A fall vegetable garden offers a fresh start. Cool-season vegetables like leafy greens, root crops, broccoli, and cabbage—commonly grown in spring—get a jumpstart when planted in the warm soils of late August.  Plant cool-season crops in a sunny area with well-draining soil. With regular...

A hidden gem lies in the late season soil—cover crops. Their transformative power benefits farm operations large and small. And now, vegetable and flower gardeners are discovering their value in the home garden. No matter how small a gardening space you have, the effects of incorporating cover...

Avoid the guilty feeling of an empty garden bed by planting root crops. Whether your garden has achieved timely crop succession, or the hustle and bustle of the growing season has led to an empty plot, there is always an opportunity to sow a few seeds in the vegetable garden. Early August planting...

With chilly spring mornings nearly in the rearview, it is time to get busy in the garden. As the weather warms, satisfy the garden itch by preparing the ground for planting, creating a garden plan, and planting a crop of cool-season vegetables on Mother’s Day weekend.  Preparing the ground...

With the spring gardening season beginning, imaginations run wild with gardening possibilities. Some gardeners may ponder the complexities of an age-old practice that is regaining popularity in recent years – companion planting. How do certain combinations of plants benefit from being planted...

As dormant plants slowly extend bright green limbs from under a blanket of soil, garden enthusiasts thumb plant catalogs in eager anticipation of another growing season. Are you making plans for your bountiful garden? It may be cold outside, but spring fever has hit many gardeners – including this...

In late spring, a gardener walks out to their vegetable garden ready to collect a harvest, only to discover shot holes through kale and bites taken out of cabbages – even the tomatoes suffered, with many plants nursing broken stems. As the gardener returns to the kitchen, excitement for the...

When the garden harvest has matured, the work has not stopped. In North Normal, a harvest of potatoes and onions is ending but the storage preparation has just begun. If your home harvest is happening now, don’t let poor handling rot the product of your hard-earned gardening season. Follow these...

Summer is in full swing and your gardens are planted, but there is still one bare spot in the shade. In a vegetable garden, shade is a predicament.  Have no fear – food will grow here! Plant some leafy greens and lettuces in these spots and feast on many summer salads. The more popular things...

When home gardens are bursting with an overabundance of fresh produce, growers start looking for ways to share their bounty. Backyard gardeners can help feed their community by donating fruits and vegetables to local food pantries. Growers planning on donating to food distribution centers can take...

In late May and early June, folks worry it is too late to plant warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers. Plant now, the timing is perfect for rapid root establishment and healthy plant growth. With an average high of 76ºF and an average low of 55ºF, chilly nights (temperatures less than 50ºF)...

Your ambition to start your summer vegetable garden is stunting your tomato and pepper plants. This Sunday, let Mom distract you from the gardening itch. She is worth the time and your warm-season plants will thank you for waiting.  I learned this lesson personally last year. I...

Do you grow peppers and tomatoes every year? Are you ready to try something different (or maybe in addition to!) the same-old, same-old? Then you should try growing onions this gardening season. With just 30 square feet of planting area, you could grow the bulk of the onions you cook with this year...

Cultivating a love and knowledge of gardening in youth can be a rewarding experience for all. A garden offers a place to learn, play, and grow through hands-on experience in the freedom of their own backyard. Kids LOVE to dig in the soil and get their hands & feet (or even head to toes!) dirty...

It’s almost gardening time! My family’s garden starts on April 1 with the planting of potatoes and onions. If you’ve never grown potatoes in your garden, try something different this year. Here are some helpful steps to achieve a successful crop of potatoes this year.  Seed...

Do you struggle with weed control in the spring before planting your summer garden? Does your garden lose topsoil after a heavy rain due to slope? Would you like to improve soil structure and add organic matter to your garden? Backyard cover cropping is for you! At the time of...

Every gardener should be thinking about growing their own greens in the spring. They are easy to grow, have large harvests, and taste best when grown in slightly cooler weather. The plants should be grown in full sun beds or containers.   Kale is a cool-weather crop that...

Originally published by Kelly Allsup on February 19, 2021. Who would have known seeds would be the latest craze in 2021? Many seed companies are finding it hard to keep up with the demand and are out of stock or delayed in delivery. If you haven’t ordered your seeds, don’t fret, some are...

Believe it or not, it's never too early to start making plans for this year's garden. Knowing when to plant for your area and getting your plants started right will help you maximize the growing season. Explore more about When to Plant...

Patio containers will grow food and boast hues of silver and white, and I think we may even see gardeners experimenting with growing sweet potato vine towers. Long gone are the acre gardens with rows and rows of vegetables. The current gardeners are growing their food in patio pots, garden bags,...

Garlic is a garden favorite because it is so commonly used in our culinary world. Like many crops, fresh garlic grown in the home garden surpasses anything bought at the grocery store. It is a long season crop, planted in the fall and harvested in the summer. A cold period is required for garlic to...

Connie Kostelc has been a Master Gardener volunteer for University of Illinois Extension in Livingston County for the last 22 years. When gardening for edible plants, Connie uses the French intensive raised bed method. Connie says the look of a French Intensive raised bed garden is different than...

1. Adding eggshells when planting tomatoes adds calcium and prevents blossom end rot. Fiction. Eggshells add very little immediate calcium to the plant. Any composter who has added eggshells to their pile know that it takes several months, often more than a year, for eggshells to break down. And...

For the last two years, I have been gardening in five-gallon buckets. A team of Extension colleagues from the Horticulture and Nutrition programs are teaching area residents who do not have access to garden space how to grow and their own herbs and veggies. The ‘Garden in a Bucket’ outreach has...

In the heat of summer’s end, vegetable gardeners are often drained by the weeding and watering routine, and ready to put the garden to bed. But fall provides a more comfortable environment and some of the most productive gardening of the year when vegetables are planted in late summer and mature...

This week’s gardening task includes planting sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes may be a long crop (4-5 months) but with a gardener’s care, one can have poundage of storable food. Sweet potatoes, a tropical plant, usually need four to five months of warm day and night temperatures for optimal growth....

Tomato plants are warm-season vegetables that should be planted after the danger of frost. For our area that means early to mid-May. Hopefully no one planted theirs before last weekend’s cold snap! Here are some steps to remember when growing your newly planted crop. 1. The first question you...

Looking back, we may realize this was the year we had a surge in cultivating new gardeners and nature enthusiasts. While most of my readers already garden and are looking for new tips and interesting information, we likely have brand new gardeners who can do without technical jargon and nuanced...

In the last article, we talked about starting seeds indoor with limited resources. A lot of seed can be started outdoors during the month of April. Carrots can be planted by seed starting April 10. Carrot seed is so small that inevitably you must thin your seedlings, which can be quite a tedious...

Whether you have a young person at home for school closures, or are just young at heart yourself, experimenting with kitchen scraps can turn into a bountiful garden to enjoy again. Skip the compost bucket or garbage can, and re-grow your leftover veggies and fruits for beautiful houseplants and...

Free time on your hands? Avoiding social spaces, but need some time outside? First, remember that just because you're outside, the virus can still spread. If you're working with more than one person: Maintain minimum distance of six (6) feet between you and others in the area. Do not...

‘Tis the season for the garden seed catalogues. If you are like me, you are perusing through these catalogues that advertise 15 varieties of watermelon, 50 varieties of peppers, and even more tomato varieties to choose from. They all look amazing and are all claiming “vigorous!” “great flavor!” and...

Originally published by Kelly Allsup on February 11, 2020. Asparagus goes great with hollandaise sauce, has a nutty flavor when eaten raw (wash it first, and cut off the lower third), and is always a welcome treat at a restaurant. With a little patience and some planning, you can grow...