Gardening ideas & tips for the average gardener.
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               From the Ground Up
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From The Ground Up

Native grasses for great fall color

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Here’s a look at some ornamental grasses that are good selections for putting on a show in your garden in the fall. Prairie dropseed, Sporobolus heterolepis The golden yellow fall color of prairie dropseed makes it a standout in a...

Tomato fruit rots, spots, and scabs

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu We are entering peak tomato, and markets are flooded with beautiful tomatoes. However, not every tomato we grow is market-ready, read on for tips for diagnosing and managing common tomato fruit issues. Issues caused by tomato physiology...

Time to remove flowering weeds

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu After a rainy growing season, many growers have probably wished they could turn off the rain. There is one type of rain that growers can partially control-- weed seed rain. Every time a weed goes to seed, dozens to thousands of seeds...

Fruit update – August 8, 2024

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu This fruit update contains information about… Apples Apple curculio Grapes Bird netting and additional bird deterrents Sooty mold and scales on grapevines Black rot grape growers survey Pears Summercrisp harvest updates ...

Woodlands for pollinators

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Did you know diverse woodlands provide wonderful habitats for native pollinators? We’re shedding some light on the overlooked giants of pollinator habitat and how woodlands can be managed with pollinators in mind. Minnesota has over 500...

Food safety in the cooler and cold storage - keeping it cool and safe

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu During the summer months our on-farm coolers are full of fresh produce. These cold storage areas are critical to keep our produce fresh and to improve shelf life, but they can get dirty and are often continually wet and humid. Where there...

Fruit update- July 31, 2024

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu This fruit update contains information about… Apples About: Moldy core Apple maggot status Grapes Current growth stage About: Insect galls Grape tumid gall Grape filbert gall Day-neutral strawberries 2024 growing season ...

Weekly Vegetable Update - July 31, 2024

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Minnesota has had pretty minimal days under 90 until the tail end of last week, when heat and humidity moved in. UMN Extension has developed guidelines around how often to rest and drink water, you can find those here. For how this...

How vegetables respond to heat

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu We are hitting the growing season's first heat wave. While the last few years have been hot, you can refresh yourself on the ways hot weather can change the way our crops grow and yield. Ways hot weather impact crops before fruit set...

Fruit update– July 24, 2023

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu This fruit update contains information about… Apples- cider apple production. Grapes- growth stage updates and herbicide damage on grapes. Raspberries- growth stage updates. 2024 Japanese beetle trends and research updates. Minnesota...