Boston Flora

Tag: Soil Testing

  • Wednesday, May 5, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm – Soil Testing for the Home Gardener, Online

    Getting the desired results in your gardens and landscapes all starts with having healthy soil to meet your needs. Things like PH, organic matter, and nutrient levels all play a role in the quality of the soil you have. You cannot always just guess if the soil you have is healthy though. That is where soil testing comes in. However, soil testing results can be a lot of information to absorb. During this online live Tower Hill Botanic Garden presentation on May 5 with Philip Bourele, you will learn how to take a good composite soil test and then interpret the test results.

    Philip studied Biology at the College of Wooster (Ohio, not Mass.). Philip became a Penn State Master Gardener in 2012 and then Master Gardener Coordinator in 2013. After 5 years with the Master Gardeners Philip went to private industry as a plant health care technician. $10 for Tower Hill members, $15 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org

  • Saturday, April 25, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Healthy Soil: Testing and Amending Your Garden Soil

    Healthy soils are essential for raising healthy crops. In this Saturday, April 25 workshop at Powisset Farm, 39 Powisset Street in Dover, you will learn the basics of soil composition, microbial life and structure as they relate to the home garden, as well as the nitty gritty on soil testing, amendments and fertilizers needed to maintain crop health each season and build your garden’s soil over time. An annual soil test is invaluable for assessing the quality and nutrient status of your soil so in this hands-on workshop you will learn how to take a representative soil sample, test soil pH, and compaction. We’ll go over the types of soil tests available and how to interpret results for vegetable crops with a soil test in hand. Walk away with a free soil test from the UMass Soil Lab and the skills needed to take your own samples. Instructor Katie Campbell-Nelson leads this Mass Aggie Seminar Series workshop, and the fee is $50. Register online at https://extension.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/mass-aggie-seminars-2015#program%20details.

  • Saturday, May 11, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – City Farm Fest

    The Food Project is pleased to announce City Farm Fest, a celebration of the beginning of spring and the start of the growing season! Please join us on Saturday, May 11 at the Dudley Greenhouse in Roxbury for seedling, compost, and garden materials sales; soil testing and consultations; children’s activities; and more. Enjoy fun and friends at the Dudley Greenhouse, get advice and materials for your garden, and enjoy some tasty food from one of Boston’s finest food trucks. We will be accepting cash, credit, and debit for all sales and EBT for seedling sales.

    The Food Project will be partnering with the Boston University Superfund Research Group (BUSRP) to offer FREE SOIL TESTING to the public during City Farm Fest. Soil sampling and soil health consultations will begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue until 3:00 p.m. Click here for instructions on how to collect and prepare a soil sample from your garden for testing.

    Planning to buy seedlings for your garden?  Seedlings will be sold in singles, 4-packs, and 6-packs, and will cost $3 per package.  For more information email buildagarden@thefoodproject.org.

    http://thefoodproject.org/sites/default/files/community_beds.jpg

  • Saturday, October 3 – Sunday, October 4 – Harvest Festival

    Enjoy the Harvest Festival at the Barnstable County Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4, from 10:00 to 5:00, rain or shine.  There will be an Arts & Crafts Show, Barnyard Animals, 4-H Activities for children, Hay Rides, Pony Rides, a Master Gardeners Soil Testing Clinic, Garden Tours/The Crooked Path, food, and much more.  Adult Admission $5, Children under 10 free.  The event is sponsored by the Barnstable County Agricultural Society and the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension.  For more information, call 508-563-3200, or log on to www.barnstablecountyfair.org/harvestfest/index.html.