Master Gardeners are important information resources for gardeners and home landscapers. Throughout Illinois the best reference for advice on horticultural problems is University of Illinois Extension. County Units that do not have an Extension educator on their staff rely on their Master Gardeners for this valuable source of practical information.

All Certified Master Gardeners receive ten or more weeks of classroom training but this is not the end of their "education." The requirement that MGs have ten hours of Continuing Education each year ensures that their knowledge will always be current and the information they provide the public will be valid and up-to-date.

To assist the Master Gardeners in acquiring ten Continuing Education hours each year and to broaden the base of educational resources available to them the State Master Gardener office has expanded the sources of Continuing Education. The following guidelines should be used as a reference for acceptability for CE credit. An experience or opportunity for further horticultural or gardening training, not covered by these guidelines, should be referred to the State Master Gardener Coordinator, the appropriate Extension Unit Leader or Volunteer Coordinator.

Guidelines for Continuing Education Credit. Time will be credited for actual attendance or participation in any of these activities:

1. Lectures, seminars or other presentation by Extension Educators, University faculty or other recognized gardening or horticulture authorities
2. University Extension Telenet Classes.
3. Master Gardener training classes audited by a Certified MG.
4. Gardening or horticulture classes or workshops at a local college.
5. Classes or workshops on horticultural topics presented by knowledgeable authorities at Botanical Gardens, Nature Centers & Park Districts.
6. Independent library research for answering questions on telephone Help-Lines.
7. Presentations by knowledgeable persons on gardening or horticulture at local or regional garden clubs of plant societies.
8. Independent or group field trips to places of horticultural interest.
9. Presentations at annual State MG Conferences or "Garden Days".
10. Programs given by horticulture professionals at Garden Centers or Nurseries.
11. Library research (book) reports by MGs confer CE credit to the presenter for time spent preparing the report as well as to MGs attending its presentation at a meeting.
12. Time spent researching information for newsletter articles.
13. Time spent researching for presentations to community groups (Speakers Bureau).
14. Time spent researching for participation in radio or other media presentations.

Additions may be made to the approved sources of Continuing Education given in these guidelines. Master Gardeners who have questions about the acceptability of an activity for CE credit should refer them to the State Master Gardener Coordinator, the appropriate County Extension Unit Leader or Volunteer Coordinator.

Richard Coon was our guest speaker at the Oct 15 evening meeting/pot luck/plant exchange of the Peoria County Master Gardeners. His topic was migratory birds and why their numbers are declining. He has a doctorate in fish and wildlife. He and his wife, Nancy, who also is a degreed biologist, were fortunate to be able to work on critical environmental issues during their careers. They worked in several states, and are now retired. Nancy is a member of our Peoria MGs.

Problems that beset migratory birds include diminishing breeding and foraging areas, huge numbers of "trash" birds (my term) like grackles and starlings, feral cats and, would you believe, the lights of big cities. Cowbirds, another problem, lay their eggs in the nests of over 200 species and the adoptive mothers care for them at the expense of their own offspring. Many birds fly into tall buildings and towers since most migrate at night and feed during the day. DDT and similar persistent pesticides had a cumulative effect on birds high in the food chain, and caused thinning of their eggshells, premature breakage and death of the embryo.

Richard highlighted his talk with slides of different birds and he commented about how knowledgeable our group was in identifying them. The final portion of his program was a 10-minute video that he produced. Richard was in it as a featured narrator. Nancy was the voice of Rachel Carson, the author of "Silent Spring", the landmark book that led to the decline in the use of harmful pesticides in the U.S. Ms. Carson died only two years after the book was published. What a legacy she left us!

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Postscript by our speaker: I realize some MGs may have wondered what our topic had to do with gardening, but I like to fall back on a couple of paraphrased statements by Aldo Leopold from his landmark book "a Sand County Almanac"...everything in nature is interconnected... and the first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the pieces. Hence the relationship between gardening and birds is fairly obvious...the more diversity we have in our plantings, the better. Richard Coon

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Thank you Richard for your presentation. You and Nancy got great reviews from the people I talked to during the ensuing plant exchange.

- Lee Hammond, Peoria County Master Gardener

By Martha Smith, Horticulture Educator,
University of Illinois Extension, Macomb Center

This time of year, we start to see and hear advertisements claiming that fall is the best time to plant landscape material. True, fall is a good time to plant, but does this apply to all plant material? Understanding why fall conditions can be ideal and how a particular plant grows can help you make an educated decision.

One of the best features of fall planting is temperature. Air temperatures are cool, slowing down top growth, while soil temperatures are warm, encouraging root growth. Another important component is moisture. Usually, there is plenty of rainfall in September and October.

Does this mean that all types of landscape material should be planted in the fall? Not necessarily. What is the goal of fall planting? It is to create the environment for a root system to become well established reducing the risk of winter injury. The earlier the plants are installed before soil temperatures reach 40°F, the more time they have to establish a good root system. This time period can extend into December depending on weather conditions. In the fall the plants moisture requirements are low, and active top growth has ceased. But, other factors such as location, weather conditions and type of plant also have to be considered.

If the planting site is exposed, you may want to plant earlier to give the roots ample time to anchor in. An exposed site is open to winds, especially winter winds. Evergreens, both broadleaf and conifer, can be very sensitive to winter wind injury (desiccation) during their first years. Anti-desiccant sprays can be applied in late autumn to evergreens to help reduce moisture loss. (Read the label carefully, some manufacturers may recommend a second application in late winter). Most deciduous plants (those that drop their leaves in the fall) such as Lilac or Spirea, don't have this problem and can be planted well into late fall. Fall is an excellent time to plant deciduous shade trees such as Maple, Ash and Linden.

Plant hardiness is another factor that needs to be considered. The ability of a plant to tolerate temperature is referred to as hardiness. Zones across the United States have been created based on the average minimum air temperature. There is a reason we don't see camellias growing in Central Illinois. They are not hardy, meaning they cannot tolerate our cold winter temperatures. Plant material that is considered marginal in West-central Illinois such as Japanese Maples and Flowering Dogwoods should be planted earlier in the season to allow for root establishment.

Proper planting procedures are important regardless of when you plant. Proper planting depth and attention to drainage are both very important. Mulching also can help your newly planted tree or shrub. A 3 inch layer of mulch in the fall will help keep the soil temperatures warmer for a longer period of time thus encouraging root production, and mulching helps retain soil moisture. If planting on a site with strong winds, staking or guying is recommended for newly planted trees. This provides stability for the tree until it develops new roots and becomes established on the site.

Martha Smith, Horticulture Educator
University of Illinois Extension, Macomb Center

Fall is a perfect time to fertilize and water your landscape plant material. The cooler air temperatures and shorter day length signal the plants to move into their winter dormancy period. Deciduous plants such as maples and viburnums drop their leaves, and top growth ceases, but there is still plenty of activity underground. Plant roots are able to absorb nutrients well after the fall leaf drop. Soil temperatures cool down slowly and plant roots are active until soil temperatures reach about 45-50°F, which could be well into December in Central Illinois. This is why it is important to fall feed your plant material after the leaves have dropped and growth has ceased.

Research has shown that maximum fertilizer uptake occurs while plants are in the resting stage. The roots can absorb and store nutrients that will be available next season. Plants that were fertilized the previous late fall will have food reserves stored to help them through. Plants that don't have ex-tra nutrients will suffer, often showing signs of stress such as early leaf drop, a thinning crown or early fall color. The recommended time of late fall fertilizing is after the first hard October freeze through December. Don't worry about the extra fertilizer causing the plant to break dormancy. This happens only after the plant has been exposed to a certain amount of cold temperatures. Plants leaf out in the spring due to their cold require-ments having been met. It is important however to fertilize after the leaves have fallen. Fertilizing earlier can cause problems.

Evergreens (needle and broad leaf types) also enter a period of winter rest but their foliage doesn't drop. Evergreens also benefit from a late fall, early winter-feeding as well as deep fall watering. Evergreens keep their foliage all winter. Winter winds can dry out the needles, removing any excess moisture that might be stored. Also, photosynthesis continues as long as the ground is unfrozen and the sun is shining. This food producing process uses water with in the plant.

In December, when the ground hasn't frozen yet we often get a few sunny days with temperatures in the 45-55°F range. We also see these tempera-tures in February and March. Evergreens need to replace this lost mois-ture and do so by pulling water up from the roots. If none is available, the needles or broad leaves dry out. Provide ample fall moisture to avoid this. You can also apply an anti-desiccant spray, which reduces the moisture loss from the needles and broad leaves. These are available at most garden centers. Read and follow all label directions, paying special attention to any second applications recommended in January or February. For all types of landscape plants, fall watering is recommended. Water to encour-age recovery growth and root revival. Experts recommend applying enough water to penetrate deeply within the drip line of the plant.

By David Robson, Horticulture Educator
University Illinois Extension, Springfield Center

Fall is the ideal time to control many broadleaf weeds in the lawn, how-ever, most homeowners miss this opportunity and wait until next spring. Fall control is considered more successful due to the fact that perennial weeds such as dandelions, thistles, clover and plantain are storing food reserves in their root system. Chemicals applied now are also translocated or moved to the roots, effectively killing the entire plant. Not all weeds can be controlled successfully. Annual broadleaf weeds including chickweed, carpetweed, knotweed, spurge and purslane have already set seed for next year's plants. Those currently present will die with the first frost. It may not be economically feasible to control them this fall, or the weeds may not even be present.

Weedy grasses are more difficult to control. Annual grasses, like annual broadleaf weeds, have already set seed for next year and will soon die. Crabgrass and goosegrass are good examples. Chemicals on the market to control perennial grasses such as nimblewill, quackgrass and tall fescues also end up controlling bluegrass due to similar characteristics. The only products on the market, such as RoundUp, will control the desirable turf as well as the weeds. Spot treating, or total kill are about the only options.

Controlling perennial broadleaved weeds in early spring enables desirable turf to fill in by spring and limit the amount of weed growth. The most common broadleaf herbicides contain 2,4-D. 2,4-D can damage ornamen-tal plants if used incorrectly. Make sure you read and follow the labeled directions. Avoid using the weed killer on hot and humid or windy days. Other products on the market may also contain the herbicide Dicamba or Banvel in combination with 2,4-D. Most homeowners should avoid using products containing Dicamba or Banvel anywhere near trees or shrubs. Roots can absorb this product, causing death to limbs or entire plants.

Timing is critical for successful weed control. Weeds should be actively growing. It may be necessary to water the lawn a week prior to application to stimulate weed growth. Check the forecast. Most herbicide labels rec-ommend avoiding rain or irrigation for at least twenty-four hours after ap-plying. Keep pets and children off the treated lawn until weeds start to die. Distorted growth and death should be noticed within two or three days.

Perennial grasses or tough to control broadleaved weeds can be spot treated with RoundUp or Kleen-up. However, these compounds will kill any her-baceous plant sprayed such as surrounding grass or flowers. Use caution when spraying. With all chemicals, make sure to read and follow all label directions.

Wild bird feed and feeders:
Not all feed for wild birds is equal. Depending upon your backyard bird population certain seeds and feed are mandatory. Goldfinches, Chickadees and Mourning doves eat niger (Niger thistle) seed. Mourning Doves are ground feeders and they also feed on white millet, cracked corn and sunflower chips. Cardinals, House Finches, Chickadees, Downy, Hairy, Redheaded and Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmouse and Nuthatches eat black oil sunflower seed. Sparrows of any kind. House, Song, White Crown, White Throat or Field will eat virtually anything.

Vendors of wild bird feeding products have a great variety of feeds. Some are obviously luxury items. Black oil sunflower seeds are well accepted by birds but Grey Stripe Sunflower seeds are not. Either of these seeds leaves a lot of debris when the birds extract the contents from their hulls. Sunflower chips are the inner meat and have virtually no debris. Special feed mixes that contain red millet are not economical. This millet is filler and is eaten by few birds and then only in desperation. White millet may be wasted in a hanging feeder. Bits of dried fruit are eaten by a few birds but are essentially luxury items. The same birds that feed on sunflower seed eat peanuts. Considering the cost, buying more black oil sunflower seed may be wiser.

Feeders are a source of great amusement for the folks who feed wild birds. A good general rule is simpler is better. A source of amusement for squirrels is the "squirrel-proof" feeder. Some work well but most keep the squirrels away only until they figure out how to solve the puzzle. A tube feeder with perches below the feeding holes work very well for Goldfinches but foil most sparrows. Suet feeders that make the birds feed from underneath work well for Woodpeckers, Chickadees and Nuthatches. But keep Starlings and Sparrows away.

Every situation presents its own problems for feeder locations so trial and error may be the best advice. This also applies to what the birds prefer. Watch and enjoy but don't overfill your feeders. The excess will accumulate on the ground and can attract vermin.

Sowing is almost over for 2003 but the harvest has a couple of vegetables left. A cover crop of buckwheat or winter rye may still be sowed in a warm early November.

• Plant garlic cloves for harvest in summer of 2004.
• Plant seeds of leaf lettuce in a cold frame but be sure to keep it watered and well ventilated. Excess heat can be fatal.
• Pull turnips until the ground freezes or you run out of turnips.
• Parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes and horseradish should be dug.
• Pick Brussels sprouts after several frosts. The cold enhances their flavor.
• Plan for next years vegetable garden. "Hope springs eternal."

The recent intrusion of Lady Beetles, otherwise called Lady Bugs and other less polite names, can prove a benefit to the homeowner. These small beetles enter homes through cracks in siding and gaps in door and window seals. The Lady Beetles are looking for a warm place to spend the winter and your home had many little doors open to them.

The best way to keep out Lady Beetles in the fall is the same as the best way to keep out cold drafts in winter. Be sure your siding, especially around door and window frames, is tight. Openings that admit beetles just as readily admit cold winds. If you had Lady Beetles in your house ,check for these openings and seal them before the cold of winter arrives. The beetles actually did you a favor by showing you flaws in your home's winter protection.

Early Weeks...

• Mulch mow your leaves so they can decay among the turfgrass.
• The fall has been dry so water your tree, shrubs and perennials before the ground freezes.
• Pull your garden pond pumps before the water freezes. Clean ansd store them indoors over winter.
• Clear annual beds of dead plants. Cut them up and compost them.
• Place guards of hardware cloth or chicken wire around roses and the trunks of fruit trees to protect them from rabbits.
• Plant spring-flowering bulbs as long as the ground is not frozen but don't wait too long if the weather is mild.
• Pull your turnips and dig your parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes and horseradish for use now and for cool storage.
• Remove plant debris from your garden and flower beds to keep disease organisms from spending the winter there.

Later Weeks...

• Put an extra helping of compost and manure on your rhubarb and asparagus beds for mulch and nourishment. Spade in the spring.
• If you had lady bugs (Lady Beetles) in your house this fall look for the places through which they entered. Cold wind will find them if you don't.
• Your oaks' branches and insect life should both be dormant so it should be safe to prune the former.
• Keep perennials, shrubs and trees watered until the soil freezes.
• Clear your garden and flowerbeds weeds before drop their seeds.
• Erect screens of burlap to protect rhododendrons, azaleas and Star Magnolias to protect them against dry winter winds.
• Mulch around your roses with a mix of shredded leaves, clean soil and compost after the ground has frozen.
• Protect sensitive evergreens from drying by spraying them with an anti-desiccant spray.
  

• If you start lettuce in your cold frame for very late fall picking be sure you allow for sunny days. If the cold frame cover is closed, the plants can be cooked by the buildup of heat. Lettuce can stand a little cold better than too much heat. Leave the cover open as much as necessary for ventilation during the day but close it at night.
• Keep your compost pile well aerated and watered. The decomposition process produces heat so a compost pile can keep "working" well into cold weather.
• If you plant bulbs using a soil auger and an electric drill choose a drill with a relatively low speed but high torque. The slower turning auger is easier to control and high torque will remove the soil more easily. Be sure your drill is well insulated or grounded and is safe to use for drilling in soil.
• If you mulch-mow your leaves, collect a trash can full of the shredded leaves and use them as mulch. If you remove fallen leaves from flowerbeds and replace them with leaf litter this mulch will stay in place better. Shredded leaves don't blow away as easily as intact leaves and don't smother emerging plants in spring.
  

Every year, at the end of November, we celebrate that uniquely American holiday, Thanksgiving. This festival of the harvest is appreciated especially by everyone who has become involved with growing things. We can look back through the year at all that our gardens have given us in food and flowers, and be grateful for the fertility of our land.

The task of growing flowers and vegetables links the grower with nature and gives vivid reality to the joys of working with nature. On Thanksgiving I invite everyone to give thanks for all we have been given and all we have been spared, well beyond what we deserve. This year especially let us do all we can to share our bounty with others for this is the very essence of Thanksgiving.