specific plant.

Storing—It is important to remember to label stored plant material carefully. In the case of gladiolus and similar materials, this is easily handled by placing the corm in a small paper bag which has been properly labeled. Larger materials, like dahlias or canna, can be handled in several ways. One technique that works quite well is to write directly on the fleshy root with a permanent felt marking pen. If this is done on large clumps the cultivar name should be written on several roots rather than just one, because in storage occasionally a root is broken off of the mail clump. "Tree labels" of the wood-and-wire type work very well for labeling. In all cases cultivar name and/or other important identifying characteristics should be written on the label and also recorded in a notebook or in some other way. Many a prized or favorite plant has been lost because of poor labeling.

Begonia, tuberous—Dig when foliage turns yellow and cure with foliage. Remove foliage and store in sphagnum peat or vermiculite.

Calla—Dig when foliage turns yellow or when foliage is damaged by frost. Store in sphagnum peat or vermiculite.

Canna—Dig after frost has damaged foliage and allow foliage to dry a few days before digging. Store in sphagnum peat, vermiculite, or sand.

Dahlias—Dig after frost has damaged or killed foliage. Cure in high humidity to avoid desiccation @ 40-50°. Pack roots in vermiculate or sphagnum peat.

- Mary Meyer, Extension Horticulturist, U of Minnesota