Will this cold weather ever relent? My tomatoes are just sitting there sulking. Unfortunately it hasn't stopped the bug thug that is eating every leaf off my spinach plants.

Time for some good news. Penn State Extension is now taking names for the October master gardener training class. The classes are wonderful. I actually never succeeded as a mountain gardener until I took the master gardener training course. To get on the list, call the Penn State Extension. The training committee will start calling people back toward the end of summer. Slots are limited so call now to be high on the list.Now to your questions.Q. My apple tree has yellow and orange spots on the leaves and some of the leaves are dropping.A. The tree may have cedar apple rust. The fungus spends part of its life cycle on an apple tree and part on a member of the juniper family. In order for your apple tree to be infected, there must be a diseased juniper within two or three miles. Once the juniper is found and destroyed, the apple tree will no longer be infected. It's easy to spot the disease on junipers since the key sign is the presence of orange galls. Here is the name of a publication on cedar apple rust. You can find it by searching the name "Cornell University Cedar-Apple Rust." If you want us to mail it to you, call the Penn State Extension.Q. What can I do about a whitish dusty coating on the leaves of my lilac?A. Lilac is susceptible to a fungus called powdery mildew. The fungus has many varieties, each one specific to a particular species of plant. Lilac powdery mildew is common in our area because so many people grow lilacs. The spores are released into the air and are blown around until they land on another lilac. It's difficult to prevent your plant from catching the disease. However, there are a couple of things you can do to manage it. The most important is to remove any leaves that start to show signs of infection. That way the fungus won't make more spores. Clean up any plant debris because powdery mildew overwinters on bits of the host plant. You can't eliminate the disease once your lilac is infected, but you can apply a fungicide that will keep it from coating the lilac leaves. Purchase a fungicide that states on the label that is will work on lilac powdery mildew. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and dispose of the container according to directions on the label.Q. I want to practice organic lawn care in my children's play area and also have plants that attract wildlife.A. It sounds like what you need to do first is draw up a landscaping plan. Decide where you want regular turf grass so you have a play area for your family. Then locate your native plant and wildlife garden in the back of your property and along boundary fences. That way children and wildlife won't collide.There is an excellent article on organic lawn care in Rodale's Life magazine. It's called "Six Steps to a Healthy Organic Lawn" published July 16, 2015, and written by Beth Huxtra. If you want to make the lawn friendly to pollinators, include the little ground ivy like Creeping Charlie and white clover. I have several tiny flowers that grow among my grass plants and all of them survive mowing. Search "bee friendly lawns" to get examples. However, don't grow a bee lawn where children are playing.One of the best ways to help pollinators and other wildlife is to plant small native trees like service berry and red bud. These trees do nicely along property lines and create shelter for birds.Evolving a good landscape plan that includes native plants takes a while, so move slowly. Do one area at a time. There are garden design plans on IConservePA that may give you some ideas.HELP! Some of you have been calling the extension office without leaving your contact information or your problem. We need you to give us your name, address, phone number and your question. Since we are only in the office on Tuesday mornings, we may not be able to get right back to you. Just leave your information with our secretary, Kathy. Remember, your questions are important to us, so we will definitely contact you.Please send us your questions by letter, email or phone. Our contact information is: Carbon County Master Gardeners, Penn State Extension, 529 Lentz Trail, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229; 570-325-2788; or

Carbonmg@psu.edu.