Gardening Blogs | Illinois Extension

Turn trash to treasure with composting

February 12, 2024

At its core, composting is recycling organic matter into nutrient-rich soil. Plants and other vegetative matter are broken down by decomposers such as insects, worms, fungi, and bacteria, making the nutrients they contain available to other growing things. It also helps to improve the...

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hands in blue gloves pruning dormant twig

Winter considerations for propagating plants

January 29, 2024

Over the Garden Fence

Dormant winter pruning always leaves a mess of trimmings that usually end up being composted or placed in your yard bin. There is another use for those trimmings; you can us them to create plant clones! Plant propagation is the science and practice of creating new plants. This can be done with...

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recycled jugs and plastic bottles filled with soil and covered in snow

How to try winter sowing

January 15, 2024

Over the Garden Fence

Winter is a time to stow away your gardening tools, put your gardens to bed, pack away your gloves and dream of warmer weather, counting down the days until you can start planting again…or is it? What if I told you that now is the perfect time to not just plan your gardens (especially if you’re...

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Zoning in: USDA updates hardiness map

November 30, 2023

Over the Garden Fence

1/12/2024: For the latest on this topic, please refer to this news release. --- Have you seen the...

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close-up of basket of dirty garden tools

Keep your tools in tip-top shape

October 18, 2023

Over the Garden Fence

As we pack our gardens up for the year, caring for your tools now will keep them in great shape for years to come. Before you pack your tools away for the winter, you’ll want to give them a good cleaning first. Use a wire brush to remove soil and debris. Rust can be removed with sandpaper...

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two hands working with tweezers inside a round terrarium

DIY bottle terrariums make great projects, gifts

October 9, 2023

Over the Garden Fence

Fall is now in full swing with temperatures reaching down to the 30s at night and Halloween just around the corner. As we prepare our landscapes and gardens for a long winter’s nap, don’t let those seasonal blues get an early start. Why not start a plant project with your family or to give to a...

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Prolong the shelf-life of garden-fresh produce with good harvest habits

August 21, 2023

Over the Garden Fence

The fruits of our summer labors have been ripening with more fruits and vegetables ready for harvest. Overplanting is a common problem and it is a struggle to get the longest life out of the harvest. Most of us end up with more produce than we can use. Neighbors, friends, coworkers, food pantries...

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Reap the benefits of intergenerational gardening

July 31, 2023

Over the Garden Fence

Gardening, like many life skills we learn as we grow up, is generally cultivated from our families, whether with our parents, grandparents, guardians, neighbors, or community group. Gardening is a life skill because it allows you to grow food for yourself and your family and incorporates many...

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Planting and protecting strawberries

June 30, 2023

Over the Garden Fence

Summer is the prime time to enjoy the sweet treat of strawberries (Fragaria species). While we’re approaching the Fourth of July, believe it or not, there is still time now to plant them for future enjoyment. Plan your patch June-bearing strawberries provide one large crop of bigger berries and...

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black 20-inch container with berry plant

Save money and space with container-grown fruits

June 20, 2022

Over the Garden Fence

Small space gardening doesn’t mean sacrificing flavors. With rising prices people are looking to reduce their grocery bills while getting fresh produce. Fresh fruit can be container-grown for your family in a limited space, such as a balcony, patio, or small backyard. The key is to look for dwarf...

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