April 2022 UME Master Gardener
State Office Announcements
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Nothing says spring in Maryland like a 20-degree swing in temperature in a day! We hope all your plants are faring well.
Our April newsletter features an opportunity to work with the MG program, some fun citizen science and educational opportunities, upcoming continuing education events, Statewide Meetings, recent Maryland Grows Blog articles, and more.
Photo by Edwin Remsberg
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Work with the MG Program! |
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We're in search of a MG Coordinator / Agent Associate in our UME Howard County office. Please help us share our posting, or if you are interested in working with us, apply today! |
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Become a Citizen Scientist This Spring! |
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The Redbud Phenology Project |
Looking for reports of what your redbud tree is doing throughout the season. They will compare these observations to historical records of flowering and fruiting contributed to herbaria in the eastern U.S.
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The City Nature Challenge is a collaborative effort among cities across the globe to see which city can find and document the most plants and wildlife over a four-day period.
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Examines bumble bee and carpenter bee floral preference. You might be able to identify a carpenter bee vs. a bumble bee to participate.
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CCBC Basic Horticulture Technician Certificate
CCBC offers a Basic Horticulture Technician certificate program that has a fully-funded opportunity for students to complete this 12-credit program in one semester at the Dundalk campus.
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In Case You Missed It: 2022 is the Year of Soil Health! |
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Stop treating soil like dirt! This year in the Master Gardener Grow It Eat It program, we are celebrating the resource that supports all life on earth - soil.
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Seed to Soil!:
A Grow It Eat It Continuing Education Series
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Integrated Pest Management for Backyard & Community Vegetable & Fruit Growing
Tuesday, July 19th, 2022 | 9 am - 12 pm | Live Zoom Event | Free
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Join Extension Vegetable & Fruit Specialist and Home & Garden Information Center Director Jon Traunfeld to learn the latest organic IPM techniques for your fruit and vegetable gardens! Jon will assist volunteers in diagnosing fruit and vegetable plant samples. Participants will receive a PDF of the vegetable and plant diagnostics workbook. |
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Preserve Your Harvest
Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 | 9 am - 12 pm
Live Zoom Event | Free
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Learn from UME Family & Consumer Sciences Senior Agent Shauna Henley how to properly clean, preserve, or even ferment your surplus veggies! |
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Reduce Your Waste with Composting
Thursday, September 8th, 2022 | 9:30 am - 4 pm
Quiet Waters Park | Annapolis, MD | Free
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Join us for a beautiful and educational day learning about composting at Quiet Waters Park! Details and agenda coming soon. |
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Lawn Best Management Practices & Alternatives
Wednesday, May 25th, 2022 | 12 pm - 1:30 pm
Live Zoom Event | Free
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Turf and lawns can be a tricky topic for MGs. It is one of the most popular topics that we get questions on, but it's also something we are encouraging property owners to limit. Join UMD IAA professor Geoffrey Rinehart to learn about best management practices for lawns. We will then hear Mikaela Boley, UME Senior Agent Associate discuss lawn alternatives and native ground covers. |
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Ask A Master Gardener Plant Clinic Training |
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Thursday, May 12th | 9 am - 12 pm
& Friday, May 13th, 2022 | 1 pm - 4 pm
Live Zoom Event | Free
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Do you volunteer at Ask a Master Gardener Plant Clinics or want to learn more about them? Register to attend our two day training all about Plant Clinics! Learn how to answer common questions and get updates from UMD faculty on the latest info. |
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Day 1 Schedule:
9am - 9:45am Fruit & Veggie Updates w/ Jon Traunfeld, HGIC Director & UME Fruit and Veggie Specialist
9:45am - 10am Q & A with Jon
10am - 10:10 am Break
10:10am - 10:40am Wildlife w/ Luke Macaulay, UME Wildlife Specialist
10:40am-10:50am Q & A with Luke
10:50am-11:00am Break
11:00am-11:45am Plant Pathology Updates w/ Dave Clement, UME Plant Pathology Specialist
11:45am - 12pm Q & A with Dave
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Day 2 Schedule:
1pm - 1:45pm Weeds Update w/ Mikaela Boley, Senior Agent Associate - Talbot County MG Coordinator
1:45pm - 2pm Q & A with Mikaela
2pm - 2:10pm Break
2:10pm - 2:55pm Insect Update w/ Emily Zobel, Senior Agent Associate - Dorchester County
2:55pm - 3:10pm Q & A for Emily
3:10pm - 3:20pm Break
3:20pm-3:50pm Practice with plant samples
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Catch Up on Webinar Recordings |
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Did you miss our recent continuing education webinar?
Check out the recording below! You can always see both upcoming continuing education opportunities and recorded webinars on the State MG Continuing Education webpage.
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Seed Starting and Planning Your Garden for Climate Change |
Seed starting allows us to get a jump on the growing season, choose our favorite varieties, and maximize garden productivity. UME Vegetable & Fruit Specialist Jon Traunfeld covered seed starting supplies, techniques, and tips with an emphasis on low-cost sustainable practices. He demonstrated thinning and pricking out seedlings to pot up into larger containers and growing tomato transplants from seed. We also explored the hardening-off process and timing for planting cool-season crops.
Climate change is affecting all aspects of the food system, including backyard, school, and community gardens. We looked at some of the practical ways we can both reduce garden-related greenhouse gas emissions and adapt our food gardens to a warmer, more variable climate. Soil health, water management, heat-tolerant crops and cultivars, and reducing food waste and the use of plastics were discussed.
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The Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) is continuously updating and creating new web pages with the most up-to-date information for Maryland residents.
Pro tip for searching for HGIC webpages! If you're having trouble using the AGNR search bar feature, instead use your favorite search engine and type in "UMD Extension" + "topic name".
Check out this list of some new and revised web pages below:
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The Maryland Grows Blog is a wonderful place for new and experienced gardeners to read timely tips on food gardening, soil improvement, trouble-shooting plant problems, and supporting pollinators in your landscape. To follow the blog find the "Follow Blog via Email" section on the right-hand side of the screen. Submit your email and you're officially a follower!
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Improve Soil Health for a Climate-Resilient Garden
By Jon Traunfeld, Extension Specialist and HGIC Director
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By Anahí Espíndola, Assistant Professor, UMD Department of Entomology
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Stephanie Pully
UME Master Gardener State Coordinator
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Jean Burchfield
Program Management Specialist
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