In 2024, BAMGA started a community outreach program of providing mini-grants to qualified organizations for gardening projects that are consistent with the Master Gardener mission. One of the two awarded in 2024 was to Bedford Urban Garden, Inc. With … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Save Pollinators
Pollinators are in trouble. These important wildlife move from plant to plant while searching for protein-rich pollen or high-energy nectar to eat. As they go, they are dusted by pollen and move it to the next flower, fertilizing the plant and … [Read more...]
Managing the Japanese Beetle:
A Homeowner’s Handbook
Both as adults and as grubs (the larval stage), Japanese beetles are destructive plant pests. Adults feed on the foliage and fruits of several hundredspecies of fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, and field and vegetable crops. Read More: … [Read more...]
Pesticides, Pollinators, and Pestilence: Protecting Public Health and Pollinators
Tick and mosquito control provides important public health protection, but can also affect pollinator populations. The effects are often dependent on specific local conditions, such as how close the pesticide application is to places pollinators … [Read more...]
Solving the bagworm problem without chemicals
Sooner or later, most landscapes have to deal with a bagworm problem. Sometimes the hungry pests only threaten one or two trees in a landscape. But they can really ruin the party when it comes to the classic, evergreen privacy buffer. Continued: … [Read more...]
Fall armyworm outbreak in Virginia – Turf, sod, small grains, late sweet corn, sorghum, and other crops at risk.
Recently, some VCE agents as well as golf course superintendents in the northcentral and southwestern counties of Virginia have reported fall armyworm outbreaks on lawns and golf courses. This outbreak is earlier than usual and potentially could … [Read more...]
Does Vinegar Kill Weeds?
We field many questions about alternatives to synthetic herbicides for weed control. One common question is whether vinegar, or acetic acid, works as an herbicide. The answer is, it depends! Continued: By Noelle Orloff, Extension Associate … [Read more...]
Spring Fruit Tree Care
It is time to prune your apple and pear trees if you have not yet done it. Read on: … [Read more...]
Floating Row Cover
An organic gardening tool that improves plant growth and excludes pests. Floating row cover (FRC) is a white, light-weight, non-woven fabric made from spun-bonded polyester or polypropylene. It has a “gauze-like” appearance and resembles interfacing … [Read more...]
Wake up and use the coffee – grounds, that is! Author: Jan Rhoades
I have always wondered about those free coffee grounds for your garden offered at most Starbucks. I never took them up on the offer, and pretty much decided that it was a good way for them to get rid of untold pounds of grounds and not feel guilty … [Read more...]