Red poinsettia with white speckles

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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E-Newsletter

December is for poinsettias, bayberry candles and forcing bulbs

Poinsettias, Bayberry Candles, Bulbs & Other December News

December 1, 2024

“Welcome winter. Your late dawns and chilled breath make me lazy, but I love you nonetheless.” — Terri Guillemets Poinsettias Did you know that the tradition of decorating Christmas displays with Poinsettias started in Mexcio? They have a rich history in their native range, and the story of how they came to represent Christmas in […]

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Newspaper Articles

Plant Hazards to Avoid this Holiday Season

December 20, 2024

View As PDF  By Nick Goltz, DPM, UConn Home & Garden Education Center, UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab Using low-heat LED lights is a great way to reduce fire risk while keeping things festive. The stewards of this tree toko the extra step of installing a rope fence to discourage visitors from damaging the tree or […]

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Fact Sheets

Fact Sheets

Fact Sheets

Monthly Gardening Tips

December Gardening Tips

December Gardening Tips

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.

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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.

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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

CAES: Spotted Lanternfly, New Invasive Insect

The Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White), an invasive planthopper, was discovered in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014. It is native to China, India, Vietnam, and introduced to Korea where it has become a major pest. This insect attacks many hosts including grapes, apples, stone fruits, and tree of heaven and has the potential to greatly impact the grape, fruit tree, and logging industries. Early detection is vital for the protection of Connecticut businesses and agriculture.

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Diagnostic Services

UConn Home and Garden Education Center - PDL icon

Plant Diagnostic Laboratory

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

 

Plant Diagnostic Lab

UConn Home and Garden Education Center - UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Lab icon

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

Partners