Spring into gardening
MetroCreative
Ten one-hour webinars presented by Penn State蘑菇视频 master gardeners offer advice and best practices for planting and maintaining the best summer garden.
蘑菇视频
Victory Gardens were one way local residents showed support during World War II. Penn State Master Gardeners are offering a series of webinars to to help anyone interested in growing their own vegetables.
It蘑菇视频 that time of year again.
The days are just that little bit longer. The evening air just that little bit warmer. The rapid ups and down in temperature have begun to level out.
From day to day, you can just feel the seasons changing. The grass is turning from the winter蘑菇视频 brown to a bright and shiny green, and we鈥檙e beginning to see the buds of trees eagerly awaiting the right time to pop open.
Now is the time for those who garden begin to turn winter dreams into the reality of a new growing season.
The past two summers, the pandemic has given rise to a resurgent interest in backyard gardening. Many people discovered the joy of gardening for the first time as they used their new-found time at home as an opportunity to put some food on the plate, or add beauty to their yards. Whether you are a new or experienced gardener, now is the perfect moment to explore some of the resources the Penn State Master Gardeners program has to offer.
One of the best free resources is a series of web seminars (webinars) titled, 鈥淰ictory Garden Reinvented.鈥� First produced in 2020, the series is presented as 10 one-hour-long videos.
Victory Gardens were first promoted in the United States during World War I. President Woodrow Wilson encouraged individuals to grow a garden to help take pressure off of food producers. A similar effort was launched during World War II when food was rationed and other resources were constrained.
It was in that spirit, when the challenges of the pandemic gripped the nation, that the Penn State Master Gardeners developed these updated vegetable gardening programs.
Within each video, master gardeners and extension personnel discuss the basics of vegetable gardening. They can help you in your plant selection as they discuss varieties known to grow well in our Pennsylvania growing regions. They also cover growing needs and tips for many common vegetable plants, and discuss pest and disease management.
While the first two webinars in the reinvented series cover gardening basics, later sessions discuss specific types of fruits and vegetables. This allows you to choose webinars based on your interest or experience level. The webinars have also been translated into Spanish.
I鈥檝e watched them all and have learned something new from each session. These webinars are available at https://extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/berks/news/2020/gardening-resources-from-penn-state-extension.
If flower gardening or landscaping is more your interest, we have resources for those, too.
Our master gardeners web page is full of helpful information in the form of articles, webinars and other educational material. Our home gardening page can provide advice on everything from plant selection to pruning. We can help you in making choices that will be successful in your yard or garden. It is easy to make choices that will benefit native wildlife. Information is available at https://extension.psu.edu/trees-lawns-and-landscaping/home-gardening.
If you are just itching to get your hands a dirty, now is a great time to obtain a soil test.
Penn State soil tests measure key soil nutrients and PH. Getting your soil tested before the growing season will allow you time to get the results back so that you can incorporate the right amendments to have the best growing season possible. Instructions for gathering samples and submitting your soil test are available here https://extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/fayette/soil-test-kits.
The last threat of frost is still many weeks away. A little time spent now could pay off in benefits within your own backyard this summer. Happy Gardening.
If you have gardening questions, you can email fayettemg@psu.edu and a master gardener will respond. You can also find us on Facebook at https://extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/fayette, where we share gardening news and tips and announce webinars and special events.