A soil pH test is a great first step to successful gardening.
Find recommended varieties of vegetables that grow well in our area!
What's eating your plants? We can help you find out, and suggest ways to control it!
Gardening
The staff and Master Gardener Volunteers of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties are available to provide research-based gardening information and services to county residents such as soil testing, identification of pests and diseases, and answering gardeners' horticultural questions. If you are unable to find the solution to your problem here on our website, please call either office -- in Acra (518) 622-9820 x 110 or Hudson (518) 828-3346 x 212. You may also may send an email to colgremg@cornell.edu .
Plant Diseases
Prevention and early identification are crucial to minimizing damage from disease in your garden and landscape. Check out these resources that can help you stay ahead of disease in your garden.
Spotted Lanternfly
The NYS Dept. of Agriculture & Markets recently confirmed that the invasive spotted lanternfly has been found in Delaware County, New York. The pest targets ailanthus trees and attacks a variety of crops (grapes, hops apples and forest products).
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is native to Asia, and was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2001. It produces an unpleasant smell indoors, and can damage shade and fruit trees, vegetables and legumes.
Deer Resistant Plants
Is there anything they won't eat? Although no plant is completely "deer proof", we've compiled a chart of deer-resistant varieties that may avoid their browsing.
Making Compost!
Find resources here on how to start and maintain a home compost bin! Learn how to turn food and yard waste into "black gold" for your garden!
Test Your Soil!
Learn the correct way to gather soil for a soil test at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties
Contact
Donna Peterson
Program Educator, Community Horticulture
dmp234@cornell.edu
518-828-3346 ext.106
Last updated January 3, 2019
Capital Area Agricultural and Horticultural Program (CAAHP)
The CAAHP program is a regional program supported by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of Albany, Columbia, Greene, Schenectady and Washington Counties as well as Cornell University. This regional agricultural team provides agricultural producers, processors, and the industry with high quality educational programs and cutting edge research-based information. Please visit this website for additional details on CAAHP programs and services.
Find Your Zone!
The 2016 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map helps gardeners and growers determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map, for which a broadband Internet connection is recommended. Users may also simply type in a ZIP Code and find the hardiness zone for that area.
The USDA Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. Use their online tool to see soil type data over an aerial map of Columbia or Greene Counties.
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Beginning Beekeeper Workshop
Saturday, January 26
1:00 PM - 4:30 PM -
Seed Starting Workshop (Hudson)
Saturday, March 16
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM -
Seed Starting Workshop (Acra)
Saturday, March 16
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM -
Save the Date! Spring Gardening Day
Saturday, April 6
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Save the Date!
Spring Gardening Day will be held Saturday, April 6, 2019!
Insect Diagnostic Lab
For more information about an insect, or how to deal with an insect problem in or around your home or garden, contact the Insect Diagnostic Lab, a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension in the Department of Entomology. For a $25 fee, an insect or related arthropod can be shipped to the lab, or a detailed photo can be emailed, for expert identification. Diagnostician Jason Dombroskie, Ph.D. has many years o fexperience identifying insects and other arthropods. More information about this service, including fact sheets on common outdoor and indoor insects, can be found at http://idl.entomology.cornell.edu/