Integrated Pest Management | Illinois Extension

Blog Posts

Columbine in the garden: Beauty, pollinators, and the battle with leafminers

May 9, 2025

Columbines are popular garden plants. They can be found in a variety of colors, ranging from red, pink, yellow, white, purple, and blue, and they can...

hand scattering egg shells by tomato seedling

Garden MythBusters: The dos and don’ts of natural remedies

March 31, 2025

From homemade pesticide applications to adding eggshells to the soil, gardeners are always looking for natural alternatives to current gardening...

picture of a street with rain drops and text overlay stormwater management

Using stormwater to your advantage

March 27, 2025

As a child, my friends and I played in a neighborhood stream, catching crawdads. What I didn’t know then was this small waterbody was mainly...

Companion planting: Combining plants for a healthy, well-balanced garden

March 7, 2025

As we creep toward spring, many gardeners begin to get the urge to get out in the garden. Seed starting and garden planning activities are...

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News Releases

A corn field with a sunset showing in the background.

April 28, 2025

Summer Twilight Series continues the tradition of learning and connection with local growers
SIMPSON, Ill. - For a decade, the Summer Twilight Series has been a beloved tradition in southern Illinois, bringing farmers, educators, and community members together to explore the diversity and innovation of local agriculture. Now in its tenth year, Illinois Extension is proud to continue...

Bronwyn Aly and Kacie Athey in high tunnel

July 22, 2024

High tunnels extend growing season and benefit farming operations
SIMPSON, Ill. - More Illinois specialty crop growers are planting in high tunnels to extend their growing season, increase crop diversity, achieve higher yields, and improve quality. However, high tunnels come with unique challenges, including deciding on the layout and structural design, which...

Youth teams standing at a crop scouting station discussing plants with a researcher.

May 1, 2024

Illinois crop competition calls for youth scouting teams
URBANA, Ill. — The Illinois Youth Crop Scouting Competition is not just any competition. It is a unique opportunity for agriculture students to showcase skills and knowledge while working on a team competing for a prize...

Gloved hands over soil holding pulled out plants

January 22, 2024

Use weed clues to dig up environmental issues like fertility, soil compaction, moisture issues
Winter is a good time to make garden plans, and one constant issue gardeners face every growing season is weeds. While weeds can be frustrating, they can also be saying more about a yard than you think. Weeds can be found in a wide range of locations. Some weedy plants are more likely to...

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Videos

How to Identify and Monitor for Garlic Mustard

Garlic mustard is a high-priority invasive plant that harms native forest ecosystems in Illinois. The first step to removing it is finding it. - Own a forest? Always keep an eye out for garlic mustard along creeks, forest edges, and trails. Identification: Garlic mustard grows over two years....

How to Prevent and Remove Garlic Mustard

Garlic mustard is a high-priority invasive plant that harms native forest ecosystems in Illinois. The key to keeping it from taking over your woodland is early detection and rapid response.