THINK SPRING! Winter Lecture Series for Home Gardeners Returns in 2012

THINK SPRING! Winter Lecture Series for Home Gardeners Returns in 2012

“Four fun and informative seminars to choose from”

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County Master Gardener Program is once again offering a series of workshops during February and March to help the avid home gardener get prepared for spring.

Classes will be held on Thursdays, February 9, and February 16, and March 1 and March 22. All classes will be from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at Ulster County BOCES located at 175 Rt. 32 North in New Paltz. Participants may choose the class or classes they are most interested in or sign up for the entire series. The fee for individual classes is $15 or $50 for all four. Class sizes are limited. Pre-registration is encouraged.

For more information call Dona Crawford at 845-340-3990 ext. 335. Click here to register.

Do It Yourself Vegetables, Berries & Herbs

February 9, 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Composting - John McCormick

Everything you wanted to know about composting and then some!

Whether you compost at home or just thinking about starting to compost, you will learn the best way to compost your kitchen and yard waste and turn it into beautiful soil using the best methods that fit your situation.  We will cover the benefits, elements needed, different approaches that can be used and the practical uses of compost.

John McCormick has been a Master Gardener since 2007.  He is a retired HS Social Studies Teacher and

Adjunct Professor School of Education at Marist College.

February 16, 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Vegetables From Seed: Spring Through Fall  - Barbara Bravo

Every year we are inundated with seed catalogs and alluring displays of seed packets at our favorite garden centers.  Learn to base your choices on proven varieties for our local area and basic information such as starting your own plants vs. buying, using coldframes, interplanting to maximize your garden space, the benefits of annual crop rotation and how to replace valuable nutrients to the soil through cover crops and green manures.

Instructor - Barbara Bravo is a Master Gardener, Garden Coach and ceramic artist.  She is a frequent speaker at Garden Day and local events.   Barbara has planted and maintained ornamental and vegetable gardens at her home and studio for more than 25 years.

March 1, 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Part 1

Every Tomato Under The Sun - Teresa Rusinek

Over 100 varieties of heirloom, Cherry, Grape, Field and Plum tomatoes were grown on a local farm in 2011. Learn which were the favorites and why.

Instructor: Teresa Rusinek is the Commercial and Community Horticultural Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ulster County where she provides oversight to the Ulster County Master Gardeners.  She has had over 20 years experience in horticulture. Teresa works with vegetable farmers in Ulster County, helping them trouble shoot production problems.

March 1, 8:00pm to 9:00pm

Part 2

Herbs - Allyson Levy

Herbs are legendary; they play prominent roles in the culinary arts and enjoy a rich folkloric history. Their medicinal value is well known. In the ornamental garden they are easy to grow and mostly deer resistant. This class will introduce you to the history of herbs, their many uses and some practical tips about growing them.

Instructor:  Allyson Levy is a Master Gardener. She and her husband have an edible and decorative garden company, Hortus Conclusus. Allyson helped spearhead 2 edible gardens in the Rondout Valley School District, where she volunteers as a MG.  Allyson and her husband are turning their 11-acre property into a botanical garden

March 22, 7: 00pm to 9:00pm

Small Fruits Explained - Steve McKay

This is a 2-hour intensive training class about cultivation practices, harvest and storage of berry crops including blueberries, currants, gooseberries, elderberries, and brambles as well as uncommon bush fruits such as honeyberry, aronia and saskatoon.

Instructor: Steve McKay is a former Extension Educator for CCE HV in the commercial fruit program.  He has a BS in International Agricultural Development and Entomology and a MS in Pomology, both from UC Davis.   His expertise is in berries, grapes and processing.

For more information about Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s community programs and events visit our online calendar at www.cceulster.org. Follow us on www.facebook.com. CCEUC provides equal program and employment opportunities. Please contact the CCEUC office at 845-340-3990 if you have any special needs.

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Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County (CCEUC) is a 501(c) 3 subordinate government agency of the State of New York under Article 5, 224(b) of the NYS County Laws organization that utilizes research based knowledge through their partnership with Cornell University. This information is disseminated through their on-going community programming in the areas of Agriculture, Horticulture, 4-H Youth Development, Family and Consumer Science and Environmental programs held throughout Ulster County.