By Brooke Moore, New Windsor Senior Master Gardener Volunteer When doing a cost-benefit analysis, there is nothing in gardening that has a greater benefit that planting bulbs in the fall. For minimal cost and labor now, you can have a garden filled with blossoms bursting with color, texture, and fragrance in the spring. All it … Continue reading Fall Bulbs – Plant Now For Spring Delights
By Cecille Jones, Monroe Master Gardener Volunteer This article appeared in the July 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County. My informal poll on bats confirmed my suspicion: people either like them or hate them. There’s no in-between. I don’t mean to preach to the converted. But if you shudder at the thought of inviting … Continue reading Growing a Bat Friendly Garden
October 2021 Garden Maintenance Put down your pruners and leave a messy garden for overwintering beneficial insects. Protect overwintering butterflies, beetles, bees, moths and more beneficial insects by leaving the leaves! Make more plants! Webinar: Make More Plants! Fall Propagation of Native Perennials – CCE Tompkins County Dig up tender bulbs and tubers (i.e. cannas, … Continue reading Gardener’s Checklist
By Cecille Jones, Monroe Master Gardener Volunteer This article appeared in the August 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County. Did you know one of the smallest insects in the world also happens to be the deadliest to humans? Yup, those pesky mosquitoes renowned for ruining many an outdoor evening event kill more humans every … Continue reading Pest Watch: Mosquitoes in our Ecosystem
By Linda Gayton, Highland Mills Master Gardener Volunteer This article appeared in the August 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County. When it comes to invasive species, patience and persistence are key. This is a marathon not a sprint. Eradicating invasive species takes the determination of the tortoise, not the hare. We need to exercise … Continue reading Strategies for Removing Invasive Species
August 2021 Garden Maintenance Install pollinator hotels for tunnel nesting bees. For some small color, plant some autumn crocus. Deadhead annuals and perennials regularly too encourage new blooms. When it comes to lawn care—do less: mow less, limit watering, live with some weeds, Consider adding some herbs to you perennial flower garden. Webinar: Gardening with … Continue reading Gardener’s Checklist
By Cecille Jones, Monroe Master Gardener Volunteer This article appeared in the August 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County. If you have been enjoying your summer vegetable harvest, there is no reason why you can’t extend your growing season through the fall and winter. Those of us who live in Orange County, NY, are … Continue reading Seven Crops to Plant in August for a Fall Harvest
By Cecille Jones, Monroe Master Gardener Volunteer This article appeared in the July 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County. Willows include more than 400 trees and shrubs from the Salix genus. New York boasts more than 15 native willow species. Whether it’s a balsam willow, bearberry willow, heart-shaped willow, pussy willow, peach-leaf willow, or … Continue reading Tree of the Month: Black Willow
This article appeared in the July 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County. Basil downy mildew has been a persistent deadly disease of greenhouse and garden basil crops in the US for over 10 years. It is caused by the pathogen Peronospora belbaharii. This fungus-like oomycete can infect the plant during its whole lifecycle from … Continue reading Pest Watch: Basil Downy Mildew
July 2021 Garden Maintenance Keep 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 Check your garden for slugs and slug damage. Dump out any standing water from containers in your yard to prevent mosquito … Continue reading Gardener’s Checklist