University of Illinois Extension

Blog Posts (44)

When You Seed Vegetable Transplants Matters

2021 Garden Planning

Delicious and sweet ‘Sungold’ tomatoes were hard to find in 2020 since an unusually large number of homebound gardeners bought up seeds and plants at unprecedented numbers.

Do you know when to plant in Illinois?

Seedlings growing in paper eggshell cartons

New plants for a new year - try growing something new in 2021

2021 All-American Selections winners

Get in-spiralized by zoodles

Spiralized zucchini and carrot noodles on a black plate, with a whole carrot and zucchini off to the side.

The versatility of cauliflower

Three slices of cauliflower on a cutting board.

Hornworm caterpillars on tomatoes

a large tobacco hornworm feeding on a tomato leaf

Tomato Care

Tomatoes are one of the most planted garden crops in the US, with several common problems here in central Illinois that can be managed through fairly simple cultural practices.

Start your fall garden

cool season crops

Harvesting garden vegetables

close up of a person holding freshly harvested onions

Handling your fresh-picked produce

Freshly harvested cucumbers, eggplant, beans, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, beets, & turnips.

Don’t believe everything you read, except this

healthy immune system from eating fruits and vegetables

Garlic: So easy even I can grow it!

Growing Garlic

Sub-Freezing Spring Temperatures and Crops

How cold is too cold for my crop?

The Many Different Types of Cucurbits

The Many Different Types of Cucurbits

How to Grow Cucurbits

bright yellow flower

New Vegetable Garden Maintenance – Weed and Watering

New Vegetable Garden Maintenance

How to Grow Tomatoes

How to Grow Tomatoes

How to Grow Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato harvest

Selecting Plants for the Vegetable Garden

Beets are a cool-season vegetable that can be direct seeded into the garden now.

Starting a Garden: Irrigation

Sprinkler head

Analyzing Soils for New Vegetable Gardens

Raised garden beds are a great solution to a variety of common soil issues.

Root-to-Stalk Cooking Ideas

Starting a Garden: Season Extension

Cold frame with vegetables growing inside in the fall.

Starting a Garden: Hardening Off Indoor Seedlings

basil seedlings in seedling flat

Starting a Garden: Weed Management

Weed free tomatoes

Starting a Garden: Warm Season Vegetables

basket with tomatoes, peppers and summer squash

Starting a Garden: Cool-Season Vegetables | And my top 5 cool-season crops to grow

Kale

Starting a Garden: Supplemental Lighting for Indoor Seed Starting

Lighting

Beyond 'Yukon Gold': Growing Purple/Blue Potatoes

Creating an Edible Landscape

Scarlet runner beans growing on a fence

Illinois Vegetable Planting - Dates, Spacing, and Seeds

Homegrown: DIY Hydroponics for All Gardeners

Green herbs growing out of plastic tub in home hydroponic system

New Garden Plants for 2020

pictures of the 2020 AAS Winners Cucumber Green Light F1, Pumpkin Blue Prince F1, Tomato Apple Yellow F1, Tomato Celano F1, Tomato Early Resilience F1 Watermelon Mambo F1, Coleus Main Street Beale Street, Echinacea Sombrero® Baja Burgundy, and Rudbeckia x American Gold Rush

What's the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?

picture of sweet potatoes in a bucket and yams in metal bowls

Parsnips – An Underrated Vegetable

Parsnips

Spread Out the End of Season Work

Growing Garlic

Garlic cloves

Still Hope for the Vegetable Garden

Planting a Fall Vegetable Garden

broccoli plants in a mulched garden

Tomato Woes

Squash bugs

squash bugs

Blossom End Rot

Common Tomato Diseases

tomato plant

News Releases (13)

Refreshing raised bed soil generates exceptional results

The time is right to plant cool season vegetables

Southern Illinois growers rely on Extension's sound production advice

Stateline Fruit & Vegetable Conference: Pumpkin Varieties & Hard Cider Production

2021 Fruit & Vegetable VIRTUAL Conference

Become a U of I Extension Master Gardener

Small, but mighty microgreens are easy to grow indoors

Harvest abundant squash for food, decoration

Benefit your health and environment by growing your own vegetables

Get Growing webinar series announced for growing vegetables and fruit

Over 50 Fruit and Vegetable Growers Attend University of Illinois Extension’s Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Conference

‘Think Spring!’ Learning Series Underway with Kane County Master Gardeners

Requirements for Exempt Farms Under FSMA Produce Rule

Staff (4)

Doug Gucker staff photo

Douglas B. Gucker

Extension Educator, Local Food Systems and Small Farms

Andrew Holsinger

Andrew Holsinger

Extension Educator, Horticulture

Ken Johnson Staff Photo

Ken Johnson

Extension Educator, Horticulture

Elizabeth Wahle

Elizabeth Wahle

Extension Educator, Commercial Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables