Somerset County Rutgers Master Gardeners

Somerset County Rutgers Master Gardeners Volunteers trained in horticulture providing outreach programs & tips to the Somerset County community What do we do? Where do we work?

These volunteers learn about horticulture, provide community and university services, and enjoy the company of other like-minded volunteers. Through opportunities in and through the Somerset County office of Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the existing Master Gardener program, newly trained volunteers return 100 hours within 18 months of completing their training to becomeCertified Rutgers Maste

r Gardeners. To remain certified and active in the program, volunteers return 25 hours annually while also attending 10 hours of continuing education each year. Community service includes such areas as the Garden Helpline, Children's Programs, Speaker's Bureau, Horticultural Therapy, Public Outreach Events, and many others.

EFFLORESCENT- Bursting into flower
05/29/2026

EFFLORESCENT- Bursting into flower

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) Big bluestem is a perennial, warm season bunchgrass that was one of the four dominant...
05/28/2026

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Big bluestem is a perennial, warm season bunchgrass that was one of the four dominant native grasses of the American tall grass prairie extending from the Atlantic coast to the Rocky Mountains. Its dense foliage provides high-protein pasturage for cattle, deer and other mammals in the summer. It is also used as an ornamental grass because of its height (5-8’), its distinctive seed head and the color of its leaves. This grass is also known as “Turkey Foot” for its three-pronged seed head reminiscent of a turkey’s foot.

This grass prefers full sun, well drained soils and is drought tolerant. It is tolerant of a large range of soils, including poor soil. Too much fertilizer, water or shade will cause the plant to be top heavy and fall over.

The grass is clump forming with fibrous roots that extend 5-8’ deep, and it slowly spreads 2-3’ horizontally. The extensive root system makes this grass good for erosion control and the deep roots provide drought tolerance. It should be cut back or mowed in late winter.

This grass provides cover and nesting sites for birds and butterflies, nesting material for bees, food for at least 11 butterflies and is a larval host for two butterflies. It has no serious disease or insect problems.

Colors change seasonally from green in spring to blue green in summer and to russet in autumn with popular cultivars being Blackhawks, Red October and Dancing Wind.

The next Rutgers researched based tomato is the Scarlet Sunrise Grape tomato. Researchers Peter Nitzche and Tom Orton s...
05/25/2026

The next Rutgers researched based tomato is the Scarlet Sunrise Grape tomato.

Researchers Peter Nitzche and Tom Orton started the process back in 2012. They wanted to create a new tomato hybrid that combined a commercial red grape tomato and a sweet bicolor cherry tomato. They wanted the best characteristics of each but ran into many challenges. First, the color red is a dominant trait. So, changing to bi-color took years of backcrossing- a breeding technique to introduce or reinforce a specific trait. Second, crossbreeding was physically challenging as the grape tomato’s flowers are tiny and fragile. The plants were hand pollinated by using tweezers to extract pollen and then tiny paintbrushes to apply the pollen. After over a decade of field trials and lab analysis, the team was successful and granted a patent.

The Scarlet Sunrise grape tomato is an indeterminate high-yield plant with 1/2” fruits that are sweet, tender and crack resistant. It’s sunny golden-pinkish color was aptly named after the early morning NJ summer skies.

The Scarlet Sunrise currently is available on a limited basis in seed packets, with plans to expand distribution in the near future.

📷: Peter Nitzsche

Since the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) was first discovered in 2002, hundreds of millions of ash trees have been des...
05/23/2026

Since the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) was first discovered in 2002, hundreds of millions of ash trees have been destroyed. The EAB is iridescent green, about 1/3” long with a red abdomen and is a competent flyer. EABs can kill large ash trees within three years of infestation.

The presence of EAB can be detected by their characteristic D-shaped borehole, increased woodpecker activity, vertical cracks in tree bark/branch, leaf die-back signaling canopy death and the twisting canals produced by larvae in the cambium which impede water and nutrient flow in the tree.

Ash trees can resist insects in three ways: maintaining sufficient health to withstand pest damage, avoiding attacks by not attracting pests and actively fighting some aspect of the attack, such as destroying one or more stages of the pest. USDA Forest Service researchers have found a small population of ash trees that not only have resistance to EAB but also killed the larvae dubbing them the lingering ash trees. They also found the resistance appears to occur on a continuum, with some trees seeming to be more resistant than others and the trees’ progeny exhibited greater resistance than their parents.

Ash trees are foundational to northeastern forests. Black ash has a system of shallow roots that help maintain swamps, which would otherwise become open marsh wetlands. Additionally, ash leaves decompose at a faster rate than those of many other trees, rapidly returning nutrients to the forest floor. Also, some New England Native American tribes rely on black ash trees for economic and cultural reasons. Finally, ash trees are a critical source of food and habitat for woodland fauna and insects.

05/18/2026

Ever wonder what happens after you submit a sample to the Rutgers Soil Testing Lab?

Many gardeners across Somerset County are noticing frost damage this spring after stretches of unusually warm weather en...
05/18/2026

Many gardeners across Somerset County are noticing frost damage this spring after stretches of unusually warm weather encouraged plants to leaf out and bloom early, only to be followed by sudden cold nights and frost. Tender new growth is especially sensitive to these rapid weather swings.
Browned leaves, wilted shoots, and damaged flowers can certainly be discouraging to see, but there is still good reason for hope. Most established trees, shrubs, and perennials are surprisingly resilient and recover well as the warmer weather returns.
Photos of Japanese maples and boxwood submitted to the Garden Helpline by Somerset County residents.

Crabgrass is a summer grassy w**d which comes in two types: smooth crabgrass, Digitaria ischaemum, and large crabgrass, ...
05/15/2026

Crabgrass is a summer grassy w**d which comes in two types: smooth crabgrass, Digitaria ischaemum, and large crabgrass, Digitaria sanguinalis, aka hairy crabgrass. It is an annual w**d which grows from seed and dies after the first frost. Crabgrass grows by spreading laterally across the ground, developing nodes which form fibrous roots, resulting in communities of w**ds that can grow from 1 – 3 feet tall. It has long, light green leaves; large crabgrass leaves are hairy while smooth crabgrass leaves are smooth, with a purple base. Seedheads with 3 – 5+ spikes grow from the stems in summer months, producing thousands of seeds which can survive for several years in soil.

The most effective means of controlling crabgrass is prevention by maintaining a dense, vigorous stand of turfgrass. Hand removal is effective for smaller crabgrass growth. Where crabgrass growth is a significant issue, a pre-emergent herbicide, which prevents the development of w**d roots in newly germinated w**d seeds, may be needed. At this time of year, thought, when crabgrass is already growing, it is too late to use pre-emergent herbicides. Post-emergent herbicides will kill mature w**ds. Small crabgrass, which has emerged prior to early July, is easiest to manage; older plants may require 2 – 3 applications to control. Follow label directions carefully regarding usage, storage and disposal of all pesticides.

FRONDESCENT: Becoming leafy or covered with foliage often describing the process of plants and trees putting forth and u...
05/04/2026

FRONDESCENT: Becoming leafy or covered with foliage often describing the process of plants and trees putting forth and unfurling new foliage in the spring. The Christmas Ferns at Washington Valley Park are great examples!

Our program coordinator, Jessica, will present The Tick Talk on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 7pm for the Somerset County Li...
05/02/2026

Our program coordinator, Jessica, will present The Tick Talk on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 7pm for the Somerset County Library System. This virtual presentation will boost your confidence when dealing with ticks! Learn about tick-borne disease risks, tick bite prevention, and tick identification. We'll also show you how to participate in the NJ Ticks 4 Science project by the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology, which can ID your tick and test it for diseases for free. Register through link in bio

Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex) is also known as oldfield cinquefoil and five- finger cinquefoil. This perennial...
05/01/2026

Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex) is also known as oldfield cinquefoil and five- finger cinquefoil.

This perennial herb native to North America is recognized for its distinctive yellow flowers and unique leaf structure. Belonging to the rose (Rosaceae) family, the common name cinquefoil is derived from the Old French word cinqfoil, meaning five (cinq) and leaf (foil). The plant grows to a height of 4-6” in sun to part shade and thrives in poor soil. It is commonly seen in bloom from May- July along roadsides, fields, open woods and in gardens where it is often considered a w**d. The five palmately-compound medium to light green leaflets surround a five-petaled yellow flower. Its runners re-root at the nodes creating new plants in dense patches.

📷: Ellen Locker

Address

310 Milltown Road
Bridgewater, NJ
08807

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

(908) 526-6293 Ext 3

Website

https://linktr.ee/RutgersMasterGardeners

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