manage

What to do now about flea beetles

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Flea beetle continues to be one of the biggest pests on Minnesota vegetables farms, especially in our brassica crops. Some of the most effective things we can do to manage this pest happen before we see damage (AKA, the combination of...

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...

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...

Managing Japanese beetle feeding

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Over the last few weeks, Japanese beetles have made an unwelcome return to Minnesota gardens. These gleaming copper and green beetles have been in Minnesota for decades but became a more prominent pest in the last decade. This year’s batch...

Hot weather gardening tips

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Drip irrigation releases water directly at the soil surface near plant roots. We’ve just experienced a couple of weeks of very warm temperatures, and meteorologists are predicting that we’ll continue to see above-average temperatures...

Manage next year's strawberry weeds this fall

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Photo: A few sporadic weeds in a fall strawberry patch are normal, even with excellent weed control. Photo: Annie Klodd Four useful tactics to reduce next year's weed management demand include: ● Removing weeds before they shed...

Coming clean on soap in the garden

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Aphids are good candidates for control with soap. Any place gardeners gather to talk about plants, there will be talk of soap. Dish soap and water are often referred to as the holy grail for managing insects from aphids to Japanese...

Managing wildfire smoke: impacts to crops and workers

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Over the past week, most of Minnesota has been blanketed by unhealthy concentrations of wildfire smoke from fires burning in Canada and northern Minnesota. Climatologists predict that wildfire smoke frequency and intensity will increase...

How to manage kids' screen time

Devices are everywhere in the digital age. The Statista Research Department notes that a 2020 survey found the average American has access to more than 10 connected devices in his or her household. Though adults may be capable of governing their screen time, kids may not be so disciplined. Devices...

Unique ways to celebrate Halloween, even if it's not in-person

Halloween celebrations will be different in 2020. A global pandemic has made activities like trick-or-treating risky, and many parents figure to keep kids home this Halloween. It may be hard to envision a Halloween without kids getting together as they go from house to house in search of candy. But...