Welcome to Sustainable Garden Care! All course content such as assignments, presentations slides, and resources will be posted to this webpage. Check this page the day after each scheduled class to see updated content and information. Class meets online (you should receive log-in information from NYBG) every week on Monday starting April 25th and ending on May 16th, 6pm to 8pm.
Power Point Slides (PDF)
Download the soil assignment below. Please email your responses to steve@steveconaway.com before class on Monday, May 2nd. If they are submitted early enough we can discuss responses at the beginning of the course. The weekly assignments are 60% of the final grade and draft sections for your final Sustainable Garden Care Plan! If you submit them on time I will be able to give you feedback and edits for your final.
Please read through the story-map at the link below before our next class. It will give some useful context on water conservation and stormwater management with a local example of NYC’s freshwater and wastewater systems. New York City's Watershed Story Map by Juan Martinez, Columbia University's Earth Institute, 2019
If you would like additional information on the topic you can also look at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection Virtual Tours of New York's Watershed and Wastewater.
Soil Web UC Davis and NRCS
Web Soil Survey USDA-NRCS
Weed indicator species example for soils
Soil Testing Services
University Co-operative Extension testing services such as:
List of Soil Testing Labs Nationwide
First steps when elevated lead is detected in soil UCONN Factsheet
EPA Growing Gardens in Urban Soils factsheet (PDF)
Dr. Elaine’s™ Soil Food Web resources
USDA Soil Biology Primer
Adding organic matter to garden soils: UVM Factsheet (PDF)
Healthy Soils, Healthy Communities Project Cornell
Cornell Waste Management Institute
Mulch factsheet from Penn State
Mulch factsheet from UNH
Swarthmore College’s organic lawn care compost tea video
Power Point Slides (PDF)
Download the water assignment below. Please email your responses to steve@steveconaway.com before class on Monday , May 9th. If they are submitted early enough we can discuss responses at the beginning of the course. The weekly assignments are 60% of the final grade and draft sections for your final Sustainable Garden Care Plan! If you submit them on time I will be able to give you feedback and edits for your final.
Read through the brief "Defining IPM" page on the NYS-IPM webpage in preparation for next class
UMass fact sheet on efficient Turf watering that takes into account soil texture and infiltration. (Recommendations are for a conventional system that utilizes chemical fertilizers and pesticides.)
Resources from Watershed Stewards Academy (Maryland)
Rainscaping Field Guide (PDF)
Video of Chin Fang Chen speaking at Wave Hill about applying aesthetics to stormwater management and other infrastructure projects.
Washington State University factsheet covering all basic elements of drip irrigation for the home garden (PDF)
Video from Fine Gardening demonstrates all features and steps required to install a basic drip irrigation system for a small garden.
Power Point Slides (PDF)
Download the water assignment below. Please email your responses to steve@steveconaway.com before class on Monday, May 16th. If they are submitted early enough we can discuss responses at the beginning of the course. The weekly assignments are 60% of the final grade and draft sections for your final Sustainable Garden Care Plan! If you submit them on time I will be able to give you feedback and edits for your final.
U of Maryland Boxwood diagnostics and management
NY Invasive Species Norway Maple Profile
Cornell, Apple IPM for beginners Apple Rust Diseases (PDF)
NY IPM, wide array of resources
USDA Field Guide for the Biological Control of Weeds (PDF), a thorough survey of available biocontrols and how to manage them, organized by the weed species they control.
Power Point Slides (PDF)
Download the assignment below. Please email your responses to steve@steveconaway.com combined with the revised previous 3 assignments (I will send comments on previous assignments by Monday May 23) as your final Sustainable Garden Care project on Monday, May 30th.
Go Botany from Native Plant Trust
List of prohibited plants in NY and FAQ from New York State DEC (PDF)
Links to regional PRISM groups in NYS
Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group list
Good list of resources for NJ from Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space
Invasive Plants and their alternatives from Native Plant Trust
Plants for Birds database from Audubon
Plant Search database from Native Plant Trust
Plant Lists collections by state and purpose from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Plant Finder and Trial Garden publications from Mt. Cuba Center
Plant Lists from National Wildlife Foundation
Plants for Tough Sites University of Minnesota (PDF)
Landscape trees for the eastern US from Bartlett Tree Company (PDF)
NYC Parks Gardening with Native Plants Guide (PDF)
Video on root excavation and girdling roots from Scott Arboretum
Mulching techniques and guidelines from Brooklyn Bridge Park (PDF)
AGZA -green zone association focused on power equipment