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

Lower cost equipment for seeding and transplanting on vegetable farms

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu With the upcoming deadline for the Beginning Farmer Equipment and Infrastructure Grant program, we are publishing a series of articles about low cost equipment that can make farming more efficient on a small-scale. All of the equipment...

Walk behind tractors: A low cost way to mechanize your farm operation

Tips for growing succulents in containers

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Succulents can be planted together in container gardens. Succulent plants have thick, water-storing leaves and stems that allow them to thrive in dry conditions. Succulents come in various shapes, sizes, and textures, including...

Bats on the brink

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Northern long-eared bat with white-nose syndrome. Image courtesy USFWS. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently reclassified the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)....

Transitioning Organic? UMN named TOPP coordinator for Minnesota

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) is a USDA educational and outreach program that focuses on supporting growers who want to gain USDA Organic certification. The program is set up to provide support in a few ways: ...

Fall leaf mulching is good for your lawn

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Mulching leaves into your lawn is a sustainable and effective practice for healthier turfgrass. Mulch regularly when leaves are dry, and double pass for a finer mulch. This enables them to break down quickly and integrate into the lawn and...

Should you water your lawn before winter?

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu This past September we experienced record-setting warm and dry weather across the state, and for most of Minnesota, this trend has continued well into October. Autumn is normally when our lawns are recovering from the drier and warmer...

Fall is a good time to remove buckthorn

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Common buckthorn. Photo: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood If you're dealing with invasive buckthorn on your property, now is the perfect time to take action. Mid to late fall is ideal for applying herbicide, as the...

Apple storage disorders and recommendations for four UMN varieties

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Images: A collection of apple disorders caused by or worsened by storage conditions. This includes 1) soft scald and 2) internal flesh browning, which result from storage temperatures that are colder than an apple can tolerate, as well as...

Managing forests to sustain soil biodiversity

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Soil is the foundation of forests. Soils are living, breathing ecosystems! Forest soils provide many essential services: they serve as a place for trees and other plants to grow, store and filter water, cycle nutrients that are essential...