Lawn care

Blog Posts

dandelion
Lawns and pollinators - The case for dandelions
Urban areas typically have a large proportion of turfgrass. From lawns and residential areas to golf courses, parks and rights-of-way, turf covers...
tall fescue plots at University of Illinois campus
Not your grandparents’ fescue: Turf-type tall fescue for a low-maintenance lawn
On the hunt for a resilient lawn Homeowners are seeking lawns that are considered more sustainable than conventional lawns. I often get questions...
crabgrass
The dilemma with weed-and-feed lawn products
As the winter’s chill lingers into spring, the itch to get out in our yards has never seemed more compelling. One of the ritual tasks performed by...
corded electric chainsaw
What’s better: Gas or electric-powered lawn and garden tools?
For many Americans, the day after Thanksgiving is spent nursing indigestion from the copious amounts of food we have just eaten or dealing with the...
Leaves piled up near a compost bin and a faded white fence
Love the color and benefits of fallen leaves
Stepping outside on a cool fall day, I can recall the childhood joy of fall leaves and singing, “leaves are falling, leaves are falling...” as we...
A half-mowed lawn
Lawn care advice for people who don’t care about lawns
The Big Three Mowing Tips Each year I try to write a couple of articles about lawns. Each time I’ve written one of these, I have assumed you, the...
Lawn Care and Pollinators
Greening spring lawns are a welcome sign to many of us, but they are also a sign of yardwork to come for the rest of the growing season.  The desire...
Ready, Set, Mow
Spring lawn care tips Our lawns started to grow not too long ago, slowly at first and it has really ramped up in just a couple of weeks. If you have...

News Releases

computer screen with plants and flowers on the desk and outside the window. Master Gardener logo.
Kendall County Master Gardener Help Desk opens for 2023
YORKVILLE, Ill. – Spring marks the annual reopening of the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Help Desk in Kendall County. Each growing season, trained volunteers field questions on trees, shrubs, lawns, flowers, vegetables, and other plant-related topics from residents and...
Can insects protect my garden ecosystem better than chemicals?
by Jan Phipps, Edgar County Master Gardener There are many beneficial insects in the garden that prey on other insects.  Several great names indicate their function: robber flies, ambush bugs, and assassin bugs.  The following are a few of the predatory insects with which you want to...
nimbleweed
Grassy weeds becoming more common in lawns
URBANA, Ill. – When confronted with lawn weeds, typically we think of dandelion, creeping Charlie, and violet. These plants and many others are classified as broadleaved weeds, or dicots, and are easily distinguished from grasses which are monocots. Scientists have engineered herbicides that...

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