Good Growing 2015

Gateway Small Fruit and Vegetable Conference

This upcoming conference combines the Ill Small Fruit/Strawberry School with the Southern IL Vegetable School. The dates are Feb. 10-11 and will be held in O'Fallon, IL (across river from St. Louis). It's an excellent program that will offer many folks an opportunity to learn more management...
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Upcoming Educational Opportunities

You may or may not believe in global warming, but I don't think anyone can argue that our climate has been changing of late. Whether climate change can be attributed to Mother Nature or to man or a combination, there's no doubt change is occurring. What is normal? By my count, there have been at...
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beetles dead on window sill

Lady Beetle Invasion

Each fall, as temperatures diminish and day length gets shorter, Asian lady beetles begin to accumulate around larger buildings. They're getting ready to go into their winter habitat, which in their native Asia, is sheltered areas along a mountain side. It's hard to find very many mountain sides in...
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Planning Ahead

Before we know it we'll soon be seeing seed and garden catalogs in our mailboxes. If you're like me, you're also receiving emails with all the pretty pictures of new varieties of vegetables and flowers and of course you say you want them all. The choice to grow plants from seed is a fulfilling one...
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Shade Plants

Good Growing By: Kari Houle, University of Illinois Extension Adams/Brown/Hancock/Pike/Schuyler Counties One of my favorite types of gardens to plan and work in is my shade garden. For me, there are a couple of reasons that shade gardens are great. The variety of plants that are suitable to shady...
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Protecting Fruits from Disease

We've certainly caught up with moisture for the year during this past month. I'm sure most would like to see some sunshine and warm weather. I'm not sure we've had the combination of these two for many days this spring. But the grass in the lawn is certainly enjoying the weather. For most crops,...
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Planning Ahead

Before we know it we'll soon be seeing seed and garden catalogs in our mailboxes. If you're like me, you're also receiving emails with all the pretty pictures of new varieties of vegetables and flowers and of course you say you want them all. The choice to grow plants from seed is a fulfilling one...
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Starting the Year Off Right

Is one of your New Years' resolutions to eat healthier? To perhaps grow some of your own food? Growing some of your own food is a fun and rewarding task that provides much more than a fresh tasting juicy tomato or some tender green beans. You'll also get outdoors in the sunshine, enjoy the...
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Controlling Aquatic Weeds

I've had a number of calls recently from pond owners who want to begin control of algae in ponds. It seems that the algae is rising to the surface of the pond much earlier than normal this year. Each fall, as the strength of the sun diminishes, algae reduces the amount of photosynthesis taking...
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Eat Fresh, Eat Local

There is a song that had been performed by Jerry Garcia (and others) that has some lyrics that described a staple part of the diet for Midwesterners for many years. From the song "Shady Grove" comes the following: Peaches in the summertime, apples in the fall. Fifty years ago, that made perfect...
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Growing Degree Days - What?

I received an email the other day asking about Squash Vine Borer. The individual that contacted me informed me that they had already seen one out and felt that it was early as his squash were just beginning to vine out. Usually squash vine borer is more commonly seen in late June through beginning...
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Putting Small Acres to Work

If you've ever thought about trying a new enterprise on a few acres of ground, you need to consider attending an event that we hope will provide you with some excellent ideas to consider. Many folks are investigating opportunities for some extra income on a few acres while others are simply looking...
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GMO's - Are They Safe?

The March issue of National Geographic magazine has the headline "The War on Science". The article contained describes a number of practices that have been scientifically proven, but which some are skeptical. The magazine asks the question: What's causing reasonable people to doubt reason? Examples...
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Fabulous Fall Plants

The other week I presented to a group of Master Gardeners about Fabulous Fall Plants. There are amazing plants that spice up our landscape in the fall when so much else is worn out and tired. Most of us are probably familiar with the typical pansies, mums, and ornamental kale, but what other plants...
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Starting Seeds

This morning when I walked into my office I was absolutely thrilled to see Hyacinths blooming. The first official day of spring was this past Friday (March 20) and last night we had our first spring thunderstorm. It's exciting to see things begin to wake up and the green come back to the world as...
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Preventing Garden Pests

It didn't seem like February would ever end! Too many cloudy days and too many snowy days just didn't sit well with me. I'd much rather endure the cold with sunshine. But spring is on its way (March 20 is the actual date) and the days are lengthening and soon we'll be in the garden planting. Seed...
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Wet Soils Causing Root Issues

The constant rains and saturated soils have been causing havoc for many growers. Trying to plant, harvest, control weeds and diseases and just about anything related to plant production has been almost impossible. According to my records, 16 of 31 days in May I recorded precipitation, 16 of 30 days...
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What's an Invasive Plant & Alternative Options

How familiar are you with invasive plants? What exactly is an invasive plant? By definition according to the Illinois Invasive Species Council an invasive plant is "any species that is not native to that ecosystem, including its seeds, spores, or other biological material capable of propagating...
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Reducing Garden Pest Problems

It didn't seem like February would ever end! Too many cloudy days and too many snowy days just didn't sit well with me. I'd much rather endure the cold with sunshine. But spring is on its way (March 20 is the actual date) and the days are lengthening and soon we'll be in the garden planting. Seed...
Finish this story