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What is a Master Gardener?

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What do Master Gardeners do?

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What do I need to become a Master Gardener?

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The CCEFM master gardeners plan and create a large exhibit annually in the Cooperative Extension building at Fonda Fair.


A CCE master gardener is a teacher. Sometimes it is one-on-one and ...


Sometimes it is a group of youth in a school or at Fonda Fair...


And sometimes it is in classroom before a large group of people.


CCEFM master gardeners hold a plant sale annually and dispense information about selection, planting and care of plants they sell.



Consumer Horticulture
Do Your Plants Runneth Over?
Posted 4/25/2017

BELMONT, N.Y. — Did you get spring plants for Easter? Well you may be lucky enough to get more for Mother’s Day; so what do you do with them all?  First, check the tag with the plant, which will give you some basic information and then read below for more details. Remember, you can plant them in your garden and enjoy them again next year!

Here’s How:

TULIPS, HYACINTHS AND DAFFODILS – should be planted about 6 – 7 inches deep.  DO NOT remove the leaves but allow them to die back naturally.  You can remove the dead foliage when it is brown and comes off easily in your hand.  The dying leaves will provide nourishment for the bulb.  When planting in a bed, try to plant other things with them such as day lilies, iris, or peonies to disguise the browning foliage of the tulips.

CROCUS, MUSCARI (GRAPE HYACINTHS) and other small bulbs – PLANT 2-3 inches down and leave foliage on.  These bulbs should be planted right in the front of the border as they are very short and would be obscured by other plants –  for instance in front of the tulips.

LILIES – the “bulbs” look different from Tulip or Daffodil bulbs.  They have small bulblets surrounding the stem and if some get knocked off in planting, just put them in the hole also.  They should be planted in full sun about 8-10 inches deep.  Leave the foliage on the plant to nourish the bulb.  Remove the foliage when it is brown and comes off easily in your hand

AZALEAS – These shrubs are part of the rhododendron family.  They need acidic soil – pH 4.5-5.5.  They will grow in sun or light shade and prefer moist soil.  Mulch with peat moss or well-decayed leaves. Azaleas can grow to 3 feet tall and 3-5 feet across.

HYDRANGEAS – Plant as deeply as it was growing in the pot in a sunny area.  Check the tag to see if the variety you have prefers acid soil.  Some varieties will change from blue to pink in alkaline soil and to blue in acid soil.

CALLA LILIES – Plant 4 inches deep and about 12” apart in sun.  Mulch and water well.  Once flowering has finished, the plant needs a dormant period.  Stop watering and allow it to go dormant.  In fall, dig up and store the bulbs in a pot indoors and put out again the next spring when all danger of frost is past.

MUMS – Only the hardy or garden mums will survive another year.  Remove from pot and plant as deeply as it was growing in the pot in a sunny area.  Remove spent blooms, but leave the foliage.  You may want to mulch or winter protect them.

PRIMROSES – these come from roots and should be planted in front of the border when danger of frost is past.  They grow 3-4 inches tall and will come back year after year.  Plant in sun or partial shade.  Some drop seed and will grow from seed flowering the second year.  When clumps get large they can be divided and moved to a different location.  The Japanese type has a long stalk with flowers on top of the stalk and along the sides.  The Himalayan variety has a globe shape cluster of flowers on top of the stem.

All of these plants will grow in this area, although the Calla lilies need to be lifted for the winter. All the others can remain in the ground and should be mulched well. Nothing says spring like beautiful early spring flowers, so if you haven’t planted any in the past, consider planting spring bulbs this fall for a spectacular spring show in 2018!

—Pam Jones, Master Gardener Volunteer
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany County

- See more at: https://www.morningagclips.com/do-your-plants-runneth-over/?utm_content=articles&utm_campaign=NLCampaign&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_term=newsletteredition&utm_medium=email#sthash.PYxPcmrC.dpuf


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The Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program provides direct support for home gardeners by answering questions on the phone, email, and at events, teaching classes, and identifying insects. These volunteers stay current on horticultural topics.


Tip #1:
Consider planting flowers which may be dried for winter arrangements. Some of the best are strawflower, statice, celosia, and globe amaranth.

Tip #2:
Do not restrict yourself to buying plants in bloom. Petunias that bloom in the pack are often rootbound or overgrown and, after planting, will actually be set back and cease to bloom for about a month. Plants without blossoms will actually bloom sooner and will grow better as well.

Tip #3:
To extend the blooming period of gladiolus, plant early, middle and late season selections each week until the middle of June. Choose a sunny location and plant the corms four to six inches deep and six to eight inches apart.

Tip #4:
When chrysanthemums show signs of life, dig up and divide large plants. Discard woody portions and replant divisions 12 to 15 inches apart.

Tip #5:
Cut flower stalks back to the ground on daffodils, hyacinths, and other spring flowering bulbs as the flowers fade. Do not cut the foliage until it dies naturally. The leaves are necessary to produce strong bulbs capable of reflowering.

Tip #6:
The last Friday in April is National Arbor Day. Plant a tree, or support an organization which does.

Tip #7:
Prune spring blooming shrubs such as forsythia and spirea after they have completed flowering.

 

Have a gardening question?

Do you have a gardening question for the Master Gardener in Fulton or Montgomery Counties?

Send an email! A trained volunteer master gardener will get back to you as soon as possible.

mastergardenerccefm@cornell.edu

You may also leave a message on their voicemail:

518-853-2135

Japanese Beatles

It's time to scout for Japanese beetles. Evidence suggests that adult beetles are attracted to previously damaged leaves. Therefore reducing feeding damage now can result in less feeding damage in the future. 

Japanese beetle adults are one quarter to one half inch long with copper colored wing covers and a shiny metallic green head. Kind of attractive in a buggy sort of way. A key characteristic is prominent white tufts of hair along their sides.

They also have the munchies for your favorite rose, linden, grape, raspberry and some 350 different plants. They generally do not feed on dogwood, forsythia, holly, lilac, evergreens and hosta. To view more information on identifying Japanese beatles and how to control/get rid of them view the article below.


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How to Take a Soil Sample


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