UMES Extension’s Horticulture and Fruit Program is hosting a myriad of free events as part of a workshop series this fall leading up to the holidays. Dr. Naveen Kumar Dixit, an associate professor of horticulture and extension specialist, will share his knowledge on select Fridays (mainly webinars) and Saturdays (mainly in-person events on campus).
Webinar topics cover cultivation, management, irrigation, fertigation, calculations and pruning in temperate fruits, small fruits, vegetables and row crops. Online workshops on season extension technology, novel crops, marginal land management and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education farmer grant applications will also be offered.
Hands-on training sessions for temperate fruit vegetative propagation will be held in-person at the UMES orchard and vineyard.
Register to receive Zoom links by emailing Dixit at fnaveenkumar@umes.edu for the following WEBINARS:
Sept. 29, 7-8:30 p.m.- Extending the Strawberry Season Using Low Tunnels
Sept. 30, 10-11:30 a.m.- NE-SARE Farmer Grant Writing Workshop #1
Oct. 6, 7-8:30 p.m.- Basics of Cultivation of Day-neutral and June-bearing Strawberries, and Primocane and Floricane Raspberries
Oct. 20, 7-8:30 p.m.- Fertilizer Calculations for Raised Bed Crops
Oct. 27, 7-8:30 p.m.- Fundamentals of Establishing an Apple Orchard
Nov. 10, 7-8:30 p.m.- Cultivation of the Asian Ethnic Vegetable, Tinda (Praecitrullus fistulosus), also known as apple gourd, Indian squash, or round melon.
Nov. 11, 10-11:30 a.m.-Basics of Grape Cultivation and Current Demand in Maryland
Nov. 17, 7-8:30 p.m.- Pomegranate Cultivation Opportunities and Challenges
Nov. 18, 10-11:30 a.m.-Cultivation of the Asian Ethnic Vegetable, Fenugreek, also known as Methi
Nov. 24, 7-8:30 p.m.- Cultivation of the Asian Ethnic Vegetables, Bitter and Bottle Gourds
Dec. 1, 7-8:30 p.m.- Pruning in Peach Trees
Dec. 2, 10-11:30 a.m.- Fiber Hemp and Salt Tolerance
Dec. 8, 7-8:30 p.m.- Strawberry Cultivation using Biochar
Dec. 16, 10-11:30 a.m.- Small Fruit and Vegetable Cultivation on the Delmarva Peninsula: Future Challenges and Group Discussion
In-person WORKSHOPS are free, but Eventbrite registration is required below by clicking on the title for as few or as many as you would like to attend.
Oct. 7, 10-11:30 a.m.- How to Use a Strawberry Bedder for Cultivation in Raised Beds
Oct. 21, 10-11:30 a.m.- Pruning in Apple, Pear and Peach Trees
Oct. 28, 10-11:30 a.m.- Budding and Grafting in Temperate Fruits & High Tunnel Parts, Construction and Associated Constraints
Nov. 25, 10-11:30 a.m.- Grapevine Architecture and Training
Dec. 9, 10-11:30 a.m.- Demonstration of Strawberry and Raspberry Growth and Protection in High Tunnels During Fall
Dixit, who is the Northeast SARE coordinator, receives funding for the events through NE-SARE and the USDA-CPPM-EIP (Grant #2021-70006-35384).