Cornell Cooperative Extension

Tioga County
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!

coneflowers and black eyed susans (echinacea & rudbeckia)
Image by Sandy Repp

Native plants are beautiful and provide food and nectar for birds and butterflies.

Gardening

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga 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 email us today!

Dog and Boy

Pet-safe gardening

Gardening with your furry friends is fun and great for both of you. Learn how to keep your pet safe in the garden.

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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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Japanese maple, Acer palmatum Thunb.

Lawns & Ornamentals

Our resources on annuals, perennials, lawns, trees and shrubs can help you have a more beautiful home landscape.

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Garlic!

Grow your own garlic

Growing garlic is easy and fun, and so delicious to eat!

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Contact

Jean Koski
Local Foods and Horticulture Educator
jas54@cornell.edu
607-659-5694

Last updated February 2, 2024

Gardening

Find Your Zone!

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map, 2012


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.

Join our new Tioga County Gardener Community Group on Facebook!

Tioga County Gardener Community FB group

Windowsill Herbs

Events

There are no upcoming events

Questions? We've got answers!

If you have a gardening question, call our Growline for expert advice and diagnosis. Our Master Gardeners will help you with all garden, landscape and home pest issues. Call Jean Koski at (607) 659-5694 or email Jean at jas54@cornell.edu

When you call or email, please be as specific as possible about your problem:  is it inside or outside; are there obvious insects around; what plants are they on--that sort of thing. 

If you can email pictures, that is a great help.

We are here to help!

Late Blight Weekly Updates

Check here weekly through the growing season to learn about late blight outbreaks in our area. Late blight is a devastating disease that kills tomato plants outright -- quickly and completely. There are treatments for late blight, but they must be applied before the disease establishes itself on your plants.

Together we can manage this deadly disease.

Click here to see if late blight is in Tioga or Chemung Counties