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

Weekly vegetable update 6/8/2023

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Growers are still catching up from a late spring, and many farmers markets will open this weekend. We’re expecting hot, dry weather in the weeks to come along with air quality concerns. Our updates this week focus mostly on preparing...

Are you using surface water to irrigate, or well water to wash veggies? Remember to test all your farm's water

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu If you are using surface water sources like ponds, creeks, rivers or water that has been collected from roofs for irrigation of your produce, remember that these sources of water are open to the environment and can be contaminated with...

Classifying Minnesota’s forests

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu It’s common to apply a series of classifications to land in order to convey more specific information about it. Take, for example, political boundaries. You may work in St. Paul, which is a city in Ramsey County, within the state of...

Weekly vegetable update 5/31/2023

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Fields dried out enough for a very productive week of planting. This update includes reminders about early season insect management, an overview of quackgrass and crabgrass management, reminders about herbicide drift, and some...

Can sugar help my lawn or garden?

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu A nitrogen-deficient turf stand I have received a few questions from homeowners about using table sugar as a fertilizer substitute for their lawn. There have been a number of blog posts on popular forums that have repeated the idea and...

Save space in the garden by growing up

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu A ‘Lemon’ cucumber variety grows in my backyard garden on a steel obelisk. Space is at a premium in my garden, so I am always looking for vertical growing techniques and ideas. Public gardens, garden tours, and tapping into my own...

Raise your mower height

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Raising your mower height to 3-3.5 inches results in a denser, healthier lawn. As small as they are, longer grass blades mean more photosynthesis and stronger, deeper grass roots. The grass blades also shade the grass crowns and soil,...

Weekly vegetable update 5/24/2023

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Fields are beginning to dry out, and the week ahead will be ideal for transplanting. This update includes reminders about early season insect pests and irrigation needs, information about harvesting from new rhubarb plantings, wildfire...

Insurance and liability considerations for agritourism

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Insurance is very important for all farming operations, but is especially important for agritourism operations that host visitors on this farm. This article details important topics related to insurance for agritourism farms. ...

First weekly vegetable update of 2023: 5/17/23

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Following a slow, wet spring, the growing season is finally picking up. Our team of educators has been visiting farms across the state, and in general, everything is extremely delayed due to wet soils. Some fields are still flooded...