Cornell Cooperative Extension

Oswego County
seedlings in a flat
Image by Sandy Repp

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County is your resource for information on soils

Master Gardener volunteer conducts a pH soil test on a soil sample
Image by Sandy Repp

A soil pH test is a great first step to successful gardening.

Striped cucumber beetle Acalymma vittatum (Fabricius, 1775) from Bugwood.org
Image by David Cappaert, MSU, Bugwood.org

What's eating your plants? We can help you find out, and suggest ways to control it!

Kitchen garden in Gers, France with marigolds, tomatoes and trellises
Image by Jean-noël Lafargue

Find recommended varieties of vegetables that grow well in our area!

Gardening

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego 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! Call us or come by today!

Master Gardener logo, green on white

Master Gardener Volunteer Training

If you have a passion for gardening, find out more about becoming a Master Gardener! Training starts soon!

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fresh compost

Make Compost!

Find resources here on how to start and maintain a home compost bin! Learn how to turn food and yard waste into "black gold" for your garden!

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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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Farmers Market Veggies

Oswego County Farmers Markets

Buy from local farmers & producers at these Oswego County Farmers Markets!

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Last updated December 17, 2021

Gardening

Learn Garden Reflect

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the “JUST PLANT IT, NY!” campaign is making free and available to the public resources from the CCE Master Gardener Volunteer program and Cornell Garden-Based Learning program for new vegetable gardeners, with time and access to seeds, soil and a few low-budget tools!

Visit Learn, Garden & Reflect with Cornell Garden-Based Learning for more inforamtion. (Link opens in a new tab.)

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.

Visit Cornell Garden Based Learning website

Events

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Insect Diagnostic Lab

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/