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

Fruit update: Determining fruit ripeness edition – August 22, 2024

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu This fruit update contains information about… Determining fruit ripeness Apples Starch-iodine testing for ripeness. Grapes Testing grapes for ripeness. Aronia About aronia berries. Viking, an aronia hybrid cultivar. Harvest...

Testing water you use on the farm can be complicated: Follow this script!

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu If you use well or surface water in the production of your fresh fruits and vegetables, E. colican be present in water and contaminate your produce or equipment. You might assume your well water is safe, but without testing it, you cannot...

Weekly Vegetable Update - August 14, 2024

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu After a few days of heat, things were unseasonably cool over the last week. Things are more seasonable now, and things will continue to be on the cool side. Read on for updates on identifying wildlife damage, turning over high tunnels,...

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 ...