Cornell Cooperative Extension

Albany County
Herb garden
bee on flower

Gardening

Our Albany County Master Gardener Hotline is operating daily, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm with minimal staffing. Therefore, we ask for your patience in giving us time to respond to your calls and emails. Call 518-765-3514 or email albanymg@cornell.edu

Our offices and Horticultural Lab are now open to the public when Master Gardener Volunteers are present to help. You will be required to sign in with the receptionist and wear a mask within the building. The receptionist will call the Master Gardener or a CCE staff person to assist you. We suggest that you call the Hotline prior to arrival so we can supply you with the intake forms and instructions as to what we need for a sample to be able to give you a diagnosis or for identification in case a Master Gardener is unavailable to help when you arrive.

*The Horticulture Lab Drop Box is available outside our front door to leave samples after hours.*

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Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County is your resource for information on soils, site improvement, plant selection, proper plant care, eco-friendly practices, integrated pest management, composting and so much more! We offer free or low-cost gardening classes and tours all year long, and opportunities to share your love of gardening as a volunteer!

Master Gardener logo, 800x400 in yellow & green

Master Gardeners

Master Gardeners belong to a national corps of trained volunteers who share gardening information in their communities through the local Cooperative Extension office.

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Houseplant

Houseplants

Growing plants indoors can be difficult, but here are some links that may be helpful in making you successful at growing plants indoors:

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Deer tick on a leaf

Deer Tick

Get the facts on Lyme disease and its prevalence in NY State, other tick-borne diseases, how to remove ticks, and options for tick management including IPM.

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Japanese maple, Acer palmatum Thunb.

Trees & Shrubs

Ornamental trees and shrubs can enhance the beauty of your home landscaping. Find some suggested varieties here.

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plants sprouting in dark soil

Soils & Climate

At the present time we are unable to offer soil testing at CCE Albany, however, Dairy One/Agro1 Lab is accepting soil samples for pH and nutrient testing...

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Black-tailed deer grazing by the roadside in Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington [public domain].

Deer Resistant Plants

Is there anything they won't eat? Although no plant is completely "deer proof", we've compiled a chart of deer-resistant varieties that may avoid their browsing.

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Last updated June 25, 2021

Gardening

Have Gardening Questions?

Call:  518-765-3514

Email:  albanymg@cornell.edu

Seasonal Information:

Raised Bed Gardening

CCE Albany Horticulture Brochures

Becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer

Memorial Demonstration Gardens

ROOT CONCERNS Gardening Newsletter

June 2021

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Events

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Insect Diagnostic Lab

U.S. postage stamps of spiders and insects, used on the Cornell Insect Diagnostic Lab website; 200px wide to use as an image for a sidebar link to their site at: http://entomology.cornell.edu/IDL

For more information about an insect, or how to deal with an insect problem in or around your home or garden, contact the Insect Diagnostic Lab, a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension in the Department of Entomology. For a $25 fee, an insect or related arthropod can be shipped to the lab, or a detailed photo can be emailed, for expert identification. Diagnostician Jason Dombroskie, Ph.D. has many years ofexperience identifying insects and other arthropods. More information about this service, including fact sheets on common outdoor and indoor insects, can be found at http://idl.entomology.cornell.edu/

Find Your Zone!

2012 USDA Hardiness Zone Map

The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map helps gardeners and growers determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map, for which a broadband Internet connection is recommended. Users may also simply type in a ZIP Code and find the hardiness zone for that area.