Think you’re done with landscaping or yard work for the year? Not so fast. Thanks to IPM funding, Long Island’s Suffolk County Cooperative Extension has posted dozens of down-to-earth fact sheets on landscape care — each a quick read, yet rich with detail. Whether you’re a professional or homeowner — and no matter where you live…Continue Reading Done with outdoor landscaping? Think again.
Christmas Tree Grower? Your To-do List …
… Just Got Longer. Not that Christmas tree growers aren’t a little busy just now, but this is a great time to take foliar samples (soil samples too, while you’re at it) so you’ll be ready to adapt your nutritional program in the spring. But why now? In a nutshell: yes, soil tests tell what…Continue Reading Christmas Tree Grower? Your To-do List …
Growing Sweet Corn for Market? Get a Jump on 2014
Sweet corn’s contribution to New York’s economy is in the neighborhood of $88 million. In fact, our fresh market-sweet corn ranks 4th in the nation. Lump all vegetables crops together, and you’re looking at a contribution on the order of $650 million. Winter prep can help boost yields. So what should growers be doing nowto…Continue Reading Growing Sweet Corn for Market? Get a Jump on 2014
Market Veggies Year Round
Get your veggies to market when demand for local produce is high — and so are prices. High tunnels, akahoop houses, are freestanding, low-cost alternatives to greenhouses. Though unheated, they trap enough solar energy to grow hardy crops throughout the winter, helping you keep revenues up 12 months a year. Whether you’re an established grower…Continue Reading Market Veggies Year Round
Where to Leave Your Leaves?
At this time of year, the trees that surround our homes carpet our lawns in glorious golds and scarlets, but what can we do with all those leaves? Most municipalities disallow burning, so that means they must either be mulched, added to the compost, or taken away. Often, a city offers curbside pickup service, usually…Continue Reading Where to Leave Your Leaves?
Putting Your Lawn to Bed
It’s November, too late for fertilizing your lawn. In fact, a new law bans application of lawn fertilizers on turf after Dec. 1. It’s also too late to seed—though recently seeded areas may still benefit from warm temperatures. You can mulch leaves on your lawn now, without hurting the grass. One study even shows that…Continue Reading Putting Your Lawn to Bed
Don’t Let Carpenter Ants Renovate Your Home!
Carpenter ants are the most common ant pest found in the Northeastern United States. They cause structural damage when they excavate wood for nest sites. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood, but rather scavenge on dead insects and collect sugary secretions (“honeydew”) produced by other insects such as aphids. Carpenter ants are a…Continue Reading Don’t Let Carpenter Ants Renovate Your Home!
Curiosity and Responsiveness Strong Attributes of New Vegetable IPM Educator
We are pleased to announce that Marion Zuefle, M.S., has joined our staff as a vegetable IPM educator. Zuefle, who previously served as a NYS IPM vegetable implementation specialist and fruit survey technician, will work closely with growers and researchers around New York and the Northeast. More recently, Marion has taken responsibility for the sweet…Continue Reading Curiosity and Responsiveness Strong Attributes of New Vegetable IPM Educator
The Heat’s On for Mums
If you’ve been warmer than you’d like of late, so have your mums. Pythium root rot likes it hot — and it likes mums, especially when their roots are stressed. Though this killer disease is widespread, it keeps a low profile when conditions don’t suit it — kicking into high gear when they do. Say…Continue Reading The Heat’s On for Mums
Just Ask: Pests A to Z
Well … maybe not Z. Not this time around. Bugs that infest your pantry or bite you at night … those intractable weeds … the rot on your peony blossoms — each is a pest. Even mildew (yes, mildew) is technically a pest. Our IPM educators statewide are writing up their quarterly reports even as we speak….Continue Reading Just Ask: Pests A to Z