Growing Sweet Potatoes in Minnesota

Growing potatoes in Minnesota is easy, and you can grow many varieties, sizes, and colors. Sweet potatoes are a whole other story. They aren’t even in the same family as potatoes, who belong to the nightshade family. Sweet potatoes typically need a long, hot growing season – which can be a challenge in Minnesota. Read this article to learn the secrets to growing sweet potatoes in your back yard.

Growing Terrific Tomatoes

​

Harvesting Vegetables

Whether you’re an old hand or brand new to vegetable gardening, at times it can be difficult to know exactly when and how to harvest your vegetables. Learn more about the importance of timing when harvesting your vegetables.

Herbs For A Winter Lift

Does the cilantro go limp before you use it? Is the basil brown when you remember to reach for it? Does your store tend to not have chives when you need them? Remedy these issues AND cheer up your indoor space by growing a few pots of herbs in a sunny window. Read this article to learn more about which herbs will grow best inside your house this winter.

History of Minnesota’s Successful Apple Research Breeding Program

Apples - one of the joys of autumn! Wandering through apple orchards is a favorite activity for Minnesotans. And at the end of the day, there is the pleasure of eating the apples we have collected in so many different ways. But did you know that the University of Minnesota is one of the leading apple research and breeding programs in the U.S.? Without the intense desire of early Minnesotans to have access to apples and the commitment of early apple breeders, we would not be enjoying Honeycrisp, Zestar®, SweeTango®, and First Kiss® as well as the many older varieties still available.

How to Care for Blueberry Bushes This Spring

Do you love to eat blueberries? No blueberries are better than the ones you grow in your yard. If you are growing blueberry bushes in your yard or want to do so, read this article for some tips on what you can do this spring to help your blueberry bushes flourish.

How to Choose the Best Plants –
Master Gardeners Can Help

It’s May and you are thinking about which vegetables and flowers you want to grow in your garden this summer. First, you have to decide what to grow - beans, broccoli, swiss chard, cilantro? But there are several different varieties of each of these plants. Garden stores have so many different varieties on the racks; how do you know what to buy? Also, is May too late to grow these plants from seed? The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners can help you choose.

Hydroponics at Home

Have you heard of the hydroponic method of growing plants but thought is sounded too difficult to try at home? Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil.

Jicama – Not Just in the South Anymore

What starchy, tuberous vegetable has the refreshing crispness of a fresh apple, abundant nutrients and fiber, all with a deliciously low glycemic index? It’s the unassuming, turnip-shaped jicama (pronounced híh-ka-ma), sometimes called “Mexican potato” or “yam bean.” Read on to learn more about this interesting vegetable and a pleasant surprise for Minnesota gardeners.

Microgreens - Only Micro in Size

Did you think that you would have to wait until spring to grow fresh greens for your dinner table? Not so if you read this article and learn how to grow microgreens indoors. Microgreens are easy to grow, quick to harvest, have year-round indoor growing potential, exceptional nutritional value, and seeds are available in many varieties for endless experimentation. There is nothing micro about microgreens-accept their size!

Minnesota’s State Muffin and Its Star Ingredient: The Blueberry

Blueberry season may be over this year, but as you reflect on this past year and contemplate what to plant next year, a beverage with a nice, big, blueberry muffin may inspire your garden plans. Is your mouth watering yet? Read about the blueberry muffin, some interesting information about growing and picking blueberries in Minnesota, and you’ll also find a couple of bonus recipes to try this winter!

Our State Fruit: Honeycrisp Apple

From mysterious beginnings, to a world-famous apple breeding program at the University of Minnesota, thanks to the research and writing skills of a 4th grade class, the “Honeycrisp” apple became a Minnesota state symbol. Read this article to learn more about the interesting journey of this delicious fruit.