Keep growing in winter to strengthen spring planting.
Think about spring planting to chase away winter blues with the Four Seasons Gardening webinar winter series beginning Feb. 11. Two new winter sessions explore ways to sow annual flowers using empty plastic jugs and ways to boost trees with spring tips.
The series focuses on home gardening, environmental stewardship, and backyard food production. Monthly webinars begin at 1:30 p.m. on select Tuesdays and are free to attend. Registration is required. Each session lasts approximately an hour including time for questions.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact series coordinators: Nancy Kreith, kreith@illinois.edu, Gemini Bhalsod, gbhalsod@illinois.edu; or Andrew Holsinger at aholsing@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for meeting access needs.
Have a gardening topic on your mind and want to know more? Share suggestions for upcoming sessions with Nancy Kreith at kreith@illinois.edu.
Winter 2025 Sessions
Tips and Tricks for Winter Sowing Annuals | Feb. 11
Do you like starting seeds but don’t enjoy all the work of setting up a growing system inside? Let Mother Nature do the work. Join a lively discussion on winter sowing annual flowers, vegetables, and herbs. Winter sowing is a practice of starting seeds during winter outside using empty plastic jugs. No more thin, weak seedlings, as winter-sown seedlings are stout with huge root systems. Participants will learn several winter sowing improvements to make the process even more effective.
Presenter: Nancy Kuhajda, horticulture educator, Illinois Extension
Root Awakening: Spring Tree Tips | March 4
Spring into action and provide trees with the care they need as they emerge from dormancy. Learn how to check for winter damage, boost tree health, and promote strong roots and lush leaves throughout the growing season. Follow these and other tips to help more trees thrive.
Presenter: Sarah Vogel, horticulture educator, Illinois Extension
Information whenever you need it!
Every program is recorded and available to watch on the Illinois Extension Horticulture YouTube channel. Videos are available about two weeks after the live program.