Granite State Gardening (University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension)

At any particular time, a vine can be your worst nightmare or can steal the show in your garden. Vines are unruly by nature, growing in ways other plants simply can’t. Vines can serve many purposes, both aesthetically and even functionally such as softening and breathing life into the outside of otherwise pedestrian structures. Yet they’re largely underused in the garden and much maligned outside of cultivation. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz explore the good, bad and always fascinating world of vines, beginning with the bad and transitioning to the oh so good. Enjoy, and brighten up our email inbox with your most beloved vines. And check out the resources below to dig in deeper on some of the topics we touch on.

·         Featured Plant: Cup and saucer vine (Cobaea scandens)

Resources:

·         Growing Grapes: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/growing-grapes-new-hampshire-fact-sheet

·         Fruitless wild grapes: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/fruitless-wild-grapevines

·         Oriental bittersweet: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/invasive-spotlight-oriental-bittersweet

·         Native trees, shrubs and vines with wildlife value: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/new-hampshire%E2%80%99s-native-trees-shrubs-and-vines-wildlife-value-chart

·         Invasive species in NH: https://www.agriculture.nh.gov/publications-forms/documents/prohibited-invasive-species.pdf

·         Poison ivy: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/what-can-i-do-get-rid-poison-ivy-my-yard

·         Growing kiwiberries: http://www.noreastkiwiberries.com/production-guide/

·         University of Illinois resource on vines: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/vines/intro.cfm

·         University of Maryland resource on vines: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/vines

Cover image by Lorianne DiSabato, under used under Creative Commons 2.0
 

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Transcript by Otter.ai

When you see something out of the ordinary with a tree, how do you know if it’s really a problem or just something to shrug off? In part 2 of this 2-part episode on trees, Greg Jordan, Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz talk about pruning a bit to start and then focus most of the episode on a wide array of scenarios and what to do about them (if anything!). If you haven’t listened to part 1 yet, go back and listen to that first. 

• Featured Question: How to prevent frost cracking? 
• Featured Plant: White oak (Quercus alba) 
• Closing Tip: Using Wood Chips 

Promotions 

• Listener Survey 
• Growing Microgreens Webinar 

Resources 

• Basics of Pruning Trees and Shrubs 
• Selecting an Arborist 
• UNH Extension County Foresters 
• List of Trees for New Hampshire Landscapes 

Subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter. 

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Photo from Wiki Commons

Transcript by Otter.ai 

Supporting birds on your property goes well beyond putting up bird feeders, although they can be helpful and enjoyable. In this episode on supporting birds in your yard and garden, Matt Tarr, Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz talk about why birds need our help, how to assess your property and the needs of birds, and how to meet the needs of wild birds through landscaping choices and other strategies.

·         Featured Question: Which landscape plants are best for hummingbirds?

·         Featured Plant: Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)

·         Closing Tip: Purchasing Bare Root Trees

Promotions

·         Listener Survey

·         NH Farm, Forest and Garden Expo

·         Webinar: Hydroponics at Home

·         Webinar: Extending the Gardening Season

Resources

·         All About Nest Boxes

·         Winter Bird Feeding

·         UNH Extension’s Wildlife Program Website

·         Cornell Lab of Ornithology

·         How to make your yard more bird friendly (Audubon)

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Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Transcript by Otter.ai

Show Notes
If you aren’t starting seeds, you’re limited to whatever you can plant directly into the garden and whatever starts you can pick up from your local garden center. Starting your own seeds opens up possibilities for growing new crops you couldn’t grow otherwise, better varieties for your garden and tastes, and earlier and better harvests to make it all worth it. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share proven tips and solutions for successfully starting your seeds indoors, from set up and germination to transplanting. Come for the accessible science, stay for the demystifying banter. Once you learn how to start seeds indoors, you can take your gardening to the next level. 

Featured Question: Homemade seed starting and transplant media

Featured Plant: Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus)

Gardening Tip: Planting Depth

Background Reading:

Starting Plants From Seed [fact sheet]

Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden [fact sheet]

Growing Seedlings Under Lights [fact sheet

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

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Transcript by Otter.ai

Nate Bernitz  0:00 
Welcome to the Granite State gardening podcast from UNH Cooperative Extension. On today's show, we're talking about starting seeds indoors. in the show notes, you'll find a link to our fact sheet on seed starting, as well as helpful resources on when to start your seeds, indoor lighting and more. eight episodes in we're having a blast putting this podcast together and want to hear from you with your feedback, topic suggestions and gardening questions. Our email is gsg dot pod@unh.edu. We really appreciate the emails we've gotten so far. And hey, if you're not already connected with us on social media, we're on Facebook and Instagram. Just search for ask UNH extension. Now let's get started with seed starting.

Greetings Granite State gardeners I'm Nate Bernitz, co host with Emma Erler of the Granite State gardening podcast, a production of UNH extension. Today we're talking about seed starting a practice that opens so many possibilities for gardeners, especially somewhere with a relatively short growing season like New Hampshire. By starting seeds. You won't rely on just whatever seedlings you can get your hands on from local garden centers and plant sales. And you won't be limited to what can be so directly in the garden. You'll have your choice of crops, flowers, and varieties galore to choose from all because you'll be able to provide ideal germination conditions indoors. Once you learn the science and know how of seed starting, you'll be at a whole other level of gardening and won't believe how limited you once were, with spring rapidly and mercifully approaching despite what Punxsutawney Phil says there's no time to waste. So let's get started. Emma, when it comes to seed starting, I want to first know the science, we always want to know the science first. So what are those ideal conditions for germinating seeds?

Emma E  2:05 
Well, a seed is is basically a shell or husk that's holding an an embryo on the inside. And in order for a seed to germinate, you need to have some specific conditions, you need to have moisture in you need to have light, and you need to have oxygen. And if you don't have those things, then the seeds not going to germinate. When we're talking about germinating seeds at home, we are providing that at least the moisture, at least moisture and oxygen in our seed starting mix that we're using. So that's that potting media that we've chosen to start our seeds in. And then light that's either going to be coming from a really bright window, or ideally actually from some sort of some sort of supplemental lighting system that you have inside your home.

Nate Bernitz  2:59 
Okay, so moisture, oxygen and light, not nutrients because these seeds already have the nutrients they need to at least get started, so to speak. So ideally, we're recreating these really ideal germination conditions indoors. We know the science, it's been researched, it's been determined, this is what you want to do for these seeds. So if you're doing everything right, what kind of germination percentages are you expecting? Like for every 100 seeds you're trying to start? Are all of them going to germinate? And what sort of practices that maybe aren't so ideal might bring that germination rate down?

Emma E  3:40 
Wow, that's a really good question. And honestly, it depends a lot on the exact plant that you're trying to propagate. Not all plants create viable seeds equally, some produce a lot more viable seeds than others. So germination rates, gonna vary a fair amount, and it's gonna depend a bit too on the age of that seed, exactly how it was harvested, how it was stored. So if you're buying seeds and packets like most of us do, those seed packets will will have been germination tested by the Seed Company. And on that packet, you'll see a percentage stamped on there somewhere that indicates what the germination percentage of that seed should be under ideal conditions. It's interesting though, because, like I said, some plants do you have a lot of really viable seeds. I mean, if we're looking at something outdoors, let's say an invasive plant like oriental bittersweet, the germination percentage of those seeds tends to be well over 90%. Whereas something like a paperbark maple, it's really only about 5%. So, you know, it helps maybe to know a little bit about the seed that you're starting. But if you have brand new seeds in a packet, you really just need to pay attention to what that jar percentage is listed on that packet and know that really, it would be very rare to have absolutely every seed germinate for you, that typically doesn't happen. But if you have some good quality seed, at least 80%, I think would be acceptable.

Nate Bernitz  5:17 
Okay, folks, don't go out there and just start germinating oriental bittersweet seeds, because you know, you're good germination, it's alright. It's not impressive. They're invasive, don't do it. When I go to the store, really any store right now, there are seed starting kits everywhere. These they're pretty cheap. They claim, you know, this is what you need. But I want to know from you, what do you actually need in terms of supplies, equipment, what kind of setup is really essential to get to get started and be successful with seed starting,

Emma E  5:53 
it could definitely be handy to buy one of those complete kits, but you're right, you don't need it. So to start with, I think it's helpful to figure out what sort of containers you want to start your seeds in. seed starting containers are typically on the smaller side, because you don't need to have a whole lot of potting media for a small seedlings root system. And they also are going to have drainage of some sort in them just just like you would for any ...

While insects are a part of every garden, and an important part at that, there are some insects that cause unacceptable damage to our plants and need to be managed as pests. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz are joined by Anna Wallingford, host of the Overinformed on IPM podcast, to share proven tips and solutions for managing these insect pests with an integrated pest management approach. Anna has an uncanny ability to make pest management fun, and while she focuses on advising farmers, recording this episode was a unique opportunity to bring her expertise to gardeners. Anna shares unexpectedly interesting information about the lives these insects lead, and how understanding their life cycles and peculiarities can give gardeners a leg up in battling these garden foes. 

·         Featured Plant: Ground Cherries (Physalis pruinosa)

·         Closing Tip: Choosing your battles with pests in the garden

Resources:

·         Over-informed on IPM podcast

·         Garden Irrigation Webinar

·         Garden IPM

·         IPM Resources for NH Growers

·         Growing Ground Cherries and Tomatillos

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Transcript by Otter.ai

There’s been a noticeable increase in interest from landowners in backyard livestock, from laying hens to pigs and sheep. Whether you just have a little bit of outdoor space or a lot, incorporating animals may be a viable option – and undoubtedly many of you already have. While this episode is not a comprehensive how-to guide to raising backyard livestock, this conversation with UNH Extension dairy, livestock and forage field specialist Elaina Enzien weaves together an exciting array of topics relevant for raising animals on a small scale. After listening, you might be inspired to not only learn more and dig deeper, but bring some more animals onto your property. 

Featured plant: jimsonweed (Datura stramonium)

Join us on Saturday, September 25 at Wagon Hill Community Garden in Durham, NH for a workshop on using manure in the garden.

Background reading:

·         UNH Extension resources on backyard livestock

·         Teach Cows to Eat Weeds: The Science, the Steps and the Reasons why Cows Shout Eat Weeds

·         Manual of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Agriculture in New Hampshire

·         Manure Management for Small and Hobby Farms

 
One correction: At one point in the episode, Elaina referred to cattle, goats and sheep as monogastrics. A listener pointed out that ruminants is a more accurate term - and he's absolutely right! So we're issuing this correction.

Herbs are delicious and fragrant additions to a garden, whether a dedicated kitchen garden or as ornamental and edible accents in vegetable and flower gardens. But herbs can also be grown inside your home, protected from the elements and even closer to your kitchen. Whether you’re growing herbs as houseplants year-round or just to get them through the winter before they go back outside, indoor herb gardening is rewarding as long as you are able to provide the care they need to thrive. 

In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share proven tips and solutions for all aspects of indoor herb gardening — from seed starting and care of newly purchased potted herbs to indoor/outdoor transitions and drying and cooking from your homegrown harvest. 

Featured question: germination testing of old seeds

Featured plant segment: borage 

Closing gardening tip: removing hazardous ice without harming your garden’s soil.

 
Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Background Reading

• How to keep potted herbs from the supermarket alive longer: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/how-can-i-keep-potted-herbs-supermarket-alive-longer
• Soil for potted plants: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/what-best-soil-potted-plants
• Preserving herbs: https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/preserving-herbs-freezing-or-drying
• Cooking with herbs: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/tips-cooking-fresh-herbs
• Germination testing: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/are-my-leftover-seeds-last-year-still-good-or-do-i-need-buy-new-ones
• Borage: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b765
• Breaking the ice: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/breaking-ice

Every homeowner knows they should prune, but beyond that, there’s a lot of confusion. Making things worse, there are examples all around us of poor pruning: fall snipping, summer shearing, tree topping, the list of pruning transgressions goes on and on. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share proven tips and solutions for approaching the ever intimidating and often-counterintuitive task of pruning. Come for the accessible science, stay for the demystifying banter. Once you learn how to prune, you’ll never see the trees and shrubs all around you the same. 

Featured question: Can trees be topped to reduce their height?

Featured plant segment: Vernal witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis)

Closing gardening tip: Staking trees

Background reading: 

It’s Pruning Season article, with information about upcoming events: https://extension.unh.edu/pruningseason 

March 17 live event with Emma and Nate on Pruning: https://extension.unh.edu/events/pruning-ornamental-trees-and-shrubs-online 

Basics of Pruning Trees and Shrubs fact sheet: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/basics-pruning-trees-and-shrubs-fact-sheet 

Pruning Deciduous Trees fact sheet: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/pruning-deciduous-trees-fact-sheet 

Pruning Hydrangeas fact sheet: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/pruning-hydrangeas-fact-sheet 

Science of Pruning webinar Q&A: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/science-pruning-qa 

Cleaning and Sharpening Pruners: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/how-clean-and-sharpen-your-pruners 

TRANSCRIPT
by Otter.ai

Nate Bernitz  00:00

Welcome to the Granite State gardening podcast from UNH Cooperative Extension. On today's show, we dive into the world of pruning. At the top of the show, I want to put in a plug for a series of online events we're offering on this very topic. The first is on March 9 on pruning fruit trees, then on March 11, on pruning blueberries on March 15, it's burning raspberries, blackberries and grapes. And finally on March 17, ornamental pruning. If this episode leaves you with questions, join us on March 17. To ask me those questions live. These four events will all be streamed for free on our Facebook page, ask UNH extension. And I'll play host and moderator speaking with extension specialists including Emma and Becky Seidman, who you know from our vegetable garden planning episodes. Check the show notes of this podcast for the details. And speaking of the show notes, we have links to several parenting resources Emma has written herself and one of the things I appreciate most about these resources are the hand drawn diagrams Emma has done which really help illustrate these concepts. Greetings Granite State gardeners. I'm Nate bernitz. co host with me earlier of the Granite State gardening podcast a production of UNH extension. Today we're talking about pruning and specifically pruning ornamental trees and shrubs. So not the trees and shrubs that grow edible fruits because we're going to devote a whole other episode to printing those up. Now today we're talking about pruning landscape favorites like hydrangea, lilacs, Rhododendron, and well you get the idea. You may refer to pruning as trimming or cutting, but for today, we'll use the word pruning. Our goal here is for you to feel confident about pruning, and understand just a bit about how plants actually grow and respond to cuts, you're going to find that is really helpful. Inevitably pruning is something that takes practice and experience as well as an understanding of how particular plants grow and what you'd like them to actually look like as the real expert here. So I hope you don't mind if I learn a bit right along with you. Okay, let's get into it.

Emma E  02:29

Can trees be topped to reduce their height. That's this episode's featured question. Topping a tree is the cutting back of large branches and mature trees, cutting them to Stubbs trees are often top because they're perceived as being too tall to be safe. This fear is largely unjustified though, as a healthy tree we'll have a root system that is adequate to support it. Topping has the potential to harm trees and actually make them more prone to breakage. Trees respond to topping by producing a lot of long sprouts below the cut of the large branch that quickly grow to the height the tree was initially. Additionally, these limbs are weakly attached to the parent branch and are very prone to wind, snow and ice damage, which can obviously be hazardous. Another thing to consider is that large pruning wounds from large branch removal often did not seal properly and invite decay and insect invasions into the tree topping can lead to a long slow decline of a tree. So topping trees is hardly ever a good option. If the height of a tree really needs to be reduced for some reason. My advice, work with a certified arborist to have the work done properly. Your trees will thank you.

Nate Bernitz  03:53

Emma I mentioned in the introduction how this is a kind of a separate episode from pruning fruit trees and shrubs. Can you just really briefly explain why this is kind of a different animal?

Emma E  04:07

Well, it's different I think for a few different reasons. First off, when you're pruning or ornamental trees, typically you're most concerned about having the best possible structure to promote the beauty of that plant, as well as the the health of that plant in general. Whereas if you're growing a fruit tree, you're more concerned about production than how that plant looks in the end, right. You just want to be able to get the most fruit you possibly can on a healthy tree. Are those two things different? Well, I mean, they are to a certain extent and it it gets more particular depending on the exact species that you're talking about. But the big thing is that you're you're either looking at promoting the beauty of the plant or you're trying to make it as productive as possible.

Nate Bernitz  04:57

Hence the word ornamental. So That makes sense. Let's start with the really basic question of wiper and what are some of the benefits and reasons why someone might want to look out their backyard window at the trees and shrubs out there. And think, yeah, pruning is worth my time, I should definitely be doing that.

Emma E  05:18

I guess I'll start by saying that pruning isn't something that you necessarily have to do in your landscape, it can be really important. But just because you have a tree or shrub growing in your garden doesn't mean that it needs pruning. But there are some key purposes to pruning. The first thing I think of is to maintain or create good structure within a plant. When when plants are young, in particular,...

Soil amendments have the ability to transform soil health by adding organic matter, changing soil properties and ultimately improving plant growth. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz are joined by New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station researcher Becky Sideman to share proven tips and solutions for using soil amendments to build and transform soil to support healthy and productive plants in the garden and landscape. The conversation brings up topics and questions bound to get gardeners of all experience levels thinking about amending soil in new ways. 

·         Featured Question: How to manage ground nesting bees and wasps

·         Featured Plant: Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)

·         Closing Tip: Determining when compost is finished

Resources

·         Purchasing top soil

·         Purchasing compost

·         Guidelines for using manure

·         Soil testing

·         Controlling wasps, bees and hornets around the home

·         Spring Webinar Series

Connect with us

• Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.
• Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Growing healthy trees starts with choosing the right plant for the right place, and good planting technique. And with adequate care early in the tree’s life, you’ll be well on your way to the shade, blooms, privacy screening, wildlife habitat, or whatever you’re trying to achieve with the new addition to your landscape. In part 1 of this 2 part episode on trees, Greg Jordan, Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz talk about all this and more. Then look for part 2 (out on December 3), which will focus on pruning and tree problems and solutions. 

• Featured Question: How to transplant established trees? 
• Featured Plant: Tamarack (Larix laricina) 
• Closing Tip: Transporting Trees from the Nursery 

Promotions 

• Listener Survey 
• Webinar on Designing for Winter Interest and Wildlife 

Resources 

• Planting and Care of Tree Seedlings 
• Planting and Mulching Trees and Shrubs 
• List of Trees for New Hampshire Landscapes 
• Transplanting or Moving Trees and Shrubs in the Landscape 

Subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter. 

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu 

Transcript by Otter.ai (Pending)

Show Notes

In this bonus episode of Granite State Gardening,  New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station researcher Becky Sideman, Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz continue their conversation from the last episode, getting into working with seed catalogs to understand the information and how it’s organized as well as how to make selections that will thrive in your garden. We get into the weeds of concepts including organic, seed treatments, GMOs, and disease resistance, as well as segments on selecting varieties for container gardening, staking tomatoes, and growing Malabar spinach (Basella alba). Part 1 of this conversation, titled Planning Spring Vegetable Gardens, Soil Temperature, Nasturtiums & Fencing, was packed with experience and insights for garden planning, and we recommend listening to it before jumping into this episode.

Featured question: What are the best varieties for growing veggies in containers?

Featured plant segment: Malabar spinach (Basella alba)

Closing gardening tip: tomato staking

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Background reading:

Growing Vegetables in Containers: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/growing-vegetables-containers-fact-sheet

Applied UNH Extension Research: https://extension.unh.edu/tags/applied-vegetable-fruit-research-new-hampshire

Pruning Tomato Plants: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/pruning-tomato-plants-fact-sheet

Preventing Garden Diseases: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/10-easy-steps-prevent-common-garden-diseases-fact-sheet
 

Managing Garden Pests with IPM: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/garden-IPM
 

Exciting Veggie Varieties Q&A: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/exciting-veggie-varieties-qa 

UNH Sideman Lab on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unh_sidemanlab/ 

Transcription by Otter.ai

Nate Bernitz  00:01

Welcome to the Granite State Gardening podcast from UNH Cooperative Extension. On today's show, we continue our conversation with Becky Seidman: UNH Extension specialist, professor of sustainable agriculture and food systems, and researcher at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station. If you haven't listened to Part one yet, which was called "planting spring vegetable garden soil temperature nasturtiums and fencing", you'll want to check that out before listening to this episode. We'll talk about using the wealth of information provided on seed packets and in seed catalogs, not only to understand it, but how to use it to choose the right varieties and succeed with the varieties you choose. Greetings Granite State gardeners, I'm Nate Bernitz, joined as always by horticulturist and UNH extension field specialist, Emma Erler. And again by Becky Seidman. We pick up our conversation after talking about garden planning systems and strategies. Now, we'll get into talking about tips and solutions for working with seed catalogs, understanding the information provided for us and how it's organized. So rather than get overwhelmed, we can get informed and find varieties that help us bring our garden plans to life. Emma, let's jump back in with what you view as some of the most important sections to focus on when you're looking at a variety of listing and a seed catalog.

Emma E  01:35

I'd say one thing I'm looking at, which is always going to be on there is the days to maturity. So if this if I'm ordering from companies that are out of the Northeast, you should I can probably assume that what I'm going to grow as long as I am planting on time, I'm going to be able to get a harvest. But you know, depending on when you're going to be able to get things in the ground, let's say it might be important to know whether something whether it's going to develop really quickly or not, or whether it's early fruiting or not. So I don't I'm thinking, let's say maybe tomatoes, you know that you're gonna be gone by, let's say August 1. And so you want to make sure that you you've chosen a variety that fruits really early, I say you've started them indoors, get them outside in the garden, and hopefully you're getting a nice crop within, you know, let's say two months at the at the most. So that's important. And then another thing that I guess we've kind of touched on already is is whether there's any sort of pest resistance in a variety. So if I know let's say that I have been having issues with early blight on my tomatoes year after year, then I might be looking for a variety that is early blight resistant, etc. I guess the same could go for squashes or cucumbers with say powdery mildew. So if you've at least accurately identified what that problem is, you might be able to skirt it somewhat with rotation and choosing a variety that has resistance.

Nate Bernitz  03:09

There's a lot more information about disease resistance in the catalog than on a seed packet. The seed packet might say that it has disease resistance, but in the catalog, it might say what it's resistant to and its level of resistance, whether it's resistant, whether it's tolerant, how resistant is it, there's a lot of really nuanced information that you might be able to get from the catalog.

Becky Sideman  03:34

Definitely. And I would add to that that not related to diseases but relating to whether a crop does well. One of the things that you will often find in a catalog is descriptions about the seasons that crops do well in, I'm thinking about broccoli, for example, broccoli varieties vary enormously in their tolerance to the kind of mid summer heat that we experience. And so if you are a real broccoli afficionado and want to grow broccoli so that you can harvest it throughout your whole growing season, you would probably want to actually grow an early season broccoli that will do well in the spring before the summer heat, and maybe a main season broccoli that can have some heat tolerance, and then maybe even a third that goes really well into fall production. That might not make sense if you just care if you have a little bit of broccoli here and there. But if you're really focusing on any given crop, you'll realize that there's a lot of variability that you can choose from.

Nate Bernitz  04:43

And I gu...

All gardeners and home owners face challenging conditions and tough situations that require careful plant selection and a thoughtful approach to bring their landscaping vision to life. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share proven tips and solutions for growing in many of those locations, including dry spots, wet spots, slopes, shade, compaction, foundations, driveways and even contaminated soils. Hopefully you don’t have all of these issues, but undoubtedly your property has some.

·         Featured Plant: Sweet-fern (Comptonia peregrina)

Resources:

·         What perennial groundcover can I plant on a sunny slope that is difficult to mow?

·         What can weeds tell me about my garden soil?

Attributions: 

Cover Art: 

Sweet Fern  - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Comptonia-peregrina-foliage.jpg

Sten Porse, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Transcript by Otter.ai

pending

Fall isn’t just for putting the garden to bed, it’s also for investing in next year’s rewards and successes. With thoughtful planting and care, fall-planted bulbs will provide magnificent blooms spring after spring. Likewise, garlic can provide easy rewards come up early summer if they get off to the right start in the fall. And if there’s ever a time to give some attention to your lawn, it’s in the fall when conditions are best for an array of tasks that can really make a difference. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share proven tips and solutions for fall yard & garden efforts with big rewards. 

·         Featured Plant: Glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa species)

·         Closing tip: food preservation basics

Resources:

·         Naturalizing bulbs

·         Protecting bulbs from wildlife

·         Growing garlic

·         National center for home food preservation

·         Using Manure in the Garden event

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Transcript by Otter.ai

Houseplants are as popular as ever right now, with many people spending a lot more time at home and craving the warmth and natural touches plants bring. Sometimes, us houseplant enthusiasts can even go a little overboard, bringing too many plants home and sometimes giving those plants a little too much TLC.

In this episode of Granite State Gardening, Lake Street Garden Center greenhouse manager Nichole Keyes joins UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz to exchange tips for choosing the right houseplants for your home and helping your indoor garden thrive. They also get into their personal favorites, houseplant shopping tips and predictions for popular houseplants in 2021.

• Featured question: fertilizing houseplants
• Featured plant: ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
• Closing tip: Cleaning houseplant leaves
• IPM tip: Controlling aphids

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter. Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Background reading:

UNH Extension’s houseplant resources: https://extension.unh.edu/tags/house-plants

Lake Street Garden Center: https://www.lakestreet.com/

TRANSCRIPT

Nate B  0:00  
Welcome to the Granite State gardening podcast from UNH Cooperative Extension. On today's show, Emma and I speak with Nicole Keyes, the greenhouse manager at Lake St. garden center in Salem, New Hampshire. Our conversation is wide ranging, including assessing your home's growing conditions, best growing practices, how to be a smart shopper, personal favorites and predictions for hot foliage houseplants and 2021. By the end of this episode, I guarantee you'll be inspired to grow some new plants because Emma and Nicole's enthusiasm and knowledge just rubs off. And y'all have a few new tips and tricks for your next house plant shopping outing to your favorite local garden center.

Greetings, Granite State gardeners. I'm Nate bernitz joined as always by horticulturist and UNH extension field specialist, Emma Erler. And today by Nichole keyes.

Nicole, I'm excited to hear some industry insider knowledge from you today. But I'd love to start by getting to know you. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Nicole K  1:14  
I work at Lake Street garden center in Salem, New Hampshire. It's a small family owned business. It's been open since the 70s. I'm born and raised from Salem. So I used to go there with my grandfather, like as a child walking through the greenhouses. And when I was old enough to work he he knew the owner pretty well and kind of like gave me a little push and was like go ask for a job. Because I knew I was interested in plants and I love the outdoors. And I'm definitely a nature girl. So I started as a cashier there and just I didn't even know the difference between a Petunia and a philodendron. Back then just being there and and starting to learn I really my passion kind of developed. I've been there 18 years on and off through my life. So it's been a pretty cool journey. It's it's pretty unique that to be a part of still like family run business. 

Nate B  2:10  
Well, I know Emma shares your passion for scientific names for for the Latin. So let's start there. Why is that important?

Emma E  2:20  
Well, I guess I'll say it's, it's really important because common names can be misleading. It can be misguiding there. In many cases, there are multiple different common names that can be applied to the same plant. And in some cases, two different plants will have the same common name. So if you're using the Latin name, you're being as precise as you can possibly be. And any gardener, any botanist that you're talking to, is going to know exactly which plant you're speaking of and use that Latin name versus a common name. Because to a certain extent that can really be regional as well with what people will call a certain plant. 

Nate B  3:01  
Nicole, do you find that customers sometimes come in and they're asking about one plant, but maybe thinking of another? Or like really kind of actually practical examples where this really comes into play? 

Nicole K  3:15  
Absolutely. I think it's something I deal with on a regular basis and echo everything that Emma said, it's a lot easier for me, when a customer comes in knowing what plant plant they they're, that they're referring to. And like I've noticed, too, that with the trends online today, and like there's a lot of online sales going on all over the internet, and a lot of people are making up common names or coming up with cooler more funky names for plants and customers will come in like, do you have devils IV, and I'm like, what's a devil's IV and it's 1000 I've never heard it called Devil's IV in my life. And so like Google's my best friend today, when it comes to that, I have to do a lot of research online to kind of keep up with the trends and also to be able to educate the customer when we do figure out what they're referring to, you know that the scientific name of the plant and and I've noticed to a lot of the clientele that we have come in, they really do want to know you know, they they want to learn they want to learn the actual names of the plants and and there's this just this huge interest in foliage and houseplants in general. That's up and coming. It's just it's I'm excited to see it happen because it's you know, it's what I love.

Nate B  4:48  
So when someone is asking about something like Devil's Ivy, is it that that's just a pure rebranding of something that's otherwise actually a pretty common plant or Might that sometimes be referring to a new cultivars? Or is it some of both depending on the situation, 

Nicole K  5:07  
it can definitely be both. There's, there's a lot of new varieties, you know, plants are getting hybridized. And, and all the time. And so I'm find myself like I have to keep up with the different varieties of plants that are being sold and marketed and, and branding to is, is a huge thing. Because a plant that might be called like there's, there's a brand there like Angel plants and it's a trademark and customer will come in looking for that Angel plants, when really it could be a host of all different types of terrarium plants and indoor foliage that are sold in these little cube pots by one company. And they call them a certain thing like exotic angels and, and so I have to kind of differentiate too. And it happens not just with houseplants either like in the spring, it when we buy things in, there's tags in these plants from all different sources and companies. And if they're not read note that they don't know how to read the plant tag properly, they can think that they're calling the plant what it is when actually it's it's a trademark or a brand of the plant.

Nate B  6:32  
Is there any standardization to what's on those labels?

Nicole K  6:37  
Usually, they all look different. But most of the time the Latin name of the plant is down at the bottom of the tag. And of course, the brand or company will be in big, beautiful, bold letters across the top of it above the picture. So a lot of the times you have to and sometimes even on the back, you have to flip it over. And then when the lettering at the bottom, it says you know the the true Latin name of the plant. So yes,

Nate B  7:06  
so we've got these really specific plants science, scientific nam...

In this bonus episode of Granite State Gardening, Nate Bernitz discusses the drought, both of podcast episodes and rainfall.

UNH Extension’s Home Horticulture Team is Hiring

The Home Horticulture Program Manager leads gardening and landscaping education and outreach for New Hampshire residents. Working in tandem with Master Gardener volunteers, home horticulture staff work statewide to develop educational programming on the ground and in digital channels. Home Horticulture staff and volunteers are a trusted source for New Hampshire gardeners, answering questions, conducting outreach on relevant and seasonal topics throughout the year, and providing engaging horticulture skills-training for the public and volunteers. Topics of focus include ornamental horticulture and landscaping, native plants, and fruit and vegetable gardening.

Learn more at extension.unh.edu/unh-extension-seeks-home-horticulture-program-manager

Resources

• Pollinator Garden Certification Program
• Drought Tolerant Plants for New Hampshire Landscapes
• How Do I Keep My Lawn Alive An A Drought?
• Using Water Efficiently In The Landscape

Subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter. 

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu 

Plants need air, water and sunlight, but require sources of essential nutrients too. Fertile soil rich in organic matter provides nutrients to be sure, but fertilizer is typically needed to grow vigorous, healthy plants. Organic or not, slow release or fast acting, specialty products or versatile mainstays – we face a lot of options when choosing fertilizers. And that doesn’t even begin to cover when and how to use the fertilizer for the wide diversity of plants you’re growing. 

In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz are joined by Becky Sideman to share proven tips and solutions for using fertilizer to grow healthy and productive plants in the garden and landscape. The conversation brings up topics and questions bound to get gardeners of all experience levels thinking about fertilizing plants in the yard and garden in new ways. 

·         Featured Question: Should I use fertilizer spikes or a granular fertilizer for my trees and shrubs? 

·         Featured Plant: Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa)

·         Closing Tip:   New Hampshire’s Turf Fertilizer Law

Resources:

·         Fertilizing vegetable gardens 

·         Fertilizing fruit trees

·         Fertilizing trees and shrubs

·         New Hampshire’s turf fertilizer law

·         Soil testing

·         Spring Webinar Series

UNH Cooperative Extension’s Vegetable & Fruit team, together with a group of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of New Hampshire, conduct research on vegetable and fruit crops. While the team does much of their work at theNH Agricultural Experiment Station in Durham, NH, they are located throughout NH and their research project topics are driven by the needs of NH growers. The team believes that using effective growing practices for our region (including new varieties, new crops, and season extension strategies) can help farmers diversify, improve yields, and improve crop quality. Many of their integrated research and extension projects focus on high-value specialty crop production systems and methods of extending the growing season (e.g. season extension). They offer an up-to-the-minute snapshot of what we're up to on Instagram at unh_sidemanlab.

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Transcript by Otter.ai

Some of our favorite vegetables can not only be grown before last frost, but thrive in the cool months before we can grow tomatoes and other classic warm season crops. With our region’s short growing season, moving up your planting window is a welcome opportunity for antsy gardeners after a long winter. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share proven tips and solutions for successfully growing cool season veggies. After listening, or even while you’re listening, head out to the garden and get growing. With a few tricks, you’ll be amazed how much you can grow and harvest before the heat of summer.

• Featured Question: Row Cover Frames
• Featured Plant: Garlic (Allium sativum)
• Gardening Tip: Harvesting Cool Season Vegetables

 Background reading:

• When to start and plant your vegetable garden
• Using row covers in the garden
• Growing cool-season vegetables
• Growing Garlic
• Fertilizing vegetable gardens
• Garden mulches

Upcoming Events

• Cool Season Veggies with Becky Sideman on Facebook Live, April 19 at 6 pm
• Explore our other upcoming events for gardeners and homesteaders

Access the transcript for this episode at https://extension.unh.edu/blog/growing-cool-season-vegetables-your-spring-garden

We’ve all heard that bees are in trouble, but you may wonder why, and more importantly what you can do to support bees and other pollinators. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share proven tips and solutions for supporting pollinators on your property. This conversation is very practical, and gets into the kind of detail and nuance gardeners are looking for to go beyond basic concepts. Emma and Nate also cover a wide range of topics, discussing bees and what differentiates them from other insects, and different types of bees including but not at all limited to honeybees. You’ll definitely walk away from this episode with ideas you can put to practice.

·         Featured Plant: Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Resources:

·         Pollinator Week

·         Pollinator Plants for Northern New England Gardens

·         Establishing a Wildflower Meadow from Seed

·         Other UNH Extension resources for creating pollinator habitat

·         Protecting Pollinators While Using Pesticides

·         Bee Nest Box Guidelines

·         Building a Bee Hotel

·         Bees and their habitats in four New England states

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

 Cover image by - Robert Durant

Transcript by Otter.ai

What to bring home and how to choose – just two of the questions top of mind as gardeners race through their local garden center in late May, snagging plants and supplies left and right after enduring months of shoveling snow and a spring torrent of black flies. But finally it’s time to plant, and in the shopping frenzy many gardeners may throw caution to the wind. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz are joined by their colleague Rachel Maccini to chat about how they strive to be smart garden center shoppers, and how you can do the same. Happy shopping and happy gardening!

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

The idea of growing harvestable fruit inside your home is tantalizing, but is it realistic? In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share proven tips and solutions for growing fruits indoors — from the challenge of yielding fruit from plants indoors year-round to growing tropical fruits indoors and outdoors. 

Featured question: using neem oil

Featured plant segment: blue passionflower

Closing gardening tip: what to do about broken limbs on trees and shrubs overwinter

As much as gardeners love the outdoors and the diversity of wildlife that call our region home, there are some parts of the yard and garden where we have to draw the line. With as much effort as we put into gardening and landscaping, we all know the sinking feeling of seeing what can happen seemingly overnight. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share proven tips and solutions for dealing with animals that can damage yards and gardens. Straddling the line between supporting wildlife and managing nuisance wildlife can be a challenging balancing act, but we share an approach that does just that. After listening, you will be equipped to prevent damage, and if necessary manage whichever critters take an interest in your gardens this growing season. We hope you will take away some new ideas, as well as what strategies not to spend time and money on. 

·         Featured Question: Growing garlic

·         Featured Plant: Inkberry (Ilex glabra)

·         Gardening Tip: Using Tree Guards

Resources:

 ·        wildlifehelp.org

·         USDA APHIS Wildlife Services in NH

·         NH Fish & Game: Living with Wildlife, Wildlife Control, & Nuisance Wildlife

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

While we often focus on growing fruits and vegetables, flower gardening brings unmatched beauty and life to any yard and is a lifelong passion for many gardeners. It can also be overwhelming: which flowers go together, what should I choose, how to stop weeds. Growing beautiful flower gardens brings its own challenges while offering endless opportunities for your personality and creativity to shine. 

In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share proven tips and solutions for creating and maintaining vibrant ornamental flower gardens. We hope you’ll take away new ideas, inspiration and techniques that you can use this year and for years to come. And if you’re so inclined, send us photos of your flower gardens looking their best to gsg.pod@unh.edu.

·         Featured Question: Cut Flower Gardens

·         Featured Plant: Foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia)

Resources:

UNH Extension resources on growing annuals and perennials: https://extension.unh.edu/tags/annual-perennial-gardens
Upcoming events: https://extension.unh.edu/topic-events/Home,%20Yard%20&%20Garden
 

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback (and photos from your garden) at gsg.pod@unh.edu

From stunning spring blooms to juicy and delicious fruit summer to fall, cultivating apples, pears, peaches, cherries and more is appealing to many New England gardeners and homesteaders. And while growing fruit trees isn’t necessarily easy, thoughtful planning can lead to healthier, more productive and lower maintenance trees for years to come. In this episode of Granite State Gardening, Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz talk about selecting and preparing your orchard site, choosing rootstock and varieties, planting, and care of young trees. The episode's featured plant is pawpaw (Asamina triloba). 

Promotions 

• Listener Survey 
• NH Farm, Forest and Garden Expo 
• Webinar: Hydroponics at Home 
• Webinar: Extending the Gardening Season 
• Webinar: Propagating Trees and Shrubs in the Winter Months 

Resources 

• Growing Low Input Fruit Trees 
• Recommended Tree Fruit Varieties for Northern New England 
• Training and Pruning Young Apples and Pears 

Subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter. 

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu 

Transcript by Otter.ai 

SHOW NOTES

Winter is the ideal time to reflect on last year’s garden and plan for the year ahead, but when seed catalogs start arriving it can be overwhelming. In this episode of Granite State Gardening,  New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station Becky Sideman, Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz share and discuss proven tips and solutions for selecting the right varieties and developing your garden plan. Part 1 of this conversation was packed with experience and insights to help make 2021 your most successful and rewarding gardening season yet, and our next episode will feature the second half of the discussion.

Featured question: What is the best way to get an accurate soil temperature reading and what's the ideal temperature for planting a variety of vegetables?

Featured plant segment: nasturiums, Tropaeolum

Closing gardening tip: Garden fencing considerations

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Background Reading:

Soil Temperature for Seed Germination (Penn State): https://extension.psu.edu/seed-and-seedling-biology

Growing Big Onions: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/how-do-i-get-my-onions-grow-bigger

When to Plant Vegetables: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/growing-vegetables-when-plant-your-vegetable-garden-fact-sheet 

Preparing a Vegetable Garden Site: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/preparing-vegetable-garden-site

Preventing Garden Diseases: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/10-easy-steps-prevent-common-garden-diseases-fact-sheet

Managing garden pests with IPM: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/garden-IPM

Using leftover seeds: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/are-my-leftover-seeds-last-year-still-good-or-do-i-need-buy-new-ones

Saving seeds: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/how-do-i-save-seeds-next-year%E2%80%99s-garden

Starting plants from seed: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/starting-plants-seed-fact-sheet

Transcript

As transcribed by https://otter.ai

Nate B  00:00

Greetings Granite State gardeners. I'm Nate Bernitz co-host with Emma Erler of the Granite State Gardening podcast a production of UNH extension. This episode features an incredible conversation with the University of New Hampshire's Dr. Becky Seidman. And as part one of two because we decided to split our interview into two episodes. Part Two will be released in a couple weeks, and this episode part one we focus on understanding different kinds of seeds and vegetable garden planning. In part two, we'll take a deep dive into understanding and utilizing the wealth of information on seed packets, and within seed catalogs, physical and online, and how to use that information to take your garden planning to the next level. Dr. Becky Sidman is our first guest on the Granite State Gardening podcast, a colleague of ours at UNH Extension. In addition to Becky's work as a sustainable horticulture state specialist at UNH extension. She's a professor and coordinator of undergraduate programs in sustainable agriculture and food systems within the Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Food Systems at the University of New Hampshire, and a researcher with the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station. Becky's research emphasizes vegetable and berry crop production, including season extension practices for Northern New England. Let's get into part one of our conversation with Becky Sideman.

Becky, Emma, I am so glad to be sitting here talking with you today about one of my favorite topics and certainly a timely topic as we're getting our seed catalogs in the mail, snows on the ground. And we're just yearning to be outside and warm weather back in our gardens. And seed catalogs, of course, have so much promise the the new varieties, the exciting varieties, all the benefits, the solutions to last year's problems. They're all in that seed catalog. But I think it makes sense to start with a little bit of science as we sometimes do an extension. So Becky, was wondering if you can demystify a few terms, the big two categories, when it comes to seeds, open pollinated and hybrid, what are we talking about? They're

Becky S  02:25

Sure, I agree, this is my favorite time of year with the same catalog start coming in. And we get to spend our time poring through them.

Emma E  02:34

Basically, an open pollinated variety is one where you can save the seeds, and they come out looking something like what you started with. And so it's basically an inbred thing that you can keep saving, and selecting, and so forth. A hybrid is a variety, that's the result of crossing to parents that might or might not look anything like each other. And as a result, it's pretty uniform, and usually has pretty predictable characteristics. But if you saved it seed, it wouldn't come out. Like the thing you started with. Am I in your experience when you're looking at a seed catalog or a seed packet for that matter? Are they actually going to say open pollinated? or hybrid? Are they going to have other terminology as well? And how does that all fit together? Yeah, I'm glad you asked that Nate, a lot of times that information is listed right on the seed packet. it'll it'll sometimes say open pollinated, will often say is heirloom, which all heirloom varieties are open pollinated varieties. They've just been around for a while, like they've been around probably since 1950. Or or earlier. So these are things that people have been have been saving the seeds from for four generations. Typically, what you will see to on on seed packets is an indication if a seed is hybrid, so it'll either say hybrid on the label or it will often say f1. I personally sometimes go for the hybrid varieties just because they do have some sometimes stronger characteristics might have a more robust plant might there might be some sort of resistance to a disease, let's say, and I don't try to save seeds myself. So that's perfectly acceptable for my garden.

Nate B  04:30

And Becky, you're coming into this with several perspectives because n...

In the first and second World Wars, Americans were called to till, sow and start victory gardens in place of lawns and vacant lots to feed a hungry nation. In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted people to stay home, the tradition was reborn to localize food production in the face of supply chain disruptions and uncertainty. Less time commuting meant more time at home, so many beginner gardeners rushed out to build raised beds, arrange containers and clear fallow corners of the yard to plant a spring garden for food, beauty and a bit of garden therapy.

In this episode of Granite State Gardening, UNH Extension’s Emma Erler and Nate Bernitz discuss the history of victory gardening, gardening trends and how New Hampshire and UNH Extension adapted to the pandemic. 

Featured question: winter composting

Featured plant: paper bark maple (Acer griseum)

Closing gardening tip: holiday gift plant care after the holidays

Connect with us at @askunhextension on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter.

Email us questions, suggestions and feedback at gsg.pod@unh.edu

Background Reading:

• In the latest edition of Radius Magazine, Emma Joyce tells the story of New Hampshire’s victory garden movement this spring: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/NH-residents-grow-victory-gardens
•  Emma Erler’s question of the week on winter composting, in blog format: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/can-you-compost-winter
•  Learn about the paperbark maple: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=q110
•  UNH Extension’s fact sheet on care of flowering gift plants in the home: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/care-flowering-gift-plants-home-fact-sheet
•  More information on victory gardens from the New England Historical Society: https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/how-vicory-gardens-helped-win-world-war-2/
•  Information about the Victory Garden at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth: https://www.strawberybanke.org/victory.cfm
•  Some basic guidance on planting a victory garden: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/planting-victory-garden
•  How the Wright Museum helps battle hunger with its Victory Garden: https://www.wrightmuseum.org/2018/07/02/wright-museum-victory-garden/
•  Learn about the Cornucopia Project: http://cornucopiaproject.org/
•  Information about UNH Extension’s Free Seed Program: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/free-seeds-education
•  Meet the NH Master Gardeners: https://extension.unh.edu/tags/meet-nh-master-gardeners
•  UNH Extension and COVID-19: https://extension.unh.edu/tags/covid-19

TRANSCRIPT

[Nate B] Greetings Granite State gardeners. Getting acquainted with the newest podcast from UNH Extension, how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted gardeners and gardening, the history of Victory Gardens from past to present, highlighting victory gardens and the Master Gardeners who cultivate them. We'll discuss all these topics and more on this edition, the first ever episode of Granite State Gardening.

Okay, our goal with the Granite State gardening podcast is to explore the world of gardening and help you achieve success in your garden. We're sticklers for research based information here at UNH Extension so you can count on us to share proven tips and solutions. We want to meet you where you're at as a gardener. So we're going to count on your feedback. What topics do you want us to explore with you? Is the information we're sharing to advance to basic or just right, email us at GSG.pod@ unh.edu. And let's get started and hear from my co host Emma.

[Emma E]   I'm [Emma E]rler and I am one of the horticulture experts for UNH Extension . My job is to help home gardeners and landscapers solve gardening issues, as well as teach workshops, write articles, and regularly appear on WMUR's Grow It  Green TV segment. I've been interested in gardening for as long as I can remember, I began helping my mom with her vegetable and flower gardens, starting seeds weeding, transplanting and eventually growing plants of my own. I still have a few house plants that I started in elementary school actually. Before I came to UNH Extension, I worked at a few different public gardens on the East Coast as a professional horticulturist. However, I found that my true passion is education, which brings me here. I'm really excited to be joining my friend and colleague Nate on this podcast.

[Nate B] And again I'm Nate Bernitz. I'm part of UNH Extension's home horticulture team and have the privilege to work with Emma and New Hampshire Master Gardeners. And also make sure everyone who has questions gets answers. I lead outreach efforts for Ask UNH Extension and Granite State Gardening and increasingly becoming an avid gardener myself. You'll mostly learn from Emma on this podcast, truth be told, but I hope to bring you some knowledge and laughs along the way as well. Before joining UNH Extension, I honestly had more experience gardening with oysters and clams than fruits and vegetables. But frankly, you can't work on this team and immerse yourself in the world of gardening without picking up a thing or two. I'm excited to co host this podcast and perhaps selfishly learn a lot myself right along with you. Okay, let's get into it.

[Emma E]   A segment of this podcast that I'm really excited about is the question of the week. Through our Infoline service, Nate and I get dozens of questions every week from home gardeners about various topics. And my goal is to focus on one of these questions each week really break it down and discuss the most important parts of it. So this week, I want to talk about winter composting. Basically, what it sounds like composting through the winter, getting started with composting for the first time in the winter. A lot of people just started composting for the first time this year. And something we've been asked a lot is whether it's possible to compost in the wintertime, or whether you have to stop for a while and begin again in the spring. So if you have already started, the answer is absolutely yes, you can totally start composting right now or you can keep composting. So the way composting works is that it's this decomposition process that happens with a variety...

No matter what scale you’re growing at, growing veggies later into the fall, and even through winter, may be easier than you think. There’s a spectrum of techniques, from using old sheets to installing a high tunnel and so much in between. Becky Sideman has spent years researching agricultural season extension and experimenting with season extension and overwintering strategies at a small scale, and shares those proven tips and solutions with us on this episode of Granite State Gardening.
 
Segments

• Featured Question: Is winter sowing a shortcut to spring? 
• Featured Plant: Lovage (Levisticum officinale) 
• Closing Tip: Putting the garden to bed 

Resources 

• Row covers in the garden from UNH Extension 
• Low tunnels for beginners from West Virginia University 
• Season extension techniques for market gardeners from ATTRA 

Connect

• Subscribe to the monthly Granite State Gardening newsletter. 
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