Gardening ideas & tips for the average gardener.
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               From the Ground Up
               C/O The Drummer
               PO Box 159
               Buffalo MN 55313

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From The Ground Up

Managing trees and natural landscapes on your farm for climate resilience

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Woodlands, buffers, and perennial areas provide so many benefits to farms. They can provide wind protection, absorb water and prevent erosion during heavy rainfall events, provide habitat to animals and beneficial insects, and add...

Gardening offers more than a day in the sun

Millions of people embrace opportunities to get back in their gardens each spring, and they might be reaping more rewards from that activity than they realize. According to the American Institute of Stress, gardening sparks a level of creativity among enthusiasts, and that can help to alleviate...

Maintaining a lawn routinely roamed by pets

Vibrant, green lawns can draw attention to any landscape. Many homeowners toil for hours each week to ensure their lawns are pristine, or invest in lawn care services to help maintain a yard if they do not have the time to do so themselves. While many treatments can be applied to lawns to help them...

Warmer winter presents benefits and challenges to soils

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu A community garden ready for spring planting Coming out of a record-setting warm winter season, those involved with gardens and lawns should consider how our soils and soil fertility have been impacted by this past winter’s unusual...

New shrub pruning videos and weed information

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Shrub pruning videos series Extension Yard and Garden has a new series of shrub pruning videos on our Trees and shrubs webpage to help you with your seasonal pruning. Pruning can be both scary and really satisfying, and we want to help....

Can I safely use animal-based compost in my garden this spring?

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Animal-based soil amendments such as composted manure and poultry litter can build the health, tilth, fertility and water hold capacity of your soil. They can also be a great way to use resources you might have on the farm such as manure...

Prepare your high tunnel for a hot summer

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu After a record setting warm winter, NOAA is continuing to predict above average temperatures in their three month forecast as well as their July-August-September 2024 forecast. With so many new high tunnels in Minnesota we want to make...

Minnesota's winter was a little wimpy, how did insects do?

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Japanese beetles spend the winter as large grubs a few inches under the soil. After a burst of late snow, spring is finally here. April is predicted to be warm after a winter ofrecord warmth and minimal snow. This will affect this year’...

Resources for making an IPM plan

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu With March behind us, plants are in greenhouses and the growing season is approaching. Refresh yourself on tools for managing pests here. Cucumber beetle is a pest to be prepared for. Photo: Gerald Holmes, Strawberry Center, Cal Poly...

Boundary-pushing bees

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu A common eastern bumble bee queen in Winona on March 3, 2024. Photo: Danielle Hudson It is easy to see that this has been an unusually warm winter in Minnesota. Skis and sleds barely had a chance to get dusted off. People started...