Tag Archives: weeds

Clean Your Garden with Insects in Mind

by Mary Carol Presutti, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

Between now and mum season there are a few things you can do to get a head start for spring cleanup with minimum fuss.


Weed

A pair of gloved hands holding some freshly picked weedsThis is a perfect time to get a start on weed management for the spring.  Shorter days and colder weather in the months ahead will reduce the activity of plant growth.  You want to keep the process as natural as possible.  Pull weeds to your hearts content without overly disturbing the soil.  Don’t use hoes or rakes, and don’t turn the soil over unless you must.  When you disturb the soil too much seeds resting on top of soil get planted in the loose soil, and seeds deep in the soil are brought closer to the surface where they will be able to sprout.  Every time you move soil around without a purpose, the roots and seeds of unwanted plants are given the go ahead to sprout away.

Organic Weed Management – Cornell University


Mulch

Freshly mulched garden bed in front of a houseBare soil is an invitation for weeds to… well, put down roots!  Cover weeds that you want gone by the spring with a layer of weighted cardboard. Sometimes I think I shop online more for the cardboard shipping boxes then for what’s inside.  I also love using sheets of bark from my fireplace wood in and around my garden plants.  Tree bark adds nutrients, cuts down on weed growth, and is a good insulator for tender plants.  Grass clippings or shredded leaves make a nice winter mulch, but cut up leaves soon after they fall to the ground before insects and small animals take shelter.  Rake only the leaves you need to, leaving a goodly amount for insects to find winter cover.

Organic Garden Mulches to Conserve Moisture and Prevent Weeds – South Dakota State University Extension

Leave the Leaves – Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation


Seed

A group of blazing star blooms - cyclindrical spikes covered with tiny purple flowers
Blazing star

There are so many plants that seed themselves if you leave them be, although you must be patient as they will need a year or two to establish themselves from seed.  Here are a few of my favorites

Self-Seeding Perennials – University of Minnesota Extension

Which flowers are self-sowing? – University of New Hampshire Extension


Collect Seeds

Three milkweed seed pods that have been spilt open. One is empty and the other two contain lots of small, brown, oval-shaped seed attached to a silky strands that will help disperse the wind disperse them.
Milkweed seed pods

I love collecting seeds and seed heads as they mature throughout the year.  I either give them to friends or propagate them in other areas of my own garden.  Make sure you collect seeds from plants that produce viable seeds.  Some cultivars are bred to be sterile, and hybrids may produce seed, but the offspring will not necessarily resemble the parent plant.  It is best to stick with uncultivated species and their varieties.  Seeds and seed pods vary greatly.  Milkweed produces seed pods which open to disperse seeds, while catmint, verbena, and blazing star produce seed heads after the plants flower.   Research gathering techniques, proper storage, and how to plant different kinds of seeds in your garden.

Saving Seeds from Annuals and Perennials – The National Gardening Association

How to Collect and Store Seeds – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center


Disease Management

Black, yellow, and white stripped monarch caterpillar feeding on milkweed.
Monarch caterpillar

If you grow native milkweeds, consider cutting back the plants this month to discourage next year’s growth from harboring any diseases that may have been left by this year’s monarchs. The most prevalent is Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, a parasitic protozoan that affects caterpillars.  An infected monarch butterfly can host thousands of these parasites on their wings.  Dispose of the cuttings with your regular trash instead of composting.

A wild begamont plant with leaves covered witha white substance.
Powdery mildew on wild bergamont

The stems and leaves of diseased plants should also be cut and disposed of in the trash as well.  A good example is wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), which is very susceptible to powdery mildew.  If left alone the mildew will overwinter on the old stems and may transfer to new growth in springtime.

Powdery Mildew of Ornamentals –  Cornell Cooperative Extension Nassau County


Create Habitat for Pollinators

Milweed stems that have been cut back so the hollow stem can be used for by cavity nesting bees
Cut back milkweed stems

One way to help local native bee populations is to encourage nesting in your garden.  Cut back some of the hollow-stemmed plants like Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium spp.) and milkweed leaving them about a foot tall as to create a space for cavity nesting bees to nest.  For the ground nesting bees, avoid heavy wood mulches which are impossible for these small insects to burrow into.

Pollinator Nesting Resources – Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Wild Bees of New York – Cornell University


Plant of the Month: Goldenrod

By Linda Gayton, Highland Mills Master Gardener Volunteer

This article appeared in the August 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County.

Goldrod being visited by afly
Canada Goldrod (Solidago canadensis) being visited by a fly
A bee visiting the yellow flowers of an Alpine Goldenrod plant
Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima)
Close-up of small yellow flowers of alpine glodenrod.
Alpine Goldenrod (Solidago leiocarpa)

Goldenrods are members of the aster family (Asteraceae) and most are of the genus Solidago.  There are over two dozen species of goldenrod native to New York State varying in height from the 14 inch tall Alpine Goldenrod (Solidago leiocarpa) to the 4-6 foot Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima).  Most of New York’s goldenrods are late bloomers putting out flowers in late summer and fall.  As one of the few groups of wildflowers in peak bloom at this time, many insects depend on these plants for food.  Goldenrods also provide food for birds and small mammals through their prolific seed production.  On sunny days goldenrod patches are a good place to watch for butterflies including painted ladies, monarchs, and viceroys.  In addition to butterflies, many species of bees, wasps, and beetles can also be seen collecting pollen and nectar from the hundreds of tiny flowers that make up a goldenrod’s inflorescence or flower head.

Brifht yellow flowers on a tall goldenrod
Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)

This hardy perennial thrives in a variety of habitats including roadsides, fields, wet and dry prairies, sandy banks, swampy bogs, and forest openings.  Some species will even thrive in sand dunes by the ocean or on rocky summits.  On the east seaboard, Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) grows in abundance stabilizing sand dunes and providing a vast food supply for monarch butterflies on their long migration south.

No matter your garden aesthetic, there is goldenrod for you.  Gardeners who prefer tidy borders can choose clump forming varieties, whereas gardeners desiring a more naturalistic look may be able to accommodate the self-seeding or rhizomatous types.  Most goldenrods are very hardy and vigorous with few diseases or insect problems.  The spiky, fleecy, or sometimes flat-topped yellow flowers are versatile accents to the strong purples and pinks of aster, sedum, and joe-pye weed.  They also complement dainty flowers of native grasses and lobelias.

A large group of flowering ragweed
Common Rageweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) in bloom

For gardeners concerned about goldenrod’s alleged allergy inducing pollen, please note that goldenrod produces a sticky pollen meant to attract and adhere to insect pollinators not allergy inducing wind-borne pollen.  One of the main culprits of late summer /early fall allergizes is ragweed, a common garden weed that blooms at the same time and often alongside goldenrod.  Ragweed goes unnoticed in the landscape because of its drab green flowers, which generates an unusual amount of wind-borne pollen much to the chagrin of allergy sufferers.  Goldenrod pollen will only affect an allergy sufferer if they stick their nose into a flower and take a big sniff.

Large golden candle shapped infloresence of showy goldenrod
Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

Understanding this misconception between ragweed and goldenrod is important, as the goldenrods comprise a diverse genus with tremendous horticultural potential.  Goldenrod is one of the absolute best native perennials for biodiversity.  Add it to your pollinator gardens and let people know it is a friend, not a foe.


 

Gardener’s Checklist

August 2021

Garden Maintenance

  • Deadhead annuals and perennials regularly too encourage new blooms.
  • Consider adding some herbs to you perennial flower garden.

    Japanese Knotwwed in full bloom
    Invasive Japanese Knotweed

Webinar: Gardening with Herbs – Cornell Cooperative Extension Chemung County

Pest Watch

A silken fall webworm nest at the end of a branch full of caterpillars.
Fall Webworm Nest
  • Keep pests out of your home this fall!

Webinar: Keeping Pests Out of Your Home this Fall: From Stink Bugs to Mice – NYS IPM

  • Scout your lawn for grubs—before you treat!!

VIDEO: Using IPM to Assess Your Lawn for White Grubs – NYS IPM

  • Dump out any standing water from containers in your yard to prevent mosquito breeding.
A very holey head of cabbage a result of feeding by the imported cabbageworm
Imported cabbageworm damage on cabbage.

How to Manage Mosquitoes in the Landscape – New York State Integrated Pest Management

  • Scout often for pest in your vegetable garden.

What Kind of Insect is Destroying my Plants?– Gardening in Orange County New York Blog

Vegetable Gardening

  • Rejuvenate your soil by planting a fall cover crop such as barley or clover.
Light purple clover flower against a background of green leaves
Clover makes a great fall cover crop.

Webinar: Cover Crops for the Home Garden – Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County

  • Continue to remove weeds, as they compete with your garden plants for water, sunlight, and space.
Bottom of basil eaf covered with downy mildew spores
Basil Downy Mildew
  • Preserve your bounty.

Webinars: Food Preservation – Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County


Happy Gardening!

Black Swallowtail on Lupine ‘Tutti Fruitti’

Gardener’s Checklist

July 2021

Garden Maintenance

  • Purple petunia bloomKeep weeding and mulching.
  • Pinch back petunias to encourage bushy growth.
  • Deadhead annuals and perennials regularly.
  • Keep lawn mower blades sharp.  Mow lawn high (2½ to 3 inches).

Pest Watch

  • Slug on a green leafCheck your garden for slugs and slug damage.
  • Dump out any standing water from containers in your yard to prevent mosquito breeding.

How to Manage Mosquitoes in the Landscape – New York State Integrated Pest Management

  • Colorado potato beetle larvae sitting on a decimated potato leaf
    Colorado potato beetle larvae

    Scout often for pest in your vegetable garden.

What Kind of Insect is Destroying my Plants?– Gardening in Orange County New York Blog

Vegetable Gardening

  • Cluster of Brussels sprouts on plant
    Brussels sprouts

    Keep tucking your indeterminate tomato vines inside the cages.

  • Sow cool season crops.

Virtual Workshop: Summer Planting for an Autumn Harvest – Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County

Brown bullseye lesions on a yellowing tomato leaf
Early blight on tomato
  • Continue to remove weeds, as they compete with your garden plants for water, sunlight, and space.
  • Remove diseased or yellow leaves from tomato plant.

Got Blight? Which One? – NYS Integrated Pest Management


Go pollinators go!

Bumble bee on the petals of an echinacea bloom

Gardener’s Check List

June 2021

Garden Maintenance

  • Oscillating Sprinkler watering a gardenWater in the morning, allowing plants to dry before nightfall.
  • Continue to divide spring-flowering perennials.
  • Remove emerging weeds before they take over your garden.

Virtual Workshop: Gardening for Beneficial Insects: Bees, Butterflies, and Natural Enemies Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County

Pest Watch

Get your ticks tested for free! – Upstate Medical University

Spotted Lanternfly Look-alikes – Virginia Cooperative Extension

  • Close-up of a blood filled mosquitoDump out any standing water from containers in your yard to prevent mosquito breeding.

How to Manage Mosquitoes in the Landscape – New York State Integrated Pest Management

  • Scout your plants often for pests.

What Kind of Insect is Destroying my Plants?– Gardening in Orange County Blog

Vegetable Gardening

  • Seed green beans, radishes, and heat-tolerant greens every two weeks.

Vegetable Planing Guide – Cornell Cooperative Extension

  • Continue to remove weeds, as they compete with your garden plants for water, sunlight, and space.

Get outside and enjoy nature!

White spider camoflagued on a white daisy nabbing a fly

What’s in Bloom? – April 2020

Even though most of the trees are still bare and must of us awoke to snow on the ground this weekend, spring has arrived and with it are some of the most beautiful blooms of the year.

Spring Flowering Bulbs

Pink and purple hyacinth flowers
Hyacinthus orientalis
Clump of white daffodils with bright orange centers and yellow daffodils
Daffodils (Narcissus spp.)

The crocuses have all but faded, but the daffodils continue to bloom, brightening up the drab landscape with their cheery yellows and oranges.   They have recently been joined by the hyacinths.  With their overpowering fragrance, these flowers add to springs color palette with their cool colors of pink and purple.

Grape Hyacinth - cones of tightly packed purple flowers

You may have noticed some small purple flowers known as grape hyacinths.   Not a true hyacinth,  the inflorescence of this flower is a cone of small purple flowers that almost looks like a miniature clump of grapes.

White daffodiles with bright yellow center
Daffodil ‘Ice Follies‘

If you want to bring some spring cheer inside (highly recommended), it is best to give daffodils their own vase as their stems secrete a substance that is harmful to other flowers.

 

Spring Ephemerals

White and purple flowers growing out of a patch of soil
A mixture of the white spring ephemeral bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) and the purple spring bulb green anemone (Anemone blanda).
Clump of small flowers with five purple petals a light yellow center
Hepatica nobilis

One of the great joys of spring is the appearance of spring ephemerals.  These native plants grow in wooded areas and only have a short time to flower before the trees above them leaf out and block their sunlight.  When you are walking through wooded areas in the spring, make sure you watch your feet or might step on the delicate flowers of the bloodroot or the hepatica.

Other Spring Blooms

Clusters of cascading pink flowers
Andromeda (Pieris japonica)
Small purple and magenta flowers in a mass of green leaves with white spots
Lungwort (Pulmaria spp.)

From the showy flowers of the andromeda bush to the subtle flowers of the lungwort, the more time you spend out side the more flowers you’ll notice.

Weeds – It’s all in the eye of the beholder.

Dandelion with a bright yellow flower growing in the crack between two pavers
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Many spring flowering plants are considered weeds.  You may think that dandelion in your lawn is unsightly, but the bees beg to differ.  Dandelions are an important source of pollen and nectar for bees in the early spring as are other spring flowering ‘weeds’ like purple deadnettle and henbit.

What about Fungus?

Bright orange sphere with orange tentecales attached to the needles of an evergreen tree
Cedar-Apple Rust Gall (Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae)

Now fungi aren’t plants, so they don’t have flowers, but they can add color to the landscape.  In the spring cedar-apple rust galls that overwintered on juniper become more noticeable as they produce gelatinous tendrils that release spores  into the air.  Some of these spores will find their way to apple trees where they can cause problems by infecting the leaves and the fruit of the tree.


Happy Spring!

Spring bouquet of bright yellow daffodils and forsythia, purple grape hyacunth, white andromeda, and buds of a pink cherry treeThanks to all of the Master Gardener Volunteers who provided their thoughts and photos for this post!

April is Citizen Science Month!

What is citizen science? 

Scientists are limited in the amount of data they can collect by both time and money.  With help from members of the general public, known as citizen scientists, researchers are able to crowd source data collection collecting more data from more places helping them find answers to real-world questions.

So if you want to do something fun and educational that contributes to the advancement of scientific knowledge, consider becoming a citizen scientist.

Citizen Science Projects


Monarch Butterfly (Orang and Black) - Jouney NorthThe Journey North

This project focuses on migration and seasonal changes.   People all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico, report sightings of birds, monarchs, frogs, and other organism.   Watch as reported sightings are mapped in real-time as waves of migrations that move across the continent.


inaturalist logoi-Naturalist

iNaturalist lets you photograph, identify, and document what’s around you.  Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed.  By sharing your observations with scientists, you will help build our understanding of the natural world.

Never Home Alone

In studying life, scientists have overlooked many regions. Some regions have not been studied because they are so remote. Others because they are so diverse that it is hard to know where to even begin. Then there is the great indoors, which we believe has been understudied in part because it is so immediate. This project aims to document the species that live indoors with humans.


The Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Logo with Bird in MiddleThe Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world contribute bird observations to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology each year, gathering data on a scale once unimaginable. Scientists use these data to reveal how birds are affected by habitat loss, pollution, disease, climate, and other environmental changes. Your participation will help trace bird migration, nesting success, and changes in bird numbers through time.

Celebrate Urban Birds

Celebrate Urban Birds is a citizen science project focused on better understanding the value of green spaces for birds. This project connects people of all ages and backgrounds to birds and the natural world through the arts and fun neighborhood activities.

e-bird

The goal of this project is to gather this information on bird sightings, archive it, and freely share it to power new data-driven approaches to science, conservation and education.  e-Bird also develops tools that make birding more rewarding.  It provides the most current and useful information to the birding community from photos and audio recordings, to seeing real-time maps of species distribution and alerts that let you know when species have been seen.

NestWatch

NestWatch is a nationwide monitoring program designed to track status and trends in the reproductive biology of birds, including when nesting occurs, number of eggs laid, how many eggs hatch, and how many hatchlings survive.  Their database is intended to be used to study the current condition of breeding bird populations and how they may be changing over time as a result of climate change, habitat degradation and loss, expansion of urban areas, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals.


Logo - The Tick App - Bulls Eye with a the outline of a tick in the miidle suurounded by the words The Tick AppThe Tick App

The Tick App allows people living in high-risk areas for Lyme disease, like Orange County New York, to participate in a tick behavioral study.   Participants complete daily logs and report ticks.  The app provides information on how to remove ticks, prevent tick bites, and general information about ticks.   When enough people are involved, it can also provides information about blacklegged and deer tick activity in our area.


Monarch Caterpilar (Yellow, white, black stripped) on a green leaf - Monarch Larva Monitoring ProjectMonarch Larva Monitoring Program

This citizen science project’s mission is to better understand the distribution and abundance of breeding monarchs and to use that knowledge to inform and inspire monarch conservation.  People from across the United States and Canada participate in this monarch research.  Their observations aid in conserving monarchs and their threatened migratory phenomenon, and advance the understanding of butterfly ecology in general.


Logo - Monarch Watch.org Education, Conservation, ResearchMonarch Watch

Monarch Watch strives to provide the public with information about the biology of monarch butterflies, their spectacular migration, and how to use monarchs to further science education in primary and secondary schools. They engage in research on monarch migration biology and monarch population dynamics to better understand how to conserve the monarch migration.

Monarch Calendar Project

In the spring and fall volunteers collect observations of adult monarchs.  This information is used to  assemble quantitative data on monarch numbers at critical times during the breeding season.

Tagging Monarchs

Each fall Monarch Watch distributes more than a quarter of a million tags to thousands of volunteers across North America who tag monarchs as they migrate through their area. These citizen scientists capture monarchs throughout the migration season, record the tag code, tag date, gender of the butterfly, and geographic location then tag and release them. At the end of the tagging season, these data are submitted to Monarch Watch and added to their database to be used in research.


Logo - The Lost Ladybug ProjectThe Lost Ladybug Project

In the past twenty years, native ladybugs that were once very common have become extremely rare.  During this same time, ladybugs from other parts of the world have greatly increased in both numbers and range. This is happening very quickly and no one knows how, why, or what impact it will have on ladybug diversity.  Citizen scientists involved in this project help scientists answer these questions by photographing ladybugs and submitting the photos along with information about when and where the ladybugs were found.


Logo - Vegetable Varieties for GardenersVegetable Varieties for Gardeners

A project of Cornell University’s Garden Based Learning, this web forum provides an avenue for gardeners to share knowledge.  Gardeners report what vegetable varieties perform well – and not so well – in their gardens.  Other gardeners can view ratings and read the reviews to decide which might work well for them.  Researchers  use the information gain new insight into the performance of vegetable varieties under a wide range of conditions and practices. The information gathered is also used to make a  Selected List of Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners in New York State.


Logo - The outline of New York State under a picture of a moth, a beetle, a moth and a fly with the words Empire State Native Pollinator SurveyEmpire State Native Pollinator Survey

Native pollinators play an essential role in the pollination of flowering plants, including native plants and wildflowers, garden plants, as well as cultivated crops. Some native pollinator species have suffered population declines over the last few decades.   Participants  in this study submit photographs and/or specimens to help  determine the conservation status of a wide array of native insect pollinators in non-agricultural habitats.


iMapInvasivesiMapInvasives

iMapInvasives is an on-line, GIS-based data management system used to assist citizen scientists and natural resource professionals working to protect our natural resources from the threat of invasive species.  Citizen scientists are provided with resources to help them identify invasive species. Their invasive species findings are aggregated with data from a wide variety of sources contributing to early detection of invasive species as well as analysis of management strategies.


A curated beetle collection with pinned specimens above tagsNotes from Nature

Natural history museums across the world share a common goal – to conserve and make available knowledge about natural and cultural heritage. The Notes from Nature project gives you the opportunity to make a scientifically important contribution towards that goal by transcribing museum records. Every transcription that is completed brings us closer to filling gaps in our knowledge of global biodiversity and natural heritage.


Logo - citizenscience.orgCitizen Science Database

This is an official government website designed to accelerate the use of crowdsourcing and citizen science across the U.S. government.  It includes a searchable database of  a government-wide listing of citizen science and crowdsourcing projects designed to improve cross-agency collaboration, reveal opportunities for new high-impact projects, and make it easier for volunteers to find out about projects they can join.


Become a Citizen Scientist today!

Out in the Garden

As the days get warmer and the sun sets later and later, I hope you all have the opportunity to spend more and more time outside.  Sunshine and fresh air are good for the soul!

If you happen to have a garden or have decided that this is the year to start one there are lots of things to keep you busy at this time of year!

Perennial Beds

A mantis egg mass, straw colored foam like mass the size of a golf ball, on the branch of a forsythia bush covered with yellow flower buds
Mantis ootheca on forsythia

Hopefully you waited until spring to clean up your garden to allow beneficial insects and other arthropods such as bees and butterflies to overwinter.  Now that spring has sprung you should leave debris as long as you can to give these creatures a chance to emerge from their winter hiding places.  You should start carefully removing debris from around blossoming plants.  If you must cut back hollow stems, bundle them so any pollinators overwintering inside have a chance to emerge.   As you are cleaning up be on the look out for praying mantis egg cases know as ootheca.   This is one time when you should leave things till tomorrow!

Freshly mulched garden bed in front of a house
Freshly mulched garden beds

Mulching is another spring time activity.  There are many different types of organic mulch that will not only suppress weeds, but also add organic material to the soil as they break down.  You don’t have to mulch everything, in fact many ground nesting bees such as bumble bees need a bit of bare earth to make their nests.  And if you are mulching your trees make sure to keep the mulch at least 3 inches away from the base of the tree so that it is not touching the bark.

And it is never to early to start weeding!  Lots of winter annual weeds such as common chickweed and prickly lettuce have already sprouted!

Vegetable and Herb Gardening

Starting Seeds Indoors

It is not to late to seed one more round of cool season crop such as cabbage, kale,  and lettuce, but it is also time to start seeding warm season crops such as eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes.

To start seeds you will need:

      • seeds
Several flats of seedlings
Flats of seedlings

There are lots of places online where you can purchase seeds. If you still have seeds left over from last year and don’t know if they are still good, don’t throw them out, try this simple home germination test.

      • sterile potting mix

It is important to use sterile potting mix to avoid disease issues like damping off.  Do not reuse potting mix and do not use garden compost.

      • container
20 or 30 chard seelings sprouting in a small plastic container filled with soil
Rainbow chard seedlings in a supermarket salad container

You don’t need to buy a fancy container to start seeds.  Just make sure the container has been sterilized and has drainage holes.

      • water

You want to keep the soil moist, but be careful not to over water or you may have a problem with damping off.

      • light source
A bookcase converted into a light frame for seedlings -grow lights above seed trays placed on the shelves
Bookcase converted into a grow frame

Some seeds need  light to germinate, but all seeds need light after they germinate. Once your seeds sprout  a light source will help prevent them from becoming leggy.  You can purchase grow lights or just use a soft white fluorescent bulb.  Here are directions on how to build a Low-Cost Grow-Light Frame.

      • heat
Mini greenhouse made from areused plastic container covering a small tray with 8 small cups of soilEight small cups of soil
Mini greenhouse

Most seeds will germinate between the temperatures of 55°F and 75°F,  but the optimal temperature for each type of seed varies.  You can create a mini-green house to trap heat and moisture.  You can also buy heating mats to warm the soil.  Click here to see  Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination.

Out in the Garden

A small child in a jean shirt, teal skirt and bright yellow rain boots put seeds in the ground
Planting peas

Gardening is an activity for the whole family!  Children love helping plant seeds!  Right now you can be direct seeding cool season crops in your garden such as beets, carrots, lettuce, peas, radishes, spinach, and turnips.  If you want to have a continual harvest, consider succession planting or  seeding several smaller plantings of the same crop at timed intervals, rather than all at once.

Chive plant in a raised garden bed
Chives

While most people are busy seeding, some perennial plants are already coming up or even ready to harvest!  Chives are a great example of a perennial that allows you add something fresh and green to your meals in the early spring.  If you planted chives in your garden last year, they are probably already making their way to your table.  This perennial of the onion family begins growing in early March and is able to be snipped with scissors and eaten soon after and throughout the growing season right up until the fall frost.

Crinkly green and dark purple leaves with bright pink stems sticking out ogf the soil
Rhubarb

Another perennial making an appearance is rhubarb!  Rhubarb is a great addition to any vegetable garden and as it is deer resistant and highly attractive it can also be used as part of your edible landscape.  Although the leaves of rhubarb are considered poisonous, the stems of this spring crop that can be used to make the classic strawberry rhubarb pie as well as many other delicious snacks.

Click here for vegetable gardening resources! 

And as always, if you are having any issues in your garden, need help identifying the cause of a problem or figuring out a management strategy give us a call.  Our Garden Helpline phones are staffed April – November, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm.  But you can always leave us a message or send us an e-mail.

Call (845) 343-0664 or e-mail your questions to mghelpline@cornell.edu.


Whatever kind of garden you have, spend some time enjoying its beauty!

A hanging ball of greens and fuzzy pussy wilow branches
December’s Kissing Ball transformed into a ‘Kitty Ball’ by the addition of Pussy Willow branches

Thanks to all of the Master Gardener Volunteers who provided their thoughts and photos for this post!