EUREKA, Ill. – At the Eureka Public Library Woodford County Master Gardener information booth, there has been lots of talk about rejuvenating old dilapidated apple orchards and buzzwords such as Emerald Ash borer.

Even though the Illinois Department of Agriculture detected Emerald Ash borer in Chenoa in 2008 and Woodford County was part of the state of Illinois' Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine, residents are now starting to see damage from the insect infestation.

Woodford County Master Gardener, Shirley Blackburn, spends her time explaining to people how to put their trees on a pruning schedule to start next winter and talking about grafting new cultivars to the base of these old orchard trees.

"Shirley has done a great job and is an amazing addition with the Woodford Master Gardener info booth group with her fruit tree expertise gained from years of working with Extension experts and running her own orchard," states University of Illinois, horticulture educator, Kelly Allsup.

If this sounds like a conversation to have, bring your questions and catch Shirley and the Master Gardener team again at the next information booth from

4:30 to 6 p.m. on Monday, July 2 at the Eureka Public Library (202 South Main Street, Eureka, IL 61530).

For more information on this program or other Extension programming, please contact us at your local Extension office. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Kelly Allsup at (309) 663-8306 or kallsup@illinois.edu.