URBANA, Ill. – It's winter, and the deciduous trees outside are bare. It's a perfect time to examine your trees "au naturel", said Diane Plewa, a University of Illinois Extension diagnostic specialist. "Because the trees are 'in the buff," it's a great time to look for damage to limbs and...

A holiday cactus in full bloom is a great holiday gift. Easy to care for, holiday cacti generally are long lived and will easily bloom year after year. In fact, they are often passed down from generation to generation as family heirlooms.When selecting a new plant, look for sturdy, healthy green...

Aphids, leaf hoppers, and lace bugs are plentiful this wet spring because of all the lush succulent growth. This flush of growth is ideal for these sap feeders that insert their mouthparts into the food conducting tissues of the plant and suck out sugars and cellulose. Generally, low populations of...

Gardeners are wondering if they are going to get a crop of red, ripe tomatoes because of rains across the state states University of Illinois Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. If you suspect disease, here are few signs to look for and what you can do about it: Septoria leaf spot is the most...

The spring series of University of Illinois Extension's Four Seasons Gardening program, which focuses on environmental stewardship and backyard food production, gets underway in April. The first session of the series is titled, Introduction to Sustainable Landscaping. The program is...

Horticulture and Nature Gifts for the Holidays "Do you have a plant nerd or 'hortiholic' on your buy-for list this holiday season? Here are some plant gifts that will lead them further down the rabbit hole into the wondrous world of horticulture," says...

Tree Walk at Illinois Central College Friday, May 22 1:30 p.m. Kari Houle, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, will lead a tree walk around the Illinois Central College campus in East Peoria on Friday, May 22 at 1:30 p.m. Map of ICC-...

URBANA, Ill. - Summer bulbs add beauty to the landscape when earlier spring bulbs have long faded and flowering shrubs have turned to foliage for the season, said a University of Illinois horticulture educator."However, summer bulbs must be dug up at the end of your growing season and properly...

Arachnophilia This past month many homes are being purposefully adorned by abnormally-large, scary black spiders and their webs to hinge on the fact that a large percentage of the population suffers from the fear of spiders, known as Arachnophobia. "In contrast to most of America...

With the promise of tasty nutrition and a guaranteed quick return on my gardening efforts, I decided to grow microgreens (tiny greens) inside at the Unity Community program using seeds and soil left over from summer programming. Two 4-foot-long watertight growing pockets (pots) were placed in...

URBANA, Ill. – For the typical home gardener, fallen leaves are one of the most readily available forms of organic matter and serve as a wonderful soil conditioner, said University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Nancy Kreith." After raking leaves this fall, think about recycling them...

I know that everyone has heard the phrase, "The only good snake is a dead snake", but have you ever really thought about what purpose a snake serves? Are the only good snakes dead? I think the phrase should be changed to, "The only good snake is a hungry snake." Many people think that snakes...

A recent popular Facebook post shows a gardener starting to prepare her soil, despite being surrounded by mounds of snow. "Once spring is here gardeners start to get excited about planting; almost too excited," states University of Illinois Horticulture Extension educator, Kelly Allsup. Experienced...

For most gardeners, growing does not cease during the cold months of winter, but it causes them to move their growing operation indoors. Many choose to grow herbs indoors, keeping the house alive with greenery and ensuring a supply of fresh garden herbs in their home-cooked meals. Here are a...

Tree Walk at Illinois Wesleyan Campus on June 19 "University of Illinois Extension is celebrating the language of trees this spring and summer with a Tree Walk Series," states University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup. Join us in different locations...

Numerous trees are dying across Illinois. It is easy to find dead and dying maples, oaks, walnuts, ash, and other trees. Many of the dying ash are due to emerald ash borer. Many of the dying pin and red oaks in southern Illinois are due to horned oak gall. But many of the dying ash, oak, and other...

Plants need water to grow, but too much water can be as bad as too little, and in some cases, maybe even more problematic. Several things occur when there's too much moisture for plants. The biggest negative is the lack of oxygen around the roots, which need as much air as leaves. While not big...

For Immediate Release: June 18, 2015 August 5 Garden Tour Planned Have you been busy all spring and summer planning, planting and WEEDING your gardens? Do you enjoy beautiful gardens and need a get-a-way from your daily summer routine? Our "Awesome August Adventure" one-day...

Seed Saving & Propagation- Livingston CountyThursday, September 17 at 6:30 p.m.U of I Extension Livingston County officeUniversity of Illinois Extension Livingston County Master Gardeners will be hosting a workshop entitled "Seed Saving and Propagation" on September 17 at 6:30...

Cooking the Straw bale Garde Straw bale Gardening has become a big hit with the recent introduction of Joel Karsten, book called Straw bale Gardening and has taken the garden world by storm and giving growers a new media to grow vegetables, herbs and annuals. If you would like...