Coming up: Fall Continuing Education Day, scheduled for Saturday, November 9th, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Washington VA
Featuring
- Janet Davis owner of Hill House Farm & Nursery will delve into the Propagation of Native Woody Plants,
- Maddie Bright from Earth Sangha will speak on the importance of Keystone Native Plants and Plant Communities.
- Pat Lust, Professor Emerita from Longwood University, will share her extensive knowledge on Seed Propagation
- And an afternoon tour to visit Hill House Nursery,
To learn more and to register click here: Fall 2024 Educational Event
Previous Educational Events:
VMGA Spring Virtual Continuing Education Event
Saturday May 18, 2024 9:30am – 12:00pm
Conservation Landscaping
The Science and Practical Application to Create or Restore Bio-Diversity in the Home Garden Soil Ecology – Biodiversity – Keystone Species
Restoration Ecology of Urban Trees – Dr. David Burke, Research chair of the Holden Arboretum
Concentrating on soil ecology, His presentation examines interaction between plants and soil microorganisms, especially mutualistic and associative soil organisms, to restore critical balances in urban trees and plants. Ph.D. from Rutgers University.
Restore Biodiversity with Keystone Plants – Krista De Cooke, Innovation Project Manager for Homegrown National Park.
How the homeowner can improve biodiversity that supports the birds, and the insects on which they rely. M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee; MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Haslam College of Business.
A recording of this presentation is available by clicking this link
Spring Virtual Event
It is a large file so you may need a faster connection than dialup to enjoy it.
VMGA Continuing Education Day
November 11, 2023
The Nelson Center, 8445 Thomas Nelson Hwy, Lovingston VA 22949
9:00 am to 12:30 pm, with optional lunch and tour to 3:00 pm
Join us to hone your plant disease diagnostic skills that will help you as you volunteer at the Extension Help Desk and Plant Clinic venues!
Co-hosted by the Nelson County Master Gardeners, the lectures will take place in the Nelson Center, site of the Nelson County Extension Office in Lovingston, VA. The optional lunch will be at Saunders Brothers Farm Market. For those interested in an optional bus tour of the Saunders Brothers fields of boxwood, fruit trees and greenhouses of container-grown plants, the tour will depart the Farm Market at 1:30 and last about 90 minutes. Seating on the bus tour is limited so register early!
Lectures
Plant Problem Diagnosis, Grace Monger, Associate Extension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Environmental Horticulture
This session will cover the A-B-Cs of plant diagnosis for Extension Master Gardeners and/or Interns. Attendees will learn a standard diagnostic process that can be applied to any plant issue. This lecture will equip EMGs to tackle questions regardless of the plant or pest, where to find reliable information, when to seek professional help, and how to submit samples to the VT Plant Disease Clinic. Our objective for this session is to set EMGs up for success in attending to helpdesk inquiries.
Boxwood – Diagnosing Problems and Efforts to Develop Resistant Varieties and Treatments Pat Reilly, Horticulture Outreach Specialist, Saunders Brothers, Inc.
Like other plants, boxwood have their pests and diseases. Boxwood, though, have been such an important staple in American landscapes that the threats to its health engender more attention. The lecture will focus on the process for diagnosing boxwood diseases, insect damage and abiotic problems. We will also cover an update on blight resistant cultivars and options for treatment.
Plant Phenology Jim Revell, Bedford Extension Master Gardener
How do temperature and moisture levels impact insect populations? What are Degree Days (aka Growing Degree Days) and are they important in relation to insect activity? How are Degree Days calculated? Can Degree Days be effectively incorporated into Integrated Pest Management strategies for the home vegetable gardener (would you like to be able to implement IPM controls to help target insects at their most susceptible life stage)? What is Plant Phenology and its correlation to determining crop planting dates and best times to initiate IPM strategies? Learn about these valuable tools for the home gardener and how these methods can help mitigate problematic insects in your vegetable garden!
Optional bus tour of the hundreds of acres of Saunders Brothers fields of boxwood and fruit trees, and greenhouses of container-grown plants is available for the first 35 registrations that request the tour. Led by Tom Saunders, attendees will see how Saunders Brothers and NewGen Boxwood select and grow outstanding annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees.
Spring Virtual Event
It is a large file so you may need a faster connection than dialup to enjoy it.