Nature and Outdoor Living Spring 2025
301 Pruning Basics Instructor: Jim Kessler,
When should I prune? How should I prune? Where should I prune? Why and why not prune? These and other pruning questions will be demonstrated on common trees, fruit trees, and shrubs. After you understand the basics of pruning you will be able to take your knowledge to most trees and shrubs for better growth, durability, and health. Directions will be emailed shortly before the class. The class will be held rain or shine so dress appropriately! The class limit is 20- register early!
One Saturday, March 15th at 10:00 am
Location: TBD. Directions will be emailed or mailed to you.
Fee: $5.00
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302 Apple Tree Grafting in Your Backyard. Instructor; Jim Kessler,
Learn how to use existing apple trees which have survived deer and other local hazards. Find trees in fence rows, creek bank or road bank, and turn them into your favorite apple variety. Bring several of your favorite scions, (pruned suckers) to exchange.
One Saturday, March 22 at 10:00 a.m.
Location: Kessler Tree Farm, 742 SR 1018, Hallstead PA 18822
Fee: $5.00
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303 Seed to Supper Low–budget Gardening Instructors: Lori Voll Wallace & Master Gardener Volunteers
Seed to Supper is a comprehensive beginning gardening program that gives novice and intermediate adult gardeners the tools needed to successfully grow a portion of their own food on a limited budget. Everyone needs help with budgets these days! Planning your garden, soils, composting, watering, maintenance, pests, and more will be covered. The course book, seeds, plants, limited gardening space, and more will be made available. The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Susquehanna County & Trehab Food Pantry in Montrose will facilitate the program in the spring of 2024. There are 7 classes in all and will be held consecutively for 7 or 5 weeks, depending on the location.
The three possible classroom locations and available weekly dates are:
Interfaith in Susquehanna, beginning Tues, 3/26th at 6 pm to 8 pm. (For 7 weeks)
Trehab in South Montrose, beginning Thurs, 3/28 at 6 pm to 8 pm. (For 7 weeks)
Forest City Area Historical Society, (5 condensed classes) beginning Sat, 3/23 at 10 am to 1 pm. (4/6, 4/20, 4/27, & 5/4) Mention on the registration which location serves you best. Be prepared to fill out a survey which best describes your needs and experience level. Attend all 7/5 classes and receive a certificate. For more details contact Lori VollWallace at lkw17@psu.edu When: 7/5 consecutive classes beginning on March 23rd or 26th or 28th
Location: Pick your location & preferred time. Limit 12 people per site.
Fee: $35.00
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304 Nature’s Trio: Soil, Water, and Pollinators in Balance Instructors: Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, Susquehanna Beekeepers Association, Susquehanna County Conservation District & Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The Master Gardeners will host a one-day workshop on Trehab food pantry grounds with several guest presenters to educate on topics of soil health, water conservation, native plants and pollinators, forest health, and more. See the improvements to the Seed to Supper Vegetable Demonstration Garden which provides free fresh produce for low-income families. Learn how the garden is becoming more self-sufficient, lowering maintenance, by focusing on conserving water, building soil health, and supporting beneficial insects and how you can apply it at home. The gardens also host various research trials through Penn State Extension and open house tours. The day concludes with a short walk to the Susquehanna Conservation District grounds with presentations and tours of the SBA beehives, live staking garden, and trail walk. Dress for the weather. Bring a camping chair and pack a lunch. For more details, contact the Master Gardeners at susquehannamg@psu.edu.
One Saturday, April 26, 2025, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Rain date is Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Location: 81 Industrial Drive, Montrose, PA
Fee: Free. Paid for by Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Education Grants Program.
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305 Herbalism 101 and Foraging Instructor Mary Jo Garrity
This class will introduce you to the herbs that are growing in your area. We will cover some of the chemistry of the herbs and how they influence the different systems in the human body. We will harvest wild growing herbs, make Teas, tinctures and other natural remedies. You will receive many handouts with a wealth of information that you can refer to long after class. Wear hiking shoes for our foraging trips!! Most importantly, have fun learning all that nature has to offer! The student limit is 10 students.
Four Wednesdays, June 4,11,18 and 25 11:00 am to 12:00pm
Location: Directions will be sent to the registrants
Fee: $20.00 Material Fee: $20.00
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