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Organic production survey

June 30, 2025

Dr. James Santiago, assistant professor and Illinois Extension horticulture specialist, is seeking grower input with this organic production survey. This 10-item...

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Red and green tomatoes on a plant with green leaves

From Dixon Springs Ag Center: High tunnel tomato and pepper harvests looking good

June 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Tomato and pepper harvests began during the middle of June, but the last week of June really saw an increase in ripe tomatoes. Typically, with transplants set out the first week of April, tomato harvest begins in late June, but the first really big pick is around July 6 or 7. This year I think the...

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How far have we come in our plum curculio study?

June 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Research update from Karuna Kafle, master's student working in the Specialty Crops Entomology Lab, University of Illinois Department of Crop SciencesPlum curculio continues to be a serious concern for most peach orchards in Illinois...

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image of two pumpkin seedlings emerged side by side on bare ground, each with two cotyledons and a small first true leaf.

From St. Louis Metro East: With June comes pumpkin planting and peach harvest

June 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

In addition to peach harvesting in the southern part of the region of cultivars like ‘Glenglo’, ‘PF 5D Big’, and ‘Sentry’, sweet corn harvesting started the last full week of June in the St Louis Metro east. Comparatively, the northern part of the region is harvesting peaches in the ‘PF 8...

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Labs that test agricultural water for microbial quality in Illinois

June 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Agricultural water is a key potential source of fresh produce contamination on a farm or garden. Harmful microorganisms such as Salmonella and...

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A large group of bugs feeding on the surface of an orange pumpkin

Be on the lookout for squash bugs!

June 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

The squash bug is the main pest of pumpkins in Illinois. Squash bugs overwinter as adults and move into pumpkin plantings in June (southern IL) and July (northern IL). They prefer squash and pumpkins compared to cucumbers and melons. In southern Illinois, two...

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A peach tree with green leaves and many green fruits the size of a marble.

From St. Louis Metro East: Peach crop looks good despite severe weather

May 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Peaches hanging in there - On Friday, May 16, tornadoes impacted several locations across Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky. Many in surrounding areas not directly affected by the...

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A hand holding a quarter with three purple blue oval shaped fruit each smaller than the coin

Recap on the haskap

May 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Since 2016, the Rockford Illinois Extension office has been home to a small planting of honeyberry (also known as haskap) bushes. Originally supported by a Specialty Crops Block Grant, the project explored the potential of honeyberries—and goji berries—for Northern Illinois growers. (Spoiler: goji...

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row of tomato plants with some of the plants being a lighter shade of green than the others

From Dixon Springs Ag Center: Noticeable impacts on tomato transplants from cover crops

May 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Mechanical termination of the annual ryegrass cover crop has continued to be a problem in the treatment tunnel. Some of the annual ryegrass plots have continued to regrow even after two cuttings. These last two cuttings were a challenge because the tomato transplants were already set and tied with...

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pre-sprouted ginger rhizome with shoot and roots visible

Ginger rhizome planting day at multiple sites in McLean County – May 16th, 2025

May 30, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

After about 4.5 weeks of pre-sprouting in coconut coir, using heat mats, temperature controllers set to 77 F, and humidity domes, 8x 1020 flats of ginger rhizomes were ready for planting on May 16th. Additionally, one flat of tissue-culture ginger plants received on May 9th were ready as well....

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