Maria's Field Musings

02/18/2022

GROWMARK offering youth groups across the U.S. seeds for pollinator gardens in public locations.

01/06/2022

Today I assisted judging apple cider. There are some great ciders in Illinois.

04/20/2021

Rhubarb after a frost – can I eat it? When in doubt – throw it out!

“After a spring frost University of Illinois Extension often gets questions about rhubarb and asparagus – are they safe to eat” explains Martha Smith, Horticulture Educator, University of Illinois Extension

Growing Rhubarb is fairly easy as long as Mother Nature keeps temperatures above freezing once the leaves have emerged. Rhubarb should not be harvested when the leaves are wilted and limp after a hard freeze.

The part that we consume is the petiole or the leaf stalk. Rhubarb leaves should never be eaten since they contain a toxic substance called oxalic acid. Under normal harvest the leafstalk is cut at the base and the leaf blades are trimmed off. After a hard frost oxalic acid may move from the leaves into the leafstalk. When consumed the oxalic acid can crystallize in the kidneys and cause permanent damage to the organs.
In addition to the potential toxicity, the rhubarb leaf stalks will be of poor texture and flavor.

All rhubarb leaf stalks/petioles that have been exposed to freezing temperatures should be removed and discarded. The re-growth is safe to eat. As normal harvest begins, always leave at least one-third of the petioles un-harvested to insure the plant will return next season.

Asparagus harvest also is affected by cold temperatures – but it does not have the toxicity issues like rhubarb. You can expect to see frost damage to the exposed spear tips. These are edible but they are off flavor and will have a softer texture.

Asparagus will start to re-grow as the temperatures warm up. A mature planting can be harvested until spears become thin and spindly. This thinning is a signal telling you to stop harvesting for the year and allow the ferns to grow.

Prepared by: Martha A. Smith, Horticulture Educator, University of Illinois Extension serving Henry/Mercer/Rock Island/Stark Counties, [email protected]

08/19/2020

Dogs are being trained to sniff out Corona Virus infected people!?! Thats better than a swab to the brain. :P

The owners of Paradise Dog Training in Fenton, Mich., have trained two of their bed bug detection dogs to detect coronavirus traces in human saliva.

08/02/2020

Firefly season is upon us! Did you know that each species has its own unique flashing pattern? Or that chemistry is behind their ability to light up? Use this infographic to learn more about these incredible insects!

07/30/2020

Anyone receive any seeds from China lately? Don’t dispose of them! Take them to your extension office

More today on the mystery seeds showing up on doorsteps around the country from China. Utah agriculture officials have done testing and they do contain a plant

06/09/2020

Some states can use dicamba and now the EPA is saying that we can use the existing products until the label allows (June 20th) in Illinois.

Today EPA issued a final cancellation order for the label of three dicamba products subject to a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling: Engenia (BASF), FeXapan (Corteva) and XtendiMax (Bayer).

06/05/2020

Good info

06/04/2020

This is a game changer!! Please share!

In a stunning rebuke of the Environmental Protection Agency, a federal court on Wednesday overturned the agency’s approval of popular dicamba-based herbicides made by chemical giants Bayer, BASF and Corteva Agrisciences. The ruling effectively makes it illegal for farmers to continue to use the pr...

06/02/2020

Voles can be a landscaper’s worst nightmare. The damage can include extensive tunnel systems above and below ground, holes throughout the yard, plants destroyed or damaged and worn grassless paths scattered across the turf. Voles have a short life span of 2-16 mos and reach sexual maturity at just...