PHOTO BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION Lawn care questions in the wake of last summer’s drought are now pouring in, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. Rhonda Ferree listed the following as her top 10 tips ranked in order of importance. 1. Fertilize at the proper time. Most homeowners only need one application per […]
U of I Extension
Posted inSpecial Issues
Spring salad at your front door
Mesclun is a mixture of assorted small, baby salad leaves also known as a mesclun mix. You can purchase mesclun bagged in cellophane at your grocer. Yet freshly harvested from a few square feet in your patio, garden or front stoop, mesclun is an easy tender treat, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Early composting helps soil and plants later
PHOTO BY ANNE CUSACK/MCT New gardeners often ask, “What is compost and do I need to buy it?” When starting a new garden, it is hard to imagine we should initially spend more time, money and energy on compost than on plants, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. “It is plants we want,” […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A new generation of fruit and vegetable farmers
The age of farmers in this country is top-heavy, with older farmers far outnumbering the younger farmers, particularly that of fruit and vegetable growers. University of Illinois crop sciences professor Rick Weinzierl and co-workers recently received a grant from the Beginning Farmer-Rancher Development Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a three-year project to […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Fall gardening activites
Although summer may be drawing to a close, gardening time is far from over, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. “Fall is the ideal time for some kinds of planting and for preparing for next year’s garden,” explained Candice Miller. She suggests several fall activities that can be done to lengthen the summer […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Cool color from cabbages and kales
The summer growing season has not been kind to gardens, noted a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator. “Hot temperatures, dry soils, pots that needed watering two or three times a day, and flowers that just did not look their best,” said Greg Stack. “Would you look your best if you had to put up […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Soil test this fall
Testing the soil in a vegetable garden is quickly done, and the benefits are long-term. University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Richard Hentschel said that if the soil is right, gardeners should be able to produce fresh vegetables all season long. “Gardeners can test their soil anytime,” he said. “Fall is best because the applied […]
