Grasses

Turfgrass Selection

"Turfgrasses for the Midwest" is an excellent site from the University of Illinois. This site will help with turf plant identification and recommendations of specific grasses for specific sites.
http://www.turf.uiuc.edu/NCR-192/turf_midwest/default.htm

"Take the LAWN challenge" – This web site contains information concerning types of lawn grasses, dealing with shady sites, seeding, sodding, watering, mowing, fertilizing, thatch, grubs and other pests, weeds, and diseases. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/lawnchallenge/index.html

Planting Site Preparation

Visit the Ohioline for information on turf selection, lawn care, diseases, weeds and insects.
http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/lines/lawns.html

Mowing

For further information on mowing turfgrasses, refer to the Pennsylvania State turfgrass site.
http://www.agronomy.psu.edu/Extension/Turf/Mowing.html

Weeds in Turfgrass

For pictures to aid in the identification and control of Turf grass weeds, link to University of Illinois Midwest Turf grass Weed Identification and Control site at: http://www.turf.uiuc.edu/weed_web/index.htm

Fungal Lawn Diseases

For excellent images and descriptions of common turf diseases, see:
http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/plantdisease/#TURF

Houseplants

Factors Affecting Plant Growth

For more information on container growing media consult the Texas A&M University online Texas Greenhouse Management Handbook at
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/floriculture/container-garden/index.html

Ventilation

For a list of plants shown to improve air quality check this list at http://www.blankees.com/house/plants/air_cleaners.htm

Repotting

For information on how to propagate houseplants see the University of Missouri guide sheet at http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06560.htm

Insects and Diseases

For a listing of common disease problems on indoor plants see the Penn State University web site on interiorscape plant diseases at http://www.ppath.cas.psu.edu/EXTENSION/PLANT_DISEASE/keyinte.html

Indoor Plant Guide

For a listing of houseplants for particular situations see tables at the end of the online Texas Master Gardener Manual, Houseplants Chapter at
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/PLANTanswers/publications/houseplant/houseplant.html

For specific care instructions for flowering potted houseplants see the University of Missouri guide sheet at http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06511.htm

For guides to care of over 70 different indoor plants check the Virginia Cooperative Extension publication on line at
http://www.ext.vt.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Docs.woa/wa/getcat?cat=ir-ln-ig-pp

For month by month tips for care of houseplants check out the listing from Virginia Cooperative Extension at http://www.ext.vt.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Docs.woa/wa/getcat?cat=ir-ln-ig-gt

Household Plants Dangerous to Animals

For information on Household Plants that can be Dangerous to animals, check out the Univ. of IL has a web site at http://www.library.uiuc.edu/vex/toxic/comlist.htm

Also, Cornell University has a good site at http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/

Vegetable Gardening

Preparing the Soil

For more information on Cover Crops and Living Mulches, see the North Carolina State University web site on sustainable vegetable production at
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/sustainable/peet/cover/c02cover.html

Starting Plants

For more details on starting vegetable transplants from seed see the Extension guide sheet from the Ohio State University at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~ohioline/b672/b672_2.html

For more information on storage and germination of vegetable seeds, see the University of Nebraska guide sheet on the subject at http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/horticulture/g503.htm

Major Crops

For more information on Vegetable crop rotation to prevent diseases, see the North Carolina State University web site on Sustainable Vegetable production at
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/sustainable/peet/IPM/diseases/table15.html

For a guide to growing, storing, and preparing vegetables, see the University of Illinois Urban Extension site at: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/index.html

Landscaping

Landscape Values

For more information on the value of landscaping, see the Virginia Cooperative Extension guide sheet on the topic at http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-721/426-721.html

The Design Process

For more information about Energy Efficient Landscaping see the online booklet from Kansas State University on that topic at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/C627.PDF

For a national website dedicated to planting with natural landscape materials, see http://for-wild.org/

Low-Maintenance Landscaping

For more information about naturalistic landscaping see the online booklet from Kansas State University on that topic at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/C581.PDF

For more information on low-maintenance landscaping see the University of Missouri Extension guide on that topic at http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06902.htm

For more information on low-water use landscaping see the University of Missouri Extension guide on that topic at http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06912.htm

Illinois Plant, Landscape and Nursery Technology – IPLANT

Try IPLANT first. IPLANT points to much of the information on plants, landscape and nursery technology found in the Illinois Master Gardener Training manuals. IPLANT is a good place to start for most queries http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/IPLANT

Weed ID Resources

University of Illinois (C-FAR)

http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/weedid/
Excellent interactive site for identifying weeds. As you describe the weed by selecting from the given characteristics, the list of 172 possible weeds narrows down for you. If you aren’t sure about a term, click on “learn more”. Contains nice color pictures.

Midwestern Turf grass Weed Identification and Control, University of Illinois

http://www.turf.uiuc.edu/weed_web/index.htm
Nice site containing information about and pictures of common turf grass weeds.

Weed Science Society of America

http://www.wssa.net/
Has a nice photo herbarium of over 200 common American herbs, plants, and weeds.

Rutgers University Cooperative Extension Weed Gallery

http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/weeds/
Nice weed ID site with a little information about each weed. You can search by name or thumbnail image which is nice when you have no idea what the weed is.

Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/weedindex.htm
Follow the useful, interactive, on-line key for identification aid or click on a given weed for detailed plant characteristics and nice pictures.

Common Weed Seedlings of Michigan

http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/iac/e1363/e1363.htm
This is a great site for seedling identification. Contains pictures and brief descriptions for about 30 species.

Purdue University, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology

http://www.btny.purdue.edu/extension/weeds/notillid/notillweedid1.html
This site has a list of common weeds of no-till cropping systems. Contains only about 15 weeds at this time but has some good pictures including one of Canada thistle’s underground parts.

Iowa State University Weed Identification Resources

http://www.weeds.iastate.edu/weed-id/weedid.htm
This is a growing site for seedling identification. Contains links to other weed ID sites.

University of California, Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/weeds_common.html
Contains pictures and brief descriptions of many weeds. However, best used if weed name is already known, since many weeds on this site are uncommon to Illinois.

Vegetation Management Guideline, Illinois Nature Preserves Commission

http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/edu/VMG/VMG.html
Gives information for identification and control of opportunistic and alien (exotic) plant species such as teasel and buckthorn.

Dictionary of Botanical Epithets

http://www.winternet.com/~chuckg/dictionary.html
Interesting site for those times you can’t remember your Latin.

Gallery of Illinois Plants

http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cwe/illinois_plants/
Excellent site by Dan Busemeyer, Illinois Natural History Survey Botanist. It contains 850 species so far, but is a work in progress so check back often for added plants.