The UConn Home & Garden Education Center has been posting weekly blogs on a variety of horticultural topics since 2009. Over the years, contributors have included UConn faculty, staff, students and even a few guest columnists, each providing their unique takes on what’s happening in their yards and gardens, the latest horticultural happenings, ways to […]
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Food Preservation Resources
Planning on Canning? Freezing Food in Your Future? Check out this Food Preservation Resource list for all the accurate information you will need to can, freeze or dry the garden bounty: Food Preservation Links and Resources 10 Rules for Safe Canning
Cold Weather and Finding Old Friends in the Garden
These are some crazy times lately. Snow in the second week of May just adds to the disruptions in our lives right now. Folks are looking to their yard and gardens to bring stability to the upheaval in their lives, and snow and cold weather does not ease the mind. However, mother nature has a […]
Grow Your Own Vegetables: We Have Tips and Resources
Have you been thinking about starting your own vegetable garden while staying home and staying healthy? Now is the perfect time to select some seeds or starter plants and get started. Growing your own vegetables is fun, cost-effective, and helps provide your family with a safe and nutritious food supply. UConn CAHNR Extension has many […]
Lower Fairfield County Master Gardener Program
The Lower Fairfield County Master Gardener Program wants to partner with you! Whether you are already a passionate gardener who would like to take your learning to the next level, a beginning gardener in search of a knowledgeable resource, or a community/group with a gardening need, the Master Gardener program is here for you. […]
Ask UConn Extension Your Questions
UConn Extension has collaborated with our partners, communities and stakeholders for over 100 years. We are proud to serve all 169 cities and towns in Connecticut. The worldwide pandemic involving COVID-19 (coronavirus) has produced unprecedented challenges in the UConn community and around the world. Our services continue during this challenging time. We are still delivering the […]
Coastal Certificate Program
Registration is now being accepted for this year’s Coastal Certificate Program, titled “Pathways from Source to Sea — How Gardens Can Make the Connection.” It will take place in March at Connecticut College in New London. A series of four evening classes with a field trip, students will learn about coastal environmental issues, rethinking their […]
Natural Pesticide Issues
As the gardening season gets underway, lots of homemade weed-killer “recipes” are cropping up on social media, usually containing some combination of vinegar, Epsom salts, and Dawn dishwashing soap. These are often accompanied by a comment such as “no need for pesticides or herbicides!” It may feel good to use familiar household items to control […]
Applications Open for FoodCorps CT
Are you ready to #serveupchange in your community? Apply now for a year of service with FoodCorps Connecticut! The deadline is March 15, but aim to submit early: we’re reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Go to http://foodcorps.org/apply to apply yourself (or share this post with a leader who shares our passion for healthy food in schools!)
Celebrate 40 Years of the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program
UConn Extension’s Master Gardener Program is celebrating 40 years of transforming academic research into practical gardening skills and techniques that everyone can use. The program sprouted in 1978 from the roots of the founding program at Washington State University. The program instructs participants in science-based horticulture practices and garden management, after which students apply their knowledge by […]
Growing Gardens, Growing Health in Norwalk
The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) helps families learn about healthy eating, shopping on a budget, cooking and physical activity. EFNEP staff strive to empower participants, providing knowledge and skills to improve the health of all family members. Participants learn through doing, with cooking, physical activity and supportive discussions about nutrition and healthy […]
4-H Club Grows Bountiful Harvest
Article by Kim Colavito Markesich Orginally published by Naturally.UConn.edu Amy Walker, third grade teacher at W.B. Sweeney Elementary School in Willimantic, serves as adult leader for the school’s new 4-H Club. Funded through CT FANs IM 4-H STEM grant, the program started last winter with the planning and construction of six raised bed gardens. “This […]
10 Tips for the October Gardener
Ten Tips for the October Gardener: Remove, bag and trash any gypsy moth or bagworm egg masses or spray with a horticultural oil to smother them. This summer was very dry so continue to water ornamental plants up until a hard frost. Clean up any remaining debris from the garden beds but do not add […]
UConn Extension Hosts Fall Open House
North Haven—UConn Extension’s New Haven County Extension Center invites the public to a Fall Open House on Thursday, September 15, 2016 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 305 Skiff Street, North Haven. The New Haven County Extension Resource Council, Inc. (NHCERC, Inc.), a volunteer organization supporting the educational outreach programs based in this center, […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Marcia Johnson
Teacher and 4-H Volunteer Brings Gardening, Nutrition and Fitness to Students in the Classroom and Beyond By Kim Markesich Originally published by Naturally@UConn on January 26, 2016 Twenty-eight years as an elementary school teacher has not dampened the enthusiasm of 4-H volunteer Marcia Johnson. She’s upbeat, energetic and clearly excited about teaching. Five years […]
FoodCorps Making an Impact
Our FoodCorps Connecticut service members are making a large impact across the state! Since September 1st: The 15 superstar service members have interacted with 6257 students! They have harvested 355.25 lbs of produce from school or community gardens! They have worked with 545 volunteers! CT Service members have also worked with 40 farmers! What amazing numbers!!!!
10 Tips for the December Gardener
Check for spider mites on houseplants by misting plants. If mites are present you will see water droplets clinging to the mite’s webbing. Control them by misting daily to keep humidity high after giving them a thorough drenching in the sink. Store your opened bags of fertilizer in a sealed plastic bag or plastic waterproof […]
10 Tips for the October Gardener
All houseplants need to be brought inside before the first frost. Connecticut had a frost over the weekend; if your houseplants aren’t inside, make a note on your calendar for next year. Pot up tulips, hyacinths and other pre-chilled bulbs and store in a cool, dark place until ready to force. Rosemary is not […]
New Greenhouse Teaches Science of Gardening
New Greenhouse helps 4-H Center at Auerfarm Teach Youth the Science of Gardening By Sarah Bailey, Master Gardener Coordinator, Hartford County Extension Center Winter may have been unusually cold and long this year, but there was a sunny and green oasis at the 4-H Center at Auerfarm. Spinach and herbs grew throughout the winter, […]
The Untimely Death of a Worm
By Catherine Hallisey Connecticut FoodCorps As I was kneeling by a raised garden bed, planting snap peas with a couple of students, I heard a third grader scream “NOOOOOO!” from the other side of the garden. An array of thoughts immediately sped through my mind in the split second it took me to get over to […]
Barnum School in Bridgeport
Barnum School 4-Hers in Bridgeport celebrated Earth Day on April 25th. Parents, students and community volunteers celebrated with a Garden clean up. Twenty-seven beds were cleaned, wood chips laid, and eight new beds were built.
Don’t Be Too Eager to Work That Soil!
By: Penn State Extension Working soil that is too wet results in soil compaction. Learn how to test your soil to see whether it is too wet to till or plant. As I write this, we’ve had some substantial rain lately, with more forecast in the near future. This time of year, everyone is ready […]
Gardens, gardens, everywhere…
….be sure to grow with food safety in mind By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD UConn Extension Educator – Food Safety It is hard to believe that spring is just around the corner. Though we in Connecticut were all teased with 35-degree temperatures, we are quickly back in the deep freeze, surrounded by ugly, dirty […]
Where’s Your Garden’s Water From?
By Karen Filchak – Extension Educator – Residential Environmental & Water Quality Water for farms and gardens can come from several possible sources, including wells, municipal sources, ponds and rain barrels. Some water sources are more likely than others to be harboring harmful pathogens that might contaminate your garden goodies with salmonella and E. Coli […]
Create a Worm Farm
Photo and article by Carol Quish for UConn Extension The basics of keeping a worm farm are easy. Explaining why you would want to have one is a little harder to justify to people, particularly family members. Having been a worm farmer for over twenty years, my family finally just accepts and then ignores the fact […]
Double Duty – A Vegetable Garden That Looks as Good as it Tastes!
I will admit, planting zinnias (or any flowers for that matter) in between corn plants is not something I had considered until admiring the attractive combination in the vegetable garden at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, home of the Worcester County Horticultural Society. Last Thursday the MNLA Summer Field Day was held at this 132 acre […]
Ten Tips for the July Gardener
Ten Tips for the July Gardener: Inspect garden plants regularly for insect and disease problems. Sanitation practices, insecticidal soaps, and insect traps are alternatives to pesticides. Properly placed shade trees will reduce air conditioning costs. Try shade tolerant ground covers in areas where lack of sunlight limits grass growth. Yellow leaves of cucurbits and tomatoes […]
Gardening Quick Tip: Japanese Beetles
Mary Concklin, UConn Extension Educator for Fruit Production and IPM offers this quick tip on dealing with Japanese Beetles: Using the Japanese beetle traps will actually attract the beetles to your planting. Instead, if you have the traps, place them at least 100 feet from the planting to try to draw them away from the […]
Supplies Needed for a Worm Bin
1) One 14 by 20 inch or so dark plastic (not clear plastic) storage bin with lid 2) Another storage container that this first plastic storage bin will fit into or a foil turkey cooking pan that your bin can be set in. 3) Newspapers to shred for bedding (no glossy sections but the comics […]
Daffodil Labyrinth
Located at the Tolland County Agricultural Center is the Daffodil Labyrinth, a spring labyrinth made from flowers. When the yellow daffodils of spring appear in late March so does the labyrinth. As the daffodils fade in April violet grape hyacinths appear to hold the pattern into May. As summer arrives the labyrinth is mowed and […]