Signup to receive email updates
Authors

John Fulton
Former County Extension Director
Recent Posts
Blog Archives
- March 2017 (7)
- February 2017 (2)
- December 2016 (1)
- October 2016 (4)
- September 2016 (7)
- August 2016 (12)
- July 2016 (9)
- June 2016 (11)
- May 2016 (5)
- April 2016 (8)
- March 2016 (11)
- February 2016 (2)
- December 2015 (1)
- November 2015 (2)
- October 2015 (6)
- September 2015 (8)
- August 2015 (9)
- July 2015 (10)
- June 2015 (7)
- May 2015 (6)
- April 2015 (8)
- March 2015 (5)
- October 2014 (3)
- September 2014 (5)
- August 2014 (7)
- July 2014 (10)
- June 2014 (10)
- May 2014 (10)
- April 2014 (8)
- March 2014 (3)
- December 2013 (2)
- October 2013 (6)
- September 2013 (2)
- August 2013 (4)
- July 2013 (4)
- June 2013 (7)
- May 2013 (11)
- April 2013 (8)
- March 2013 (3)
- February 2013 (2)
- November 2012 (1)
- October 2012 (3)
- September 2012 (2)
- August 2012 (1)
- July 2012 (9)
- June 2012 (3)
- May 2012 (6)
- April 2012 (4)
- March 2012 (5)
- January 2012 (1)
- December 2011 (1)
- November 2011 (2)
- October 2011 (7)
- September 2011 (6)
- August 2011 (9)
- July 2011 (11)
- June 2011 (10)
- May 2011 (7)
- April 2011 (10)
- March 2011 (11)
- January 2011 (1)
- November 2010 (1)
- October 2010 (10)
- September 2010 (6)
- August 2010 (6)
- July 2010 (12)
- June 2010 (12)
- May 2010 (12)
- April 2010 (12)
- March 2010 (10)
- February 2010 (3)
- January 2010 (2)
- December 2009 (3)
- November 2009 (4)
- October 2009 (6)
- September 2009 (8)
- August 2009 (10)
- July 2009 (10)
- June 2009 (16)
- May 2009 (9)
- April 2009 (16)
- March 2009 (7)
- February 2009 (1)
- January 2009 (4)
- December 2008 (7)
- November 2008 (2)
- October 2008 (8)
- September 2008 (8)
- August 2008 (10)
- July 2008 (4)
- June 2008 (13)
- May 2008 (10)
- April 2008 (12)
- March 2008 (5)
- February 2008 (2)
- January 2008 (5)
- December 2007 (4)
- November 2007 (4)
- October 2007 (11)
- September 2007 (11)
- August 2007 (12)
- July 2007 (8)
- June 2007 (11)
- May 2007 (18)
- April 2007 (17)
- March 2007 (11)
- February 2007 (3)
732 Total Posts
follow our RSS feed

Thursday, October 27, 2011
Prepare For Winter
Winter mulches should be put on after the ground actually begins to freeze. Thanksgiving time is a good average guess for timing. Winter mulches put on too early might delay the natural dormancy process. Mulches should be two to four inches deep, and the ground should be moist before applying them. Tender bulbs, roots, or corms should be dug, if you already haven't done so. These would...
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Master Gardener Training
If you have a desire to learn more about gardening and then share your knowledge with others than the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener volunteer program may be for you. Under the new training format, training will be done on a multi-county basis. Master Gardeners are adult members of the community who are interested in learning more about lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, v...
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Taking Care of Perennials
With the change of the seasons upon us, outdoor time is a valuable commodity. We just don't know when the chance to do things will end. Every evening reminds me of this fact, since we don't have daylight until 8:30 every evening any more. One the later fall chores is taking care of perennials, but the push may be there to do it as we are finishing up mowing. Many perennials are better l...
Friday, October 14, 2011
Fall Leaf Management and Winter Predictors
We've all heard about the woolybear caterpillar as a winter severity predictor, and with as many different interpretations of the woolybear as there are – somebody is always right. The larger the middle (orange segment), the milder the winter. Of course, you have to have a banded woolybear to have the different colors. Another one says if they are white, this means a lot of snow. All blac...
Friday, October 14, 2011
Fall Care of Peonies
Peonies are one of those "plant it and forget it" flowers. Many haven't been bothered for over 50 years, and still going strong. As with most plants, crowding can occur, and the time to dig and divide is late September through October. Peonies do best in soils with a slightly acid to neutral pH. The best time to add lime, if needed, is when you dig the plants. When dividing, make sure y...
Friday, October 14, 2011
Pruning Raspberries
To start with, remove all the dead, short, and weak canes. The large remaining canes are thinned to 4 to 8 inches apart. The canes are cut back to 5-6 feet tall, or if no support is provided 3 to 4 feet tall. The canes that produced last year should be removed any time after harvest, or removed in the late fall. Canes are productive only one year, and the new growth will produce the next year's...
Friday, October 14, 2011
Fall Frost
For the most part, we dodged the proverbial bullet last week for a killing frost. It seems only the very tender plants were affected, and usually not the complete plant. With impending heavier frost, it is important to take care of a few items. For protection, you could always try the covers over the plants you want to protect. You will need to use something with a little bit of insulation valu...