With spring having arrived, the University of Illinois Extension wants to help make sure your planting work goes as smoothly as possible.  The Extension recently held multiple hands-on workshops for gardeners, and now they’re hoping to educate people on other valuable planting tips.  Andrew Holsinger, horticulture educator at the Extension, says an important component of gardening is preventing the spread of diseases.  He says soil and sanitation practices are key in this regard.

The Extension office has information on labs gardeners can send soil samples to for testing.  You can find their list on www.extension.illinois.edu/soil.

Another way to keep diseases from spreading is to keep tools clean.  And as Holsinger describes, it’s simple to do. 

Gardeners are always keen to keep weeds away from their flowers and plants, but they must be mindful of the weed control products they use.  These products include labels which describe how they can be used. 

One other important factor in planting is the weather, which is unpredictable in the Midwest.  There have been trends in recent years which climatologists have noted, and this can help gardeners plan accordingly. 

More information – including upcoming workshops and other events – is available at www.extension.illinois.edu/cjmm.

Andrew Holsinger appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show.