UConn Home & Garden Education Center

Meet Heather Zidack

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Heather ZidackHeather Zidack (‘11 CAHNR, ’12 Neag) joined the UConn Home and Garden Education Center as an educational program assistant in September. Heather works with faculty and staff at UConn to provide educational resources and answer home and gardening questions for residents statewide. She earned her bachelor of science in ornamental horticulture and her master of arts in curriculum and instruction. She worked in the horticulture industry and taught high school agriscience before returning to UConn.

What is your area of interest?

I absolutely love everything plant-related! I started with an interest very young when I would help my grandfather in his garden and never really stopped asking questions. I’ve been fortunate to work in the horticulture industry as well as in agriscience education and have always enjoyed being able to share my passion with others throughout my career.

What excites you the most about working with UConn Extension?

This job allows me to pull from many experiences and interests I’ve had over the course of my career. It allows me to share my passion with others while continuing to grow and learn about things that I enjoy!

What is one thing you hope people will learn from you and your work?

Working with plants and in the garden can be accessible and enjoyable for all. It’s a broad field and narrowing it down to find what you enjoy is half the journey!

What is your favorite thing to do in Connecticut?

I love to go to Mystic Aquarium and watch the beluga whales. I could watch them all day if you let me!

What is the most unusual job you’ve had?

I’ve had some interesting design requests; I once had to help design and build haunted scarecrows for the governor’s Halloween celebration. When I was teaching, I taught a wide array of both ag-related and core curriculum topics – no two days ever felt the same!

What are some of your hobbies and other interests?

I am a gardener and have a solid collection of house plants at home. I love science fiction and fantasy. I love to play games of almost any format including video games, board games, and tabletop games. I also believe that crafting and collecting craft supplies are two separate hobbies that need their own time and attention.

I’m also a dog person! I have a 10-year-old terrier mix named Bow and I probably have more pictures of him than anything else on my phone.

Chloride is Crucial for Crops!

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Blossom end rot in tomatoes.
From: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/gotpests/diseases/images/blossom-end-rot3-big.jpg

Article by Haiying Tao, PhD, UConn Assistant Professor, Soil Fertility & Health

While we all are aware that the big three, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are needed for healthy plants, many of us don’t give much thought to the dozen or so trace elements that while needed in tiny quantities are also vital to good plant growth. One of them is chloride (Cl) which is needed for photosynthesis in plants. Cl is an essential anion in maintaining electoral balance in tonoplasts and cell turgor in stomates, which is important in nutrient uptake, storage, relocation, as well as water uptake. It is needed for the synthesis of proteins and growth regulators. Cl is also important in enzyme activities, lodging prevention in wheat, disease suppression, and physiological leaf spot control in cereal crops. Sufficient Cl availability can decrease the incidence of blossom-end rot and reduce injury of gold speck on tomato fruits.

The existence of Cl can impact plant nutrients uptake by interactive effects with other nutrients. There is an antagonism between Cl and nitrate (NO3–) in plants. The uptake of chloride is inhibited by nitrate, and vice versa. There are possible benefits of partial nitrate replacement in the root environment by an equivalent chloride content. For example, increasing the Cl:NO3– ratio in the nutrient solution can decrease the incidence of blossom-end rot in tomatoes.

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More gardening resources are available on UConn Home & Garden Education Center webpage.