It’s that time of year again – time to start planning for the vegetable gardening season. The explosion of enticing seed catalogs hitting my mailbox these days has started to get me in gear by dusting off all the tools, looking at our empty garden beds and dreaming of the growing season to come.
Despite all the excitement, it can sometimes be overwhelming when trying to figure out where to start planning. Before we know it, spring may be upon us, although Punxsutawney Phil may disagree...
Like clockwork, the Champaign County Master Gardeners (CCMG) moved hundreds of plants from the greenhouse out to the Idea Garden on University of Illinois Campus in early May. This annual tradition has been ongoing for over two decades now as part of a plant trial program the gardeners participate in with Proven Winners®.
Its no small feat for these plants to arrive in the Idea Garden each May. They have been shipped to central Illinois from production facilities afar. Master Gardeners have...
Our sun has special significance in the gardening world. It offers sunlight, which plants use to generate energy and directly influences plant lifecycles in a variety of ways.
Have you ever considered the role of the moon in plant growth? Historically, many agricultural and gardening practices were planned based on the lunar cycle. Before the invention of the various time tracking technology we are indulged with today, the phases of the moon were an important aspect of time keeping. ...
Plants in the genus Hosta, collectively referred to as hostas, are one of the premier plants for ornamental gardens that lack full sun. These resilient perennials are a mainstay of Midwestern shade gardens and remain popular in temperate regions worldwide. However, that wasn’t always the case, leading many folks to source hostas from fellow gardeners or grow their own.
Recently I visited with some local hosta enthusiasts to get their perspective on hosta gardening and learn more...
Winter is a stressful time for many plants in the landscape, given the drought conditions brought on by freezing temperatures and the effects of extreme cold.
Although these stressors typically don’t impact our houseplants the same way, indoor plants experience their own form of winter stress, making wintertime one of the most common times of year for the decline or death of houseplants.
Similar to outdoor plants, wintertime brings some challenges with water to our houseplants, although we...
Mentioning the ripe beets coming out of the ground this time of year doesn't get much excitement out of my kids, but they are certainly a favorite of mine. I have such fond memories of fresh beets from my grandmother's garden. She served them pretty regularly as a side, fresh when possible, and canned the rest of the year, and I actually enjoyed them quite a bit when I was a kid. The hearty root crops are edible top to bottom, relatively easy to cultivate, and quite productive for the garden...
After much anticipation, tomato season is finally here but something has been devouring the leaves on your tomato plant and even taken bites out of the green tomatoes. Looking for the culprit you see an enormous alien-looking green caterpillar with white stripes and red dots down its back.
Tomato hornworms
Tomato hornworms and their equally hungry cousins the tobacco hornworm can do lots of damage in a depressingly short amount of time. Tomato hornworms feed most often on tomatoes but will...
