by Connie Oswald Stofko I often write articles about what you can do your garden right now. But today, what you can do in your garden depends on whether you live in the northern part of Western New York or the south. Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Southern Erie counties are getting heavy lake effect snow. The rest of Western New York is looking at a few flurries. But as we gardeners know, the weather in Western New York can fluctuate….
Still time to plant some veggies; save seeds, too
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s only August, so there is still a lot of gardening you can do in Western New York. Succession planting Succession planting is when you plant and harvest a second crop in one year. There is still time to squeeze in another crop of cool weather vegetables! If you missed planting them in early spring, take advantage of this second chance. In our previous article, Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market explains what to plant…
New virus is striking tomatoes & peppers; see more
A virus new to the United States is striking tomatoes and peppers, according to this article by Beth Mattimore in the newest edition of WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is spread by tomato seeds. There are no current treatments or sprays that will cure infected plants. Tomato production worldwide is threatened. The virus has been seen in other parts of the world since 2015….
Lewiston GardenFest kicks off garden walk season in WNY
The season of garden walks will kick off this weekend with Lewiston GardenFest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 17 and 18 on Center Street in Lewiston. Here are some photos–and tips!–from a couple of the gardeners who will be sharing their landscapes during the Lewiston GardenFest. You can see and learn more during the actual event. “Celebrate summer at Lewiston GardenFest and come away inspired to enhance your own green spaces,” said Mary Ann Yates,…
Basics: Start a garden & keep it going in Western New York
by Connie Oswald Stofko Do you want to create a brand new garden bed? Extend a garden bed? Make changes to your perennial garden? Start growing vegetables–or grow them better? You’ll find lots of great gardening tips in these articles: Would you like to find out more on various gardening topics, such as deer, water features and pests & weeds? Browse all our Gardening Topics for Western New York here….
Tasks you can do in WNY’s warm spring weather
by Connie Oswald Stofko It looks like we will have a week of warm spring weather in Western New York! It’s a great time to get outside and enjoy some gardening tasks. But don’t get ahead of yourself–some tasks should wait a little longer. See what’s happening in your yard See what plants have started to grow. Pick up any trash that blew into your yard. Look for damage from rabbits, deer or moles and voles. Check for winter storm damage. Some things you…
Can we plant garlic in April in Western New York?
by Connie Oswald Stofko When should you plant garlic? The usual recommendation is October. (It overwinters and you harvest around July.) But maybe you can plant garlic in April in Western New York–and harvest the same year! I got a comment on this previous article last October from a local gardener. She had planted garlic in April: Last fall I had hand surgery and wasn’t able to get my garlic planted. I did it in spring and had a beautiful…
Start of a new gardening season: Plant seeds for cool weather vegetables
by Connie Oswald Stofko We still have wintry weather in Western New York, but you can begin sowing seeds now–or soon–for cool weather vegetables. As their name implies, cool weather vegetables can withstand cooler temperatures in the air and soil. That means you can transplant cool weather seedlings outside weeks earlier than you can for tender vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers. In a previous article, Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager of Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, 428 Rhode Island St., Buffalo, lays…
Tasks you can do in your late-autumn garden
by Connie Oswald Stofko Yes, Western New York has seen winter weather already, but the calendar says it’s still autumn. With a few days of milder weather in the forecast, get outside and do those late-season tasks while you can. Harvest herbs & cold weather veggies If you have any herbs or cold-weather vegetables, such as parsley, onions and peas, still growing, don’t let them go to waste. Harvest them now while they’re not hidden under a blanket of snow….
Reminder: You can plant garlic now in Western New York
by Connie Oswald Stofko The gardening season isn’t over yet! You can plant garlic now. Here are six reasons why you should plant garlic. (The first reason is that garlic easy to grow. I can’t grow zucchini, but I can grow garlic!) That article also covers how to plant garlic and how to harvest garlic and garlic scapes….