ILRiverHort 2014

Questions and Answers. Question. Should I do a preventative treatment on my ash tree, even though it doesn't have the pest yet? Answer. University of Illinois Extension recommends doing a preventative treatment for Emerald Ash Borer only when the beetle has been confirmed within...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Fall is an ideal time to plant many woody trees and shrubs. Before grabbing the spade and digging a hole, Rhonda Ferree, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension, suggests that there are several important factors...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Time for our next gardening trend of 2014: Fingertip Gardens. It's all about gardening using high tech with mobile apps and technology. It seems that every day I hear about a new garden-related app for smart phones and tablets. I...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Fall brings wiener roasts, festivals, and leaf removal. Rhonda Ferree, Horticulture Educator with University of Illinois Extension, suggests making good use of the fallen leaves in your yard. The tree leaves that accumulate in and...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator When you need advice from a gardening expert but a trip to the gardening store isn't convenient, check out the University of Illinois Extension channel on YouTube. Visit www.youtube.com/...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Many people consider getting plants established in shady areas of the yard as a challenge. Fortunately, this does not have to be true. There are many options available to gardeners for shady areas. Want to learn more? I will present...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Current buzzwords in the world of gardening include pollinators, butterflies, natives, and monarchs. It seems that everywhere I look I read something about the importance of pollinators and how we can protect them. One of the best...

Weekly Crop Update 7-9-14 By Mike Roegge, University of Illinois Extension, Adams/Brown/Hancock/Pike/Schuyler Strawberry harvest was completed several weeks ago, but there is still a little time to renovate the patch if you've not completed that chore yet. You want to do this as soon as harvest...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I have been enjoying trying new foods, especially those I prepare from scratch myself. Recently I made homemade granola and several types of bread. Recipes called for ingredients that I wasn't familiar with: quinoa, flax seed, wheat...

Many Japanese beetle larvae did not survive the winter, particularly in the northern half of the state. Research has shown that Japanese beetle grubs do not migrate deeper than 11 inches into the soil for the winter. They die if the soil temperature reaches 15 degrees F or if they are...

University of Illinois Extension recently named Rhonda Ferree as the new statewide coordinator of the Master Naturalist program. Ferree also serves as an Extension horticulture educator serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell Counties The U of I Extension Master Naturalist program provides...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Learn more about gardening by attending a garden day event this spring. Garden day events are sponsored by University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and are held all over the state. You can find a garden event to attend on...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been confirmed in Peoria and Tazewell counties. On July 25th the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) announced the detections occurred in residential areas of the two central Illinois counties. In...

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator I grew up thinking that a green bell pepper was called a mango. It wasn't until my sister Lynn Miller moved to Florida that we realized there was also a fruit called a mango. Now that I have seen and tasted a mango, it seems odd to...

October 2, 2014 (1:00 PM ) Festival Building 2200 E. Washington St East Peoria, IL 61611 (Tazewell County) Date: October 2 Time: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.Participants: local officials, municipalities, park districts, arborists, and others impacted by recent EAB...