• Water, water, water your shrubs and trees if we have not had significant rainfall by the time you read this. Deep and slow watering is far superior to more frequent shallow watering. I set a sprinkler on my beds early in the morning or after 4 pm for 1-2 hours for each area. I do this once per week in each area.
• Dahlias: When the leaves have blackened after the first frost, cut down to 4 inches. After a day or two dig dahlias, knock off dirt, and allow to dry in a frost free area. Allow to dry for about one week. Lift each clump and store the entire clump in a bag filled with vermiculite. Store at 40 degrees. Check several times during the winter to make sure the clump is not moldy (too wet) or shriveling (too dry). You can also divide the clump before storing, wrapping each of the divided tubers individually in Saran wrap. If you do this you must make sure that each division has an eye, otherwise next spring you will get no growth. The eye can be hard to find. A large clump usually has only two or three eyes. I divided several large clumps last fall, thinking I would have an abundance of plants. I ended up getting only 3-4 tubers that grew. I had trouble identifying what was an eye. In the spring, the eyes will begin growing, and the dahlias will be easier to divide then.
• Start amaryllis this month so that they will be in bloom for the holidays.
• Dig the corms of glads. Dry. Store in a cool place in bags of netting or a cardboard box of dry peat moss.
• Cannas make wonderful bold plants in your garden. They need to be dug after the first light frost. Shake off the dirt and store in a cardboard box in a frost free garage.
• This is your last chance to plant spring flowering bulbs if you didn't get around to it last month. Once the ground has frozen, apply a light mulch to the area to allow late planted bulbs to better root. Daffodils especially should not be planted too late as they need time to root before the ground freezes, or they may rot.
• Make the first application of an anti-dessicant spray such as Wiltpruf to your rhododendrums, azaleas, boxwood, or other broadleaved evergreens. Several applications of this will help these plants withstand the winter winds. If you are transplanting a shrub, treating it with an antidessicant several hours before transplanting, reduces shock and insures a successful result. I have some boxwood that are exposed to a southern winter sun, and this treatment has kept them a better color in the winter with no dieback. Read the label to make sure the shrubs can be safely treated with an anti-dessicant.
• In your garden cleanup, be sure to cut down peony foliage and dispose of. Do not compost. The same applies to tomato plants.
• After you have cleared your vegetable garden, add compost, organic matter such as ground leaves and grass, horse manure, shredded paper, vegetable peelings, etc. Rototill or chop into soil with a spade. This greatly solves the problem of soil compaction, cracking, and poor drainage. Also, I have found that I can grow my tomato plants in the same spot as the previous year with no problems. This is important to me, as I have no other place to grow them.
• Protect young trees and roses from winter feeding of rabbits with a 12 -18" circle of chicken wire. I have found that they especially like to chew on my variegated willow and and stems of a young shadblow. Newly planted trees have thin bark and need protection against the freeze thaw created by our low winter sun. Encircle with corrugated paper or the new plastic protector. Remove in spring.
• Apply a product like Liquid Fence to yews or any plants that the deer nibbled on last winter. A handful of Milorganite thrown along the edge of your beds has seemed to deter deer, at least in my yard. You want to discourage them from entering your yard later in the winter. (I realize this is impossible if you live on the edge of a woods.)
• A cool garage with a window can overwinter many of your plants that are not hardy. Geraniums, sedums that are not hardy, favorite container plants that are hard to find in the spring or expensive can often make it through the winter with very little care. Watering is often only 3-4 weeks. It is amazing how many plants prefer a cool garage to the warm, dry temperatures of our homes.
• Before you forget, make notes of what you want to move in your garden and where next spring. Pictures are a great way to remember, too. A few of the lessons I have learned is that I didn't cut my 'Alma Potshcke' aster down far enough; I should have staked all my large flowered dahlias (even thought they grew only 3 feet tall); my chrysanthemums which all were sheared in half in June and then pinched some more are beautiful and perfect; ditto for sedum 'Autumn Joy'– more flowers, not as large, but a neat front of border with no flopping; 'Salvia pitcheri grandiflora' is a handsome September blooming 4 foot blue flowered plant which I should have pruned back or staked; sedum 'Madrona' has wonderful pink flowers which compliment my pink 'Liberty' snapdragons and late blooming pale pink phlox; my clematis 'Roguchi' (with purple bell shaped flowers) has been in bloom from early June until the middle of September and the yellow 7 foot tall daylily 'Grand Finale' looks so elegant with my giant miscanthus.

- Kathy Crawford

When plant pathologist types talk about the management of plant diseases, they often talk about sanitation. Sanitation includes all activities aimed at eliminating or reducing disease inoculum to prevent the spread of disease to healthy plants. Sanitation may include tilling infected vegetable plants after harvest, removing infected leaves of garden and houseplants, pruning infected or dead branches and removing infected fruit and other diseased plant material. Sanitation is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to manage many of the leaf-spotting, rust, powdery mildew and canker fungi. This is because many of these fungi overwinter on plant debris. If infected plant debris is left in the landscape or garden, spring rains falling on the debris and the fungi on them will promote the production of spores. Wind and rain will help disseminate them to other areas of the garden or landscape. Therefore, burying plant residue with soil helps the debris break down and in the process destroys some pathogens. Pruning out diseased branches reduces the inoculum and prevents spread into healthy tissue.

While sanitation should be practiced though the growing season, a good fall cleanup can minimize disease (and also insect) problems for the following year. Reflect back during the growing season, undoubtedly your garden or landscape had plants that were infected with powdery mildew, fungal leaf spots, rusts or cankers. During some of these nice fall days before the frost hits, take a plant health inventory of your landscape. Try to remember where the trouble spots were located. In perennial beds, remove old flower heads, stalks and any diseased plant parts. Examine roses, blueberries, and blackberries for dead canes and remove them. Examine the shrubs and trees in your yard for dead branches. Take note of where the dead or dying portions are so that these areas can be pruned in late spring. If the dead areas are the result of canker-causing fungi, prompt action will reduce the likelihood of the canker invading healthy tissue. Pruning cuts should be made about 4 to 6 inches below the diseased area. Be sure to disinfect tools between each pruning cut. If the tree or shrub was infected with a leaf spot, raking the fallen leaves will help minimize the problem for the following year. The debris collected from sanitation efforts can be buried, burned (if community regulations allow) or composted, provided that the compost pile is properly maintained to achieve an internal temperature of at least 140° F. Temperatures lower than this will not break down the pathogens adequately.

Sanitation is a very important tool for the management of many plant diseases. This is the backbone of any type of management strategy. When this is used in combination with other management tactics such as cultural practices (watering, fertilizing and spacing) and sometimes chemical control if it is warranted, the outcome is much more satisfactory than if, for example only a fungicide was used. This is because through sanitation, you are eliminating the inoculum. Without the inoculum there is no disease. Therefore, by spending a little time now during these pleasant fall days to clean up the garden and the landscape, you will already have a jump on your disease control for next season.

- Laura Kabrick, Extension Plant Diagnostic Clinic, UMC

Growing Pumpkins- Pumpkin is a warm-season vegetable that can be grown throughout much of the United States. Besides being used as jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween, pumpkins are used to make pumpkin butter, pies, custard, bread, cookies and soup.

When to Plant - Pumpkin is a very tender vegetable. The seeds do not germinate in cold soil, and the seedlings are injured by frost. Do not plant until all danger of frost has passed, and the soil has thoroughly warmed. Plant pumpkins for Halloween from late May in northern locations to early July in extremely southern sites. If pumpkins are planted too early, they may soften and rot before Halloween.

Spacing and Depth - Vining pumpkins require a minimum of 50 to 100 square feet per hill. Plant seeds one inch deep (four or five seeds per hill). Allow 5 to 6 feet between hills, spaced in rows 10 to 15 feet apart. When the young plants are well-established, thin each hill to the best two or three plants. Plant semi-bush varieties one inch deep (four or five seeds per hill) and thin to the best two plants per hill. Allow 4 feet between hills and 8 feet between rows. Plant miniature varieties one inch deep, with two or three seeds every 2 feet in the row. Rows should be 6 to 8 feet apart, with seedlings thinned to the best plant every 2 feet when they have their first true leaves. Plant bush varieties one inch deep (1 or 2 seeds per foot of row) and thin to a single plant every 3 feet. Allow 4 to 6 feet between rows.

Care - Pumpkin plants should be kept free from weeds by hoeing and shallow cultivation. Irrigate if an extended dry period occurs in early summer. Pumpkins tolerate short periods of hot, dry weather pretty well. Bees, that are necessary for pollinating squash and pumpkins, may be killed by insecticides. When insecticides are used, they should be applied only in late afternoon or early evening when the blossoms have closed for the day and bees are no longer visiting the blossoms. As new blossoms open each day and bees land only inside the open blossoms, these pollinating insects should be safe from contact with any potentially deadly sprays.

Harvesting - Pumpkins can be harvested whenever they are a deep, solid color (orange for most varieties) and the rind is hard. If vines remain healthy, harvest in late September or early October, before heavy frosts. If vines die prematurely from disease or other causes, harvest the mature fruit and store them in a moderately warm, dry place until Halloween. Cut pumpkins from the vines carefully, using pruning shears or a sharp knife and leave 3 to 4 inches of stem attached. Snapping the stems from the vines results in many broken or missing "handles." Pumpkins without stems usually do not keep well. Wear gloves when harvesting fruit because many varieties have sharp prickles on their stems. Avoid cutting and bruising the pumpkins when handling them. Fruits that are not fully mature or that have been injured or subjected to heavy frost do not keep. Store in a dry building where the temperature is between 50 and 55°F.

Common Problems - Powdery mildew causes a white, powdery mold growth on the upper surfaces of the leaves. The growth can kill the leaves prematurely and interfere with proper ripening. Cucumber beetles and squash bugs attack seedlings, vines and both immature and mature fruits. Be alert for an infestation of cucumber beetles and squash bugs, as populations build in late summer, because these insects can damage the mature fruits, marring their appearance and making them less likely to keep properly.

Pumpkin history - References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for "large melon" which is "pepon." "Pepon" was nasalized by the French into "pompon." The English changed "pompon" to "Pumpion." Shakespeare referred to the "pumpion" in his Merry Wives of Windsor. American colonists changed "pumpion" into "pumpkin." The "pumpkin" is referred to in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater and Cinderella. Native Americans dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats. They also roasted long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and ate them. The origin of pumpkin pie occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in hot ashes.

History of the Jack-o-Lantern - People have been making jack-o-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.

Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o'lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o'lanterns.

Pumpkin Facts

• Pumpkin seeds can be roasted as a snack.
• Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.
• Pumpkins are used for feed for animals.
• Pumpkin flowers are edible.
• Pumpkins are used to make soups, pies and breads.
• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
• Pumpkins are members of the vine crops family called cucurbits.
• Pumpkins originated in Central America.
• In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
• Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
• Pumpkins range in size from less than a pound to over 1,000 lbs.
• The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
• The name pumpkin orginated from "pepon" – the Greek word for "large melon."
• The Connecticut field variety is the traditional Amer. pumpkin.
• Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
• Pumpkins are fruit.
• Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October.
• In colonial times, Native Americans roasted long strips of pumpkin in an open fire.
• Colonists sliced off pumpkin tips; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.
• Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats.
• Native Americans called pumpkins "isqoutm squash."
• Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine.

Need more info?

Growing Giant Pumpkins in the Home Garden
http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/hyg-fact/1000/1646.html
How to grow a really big pumpkin!

Pumpkin Nook
http://pumpkinnook.com/
The Internet shrine and library for pumpkins.

The Pumpkin Patch http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/pumkin.html Everything you ever wanted to know about pumpkins.

(Editors note: A friend of mine served me the pumpkin enchiladas from the Martha Stewart website the other day and they were unusual but very good.)

Recent hot weather has perhaps lulled us into forgetting that fall is upon us. But, soon, that first frost shall arrive. For gardeners who are prepared, an early frost does not need to halt the gardening season.

The first frost or two is often followed by several weeks of good garden-growing weather. Gardeners can take advantage of these extra gardening weeks by protecting their plants through early light frosts.

Plants vary in their susceptibility to cold temperatures. Tender crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, melons and okra, cannot withstand frost, unless protected by some insulation. Cool-season crops, such as cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kohlrabi, will tolerate frost or even a light freeze. Other crops, such as beets, carrots, lettuce and potatoes, will stand a light frost.

Mulching is a good way to protect very small gardens. Use several layers of newspaper, straw or chopped cornstalks. For those with large gardens, it may be more practical to protect only a few plants of each crop. Blankets, tarps, floating row covers or other large materials can be placed over rows of vegetables to supply insulation. Cloches, paper tents, hot caps and plastic walls of water are the more expensive approaches to frost protection but are very effective. In cases of light frost, sometimes only the upper and outer foliage are damaged, and the plants can still continue production.

If plant covering is not feasible, pick as much produce as possible, if frost is predicted. Some crops can be further ripened indoors, if they are not fully mature. Most green tomatoes can be ripened to full red indoors. Light is not necessary to ripen tomatoes. In fact, direct sun may promote decay of the fruit due to excessive heating. Ripening is mostly affected by temperature -- the warmer the temperature, the faster the ripening. To store tomatoes for later use, wrap the fruit individually in newspaper and store at 55 F. The fruits will gradually ripen in several weeks.

The following lists the most commonly grown vegetables and indicates their tolerance to frost.

Cold Temperature Tolerance of Vegetables Tender (damaged by light frost)
Beans, Cucumber, Eggplants, Muskmelon, New Zealand Spinach, Okra, Pepper, Pumpkin, Squash, Sweet Corn Sweet Potato, Tomato, Watermelon

Semi-Hardy
(tolerate light frost) Beets, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Chinese Cabbage Endive, Lettuce, Parsnip, Potato, Salsify

Hardy (tolerate hard frost)
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Collards Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard Greens, Onion, Parsley, Peas, Radish, Spinach, Turnip

(From: Back to Purdue Gardening News • Writer: B. Rosie Lerner) Editor's Note: Tune in to In-The-Garden, 6-8 am for "Freeze Protection etc." with Bob Coppernoll & Michael Wilkins through the leaf veins and down into the branches and trunk.

BONSAI CLUB - Meetings are changed. I will contact anyone
who contacts me. Call Lee Tolzdorf at 347-7380 for info.

HERB GUILD - Meetings held at the Womens Club, 301 N. Madison, Peoria.
Sept 13 7 pm - Garlic with Roseanne Tomko
Oct 11 7 pm - Basils harvest with Erin Meyer
Nov 8 7 pm - Flower Arrangement with Bob Monier
Dec 13 6:30 pm - Christmas Party
Info? Call Kris Plunkett, VP, Peoria Herb Guild, 382-1067

ORCHID SOCIETY MEETINGS - every first Sun. at 1:30 pm at the
Lakeview Museum. Contact Jane Jones, 383-4022 or Elliot/Pam Fox,
689-0733.

PEORIA EVENING GARDEN CLUB - Call Kris Plunkett, Peoria Evening Garden Club, 382-1067 for details.

PEORIA GARDEN CLUB - Meetings are every third Thurs. from Sept to May, at 12 noon at Lakeview Museum. (Membership is required after first visit...$20/yr.)

WEST PEORIA GARDEN CLUB - Meetings are every third Mon. at 7pm, West Peoria City Hall, 2506 W. Rohmann Ave. Contact Pat
Sharp, 676-5751.