Cucumber and squash production is in full swing in the garden, but there is a key pest that can affect the yield and quality of the fruit. The striped cucumber beetle can be a destructive pest on all cucurbits (cucumbers, summer and winter squash, melons and pumpkins) from the moment you set your pl...

Do you wish you had more of your favorite plants in your garden? By propagating new plants from those already there, you can have additional perennials for free. The easiest method to propagate perennial plants is by rooting cuttings, either in water or in soil. Catmint and herbs such as oregano are...

The Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program (AWSMP) has released a new YouTube video describing the health benefits of spending time in nature, specifically near water or “blue spaces.” The video is a recording of Dr. Don Rakow, retired Cornell University faculty member, speaking to a live audie...

The Mohawk Valley Economic Development District (MVEDD), in partnership with local seamstress Lisa Smith, the Kirkland Town Library and Grow Amsterdam NY, has been awarded grant monies from the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) to host a series of educational community Homestead...

Over a five-year period beginning in 2015 and 2019, fire departments across the U.S. responded to roughly 347,000 home structure fires per year. Those data, courtesy of the National Fire Protection Association, underscores the significance of home fire protection measures. Smoke detectors are a key ...

Flipping through one of my favorite catalogs, the Vermont Country Store, I ran across some brightly colored aluminum tumblers and bowls, just like the ones that filled my grandmother’s kitchen cabinets. A wave of nostalgia hit me (as it often does), and I was transported back to the shade of a sprea...

When someone mentions wildflowers, what comes to mind? Daisies? Black-eyed Susans? They’re as familiar as the summer days of our youth, so well-loved that we often pick wildflowers for bouquets or add them to our gardens. What we call weeds tend to be any plant claiming a place for itself at our hom...

As the summer heats up and areas grow hotter, the TurfMutt Foundation – which has advocated for the care and use of yards, parks and other green spaces for 15 years – reminds homeowners of the importance of trees and other living plants for mitigating the heat island effect. Trees, along with plants...

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County, NY, is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated annual event, Open Farm Day, taking place on July 27 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This unique and engaging event offers visitors of all ages an opportunity to immerse themselves in the wonder of local foods ...