Vegetable gardening is very popular these days, and even more so since the COVID outbreak. Anyone new to this hobby is quick to hear some terms being thrown around when describing different types of vegetables. Knowing the meaning of these terms gives prospective gardeners some key information that helps them pick varieties of vegetables most […]
gardening tips
Planting a Seed with Zach Duda
Zach Duda, our UConn Extension summer intern with Litchfield County 4-H shows us how to plant a seed.
Raised beds for my vegetable garden?
There’s a growing interest in using raised beds in vegetable gardens, and if that’s your interest, read on. It’s always a good idea to plan a project before jumping in and consider the many variables. Let’s explore some of these. Why you’re considering raised beds. Many people are interested in raised beds as a way […]
How To Weed Your Garden: How Often, What to Weed, Tips or Best Management Practices
Any undesirable plant in your garden can be labeled a weed. The vegetables or flowers you want to grow will be robbed of nutrients, moisture, light, and space if weeds are not managed. Weeds seem to always outpace the desired plants in growth. They can also harbor insects and diseases. To be fair, it needs […]
Gardening Tips for November
Gardening Tips for November Cut back perennials that were covered in powdery mildew during the summer. Cut stalks to the ground and dispose of them. Image by Dow Gardens, Bugwood.org. Once the ground has frozen (but before it snows), mulch fall planted perennials by placing 3 to 5 inches of pine needles, straw, chopped leaves around them. Contact your […]
10 Tips for the July Gardener
Ten Tips for the July Gardener Click on highlighted links for additional information. Container and hanging plants may need to be watered in the morning and again later in the day if hot and windy conditions prevail. Check plants again at day’s end to see if the soil is dry. Hummingbirds are attracted to red […]
10 Tips for the February Gardener
Visit our booth at the 2016 CT Flower & Garden Show in Hartford, February 18th to 21st. Bring ½ cup of soil for a free pH test and your garden questions for free advice. Turn the compost pile during any stretches of mild weather. Surprise your favorite relative or friend with a floral […]
10 Tips for the September Gardener
1. Remove bagworm egg masses from evergreen shrubs to eliminate the spring hatch from over-wintered eggs. 2. If rain is lacking, continue to thoroughly water trees, shrubs, planting beds, and lawn areas. It is especially important to keep newly planted evergreens watered. 3. Plant shallots and garlic outdoors. 4. Use a mulching blade to finely […]
Blossom End Rot of Tomatoes
By Carol Quish for UConn Extension August is supposed to be the month of non-stop tomatoes. Occasionally things go awry to interrupt those carefully laid spring visions of bountiful harvests, sauce making, and endless tomato sandwiches. Blossom end rot can appear to put an end to the crop production by damaging the ripening and […]
10 Tips for the August Gardener
Remove non-productive plants from the vegetable garden and sow cool weather crops for fall harvesting. Renovate strawberry beds by mowing to a height of 1 ½ inches, thinning plants and side-dressing with a balanced fertilizer. Stop pruning evergreen trees and shrubs to avoid promoting new growth that will not harden off by the first frost. […]
10 Tips for the July Gardener
Do not prune rhododendrons and azaleas after the second week of July as they will begin setting their buds for next year’s blooms. Put netting on fruit trees and bushes a few weeks before the fruit begins to ripen to protect it from birds and squirrels. Fertilize roses for the last time in mid-July. Pinch […]
Deformed Spinach? Could be Crown Mites
By Joan Allen for UConn Extension Some spinach cultivars are expected to have pretty bumpy, puckered leaves. If your plants are not that type, but the leaves look like that or have small holes in them when they expand, crown mites (Rhizoglyphus sp.) are a possible cause. Conditions that favor mite activity and damage are […]
The Season for Strawberries
Photo and article by Susan Pelton for UConn Extension We moved into our home in December of 1996 and by June of 1997 I had broken through the sod, tilled the soil, fenced in an area, and planted a new garden. One of the first additions to that garden was a strawberry bed. Even […]
10 Tips for the May Gardener
Thin or compacted turf will benefit from core aeration and over-seeding. Keep new seed moist until germination. Remove spent blooms on tulips, daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs to focus its energy on growing new bulbs rather than producing seeds. Plant tomatoes, peppers and melons after the danger of frost is past and the soil […]
10 Tips for the April Gardener
Purchase onion sets for planting and set 1 inch deep and 4 to 5 inches apart when soil can be worked. Early spring is a great time to spot spray or hand-dig dandelions. If spraying, choose a product that won’t kill grass. If digging, wait until after a rain, when soil is soft. Apply […]
Connecticut Seeds for Connecticut Gardens
Photo and Article By Dawn Pettinelli About now, many of us gardeners have a stack of seed catalogs several inches high and have started combing through them acquiring all kinds of ideas and a long wish list. Before finalizing you orders, spend a bit of time going through any leftover seeds from the previous year. […]
10 Tips for the February Gardener
Visit our booth at the 2015 CT Flower and Garden Show, February 19th-22nd, at the Connecticut Convention Center. Bring ½ cup of soil for a free pH test and your gardening questions for free advice. Provide houseplants with increased humidity by misting often or placing plants over a tray of moist pebbles. Clean the leaves […]
10 Tips for the January Gardener
1. Check out the Garden Master classes that are available throughout the state at http://mastergardener.uconn.edu/. Most classes are open to both Master Gardeners and the general public. 2. If driveways or sidewalks have been treated with a de-icer that contains sodium chloride do not pile this snow on plants or in areas where the melting […]
10 Tips for the November Gardener
Ten Tips for the November Gardener: 1. Once the ground has frozen (but before it snows), mulch fall planted perennials by placing 3 to 5 inches of pine needles, straw, chopped leaves around them. 2. Continue to thoroughly water trees, shrubs, planting beds, lawn areas and recently planted evergreens until a hard frost. Plants should […]
10 Tips for the October Gardener
Prepare houseplants to come inside before the first frost. Scout for insects and rinse foliage and containers. Pot up tulips, hyacinths and other pre-chilled bulbs and store in a cool, dark place until ready to force. To begin pre-bloom dormancy for amaryllis, stop watering it and place in a cool, dark place. Pot up some […]
10 Tips for the August Gardener
1. Fertilize container plantings. 2. Pick summer squash and zucchini every day or two to keep the plants in production. 3. Pick up and destroy any fallen summer fruits/vegetables to reduce pests and disease for next year. 4. Continue to stake tomatoes and allow them to ripen on the plants for the best flavor. The […]
10 Tips for the April Gardener
1. Choose planting areas based on exposure to sun, shade, wind and distance from water source. 2. Purchase onion sets for planting and set 1 inch deep and 4 to 5 inches apart when soil can be worked. 3. Get the jump on weeds in garden beds by pulling out any that overwinter and applying […]
10 Tips for the September Gardener
Mid to late September is a great time to plant accent plants, like mums and asters, that will provide autumn colors in the landscape. Rake up leaves, twigs, and fruit from crabapple trees and throw them in the garbage to help control apple scab disease. Wood ashes contain potassium and calcium and can be used […]
Ten Tips for the August Gardener
It’s a beautiful weekend – UConn Extension offers these ten tips for all of you working in your gardens: 1. Pick summer squash and zucchini every day or two to keep the plants producing. 2. Keep an eye out for insect, slug and snail damage throughout the garden. 3. Colorful plastic golf tees can be […]