Straw Bale Gardening #2 - Cornell University Cooperative Extension Fulton and Montgomery Counties

What is a Master Gardener?

Download File

What do Master Gardeners do?

Download File

What do I need to become a Master Gardener?

Download File

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

Straw Bale Gardening #2
Posted 7/1/2016 by MG

It's been nine days since the last post and things are really taking off. We've had some rain so watering has not been a daily routine. We have begun to feed with a 20-20-20 liquid fertilizer. Tomatoes especially like a balanced food. When I listed the advantages of straw bale gardening in the last blog I think I left out an important one...very little weeding necessary. Straw bales have way less seeds than hay, so make sure to specify straw bales if you are buying.

"Hilling" potatoes as they grow is the common practice, but we are not sure if we can do this on the bale. More experimenting I guess.

Here is a link to the Cornell growing guide for potatoes.

http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scenec6be.html

Call 835-2135, or email fultonmontgomery@cornell.edu if you have questions.

Happy gardening.

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.

Download File

How to Take a Soil Sample

Download File

20 Park Street, Room 202, Fonda, NY 12068
Telephone: 518-853-2135, Fax: 518-853-2129
fultonmontgomery@cornell.edu

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Fulton & Montgomery Counties provides equal program and employment opportunities.
The information given herein is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended
and no endorsement by Cooperative Extension is implied.