Frost on leaves

Welcome to the UConn Home & Garden Education Center
We're here to help you grow!

The UConn Home & Garden Education Center (HGEC) is a horticultural informational resource for the citizens of Connecticut and beyond. As an office within the Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture and a partner of UConn Extension, we have access to some of the best horticultural resources in the state to help you and your gardens succeed. The staff at the Center reach nearly 400,000 citizens in outreach efforts each year.

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Knowledge To Grow On

Diagnostic Services

Plant Diagnostic Laboratory

The UConn Plant Diagnostic Laboratory diagnoses plant problems including diseases, insect pests and abiotic causes.

 

Plant Diagnostic Lab

Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory

The Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory processes about 14,000 soil samples annually. Samples are routinely tested for a variety of major and minor plant nutrients, lead and pH.

Soil Nutrient Analysis Lab

News & Updates

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UConn Home & Garden Education Center

2 days ago

What seeds are you starting this week, gardeners? We're here to help you succeed with your seed starting and gardening projects! Remember that you can send any questions to us at ladybug@uconn.edu #poll #seedstarting #cutflowergarden #cutflowergardens #flowerseeds #veggieseeds #seedstartingmix #gardeners #gardenersofig #gardenerslife #gardentips #springiscoming #uconnladybug Lightbox link for post with description What seeds are you starting this week, ...

What seeds are you starting this week, gardeners?

We're here to help you succeed with your seed starting and gardening projects! Remember that you can send any questions to us at ladybug@uconn.edu

#poll #seedstarting #cutflowergarden #cutflowergardens #flowerseeds ...#veggieseeds #seedstartingmix #gardeners #gardenersofig #gardenerslife #gardentips #springiscoming #uconnladybug

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UConn Home & Garden Education Center

6 days ago

Happy Valentine's Day! 💕 Getting flowers for your loved ones? Received a stunning bouquet from someone special? Here's a few tips on how to keep cut flowers fresh as long as possible: 🌹Make sure your vase is clean. Putting your vase in the dishwasher or hand washing is enough to help remove dirt and pathogens. Bacteria can speed up the degradation of your flowers! 🌹Remove any leaves that will sit below the water line. Leaves in water will decay faster, feed bacteria, and shorten the life of your bouquet 🌹Cut stems about an inch from the bottom at a 45 degree angle to maximize water uptake 🌹Place your stems in warm water (about 100 degrees F) once they've had a fresh cut - this allows for better absorption and helps flowers to relax and open 🌹 Change the water entirely instead of topping off every couple of days 🌹 Use floral food if provided. These packets help to adjust the pH, kill bacteria, and provide minimal nutrition to flowers. They should not be substituted with home remedies such as pennies, aspirin, or sugar water. #happyvalentinesday #bemyvalentine #flowers #freshflowers #cutflowers #bouquet #bouquets #cutflowercare #flowercare #flowercare101 #flowercaretips #valentinesflowers #uconnladybug Lightbox link for post with description Happy Valentine's Day! 💕 Getting flowers for...

Happy Valentine's Day! 💕

Getting flowers for your loved ones? Received a stunning bouquet from someone special? Here's a few tips on how to keep cut flowers fresh as long as possible:

🌹Make sure your vase is clean. Putting your vase in the dishwasher or hand ...washing is enough to help remove dirt and pathogens. Bacteria can speed up the degradation of your flowers!

🌹Remove any leaves that will sit below the water line. Leaves in water will decay faster, feed bacteria, and shorten the life of your bouquet

🌹Cut stems about an inch from the bottom at a 45 degree angle to maximize water uptake

🌹Place your stems in warm water (about 100 degrees F) once they've had a fresh cut - this allows for better absorption and helps flowers to relax and open

🌹 Change the water entirely instead of topping off every couple of days

🌹 Use floral food if provided. These packets help to adjust the pH, kill bacteria, and provide minimal nutrition to flowers. They should not be substituted with home remedies such as pennies, aspirin, or sugar water.

#happyvalentinesday #bemyvalentine #flowers #freshflowers #cutflowers #bouquet #bouquets #cutflowercare #flowercare #flowercare101 #flowercaretips #valentinesflowers #uconnladybug

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Partners

UConn Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

The UConn IPM program educates growers and the general public about the judicious and safe use of organic and synthetic pesticides and alternative pest control methods. The program incorporates all possible crop management and pest management strategies through knowledgeable decision-making, utilizing the most efficient landscape and on-farm resources, and integrating cultural and biological controls.

Learn More.

Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG)

The mission of the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group is to gather and convey information on the presence, distribution, ecological impacts, and management of invasive species; to promote uses of native or non-invasive ornamental alternatives throughout Connecticut; and to work cooperatively with researchers, conservation organizations, government agencies, green industries, and the general public to identify and manage invasive species pro-actively and effectively.

Learn more.

Ticks & Tick Testing

The two species of ticks most likely to be encountered in Connecticut are the wood or American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and the smaller black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus) often called the deer tick as white-tailed deer are a favored host. Both carry diseases but it is the black-legged one that can transmit Lyme disease, human babesiosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis.

Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory - Tick Testing Options

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station-Information on Submitting Ticks

UConn Farm Viability Service

The Farm Viability Service helps farmers connect with College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (CAHNR) services and support. UConn Extension is within CAHNR, as are the Departments of Agricultural & Resource Economics, Animal Science, Plant Science & Landscape Architecture, and Natural Resources & the Environment, in addition to numerous other resources. We also help farmers make connections throughout the university. 

The Farm Viability Service helps to identify and understand farmers’ research needs, and convey these needs to relevant faculty at UConn. We also work to recognize opportunities for collaboration between farmers and UConn, and within UConn on behalf of farmers. 

Visit the Farm Viability Service Website