Extension kicks off gardening series

4/21/2009

Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie County Master Gardeners will lead four workshops on backyard vegetable and herb gardening.
The workshops are scheduled for four consecutive Tuesdays April 28, May 5, 12, and 19 from 6:30–8pm at the Extension Center, 173 South Grand Street, in Cobleskill.
All aspiring and experienced gardeners are welcome.
Each workshop is $10 per person or $30 per person for all four sessions.
Pre-registration is required by Monday, April 27, but participants may pay at the door.
For more information and to register, contact Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie County at 234-4303 or 296-8310.
The first two workshops, A Garden in a Tray, are a two-part, hands-on session.
Session One, April 28, will cover organic soil preparation, composting, pH interpretation, and garden design suggestions.
Participants can bring a sample of garden soil for pH testing and get recommendations for amendments.
Session Two, May 5, will include seed starting, transplanting requirements and techniques, maintenance, companion/beneficial plantings, and extending the season with extra crops. Participants will take home a vegetable and herb ‘garden in a tray’ that will germinate for transplanting outdoors at the end of May.
The price includes a collection of seeds for tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, zucchini, yellow squash, sweet basil, parsley, and lettuce, and seed starter mix and plant trays.
The third workshop, Vegetable & Herb Gardening in Containers, May 12, will focus on the appropriate vegetable and herb varieties, tools and techniques for preparing and caring for vegetable and herb container gardening. Container gardening is a popular practice for gardeners with and without limited space.
The fourth workshop, So You Started a Vegetable Garden – Now What?, will complete the series on Tuesday, May 19.
The excitement of starting a vegetable garden can be quickly overshadowed by the care required to successfully reap the fruits of your labor.
Participants will join the Master Gardeners one more time this spring to learn about the do’s and don’ts, gardening tricks, and tips on maintenance and care for bountiful harvests.