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 a Tomato Plant for Your Garden

The long, hot, sunny days of Minnesota summers are great for growing tomatoes and Minnesotans love to grow their own fresh tomatoes. This is the first in a series the Garden Buzz will be featuring on all things tomato. Our topic this month is choosing the right tomatoes for your needs. Choosing a tomato plant can be confusing and involve time consuming searches through hundreds of varieties looking for the right one for you. Hopefully, this article will help you wade through your options.

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.

Let’s Grow Cranberries!

What is Thanksgiving and Christmas without the sweet and tart flavors of cranberries? Did you know that 20% of the cranberry harvest is consumed Thanksgiving week!
Wisconsin is the number one producer of commercially grown cranberries in the U.S. while Minnesota has only one commercial cranberry farm in the state. But have you ever asked yourself if you can grow cranberries in your garden? Read this article, if you are interested in growing or just learning more about cranberries.

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 Garlic Festival

Do you love to flavor your food with garlic? If your answer is yes, you may be interested in Minnesota’s super fun Garlic Festival. Every year, Minnesota’s Garlic Festival celebrates all things garlic. Read this article to learn about the education, food and fun you will find at the festival, which is coming up on August 15th.

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!

Missouri Gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima): Beautiful but Tough

Missouri gourd – a gourd of many names is an interesting and unusual vine. As this article explains, Missouri gourd has many advantages as a ground cover or climbing vine. As an added bonus, the vine produces a beautiful flower and edible fruit.

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.

Pizza Anyone?

Pizza Anyone? Why does my pizza taste so good? Home grown herbs – fresh pizza seasonings! Don’t forget to grow those incredible herbs with your children or grandchildren in a fun way that can be used not only this summer (if you are already growing herbs), but throughout the year. Read on to learn how to grow, harvest and preserve basil, parsley and oregano.