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

Minnesota Lawn Care Calendar

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Lawn season is approaching fast and people are eager to get a headstart on their lawns. Last year was tough on many plants, but none so visible as our lawns. Our lawn care calendar provides general guidelines for when to do specific tasks...

Houseplant trend: Air plants

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Tillandsia display at the Arb I’m just a gardener like you and these days I am into air plants. Among the many benefits of having an office at the Arboretum are the people I run into. Ricky Garza stopped by my office one day carrying an...

Explaining precision agriculture

Few, if any, aspects of life in the 21st century have not been touched by technology. Advancements in technology have affected everything from the way students learn in the classroom to how senior citizens connect with their grandchildren. Technological advancements also have left their mark on...

Choose containers with good drainage

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu It’s fun to hunt for new containers for plants. Choose pots that have at least one drainage hole. If you recycle or upcycle containers for plants — I like to use olive oil containers for basil plants — be sure to use a nail and hammer to...

Gardener's checklist: March

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu It’s March. Meteorological spring has arrived (March 1) and the vernal equinox is right around the corner (March 20). What should Minnesota gardeners be doing the last two weeks of March? Prune trees like fruit trees, crabapples, showy...

Extending the growing season in your garden

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Cold frame made from wood and recycled windows The days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer, and many of us have started our first seeds. Even still, summer feels so far away! There are ways to extend the growing season...

How to involve more young people in agriculture

The agricultural industry will undergo exciting changes as it looks to overcome developing challenges in the decades ahead. Technology will continue to play a pivotal role in the agricultural sector, making agriculture an evolving and exciting career path for young professionals. Much has been made...

Help guide no-till vegetable research in the Midwest

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Rue Genger and Claire Strader at UW-Madison are surveying vegetable growers on use of reduced tillage production methods as part of a larger research study into methods that increase resilience to extreme weather events. The survey will...

Is your soil health improving? Metrics for assessing soil health over time

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu I’ve been participating in a climate resilience planning cohort with 12 farmers, led by Land Stewardship Project. One of the topics that has consistently come up is how we can measure our soil health over time. Evaluation is important,...

Tip: Order bare-root plants for spring delivery

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu If you haven’t already, get your order in for bare-root plants. Buying plants as bare-root can offer cost savings over containerized or balled and burlapped plants. However, bare-root plants are limited in supply and they are only...