Boston Flora

Tag: UMass Extension

  • Wednesday, January 15 – Application Deadline for 2025 Urban Ag Mentor Farm Program

    UMass Extension will work with three urban farms across Massachusetts to provide tailored and sustained technical assistance to help them tackle their most challenging issues over the course of the next year. Application deadline is Wednesday, January 15. For more information email urbanag@umass.edu.

    Last year’s farms were Nordica Street Community Farm in Springfield, the Regional Environmental Council’s YouthGROW program in Worcester, and Boston’s Urban Farming Institute. Each farm chose a program focus on pest management.

  • Tuesday, January 30, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm Eastern – Online Pollinator Workshop

    Join UMass Extension for this January 30 virtual winter workshop about pollinators. Get the latest buzz on the status of pollinators in Massachusetts from state apiary inspectors as well as researchers at the University of Massachusetts. Aspects of the health of honeybees and bumblebees will be discussed, along with “lesser-known heroes” of the pollinator world: ants, beetles, flies, butterflies, sawflies, and wasps! $35. Registration and a complete itinerary are at https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/events/winter-workshop-pollinator-topics

  • Tuesday, September 11, 8:30 am – 1:00 pm – Emerald Ash Borer Field Day

    Join Tawny Simisky, UMass Extension Entomologist, Rick Harper, UMass Extension Associate Professor, Ken Gooch and Nicole Keleher, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Forest Health Program, Phil Lewis, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service PPQ, and Mollie Freilicher, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Urban and Community Forestry Program, for a field day devoted to the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB). The morning will begin with a classroom-style overview of ash tree and EAB identification and status, as well as insect monitoring and management options. The remainder of the program will include on-site visitation of the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary to view ash trees and EAB infestations. Trapping demonstrations and tips to carry out community tree inventories to detect and manage ash trees will also occur. This training is designed for arborists, tree wardens/urban foresters, municipal officials, landscapers, land managers, landowners and tree enthusiasts.

    Co-sponsored by UMass Extension, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Mass Audubon. Preregistration required – space is limited to 60 participants; cost is a reduced $25 per person, thanks to funding support provided by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and meeting space provided by Mass Audubon. Lunch will be on your own but morning coffee and snacks will be provided. The event takes place at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, 127 Combs Road in Easthampton on Tuesday, September 11 from 8:30 – 1. Print registration form at https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/events/emerald-ash-borer-field-day

    Image result for emerald ash borer damage

  • Saturday, April 14, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Native Pollinator Biology and Conservation

    Pollinators have received a lot of attention in recent years, mostly because of the decline in honey bee populations due to colony collapse disorder. Native pollinators are important cousins of honey bees and are in need of help, too. Come to French Hall at UMass/Amherst, 230 Stockbridge Road in Amherst on Saturday, April 14 from 10 – 12 to learn about the many types of pollinators present in our region and how to protect and encourage them in your landscape. The end of the class, to be taught by Sonia Schloemann, we will tour the UMass Permaculture Garden. $35. Image from www.justroots.org. Register at http://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/mass-aggie-seminars/mass-aggie-seminars-2018.

    Image result for Massachusetts native pollinators

  • Saturday, April 7, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Home Orchard Establishment, Basics, and Pest Management

    Enjoy a day at Windy Hill Farm, 686 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington, with Dr. Dan Colley and Jon Clements, as part of the UMass Extension courses, this time focusing on Home Orchard Establishment, Basics, and Pest Management. The morning session (10 – noon) will cover the basics of planting fruit trees, including site selection, choice of variety and rootstock, planting best practices, tree training and pruning, fertilization and ongoing fruit tree care. (In-depth pest management will be covered in the afternoon session.) If weather permits, there will be a hands-on demonstration of planting fruit trees at Windy Hill Farm Orchards. One of the most challenging thing about growing your own fruit is knowing how to identify the insect pests and diseases that might afflict them. From 1 – 3, learn the basics of pest and disease identification and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in the home orchard. Hands-on, scouting, monitoring, placement of traps, etc. will be covered. You may take either session separately ($35) or take both at a reduced price. To register, visit http://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/mass-aggie-seminars/mass-aggie-seminars-2018

    Image result for home orchard design

  • Saturday, March 31, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Pruning Blueberries: A Hands-On Workshop

    This UMass Extension presentation on blueberry pruning will be held on Saturday, March 31 from 10 – 12. Blueberries are among the most popular fruits to grow in the home garden. They are healthful and well suited to grow in our New England conditions Come learn the basics for pruning blueberries for your home landscape. Participants will get some hands-on pruning lessons. We’ll learn about tool maintenance and sharpening, too. Bring your own tools or use ours. $35.

    The class will be taught by Sonia Schloemann at the Nicewicz Family Farm, 116 Sawyer Road in Bolton. Register and pay via credit card for any Mass Aggie seminar by visiting http://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/mass-aggie-seminars/mass-aggie-seminars-2018. You will be taken to a secure RegOnline site where you will be able to choose which seminars you wish to attend and to pay. You will receive an e-mail receipt of your transaction. This workshop will be partially out of doors so please dress appropriately for potentially wet, cold, and muddy conditions.

    Image result for blueberries Nicewicz Family Farm

  • Saturday, March 24, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Home Orchard Pruning: A Hands-On Workshop

    This UMass Extension presentation on home orchard pruning will be held on Saturday, March 24 from 10 – 1. The joy of growing fruit in the home garden is enjoying a renaissance. One of the key steps in successful fruit growing is the act of pruning the trees. This can seem daunting and complicated, but it’s not! Not once you understand the principles involved. Come learn how to properly prune your fruit trees (apples, pears, peaches, etc.). Participants will have the opportunity to conduct actual pruning and gain both experience and confidence in pruning fruit trees in order to produce a bountiful crop. $35.

    The class will be taught by Jon Clements and Liz Garofalo at Windy Hill Farm, 686 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington. Register and pay via credit card for any Mass Aggie seminar by visiting http://ag.umass.edu/fruit/news-events/mass-aggie-seminars/mass-aggie-seminars-2018. You will be taken to a secure RegOnline site where you will be able to choose which seminars you wish to attend and to pay. You will receive an e-mail receipt of your transaction. This workshop will be partially out of doors so please dress appropriately for potentially wet, cold, and muddy conditions.

  • Thursday, June 8, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Weed Walkabout

    Correct weed identification is an important first step in the development of an effective weed management program. Join Randy Prostak, Extension Weed Specialist at UMass Extension, on Thursday, June 8 from 4 – 6 for a walk through the landscape of Bird Park, 251 Washington Street in East Walpole, for an up-close look at weed problems in diverse habitats in the park. Held rain or shine. Preregistration required as space is limited; the cost is $50/$45 per person for three or more registrations from the same organization (10% discount). Online registrations include an additional service fee. Register at http://ag.umass.edu/events/weed-walkabout-2, or call Ellen Weeks at 413-545-0895.

  • Friday, April 21, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm, and Saturday, April 22, 8:00 am – 11:45 am – UMass Earth Day & Arbor Day Celebration with Dr. Michael Dirr

    Join UMass Amherst Extension Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry Program for an Earth Day and Arbor Day Celebration with Dr. Michael Dirr. For most people who work with trees, Dr. Michael Dirr needs no introduction. He is the author of numerous books on woody plants that have become staples on our desks. He also has some New England roots, as he earned his PhD from UMass. His fingers are always on the pulse of the nursery industry, scouting for new introductions, and having himself introduced 15 trees into commerce.

    Michael Dirr is the author of seven books, including Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture and Propagation and Uses, a widely used and best-selling reference text, Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs, Hydrangeas for the American Gardener, and Viburnums: Flowering Shrubs for Every Season. A Mercer scholar, Dirr is considered one of the green industry’s most celebrated plant experts. An Emeritus Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia, his teaching, lectures, seminars, garden study tours and plant introduction programs have contributed greatly to industry awareness.

    He has established several arboreta, consults on tree selection, and has penned tree guides for many campuses. The green industry has tremendously benefited from his keen interest in evaluating trees and his enthusiasm to share it with us.

    Sponsored by: UMass Extension, the UMass Waugh Arboretum, and Eversource. Friday, April 21, 2017 – 2:00pm to 3:30pm, Saturday, April 22, 2017 – 8:00am to 11:45pm at UMass Amherst, 551 North Pleasant Street in Amherst. To register ($50), and for complete itinerary of events, visit http://ag.umass.edu/landscape/events/umass-earth-day-arbor-day-celebration-with-dr-michael-dirr

  • Thursday, March 31, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm – Spring Kickoff for Landscapers

    More and more people are getting interested in sustainable landscapes. This March 31st program will address topics that will appeal to landscapers and anyone interested in sustainable landscape management. Come join us to learn ways to make your landscape business greener and sustainable. Topics will include: green infrastructure for storm water management in the landscape, establishing a flower meadow in the landscape, disease management for low input landscapes, landscaping with native plants and managing weeds sustainably in the landscape. The event, sponsored by UMass Extension, will be held at the Town Place Suites, 50 Rosebrook Place in Wareham.

    The registration rate is $85 per person, or $76 for per person for groups of 3 or more from the same company (10% discount). Lunch is included with registration. Online registrations will be charged a nominal processing fee.
    – See more at: http://ag.umass.edu/events/spring-kickoff-for-landscapers-umass-extension-landscape-education-day-0#sthash.TVzUjdn9.dpuf