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

Weekly Vegetable Update 8/25/22

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu My colleague David said something this week along the lines of "at this point in the season, the cake is already baked". This is definitely true to some extent; the finish line is getting closer, and at this point most of what we're seeing...

Weekly Fruit Update - August 24, 2022

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu This week's update includes information on: judging apple ripeness, grape harvest parameters and lady beetle management, and day neutral strawberry disease control. Apples Using the starch iodine test on First Kiss apples shows the...

Prepare your garden for winter's onslaught

Individuals who don't live near the equator or in another warm climate know that winter will rear its chilly head this year. Cold temperatures and snowy conditions may be excellent for skiing and sledding, but gardeners recognize these conditions are not ideal for their plants. The inevitable...

See U of M Extension at the 2022 Minnesota State Fair

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Find out where and when to see Extension at the fair. All dates and times are subject to change. Efforts will be made to update this listing, but please check Extension's calendar before heading to an event. Driven to Discover Research...

Tomato damage

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Tomato damage The rain much of Minnesota received in the past week was very needed, but also led to some problems. The most common being reported is cracks in tomato fruit. These rips in the tomato fruit’s skin are typically found on...

You might be over-fertilizing your garden

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Do we over-fertilize our gardens? An analysis of soil tests completed at the University of Minnesota soil lab between 1988 and 2021 revealed that many Minnesota lawns and gardens have much more phosphorus than they need. The median...

Watch out for spotted lanternfly

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu The underwing of an adult spotted lanternfly In the last few weeks, the invasive insect spotted lanternfly has been reported in Michigan and Iowa. While we haven’t seen this insect in Minnesota, it is important that you know how to...

Weekly vegetable update 8/18/22

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu What a difference a week can make! After a hot, dry summer, we've been experiencing heavy rainfall and fall-like temperatures across the state. This is the busiest part of the summer for many growers. We're at peak harvesting time for many...

Food safety for flooded fruit and vegetable fields

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Recently some farms in Minnesota were hit with significant flooding damage. Flooding can be detrimental to crops for a number of reasons, including potentially introducing chemical and microbial risks to the fresh produce that can then...

A beginner's guide to fall planting and maintenance

Spring and summer are perhaps the busiest times of year for gardeners. However, fall also is a prime time to tend to gardens. The tree and bare root retailer Bower & Branch advises that soil temperatures in many regions of the country may still be warm enough to encourage root growth well into...