By Manny Grossman Soil care. The phrase often evokes apprehension and even fear amongst new gardeners. As a longtime teacher of soil science at the New York Botanical Garden, I hear it all the time. “Will I need to bring in truckloads of compost?” “When is the best time to double dig and rototill?” And let’s not forget the old classic, “What is the best product to buy for my soil?” Well, I’m here to allay all your fears and apprehensions. No, the truth is that soil care and management is actually really easy. And pretty inexpensive, too. Why? Because the less you do the better your results will be.…

Norway maple (Acer platanoides) was introduced as a shade tree in Philadelphia by John Bartram, a botanist and horticulturist who got the seeds from London in 1756. It was routinely used as a replacement for elms felled by Dutch Elm Disease in the early 1900s. It’s now a common street tree. In fact, according to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, it’s the most-planted street tree in the U.S. It’s probably even more common than we think because it’s often confused with other maples. Most people probably don’t even realize it’s considered invasive in Connecticut. The tree is on our state’s official list of invasive plants but is not specifically banned. This…

We list mechanical control options below. Many thanks to Emmett Varricchio for developing the calendar. See it in full on the CIPWG website at cipwg.uconn.edu If you don’t get to it at the prescribed time, just remember that the best time to manage invasives is NOW! CUT/MOW: Delays/prevents seed production and depletes plant’s resources. Follow-up often as necessary. Repeated mowing is an effective control strategy for some plant species. PULL/DIG: Effective at removing seedlings and annuals. Organize volunteers and have a pulling party. Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)Cut/mow anytime: Schedule three to four times a year. Can be effective but don’t leave cuttings to root! Oriental Bittersweet (Celastris orbiculatus)Cut/mow anytime: Effective…

If you’ve never heard Doug Tallamy speak you should take advantage of your next opportunity. You won’t be disappointed. We recently got the chance to meet him and hear him speak again at Christ & Holy Trinity Church in Westport. The event was sponsored by the Aspetuck Land Trust and we were invited by Don Hyman, one of its former presidents. Tallamy is a professor in the Dept. of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. He has authored 95 research publications and taught insect-related courses for 39 years. His research focuses on the interaction of insects with plants and how they impact the diversity of animal communities.…

NEW HAVEN, CT, Nov. 13, 2019 – Scientists from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) have discovered a highly invasive and noxious species of pigweed in Connecticut. The weed, identified as Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) is widespread and damaging in the southern U.S. and can be toxic to livestock. It was found this fall in two pumpkin fields in East Windsor. The weed is highly aggressive and can outcompete many crops, causing dramatic losses in yields. It has also been shown to be resistant to many of the commonly used herbicides used to control weeds in crops. Experiments are now under way to screen this population for herbicide resistance. Growers…

We’re pretty excited to announce that the digital-only November/December issue will be complemented with a printed version starting in 2020. Since 2015, when we began offering digital versions of our issues, we’ve run the final edition of the year only in a digital format. After signing on with a new printer, we’re happy to announce that all five Connecticut Gardener issues will be printed and digitized, allowing our readers — many of whom are hard-core print lovers — to settle in for the winter with their print issue. November/December will become November-February, straddling the new year and containing content and advertising relevant to the gardener’s dream time, when we let…