Cornell Cooperative Extension

Albany County
seedlings in a flat
Image by Sandy Repp

Learn the first and last dates to plant veggies in our area!

pansies
Image by Sandy Repp

Pansies are an annual that provides early blooms.

Plants in Cornell Plantations (PLTNS) greenhouses (Cornell University Photography)
Image by Lindsay France

Coleus plants in a greenhouse

Japanese beetle
Image by Kansas Department of Agriculture Archive, Bugwood.org

Our IPM pages can help you control garden pests.

Gardening

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Soil Testing

The CCE Albany County Horticultural Lab will not be accepting plant, insect, or soil samples from Nov. 30, 2020 to Mar. 1, 2021. Please send your gardening questions and/or pictures for identification to albanymg@cornell.edu or call the Gardening Hotline at 518-765-3514 and leave a message.


Dairy One/Agro1 Lab is accepting soil samples for pH and nutrient testing.They prefer the soil testing samples be mailed directly to them.Please order the testing kit from their website https://dairyone.com/product-category/kits/or via phone800-344-2697. You will then receive the testing kit and form to submit.


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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Contact

Carole Henry
Master Gardener Coordinator, Albany County CCE
ch878@cornell.edu
518-765-3516

Last updated November 25, 2020

Gardening

Have Gardening Questions?

Call:  518-765-3514

Email:  albanymg@cornell.edu

Seasonal Information:

Buy Local Christmas Trees

Capital Regional Christmas Tree Farms
(updated list Nov 2020)

CCE Albany Horticulture Brochures

Master Gardener Program

Memorial Demonstration Gardens

ROOT CONCERNS Gardening Newsletter

Sept/Oct 2020

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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.