Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator
As many of you know I use social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, to spread my horticultural messages. For several months I've been posting a plant-of-the-day on my personal and ILRiverHort Facebook Pages during the 6 pm hour. Many of these posts have generated plant questions. Here are a few recent examples.
Picture of a sweet potato vine tuber. Question…"Can I keep these from my sweet potato plants?" My reply…Are they ornamental vines or the ones you eat? Regardless, you should be able to save them for planting next spring. http://extension.illinois.edu/tropicalpunch.
Picture of herbs drying indoors. Question…"So i should just bring my pot of basil inside and keep it growing all winter. What about fennel?" My reply…If you have a bright window, the basil might continue to grow inside. It is really easy to grow from seed, though, so you might just start some new plants. For fennel, it depends on what type it is. The herb one would grow inside easier than the bulb type. http://extension.illinois.edu/herbs.
Picture of bull thistle in a lawn. Question…"So how can I control it?" My reply…This website gives great information about controlling broadleaf weeds in a lawn. http://extension.illinois.edu/lawntalk.
Picture of a pin oak acorn. Question…"What is causing white oak leaves to be turning brown Rhonda?" My reply…There are lots of possible reasons, some more serious than others. This factsheet explains more. http://bit.ly/1Wlpkg4
Picture of red raspberry with the caption, prune out raspberry canes that fruited this past year. Question…"That include my black raspberry?" My reply…Yes, black and red raspberries. This explains more about pruning raspberries. http://extension.illinois.edu/fruit.
If you are not already my social media friend, please consider joining me at the following.
ILRiverHort signifies that I provide horticulture education to four counties along the Illinois River valley: Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell. My avatar logo is a close-up of a poppy behind the University of Illinois "I" mark. Every time you see this avatar and publication name, you'll know it is from me.
I also have several blogs available on our Unit Extension website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/fmpt. These include my ILRiverHort blog, a Community Garden Programming blog, A Japanese Beetle News blog, and more. You'll also find all articles I write for this column in the Extension Connection news link.
See you in cyberspace!
MEET THE AUTHOR
As horticulture educator, Rhonda Ferree inspired citizens in local communities to grow their own food and improve their home landscapes. She focused on high quality, impactful programs that taught homeowners how to create energy-efficient landscapes using sustainable practices that increase property values and help the environment.
After 30 years with University of Illinois Extension, Rhonda retired in 2018. She continues to share her passion for horticulture related topics as “Retro Rhonda” on social media.
ABOUT THE BLOG
ILRiverHort is a blog that helps people connect to nature and grow.