Going beyond the fall-foliage show, continual heavy rains can cause more important damage to plants. The rains can wash nutrients out of the soil, starving plants, and conditions in saturated soil can cause a host of problems. Wild Ideas: Is the … [Read more...]
How Spiders Increase Plant Diversity
How Spiders Increase Plant Diversity Spiders are important components of a healthy ecosystem. In fact, scientists are finding that spiders actually change the behavior of some insects, which can have huge ramifications for plant … [Read more...]
October Tips: INTERIOR GARDENING
• Christmas cacti need special care now to produce flowers in December. Buds will form when temperatures are between 50° and 60°F, or if the plant is exposed to at least 13 hours of complete darkness each night. Putting them in a spare room is well … [Read more...]
Why do we Hate Wasps and Love Bees?
Why do we Hate Wasps and Love Bees? A new study reveals that wasps are largely disliked by the public, whereas bees are highly appreciated. The researchers involved say that this view is unfair because wasps are just as ecologically useful as … [Read more...]
Oh, Rats! How to Solve Compost Bin Pest Problems for Good
Got Rats? Here's how to not. Oh, Rats! How to Solve Compost Bin Pest Problems for Good Five reasons to use a compost tumbler in your home garden to make healthy compost soil food quickly from kitchen and yard … [Read more...]
“Leave” Them Alone: Lawn Leaf Management
While we enjoy the beautiful colors associated with fall foliage, we also realize that most of those leaves will soon be on the ground. At this time of year, many turf manag- ers quit managing grass and shift their focus instead to managing leaves. … [Read more...]
November Events
There's a lot going on in November. Fall talks, seminars, workshops, celebrations... and registration for classes! The Bedford Extension Master Gardener Training Course begins on Feb 7th. Interested? Check it out, register now, join us! 1-2 … [Read more...]
Hedge Apples and Other Unusual Winter Weather Forecasters
Hedge Apples and Other Unusual Winter Weather Forecasters What in the heck is a hedge apple? And can it really predict the weather? Learn more about this odd-looking fruit. Source: Farmers' Almanac … [Read more...]
The Chemicals Behind the Colors of Autumn Leaves
Who's ready to go leaf peeping? The Chemicals Behind the Colors of Autumn Leaves With autumn looming on the horizon, the leaves on some trees have already begun the transition towards the vibrant hues of … [Read more...]
Six reasons to NOT clean up the garden this fall
Preparing Your Garden for the Winter is a completely different class these days. We now understand how our yards can become havens for creatures, large and small, depending on what we plant in them and how we tend to our cultivated spaces. Thanks to … [Read more...]