Gardening Conversations from NCPR

(Apr 13, 2020) Chuck and Kris Minster moved from the Finger Lakes to Peru in Clinton County in
October of 2019, to be closer to their daughter, Rebecca 'Becky' Shuman. Their houses are just a few miles apart. But Becky’s husband works in a hospital, so the family is socially distancing from each other - no more family dinners or movie nights.

What they do still have is what Becky and her dad Chuck are calling their ‘victory garden’ - a 30 by 18-foot garden in Becky’s front yard that they’re working on together, from a distance. [full story ]

(Dec 31, 2018) For more than 20 years, horticulturist Amy Ivy has shared her expertise and love of gardening in conversation with Martha Foley each Monday morning on The Eight O'Clock Hour. Amy is retiring from her job with Cornell Cooperative Extension this week and from her volunteer job as NCPR's longtime gardening maven.

What does she plan to do with her time now? Tend (and expand) her garden.

In this last episode, she talks with Martha about what to do with the Christmas tree after the holidays are over. [full story ]

(Dec 17, 2018) Arrangements and centerpieces and cut flowers may be a better gift for the non-gardener; live plants can bring a burden of guilt. but they can make a nice gift for the green thumbs in your life. Amy Ivy recommends cyclamens, which are hardy and long blooming, and have colorful leaves when not in bloom.

Garden gear may by pricey, or duplicate what someone already has, but a garden center gift certificate is a practical alternative and sure to be put to good use.

Horticulturist Amy Ivy trades tips and advice with Todd Moe. [full story ]

(Dec 3, 2018) The Winter Solstice is three weeks away. The sun is low in the sky; days are short and getting shorter. Cold drizzle and slush aren't helping.

Houseplants can be an antidote, even for those of us without much, or any, of a green thumb.

Cooperative Extension's horticulturist lists a few favorite and trouble-free options for indoor greenery. Tops on her list: pothos, AKA Devil's Ivy. Also: chinese evergreen (Google it), jade tree, and peace lily. [full story ]

(Nov 12, 2018) Not only is it getting consistently frosty, we've had a string of wet days. Conditions haven't been ideal for gardening outdoors. But there can be a whole host of chores involving plants and dirt indoors.

Cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy took a call from a concerned Christmas Cactus owner last week. It was blooming on Election Day. What? And can it be re-potted anyway?

So, this week, answers to those questions, and more about plants that have come indoors for the duration. [full story ]

(Oct 15, 2018) We're expecting a killing frost across the region this week. Time to dig up and/or bring in plants you want to keep through the winter.

Cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy takes cuttings from her geraniums - it's very easy to propagate those in potting mix for blooms in mid-winter. Nasturtium cuttings flourish in a jar of water on a window sill.

You can always try digging up and potting herbs and other favorites to bring inside — some do better than others. And a note: tender "summer" bulbs, including glads and dahlias should come out soon for winter storage. [full story ]

(Oct 8, 2018) Garlic is one of those spring bulbs you plant in the fall, like daffodils, tulips and crocuses. Cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy offers lots of detail in this week's conversation. What kind, how, where and how deep, and how to snug it in for growth over the winter.

Short version: get big, healthy local bulbs, split them into cloves, plant root end down 2" deep and 4"-5" apart. And cover with loose mulch. [full story ]

(Sep 17, 2018) What are they? Why bother? And, how do you make them? Cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy answers the basic questions of raised beds: what? why? and how? And she adds in a few details, too, about how big, how high, and other questions to consider before you start.

One question we didn't get to: if you're concerned at all about pressure treated lumber, don't use it or lay plastic between the wood and your soil. Amy uses pine, 2X10, untreated.

Next week: what to fill them with? [full story ]

(Sep 10, 2018) In mid-September some of a gardener's work is deconstruction, some is preparation, and some is just thinking. Cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy is pulling out spent zucchini; Martha Foley's getting rid of some really tired tomatoes and hoping the remainder will have time to ripen this month. Both are prepping an area for planting garlic later in the fall, and talking about moving all or part of the garden.

First step in that process: killing the existing grass with a thick cover this winter to make way for new beds. [full story ]

(Sep 3, 2018) The late warm weather helps extend the blooming season. Deadheading annuals like zinnia will also help. You can divide perennials that are not in bloom and thin out and move around early bloomers like lilies and iris. And it's a good time to beef up the soil while you're at it.

Cooperative extension horticulturist Amy shares tips and to-do lists with Martha Foley. She is a regular Monday morning guest on The Eight O'Clock Hour. [full story ]

(Aug 27, 2018) Gardens have a distinctly different look as August winds down. There's usually a lot of browned-out foliage to clean out (if you've been away or been too busy).

But whether it's vegetables or flowers, there are some old, and new favorites that really come into their own. Home grown tomatoes, of course, and the strong colors of zinnias and black-eyed susans. Cooperative Extension's Amy Ivy is enjoying pole beans now, too, and sweet peas - the flowers, that is! [full story ]