March 29, 2024

Calendar: Illinois Wheat Association Summer Plot Tour

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — The 2022 Illinois Wheat Association Summer Plot Tour will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 24. The tour will give Illinois wheat growers an opportunity to make crop observations, note any evidence of leaf and head diseases, and make yield estimates of the 2022 winter wheat crop. The tour will include field checks during the day with an evening report session at the Southern Illinois University Belleville Research Center, 2036 Charles Lane, Belleville, Ill.

For tour details, call the Illinois Wheat Association at 309-557-3619 or visit www.illinoiswheat.org/events.html.

Plant Sale

PERU, Ind. — The 2022 Miami County Master Gardener Plant Sale will be from 9 a.m. to noon ET May 21 at the Miami County 4-H Fairgrounds, 1029 W 200 N, Peru, Ind.

Vegetables, herbs, perennials, annuals, houseplants, and ground covers will be featured, and vendors will be at the event.

ServSafe Training

CROWN POINT, Ind. — ServSafe Certification training and exam will be from 8:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT May 24 at the Lake County Extension office, 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point, Ind.

Register at cvent.me/7VL3DR.

For more information, call Linda Curley at 219-755-3240.

Container Gardening

PLYMOUTH, Ind. — Container Gardening and Extending the Growing Season will be the topic of the Making Your Garden Productive Series from 6 to 7:30 p.m. ET May 24 at the Plymouth Public Library, 201 N. Center St., Plymouth, Ind.

RSVP by contacting Robert Yoder at 574-935-8545 or ryoder@purdue.edu.

Knowing Your Insects

The online program Save Species and the Environment by Knowing Your Insects will be at 7 p.m. May 24.

Dr. May Berenbaum, a professor of entomology and head of the Entomology Department at the University of Illinois, will discuss insects, their role in the environment, and how we can do our part to support natural habitat in our own backyards and communities.

Register at tinyurl.com/yc2v2f5h.

This presentation will be recorded and, once edited and close captioned, made available on the YouTube channel go.illinois.edu/ccmgYouTube.

Problematic Plants

ELIZABETH, Ill. — The program Spring Invasive and Problematic Plants in the Landscape will be from 1:30 to 3 p.m. May 24 at the Jo Daviess County Extension office, 204 N. Vine St., Elizabeth, Ill.

With the warmer weather, things are starting to green up. Our landscapes are coming back to life with the showy displays of new plant growth and flowers. But are all those the plants you expected and want? Are there plants taking over your landscape, timber, or open areas? Some of these are best managed during the spring and early summer.

“It is important to distinguish between the problematic plants and invasive plants,” said Extension Educator Jay Solomon. “Invasive plants by definition are non-native, introduced by humans and do/can cause environmental or economic harm. Nuisance plants are defined as causing management issues or other damage. Many native plants can become a nuisance in disturbed soils of landscapes and other areas.”

The primary focus of this spring workshop will be on vegetative plants easily identified and controlled prior to developing seeds. Many of these can be spotted by their prolific early season growth. Garlic mustard, cow parsnip, wild parsnip, Pokeweed, hemlock, some ground covers and vines are a few examples.

The workshop will include identification, management strategies, and safety precautions. Cow parsnip, wild parsnip, and hemlock can be harmful or even deadly if handled improperly.

Cost is $5. Register at tinyurl.com/5e34uu36. For more information, call 815-858-2273.

Beginning Berries

JERSEYVILLE, Ill. — The free program All About Berries: Beginning Berries will be from 2 to 3 p.m. May 24 at the Jersey County Extension office, 201 W. Exchange St., Jerseyville, Ill.

University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Andrew Holsinger will discuss the basics of berry crop production.

Learn about site selection, cultivar selection, planting, and maintenance.

Register at tinyurl.com/bdzc2je7.

Door Decor

PRINCETON, Ill. — Youths ages 8-18 will learn how to make a door hanger utilizing a pizza pan from 5 to 6 p.m. May 24 at the Bureau County Extension office, 850 Thompson St., Princeton, Ill.

This project could be used in the Treasures from Trash project area at the 4-H Fair.

For more information, call the Extension office at 815-875-2878.

Garden Bugs

The online program Why Bug-Free Gardens Are a Bad Idea will be from 7 to 8 p.m. May 24.

In this presentation you will learn:

• How you treat the bugs in your collective gardens impacts global pollinator decline.

• Companion plantings for insect control.

• How to co-exist with the insects we find in our gardens.

• Attracting beneficial insects.

• How do we prevent insects from eating our gardens without killing them.

Register at tinyurl.com/yc2v2f5h.

Forest Bats

The online program Bat Responses to Management in Hardwood Forests will be from 2 to 3 p.m. May 25.

The program will discuss the roosting and foraging ecology of bats that use hardwood forests during the summer months, with a focus on four sensitive species that are declining from white-nose syndrome.

The program is part of the Extension Forestry Spring Webinar Series. Register at tinyurl.com/2p8rrb8c.

Campfire Cooking

MARSHALL, Ill. — Summer is just around the corner and that means camping trips and backyard campfires. Learn how satisfying it can be to cook a meal over a campfire with the experts from Illinois Extension.

The free class Get Creative with Campfire Cooking will be at 5:30 p.m. May 25 at the Sassafras Shelter at Lincoln Trail State Park, 16985 E 1350th Road, Marshall, Ill.

Educators from Illinois Extension will demonstrate basic food safety and how to prepare and cook meals over a campfire.

The class is open to individuals and families of all ages and skill levels. Register at tinyurl.com/5ph59nf8 or call 217-826-5422.

Livestock Judging

ROSEVILLE, Ill. — The Warren County 4-H Livestock Judging Contest will be May 28 at the Warren County Fairgrounds, 625 N. Chamberlain St., Roseville, Ill.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. with the contest starting at 9 a.m.

Contestants will judge classes of beef, sheep, goats, and swine with questions on each species. There will be a Junior Division for those who are 8-13 and a Senior Division for those 14-18. Team and individual awards will be presented for overall and species winners.

Cost is $3 per person. Pre-registration is available for teams of four (top three scores count) by contacting Shelby Carlson, 4-H youth development educator, at srcarls2@illinois.edu. For more information, call Carlson at 309-342-5108, or Lynn Shimmin, Warren County 4-H Livestock Judging Team coach, at 309-224-1469.

Flower Workshop

MT. CARMEL, Ill. — The Wabash County Flower Gardening Workshop will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. May 26 at the Wabash County Fairgrounds, 15039 4H Center Lane, Mt. Carmel, Ill.

Participants will make flower gardens and potted displays for the fairgrounds. Register at tinyurl.com/4hf92nwk.