“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust.”
— Gertrude Jekyll
Maximize your Garden Space this Season!
Gardening comes in all shapes and sizes, whether its a few pots on the patio, a large in-ground bed, or somewhere in between. We love the challenge of getting the most out of our gardens and finding new methods to increase efficiency and yield. There's many techniques out there - which one is best for you?
Click on each title to learn more and keep in mind that these are only a few of many techniques gardeners use to maximize their productions!
Intercropping
This practice focuses on growing two or more crops in close proximity to maximize the use of space in the garden. Plants need to be of similar culture in terms of watering and care needs in order to be successful. Often, timing of harvest can be a significant player in this system. Planting radishes in between broccoli, for example, ensures that the radish will be harvested before the broccoli needs additional space to produce its crown.
Companion Planting
While it may seem easy to use companion planting and intercropping interchangeably, they are two different practices. Companion planting focuses more on the relationships between plants and their environment. For example, some companion plants benefit others by deterring pests or fixing nitrogen into the soil. These complex relationships add benefit to your garden while also maximizing space.
Succession Planting
This method involves re-planting immediately after harvest to utilize the space for as long as possible. For example, planting escarole and lettuce once warm season vegetables have been harvested can help extend the gardening season. Alternatively, planting peas from seed every 2 weeks during the months of April & May ensures staggered harvest when compared to a single planting ready for harvest at the same time.
Square Foot Gardening
Looking to create an organized and efficient vegetable garden this growing season? Try using the square foot gardening method. In this technique, the growing area is divided into small sections, each one square foot in size. The result is an orderly garden grid with a different plant species in each square. Construction is simple and can be done with minimal materials.
Container Gardens
We are fortunate that the availability of container-friendly production plants has been increasing over the years! If your garden space is limited, seek out plants that are specifically intended for containers.
Drought Injury Continues
A hedge of Green Giant Arborvitae showing signs of winter damage. Note that the one on the far right appears to be unaffected, likely due to some sheltering from winter winds. Photo by Pamm Cooper, UConn Home & Garden Education Center
Connecticut's woody ornamentals have suffered from a unique challenge this past winter season: the lingering effects of a moderate drought during the preceding fall, along with cold temperatures and harsh winds. This combination of factors poses a threat to the health and vitality of trees and shrubs, exacerbating the typical stressors of winter in New England.
Many gardeners even reported a delayed response, noting that their evergreens looked okay throughout the winter and early spring. While drought-stressed plants are generally more susceptible to winter injury, this year's moderate fall drought has weakened many woody ornamentals, leaving them vulnerable to frost damage, branch dieback and pathogens, which become opportunistic when woody ornamentals are under stress.
Monitoring your trees and shrubs over the coming season will help you mitigate any further damage. Providing supplemental water when less than 1" of rain is forecasted for the week may also help plants out of this stressful time. Checking the soil before watering will help you avoid overwatering, which can cause its own host of issues.
Wild ginger, Asarum canadense, is a native plant that is a good choice as a shaded groundcover. Found naturally in woodlands in the eastern U.S., flowers are often overlooked as they are hidden near the ground below the leaves of this low-growing plant. Not considered edible, it is unrelated to the ginger used in cooking.
Shopping for native plants this spring? UConn has created a valuable resource that not only identifies CT Native plants, but helps you find the garden centers that carry them!
As we move into the summer the common plant clover starts to pop up everywhere throughout your lawn! However, instead of hand pulling or digging out the “weed”, should you actually keep it in your yard this summer? The answer is: yes! Clover is actually extremely beneficial to the environment in multiple different ways, and is also more drought tolerant, requires less fertilizer than grass, and attracts pollinators such as bees! This plant is a nitrogen fixing legume, which forms a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobia bacteria that start to form bumps that are able to extract the nitrogen from the atmosphere. When the nitrogen is extracted, the Rhizobia helps turn it into a usable form for the legume, and it “fixes” it within the plant. Clover is a great plant to keep in your lawn this summer!
By Zaira O’Leary, University of Connecticut Sustainable Plant and Soil Science Undergraduate
A seasoned gardener always keeps their eye to the sky at any time of year! Maps and the 30 day outlook from NOAA will help you stay prepared for any and all of your gardening chores! (Click image to see larger map.)
Gardening Resources & Pest Alerts
During the growing season, UConn Extension publishes a regular pest alert for both vegetable and fruit producers. Additionally, the New England Vegetable Management Guide offers a lot of information about specific vegetable crops.
While the target audience for these publications is usually commercial growers, home gardeners can learn a lot from these materials including identification and management of common pests in your veggie gardens!
If you ever need confirmation on an ID or have additional questions about what you read in these reports, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at the Home & Garden Education Center! We're happy to help your gardens thrive.
Supplement Your Garden Produce with CT Grown Products!
Photo by Peter Morenus/UConn Photo
Connecticut is rich in agricultural history, with many operational farms that have lots to offer local markets!
Supporting local CT Agriculture is a way that gardeners can supplement the fresh foods they grow in their garden, with seasonal offerings from year round operations.
Consider attending a local farmers market, joining Community Supported Agriculture (CSA's), or even stopping by your nearest farm stand to see what they have to offer!
In spring, some farms and farmers markets even offer plant starts for sale to be planted in your home garden.
This Memorial Day we also recognize ctveterangrown.org as a valuable resource for both veteran farmers and community members who wish to support Veteran-Owned or Operated Farms in CT.
Harden off tomato, eggplant and pepper transplants before planting out at end of month.
As night temperatures moderate into the 60's, move houseplants outdoors. Help them with the transition by putting them outside on warm days and bringing them in on when nights are too cold. Avoid putting them directly into full sun or windy locations.
Remove any tree wraps or guards you placed on young trunks for winter protection.
Remove spent blooms on tulips, daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs. The plant will focus its energy on growing new bulbs rather than producing seeds.
Use fresh potting soil in your containers as old soil has fewer nutrients and may contain harmful bacteria and fungi.
Mow your lawn any time the grass is 1½ times the normal height, for example, if you mow at a 3-inch height, don’t let the grass get longer than 4 to 5”.
Aphids and lace bugs will appear soon. Spray with water or use a low-toxicity insecticide to control them. Asian lady beetles are a beneficial insect that feed on aphids.
Put nets over ripening strawberries to protect them from birds and other wildlife.
Clear grass and weeds from root zone areas around tree trunks and remove any suckers growing from the base of the trees. Spread compost and top with 3 to 4” of bark mulch. Keep mulch an inch or two away from the trunks.
Disinfect all pots and containers before refilling them for the season.
By Heather Zidack, UConn Home & Garden Education Center
Rhododendrons are showing a varying degree of stress responses to winter conditions in the landscape. Photo by Heather Zidack
Rhododendrons are looking rough this spring. You’ve probably seen it in your yard or in your neighborhood. The UConn Home & Garden Education Center has been seeing an increase in the number of calls regarding injury or damage to rhododendrons. In most cases, we are finding these reports to be winter injury. This is an environmental type of damage, caused by a perfect storm of conditions that we have seen throughout the state. So, let’s take a closer look into why this is happening.
Plants lose water through their leaves. During active growth, that water is constantly replenished from the roots. When the temperatures drop and the ground freezes in the winter, available water becomes limited. Plants have adapted to this in many ways. Dormancy is triggered by multiple factors, but water conservation is certainly one of those. Deciduous trees shed their leaves completely. Evergreens have developed various leaf adaptations to help with survival, too.
As broadleaf evergreens, rhododendrons have developed a waxy coat on their leaves to help prevent water loss. They also have a physiological mechanism to help defend themselves further. Just as you’d clasp your hands together on a cold winter day to shield them from the elements, rhododendron leaves curl themselves into cigar-shaped cylinders. The leading theory is that this happens to protect the leaves from further water loss. This natural defense mechanism has grabbed our attention this spring, since our weather patterns have lent a hand in amplifying a natural phenomenon.
At the end of last summer, CT started to see a moderate drought in much of the state. These conditions have persisted through this spring. Water availability was limited as plants went into the winter and remained limited throughout the season. Add in frozen soil and harsh winter winds and the environmental stress increased even more. When water is unavailable to the roots – through either freezing or drought conditions, plants lose their ability to return water to the living tissues. This drying out, referred to as desiccation, leads to winter injury or winter kill depending on the severity of damage. While we are finally seeing rain, these plants need time to recover and may not be ready to unfurl just yet.
Many have noted that some plants are faring better than others even within the same bed. This is also normal to some extent. It can be easy to forget that plants are living things in our landscapes. There is going to be variance in their ability to withstand environmental pressures and their recovery rates.
If you are seeing this in your rhododendrons, be patient this spring and monitor over the next month or so. With an increase of rain in the forecast, the extra hydration should help plants recover - or at least push out new growth. These shrubs will shed any leaves that are damaged beyond repair on their own. Do not prune or fertilize shrubs until the end of May to avoid further injury. If we go a week without rain, consider watering your shrubs to help speed up recovery – but only water if the soil feels dry to the touch! If by mid-late May you are seeing absolutely no improvement, we start to consider other factors that may contribute to the plant’s health. For now, they just need a little more time.
The UConn Home & Garden Education Center supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website athomegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension center atcahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations.
The snowy weather is getting mixed reviews around the state. Some people are thrilled, others are begging for a little more sunshine and less precipitation. (Spring 2025)
By Abigayle Ward – Soil Science Graduate Student, UConn Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture
Connecticut dairy cows enjoying some feed and the sunshine. Photo by Nora Doonan, UConn Soil Science Graduate Student
As temperatures warm up, perhaps you feel inclined to open windows to let some fresh air into your home or to feel the breeze on your morning commute. But then it hits you: The pungent aroma of freshly-spread manure. The few weeks that the smell persists serve as a reminder of the agricultural roots of Connecticut. Dairy farming began during the American colonial period in the 1600s, and milk remains one of the most important agricultural products in Connecticut. Some dairy farms have been in continuous operation for over 10 generations.
A single cow can produce around 100 pounds – about 18 gallons – of manure per day. Connecticut is home to nearly 19,000 dairy cows, so you do the math – that’s a lot of manure!
Typically, farmers spread manure on their crop fields twice per year: Once in the early spring, and again after corn harvest, usually in late fall. Manure is rich in nutrients, which helps grow the crops farmers use to keep happy cows throughout the year. Manure is also an excellent source of organic matter, which enriches the soil with carbon, provides nutrients to support healthy soil microbiomes, and gives our sandy Connecticut soils structure, which is essential for happy crops and high yields.
Many Connecticut dairy farmers are also on the forefront of research and development. In Coventry, Hytone Farm uses a brand-new anaerobic digester to harness the power of microorganisms to break down thousands of gallons of manure and food waste every day. Biogasses, such as methane, are collected and can be used to generate electricity. The solids, called “digestates”, can be used as fertilizer, animal bedding, or even as building materials. Freund’s Farm in East Canaan has been turning digestates into compostable, nutrient-rich CowPots, which can be buried directly in your garden and will biodegrade over time. Running since 1997, Freund’s is home to one of the first anaerobic digesters in New England. Collins Powder Hill Farm – home of the Collins Creamery – makes and sells compost from leaves and manure. All these practices help these local farms, and many others, increase carbon sequestration, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and yes, reduce the smell of manure.
For home gardeners who wish to harness the power of manure, applying a commercially produced manure compost is the safest route. While applying raw manure is safe for crops that will not be consumed by humans, composted manure is recommended for application in gardens where human food is being grown. The composting process heats up the manure to temperatures that kill pathogens, such as E. coli, which could make you sick. Furthermore, composted manure should be odorless – getting your garden many of the benefits without the smell!
While the smell may be a mild inconvenience now, it is a sign that our dairy farmers are hard at work, continuing a tradition older than our country and serving our communities. You can support our state’s dairy farmers by purchasing locally-produced dairy products, adding some composted manure to your garden, and – of course – waving to the tractor drivers!
The UConn Home & Garden Education Center supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension center at cahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations.
“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
— Margaret Atwood
Get Your Plants Outside Earlier with Cold Frames!
Cold frames act as small greenhouses, allowing you to get an earlier start on your garden in the spring and harvest produce later in the fall as temperatures begin to drop. These structures allow light in through clear covers while protecting plants from the elements – namely cold weather. The cold frame is heated by the sun during the day and at night, heat is radiated inside to keep plants warm. Cold frames can be constructed from a variety of materials to form the basic components of a frame and transparent covering.
These structures also help gardeners to "harden off" seedlings - a process which helps them adjust from a controlled indoor environment, to a more variable outdoor environment.
With its namesake holiday approaching, the demand for Easter lilies is rapidly increasing!
While inside your home, choose a location which provides bright light but is out of direct sunlight. Ensure that watering is done when the soil surface is dry to the touch.
These are not pet-safe plants! Keep them out of reach from your furry friends.
When danger of frost has passed, Easter lilies can be planted outdoors. Plant your lily in a location with full sun and sufficient drainage.
Bloodroot is a native spring ephemeral that is one of the first wildflowers to bloom. Many native bees that are active in early spring benefit from a nice stand of this plant. Its common name refers to the blood-red color of the underground rhizomes.
How ‘beneficial’ are the microbe blends to your soil, as well as your plants?
Microbial additions are being discussed increasingly, and they are starting to show up on sites, such as Amazon, easily accessible by the average home grower. The big question is: are these additions and blends aiding your soil, or are they just another sales pitch? Microbial additions greatly benefit your soil, because they aid in multiple essential functions within the soil, including cycling nutrients, breaking down organic matter within the soil, and helping your soil stay healthy. These additions can also be a benefit to your plants by helping them absorb more nutrients, as well as encouraging growth, and possibly even disease suppression! Microbial additions are truly ‘beneficial’, and should be considered this spring season!
By Zaira O’Leary, University of Connecticut Sustainable Plant and Soil Science Undergraduate
A seasoned gardener always keeps their eye to the sky at any time of year! Maps and the 30 day outlook from NOAA will help you stay prepared for any and all of your gardening chores! (Click image to see larger map.)
Earth Day is April 22nd - Celebrations are happening statewide! Check with your local municipality, nature centers and parks to see what events they have planned.
Arbor Day is April 25th - Visit one of CT's many recognizedTree City USAsites.
Tour theUConn Arboretum and visit our collection of specimen trees!
Freezing temperatures don’t harm pansies, but if they have been grown in a greenhouse they should be gradually exposed to outdoor temperatures before planting.
Divide overcrowded summer or fall blooming perennials.
Get your hands in the soil on cold spring days by transplanting houseplants that need repotting.
Weather permitting, direct sow peas, carrots, radishes, lettuces, and spinach every two weeks through mid-May for staggered harvests.
Place seedlings in cold frames around April 25 or later to harden off.
A new generation of Spongy Moth Caterpillars will hatch in late April and begin feeding on the leaves of many tree species. Remove and destroy any egg masses you find on your trees.
Don't wait too long to remove mulches from strawberries. Once the leaves have emerged from under the straw and yellowing is evident, pull the mulch away from the tops of the plants and tramp it down between the rows. Keeping the base of the plants mulched helps keep the berries clean, controls weeds, and conserves moisture.
Apply pre-emergent crabgrass weed control when soil temperatures reach 50°F. Use a tool like this soil temperature map to track your timing.
By Dr. Matthew Lisy, UConn Adjunct Faculty UConn Home & Garden Education Center
Finally, spring is here! It will soon be time to repot all our houseplants as soon as the cold weather completely stops. Many of the plants purchased over the winter, as well as the ones sitting around for years should be repotted. This does not imply that the pot size needs to be increased. Many times, the plant can be left in the same size pot. If it is rootbound, and the plant is known to get large, it’s good to go one pot size up. Increasing the pot size when it is not needed just leads to root rot as the soil will not dry out properly. Alternatively, if the plant is getting big, another option is to divide it into numerous smaller plants, each requiring a smaller pot.
Various Sansevieria species waiting for spring to be repotted – the three in front need bigger pots, and the rear one needs to be split. It’s best to repot during the growing season in order to avoid root rot. (photo by M. Lisy).
Many people think that if the pot size does not need to increase, then there is no need to repot. This could not be further from the truth. The plant is in a fixed medium. The soilless mix will quickly run out of nutrients, even with regular fertilization. Also, salts tend to build up in the soil, which harms the plant over the long run. This is a natural consequence of plants in pots. Soil can also get compacted too much over time and interfere with proper aeration of the root zone. Tease away the loose soil from the root ball being careful not to break the roots. Add the new soil and watch the plant grow!
This is also a great time to change out the pot. Most of our houseplants come in plastic pots. These are usually not very attractive. Plastic pots are good for plants that like to be kept moist. I prefer a clay pot in most cases. This allows the soil to breathe and makes it harder to over water. What I do not care for or recommend are the automatic watering pots. I have found that these have a tendency to keep the soil too moist, and do not allow for a drying out period between waterings. Stores use them as they require no maintenance from their staff, and the plants cannot wither and die due to lack of water. Long term, these types of pots lead to root rot.
Different plants have different soil needs. Cacti and succulents like it dry and fast draining. Orchids like it airy and chunky. Most houseplants prefer a mix that holds moisture but drains. Try and match the plant to the right soil type. There are great commercial mixes available for purchase, and prices on these have come down some lately. Take some time to research the proper soil type for each plant. Many of the plants take a typical houseplant mix, but some require additional drainage. In this case, add perlite and/or sand. To enable to soil to hold moisture for a longer period of time, add some vermiculite.
In all honesty, almost any soil can work for almost any plant provided that the watering is controlled. Most of the time, houseplants get overwatered which leads to fungal problems. People want to water at some magical interval, like every Friday, for example. In reality, the weather greatly influences how quickly or slowly our plants dry out. Sometimes they need water sooner, and sometimes they do not need water at all. Let the plants determine the watering schedule. If all these suggestions are followed, our plants will be living in a potted paradise, as will we!
The UConn Home & Garden Education Center supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website athomegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension center atcahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations.
By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center
Climbing temperatures and longer days signal springtime! Time to pull out the rakes and wheelbarrow from the shed and get out in the yard. Take a stroll through the lawn areas and gardens and note what tidying up needs to be done. Pick up fallen twigs and rake up areas where leaves accumulated over the winter.
Lawns can be damaged Photo by Dawn Pettinelli
While we did not have a severe winter, there was some necessary snow and ice removal around driveways and walks. Often the lawn next to these areas has gotten ripped up or compacted and is in need of repair. Rake up the damaged sections and add topsoil if needed to level out the area. Then scratch up the surface and put down some grass seed. Usually at this time of year, little irrigation is necessary but be prepared to lightly water if dry, sunny conditions prevail. Another option is to line your driveway with tough groundcovers or pollinator friendly flowers although this can be challenging if drivers routinely miscalculate their parking abilities.
Speaking of lawns, check to see that your lawnmower and weedwhacker are in working order. Wait until closer to the beginning of April when lawns actually start to green up before applying limestone or fertilizer. They can be purchased now, however, so you’re ready to go when grass starts growing and the ground is dry enough to walk on. Crabgrass controls can be put down about the time the forsythia is in full bloom.
Next take a good look at your woody plants – your trees and shrubs. Some of us experienced pretty icy conditions over the winter that caused a fair amount of breakage. Remove any cracked or damage branches. Cut back to a bud, stem or the ground depending on where the damage occurred. Now before the plants leaf out is a great time to prune. After removing dead and damaged stems, cut out any crossing or rubbing ones, those that are too crowded, and then prune for desired height and shape. Keep in mind the plant’s mature size as you prune. Better to select a plant that fits its space than to continue hacking it to the size you desire. This is also a perfect time to prune fruit trees such as apples and pears, and also blueberry bushes.
By now your vegetable garden should be all planned out and seeds purchased, or at least ordered, as well as onion sets or plants, seed potatoes and sweet potato slips. Tomato and pepper seeds can be started in soilless media indoors. I prefer to plant 2 seeds of tomatoes in each cell of a 4 pack and 2 seeds of peppers in each cell of a 6 pack, because the peppers take longer to germinate and grow slower than tomatoes. Seeds are set about a quarter inch deep in the moistened media and kept about 70 degrees F under fluorescent lights. After the seeds germinate and the seedlings grow their first set of true leaves, the weaker of the two plants, if both seeds germinate, is removed.
Photo by Dawn Pettinelli
Cool season vegetable seeds should be collected or purchased for early plantings. These include peas, radishes, lettuce, spring turnips, spinach, chard and many Asian greens. A few warm days might have us chomping at the bit but wait until the soil temperature reaches 45 degrees F. How would you determine soil temperature? Using a soil thermometer, insert it into the soil where you want to plant your seeds about 1 to 2 inches deep and take a reading in the morning and then again around 2 pm. Shade the thermometer if in direct sun. Average the two readings and plant when there are a few days of at least 45 degrees F and the weather forecast is favorable.
Many of us are not cleaning up perennial gardens in the fall so that beneficial insects can overwinter in debris. You can start going in now and cutting down stems and tidying up. Fall bloomers like asters and mums can be divided. Limestone can be added if necessary but wait to fertilize when new growth appears.
The warmer weather puts a smile on our faces and we can share the joy of spring by planting pansies with their abundant blossoms and cheery faces. One can never have enough pansies, or at least, I feel that way. Get out and welcome spring, spruce up your lawn and gardens and be thankful that winter is over!
For questions on these or other garden chores or on other gardening topics, feel free to contact us, toll-free, at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at www.homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.
These warmer days have been calling us into the garden, but it's still a bit too early to be planting many of our spring favorites. Still, local garden centers and our team at the UConn Home & Garden Education Center are ready to help you prepare for the growing season ahead! (Spring 2025)
By Alec Janis M.S. – Connecticut Institute of Water Resources
Cross-section of how water moves underground. Photo created by Alec Janis, M.S.
In 1718, in what is now Franklin, Connecticut, a well was dug as an all-purpose public source of water for the community. In about 1755, the people began to complain about the water’s quality, saying it stained clothes and remained tainted until 1794, when an earthquake shook the town. After the earthquake, it was found that the well had been restored to its original quality. Although this is a more extreme example, the quality of your well water can change at any time, which means that just because it was safe to drink when it was installed, that may not be the case today.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health recommends that all residents test their wells every two to five years. If you’re struggling to remember the last time you tested your well, you’re not alone. We estimate that 96% of Connecticut well owners do not follow these guidelines.
So how does your well work? When it rains, some water is absorbed by the plants in the landscape, but they can’t uptake all that water. After water travels past the plant roots, it continues until it reaches an area where all the spaces in the soil have been saturated. This is known as the water table. Think of the soil like a sponge; as you add water, the water fills all the holes and space inside until it’s completely soaked through. If you have a shallow well, your water is being pulled directly from this water table.
If you have a drilled well, your water comes from much further underground. Below the saturated layer of soil, there’s solid stone called bedrock. Throughout the bedrock, there are small cracks, called fractures, where water moves. You can see an example of this when passing a rocky cliff face along the highway that seems to be randomly covered in ice. The ice you see has formed from water that has made its way through soil on top of the ledge, into the fractures in the stone and eventually drips out of small cracks where it freezes in the cold air. A drilled well is a bored hole in the bedrock, intersecting many fractures. Instead of following the original path, water now pours out of the fractures and pools in the newly formed hole.
Now that we know how water travels, let’s consider everything the water is interacting with on its way down. Consider the animal waste on your lawn from a pet or a passing deer, the fertilizers or pesticides you may use on your lawn, or even the de-icing salts you put on walkways during the winter. Precipitation, in the form of rain or snow, pulls everything underground. However, not all of this will end up directly in your well water. The dirt acts as a filter stopping some contaminants while letting others through. Depending on the chemical make-up, certain compounds will remain in the soil while others will break down and continue to travel through.
When this water reaches the bedrock, it will continue to pick up and lose different chemicals. This process will slowly erode these cracks, causing the paths to change over time. As the stone erodes, metals and minerals will be picked up with the traveling water and occasionally end up in your drilled well.
This is why it is important to routinely test your well water quality every few years. As water erodes fractures in the bedrock, new cracks and pathways form, changing the contaminants that are entering your well. We currently don’t have a simple method to track how groundwater is moving, so testing is the best way to understand what’s happening in your well.
To get your well tested visit a local or lab participate in the UConn Extension well testing program. We are hosting a collection event at the UConn Extension - Middlesex County Extension Center (1066 Saybrook Rd, Haddam, CT 06438) on May 3rdfrom 10:00am – 1:00pm. These tests test for coliform bacteria, lead, arsenic, uranium, nitrates, sodium, chloride, fluoride, pH, hardness, sulfate, turbidity, iron, and manganese. These tests, normally valued at $350, are being offered for a reduced cost of $200.
We will mail a sample kit to participants who have signed up in advance of the collection event. Sample kits will also be available at the collection event on May 3rd as well as at the Old Saybrook Environmental Fair (Old Saybrook Middle School, 60 Sheffield St, Old Saybrook, CT 06475) on April 26th.
If participants cannot make the day above, we offer a walk in service year-round where participants can bring their water sample to the UConn main campus Monday through Thursday from 8 am – 5 pm. For more information on how to sign up, visit https://ctiwr.uconn.edu/walk-in/.
We support UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For home gardening questions, contact the UConn Home & Garden Education Center athomegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension center atcahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations. For more information about the CT Institute of Water Resources and Well testing services, visit https://ctiwr.uconn.edu/
