Research-backed answers for your garden questions

The Gardening Help Desk primarily serves residents of Grundy, Kankakee, and Will counties. For questions of a commercial nature, or those concerning neighborhood associations, reach out directly to Nancy Kuhajda, horticulture educator.

If you live elsewhere in Illinois or the United States, you’re welcome to submit a question, and we’ll help when we can or direct your question appropriately. However, for assistance and services in your area, we encourage you to contact your local Illinois Extension office for the best support.

Not in Grundy, Kankakee, or Will counties? Find resources in your community:

Cook   DuPage   Ford   Iroquois    Kendall   LaSalle   Livingston    Find your local office

The Gardening Help Desk is a free Illinois Extension service.  Our staff and trained Master Gardener volunteers provide research-based information to help you make informed decisions about your garden, yard, and landscape. 

If you find value in the services we offer, consider making a gift to the Local Horticulture Use Fund, which is facilitated on our behalf by the University of Illinois Foundation. You can also find other ways to give on our local giving page.

Every question is a little different. After you submit your question, we will connect it with an Extension staff member or trained Master Gardener volunteer who can help. Some questions may require additional information, research, or follow-up before we can provide an answer.  We typically respond within 2–3 business days. During peak gardening season, responses may take a little longer. 

Yes, but please submit your question through the Gardening Help Desk first. After reviewing your question and photos, our experts will let you know if a physical sample is needed and email you instructions and a sample label.

If you do submit a sample, place it in a sealed plastic bag and bring it with the label, or be ready to show the sample code on your phone, to any of our Extension offices in Grundy, Kankakee or Will County. Please check office hours before visiting.

You may also bring your sample and question to one of our offices. Staff will help you submit your question to the Gardening Help Desk when you arrive.

Give us a call:  

You can call the Gardening Help Desk at 217-300-0307 and leave a message with your name, contact information, and a brief description of your question. A member of our team will follow up with you. For questions involving plant problems or identification, we may ask you to submit photos or bring in a sample

Stop by the office: 

Stop by your local office during business hours, and we can assist you in submitting your question to our team. Visit our Find our Office page for locations and more information.

Make sure you get our calls

Return calls from the Gardening Help Desk will likely come from a 217 area code. 217 is the area code for the part of Illinois that includes the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus and is used by our University phone systems. University staff calling from a local Extension office will most likely use a 217 number.

Make sure you get our emails

Emails and notifications from the Gardening Help Desk will come from two different places: 

• Expert answers will come from an @illinois.edu email address. 
• Automatic emails and notifications will come from an @qualtrics-survey.com address. Qualtrics is the survey software and delivery system we use to send forms and follow-up messages.

If you are expecting a message but do not see it:

• Check your spam, junk, quarantine folder, or, if using Gmail, the Promotions and Updates tabs.
• Search for “Illinois Extension,” “illinois.edu,” or “Gardening Help Desk.”
• If you find the message in spam or junk, mark it as “Not spam.”  You may also add the sender to your contacts or safe-senders list.
• In Gmail, move the message from Promotions to Primary to help future messages reach your main inbox.
• If you use a work, school, or organizational email account, its security settings may block automated messages. Contact your organization’s technology support team if needed.

Not sure if you received a real email? A legitimate Gardening Help Desk message will reference a question you submitted and will never ask for your payment for services, password, or any other protected information. If you are unsure whether a message is legitimate, do not click its links. Instead, call your local Extension office, press 1 for the Gardening Help Desk, and then press 2 for technical support.

Our Press & Outreach Kit has information and ready-to-use resources for media, community partners, organizations, and others who would like to help spread the word. You’ll find approved descriptions, graphics, and other materials, along with information for media inquiries. 

Access the press kit

Submit another gardening question to the help desk

Submit a question

Have a question about Illinois Extension and our programs?

Explore local programs

For questions about the Master Gardener and Horticulture programs in Grundy, Kankakee, and Will counties, contact Nancy Kuhajda, horticulture educator.

For press questions and interview requests, contact Anthony Warmack, communications coordinator.

For all other inquires, email uie-gkw-marcom@illinois.edu.