Gardening Tips
- Beneficial Insect: Syrphid Fly or Hover Fly – These guys are your friends! Adult hover flies resemble small wasps, with a black and yellow or white striped abdomen. They will hover like a hummingbird as they drink nectar from flowers. Hover flies do not sting. They range in size from 1/4” to 1/2” depending on the species. The adults are the pollinators and its the larvae that consume pests. Read more →
- Pest: Cabbage Worm – Cabbage worms are very common on cabbage plants and their relatives. Often times you spot their damage before their camouflaged bodies. Read more →
- Pest: Aphid – Aphids are a common tiny pear-shaped, soft-bodied insect up to 1/8” long. They are usually found in masses feeding on flowers and crops. Read more →
- Pest: Japanese Beetle – Adult Japanese beetles are iridescent green with copper wing covers and are, unfortunately, very common in gardens in mid-summer. Read more →
- Growing Late Season Greens – In the heat of summer many greens are bolting (setting seed) and becoming bitter, but with a little planning you can still plant more greens throughout the summer! Read more →
- Pest: Slugs – Wet weather brings slugs which wreak havoc on your plants close to the ground, especially those that are very moist like lettuce, cabbage, and many other greens. Read more →
- Pest: Flea Beetles – Flea Beetles are tiny little shiny, black beetle that hop away when you approach plants. Read more →
- Frost Protection – Traditionally there is still a good possibility of frost in the Connecticut River valley through May 20, and up in the hills through Memorial Day weekend or even the first week of June. With care, you can still get a head start on the garden. Read more →
- Geotextiles: Row Cover or Reemay Cloth – In the Northeast, row cover is a farmer’s best friend. Read more to find out how you can benefit from using this geotextile in your home garden. Read more →
- Cover Crops – Got an area in the garden that just is not going to get planted? Try a cover crop! Cover crops are crops that are grown simply to enhance soil quality, rather than to directly produce food for people. Cover crops provide food for the living soil. Read more →