< Back 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. Carolyn Plank, Master Gardener Most seed packets and seed catalogs contain information on how many days it will take for your vegetable seeds to grow to maturity. However, they are not always reliable when trying to calculate precise harvest dates. Factors that can influence harvest dates include soil quality, precipitation, temperature and ventilation. Also, days to maturity may differ from year to year. This year is a good example of how maturity dates may be different than normal. We had a hot early spring then cool temperatures. Now, we are in a drought situation which stresses the vegetables and requires daily watering. These weather variations can affect the maturity date of your vegetables. Home gardeners do have an advantage over commercially grown vegetables. Commercial vegetables are often picked prior to their peak quality. Home gardeners can harvest vegetables closer to their peak time since it’s best to allow vegetables to ripen on the plant. However, remember that bigger is not always better when harvesting. Leaving certain crops on the plant too long can render them inedible. A gardener needs to be aware of any subtle clues indicating when a vegetable is ripe for the picking. The best time to harvest vegetables is early in the morning. Vegetables regain moisture overnight which makes the vegetables crisper, juicier and sweeter. If you are unable to harvest in the morning, keep your produce out of direct sunlight and cool as soon as possible. Quality is highest at the time of harvest and decreases rapidly from then. Pick at peak maturity, handle vegetables properly and store under optimum conditions. Always be gentle when harvesting vegetables. If they are not easily removed you can use a knife, hand pruner or scissors which prevents tearing or breaking. Be careful not to step on stems or plant foliage. Frequent picking is essential for prolonging the harvest. Whatever vegetables you choose, have fun and happy harvesting! To find more information about harvesting specific vegetables, visit: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/harvesting-vegetables/ https://extension.umn.edu/find-plants/vegetables Photo credits: Robert Hatlevig (1), Cory Tanner @2010 Clemson Extension (2, 3)

< Back Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life This month, we are excited to recommend “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life,” by Barbara Kingsolver, a must-read book for gardeners interested in learning more about the connections between food, sustainability, and community. Kingsolver takes readers on a journey through a year of eating only locally grown or produced food, providing practical advice, personal anecdotes, scientific facts, cultural history, and recipes to explore the complex web of issues surrounding food production and consumption. Her engaging writing style and thoughtful insights make this book both inspiring and informative. Reviewed By Kelly K. Vriezen, Master Gardener "Every little bit of action adds up to something big." ~ Barbara Kingsolver “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” is a beautifully written and insightful book by Barbara Kingsolver that is a must-read for any gardener interested in sustainability and the environment. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, this Winner of the James Beard Award for Writing and the Indies Choice Book Award for Adult Nonfiction is a personal account of Kingsolver's family's journey towards a more sustainable lifestyle by growing their own food and eating only locally sourced products. The book is divided into chapters that are organized according to the seasons, detailing the challenges and successes of growing and preserving their own food. Kingsolver's writing is both engaging and informative, weaving together anecdotes, scientific facts, and cultural history to create a rich tapestry of the issues surrounding food production and consumption. She shows how our current industrial food system is unsustainable and harmful to the environment, and how growing and eating locally can be a powerful act of resistance and renewal. Her emphasis on the importance of soil health and biodiversity is particularly poignant, and she offers practical advice on everything from food preparation to composting to seed-saving to raising chickens. Also included are recipes and seasonal menus that are sure to spark your interest. One quote from the book that will particularly grab the reader’s attention is: "Our vegetables and fruits, long-lost flavors, are gradually returning to our tables. These local foods also offer a new kind of economic stability to small farmers and communities." This quote captures the essence of what is most compelling about Kingsolver's book - the idea that by growing and eating locally, we can not only improve our health and the health of the environment, but also build stronger, more resilient communities. Overall, “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” is a thought-provoking and inspiring book that is sure to resonate with gardeners and anyone interested in learning more about the connections between food, sustainability, the environment, and community. It will change the way you shop for food and the way you look at the food you eat. Kingsolver's engaging writing style and thoughtful insights make this a must-read book for anyone passionate about gardening and local food. Photo credit: Book Cover

< Back Garden in the Minnesota Winter with “Winter Sowing” Itching to get planting? Even in our cold Minnesota we can start our spring gardens. Winter seed sowing is possible using homemade miniature greenhouses and plenty of snow. Here's how... Linda Stein, Master Gardener What is Winter Sowing? During the winter months we can not only dream about the flowers and vegetables that we want to add to our gardens next spring, but we can also actually start those plants through a process referred to as winter sowing. Winter sowing is a cost effective, low maintenance method of starting seeds in the winter for spring transplant. It is also a wonderful method, for those who have limited space, to start plants indoors since the containers are kept outdoors. Many annual and perennial seeds require a cold period to germinate, a process referred to as hardening. In late summer, these seeds fall to the ground. During autumn, they slowly get covered with leaves and other materials. They then remain in the soil over the winter. Exposure to cold temperatures and moist conditions breaks dormancy and the seeds germinate when temperatures increase in the spring. Winter sowing replicates nature’s process in a controlled environment. A wide variety of plants can be started using winter sowing. These include native plants such as milkweed, purple coneflowers, liatris, penstemon, Black-eyed Susans and perennial plants such as dianthus and phlox. You can also plant cool season annuals, cool season vegetables and a variety of herbs. Creating Your Miniature Greenhouse Plastic containers such as gallon milk jugs or plastic food containers can be used to create a miniature greenhouse that will reside outdoors and act as a house for your plants until they are ready to place in the outdoor gardens. They should have transparent lids so that sunlight can shine through and an opening that will allow rain and snow to reach the soil and the seeds it contains. Ideally the whole container should be transparent. The “greenhouse” needs to be deep enough to hold 2-3 inches of soil and tall enough to allow for a few inches of headspace so the seedlings have plenty of room to grow. B efore planting, thoroughly clean the container. If using a milk jug, discard the cap. Cut around 3/4 of the jug just below the handle so you can fold back the top portion of the jug to plant and make several holes in the bottom of the jug to allow extra moisture to drain. After planting, reposition the top portion of the jug and secure it with duct tape. If using a food container or other plastic container cut holes in the top to allow snow to reach the soil when it’s placed outdoors and cut holes in the bottom for drainage. Fill your container of choice with 2 - 4 inches of potting soil, not gardening soil. Moisten the soil and allow to drain. Planting S ow seeds on the surface of the soil or a depth prescribed for the specific plant. Cover the seeds laid on the surface with a layer of soil and gently pat down. Perennials and hardy annuals seeds require a consistent period of moist, cold temperatures before germination occurs in spring. So, these should be planted in January or February in Minnesota. Tender plants including annuals and vegetables can be sown later in spring (March or April) as they do not require a cold period in order to germinate. Place the container outdoors where it will be protected from strong winds but where snow can reach it. The seeds require the moisture from the rain and snow. They should experience all the weather conditions they would in nature. Forget about your containers until the spring when the seedlings begin to grow and put out shoots. Once these seedlings emerge, monitor often. Even during the cold temperatures, the inside of the milk jug can heat up quickly and cause seedlings to wilt. If this happens, you may need to leave the container opened during the day but closed in the evening. Once temperatures warm up in spring, the top can be removed during the day and then put back on at night. Transplant your seedlings to the outdoor garden when the soil reaches appropriate temperatures for the specific plants you have grown. Have fun winter gardening in Minnesota! References : Winter Seed Sowing, https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/winter-seed-sowing Youth Gardening Activities Series, Winter Sowing Seeds, https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/ym105 Staring Seeds in Winter, https://extension.psu.edu/starting-seeds-in-winter Photo credits: Lori Voll-Wallace, Penn State Extension (2), Illinois Extension (1)

< Back Forcing Flower Bulbs Successfully Need a little color in your home this winter? After all the holiday décor is stored away, forcing flower bulbs indoors is a great way to enjoy flowers, both for their color and fragrance, during the cold winter months. Carole Dunn, Master Gardener Forcing bulbs indoors is quite easy and does not require expensive materials. You will first need to choose some bulbs. Flower bulbs that are easy to force are: Grape Hyacinths, Daffodils, Hyacinths and Paperwhites. These can be found at most garden stores or purchased through catalogs and online. Chilling Prechill bulbs, such as hyacinths and daffodils. To do so, place them in a paper bag and store in the refrigerator for at least 6 weeks. Paperwhites and amaryllis bulbs do not require a chilling period. Forcing bulbs in water One of the easiest ways to force bulbs is in water. Find a vase or jar that will hold your bulb or bulbs in an even layer. Fill the container with water to just touch the base of the bulb(s.) You will quickly see roots forming. Once you see them, keep the water level below the bulb to prevent rotting. Keep in a cool. Dark place until you see an inch or two of leaf growth. Move the bulbs to a bright spot but avoid direct sunlight. Rotate the vase from time to time to keep the plant growing straight. Add water when needed but keep it below the bottom of the bulb. Forcing bulbs on stones If using a larger vase, creating a base of stones can help keep your bulbs above the water level. Some “stone” options are pea gravel, river rock, glass chips and marbles. Set the bulbs on top of the stones then add a few stones around each bulb to anchor them and keep from tipping. Do not cover them. Add water to reach the base of the bulbs. Add water as it evaporates, keeping the level just below the bulb base. Tip for Paperwhites Get your Paperwhites tipsy! Paperwhites tend to get a little floppy, to prevent this, when leaves are 1 to 2 inches tall, pour out the plain water in your vase and replace with a 1:8 alcohol-to-water solution. Do not over do it, too much alcohol can kill the plants. You can use vodka, whiskey or rum. The use of this mixture stunts the plant’s growth, keeping it compact and sturdy. Keep adding until it is done flowering. Follow these tips to enjoy bringing a little early Spring to your home. Photo credits: University of Minnesota Extension (1), Gail Maifeld (2)

< Back The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats By Daniel Stone Who knew that the life of an “agricultural explorer” could be both fascinating and suspenseful. Read this review of book, “The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats” to learn why food exploration can be exciting! Reviewed By Valerie Rogotzke, Master Gardener A century ago, the American table was a simpler place. Vegetables and fruit were limited to what could be grown in the home garden or found in a grocery store. Some of the items missing from that world? Kale, mangoes, avocados, seedless grapes, zucchini, soybeans, pistachios, Meyer lemons, and more. Then along came botanist David Fairchild (1869-1954), the Indiana Jones of the plant world. In his book The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats (2018), author David Stone uses Fairchild’s journals, letters, and photographs to document the extraordinary journeys of the man who changed American culinary life forever. This is a riveting tale of exploration and horticulture, of espionage and diplomacy, of the finest German hops and the famed cherry blossom trees of Washington, D.C. Fairchild’s story takes him from Kansas to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he works with a meager budget assisting the American farmer fighting crop fungus. Then a chance meeting with a wealthy benefactor named Barbour Lathrop allows the young man to leave his post and travel as a private citizen, circling the globe on a mission to ship back samples of exotic plants and seeds as an “agricultural explorer,” as he refers to himself. Fairfield’s team transports both plants completely new and foreign varieties of species already known in the United States. Along the way, Fairchild and his team escape dangerous situations, face political resistance from multiple governments, and cross paths with famous figures like the Wright Brothers and Alexander Graham Bell. When Fairchild settles down at the age of 34, he founds the Office of Seed and Plant Introduction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which introduces over 200,000 new plant species and varieties to the country. This book is highly recommended to foodies, gardeners, and history buffs alike. It can be found in the Dakota County Library system.

< Back Garden Mulch and Jumping Worms There are many things to consider when choosing which type of mulch to use. Aesthetics is one consideration but mulch that will help and not hurt your garden soil is another. This article will help you select the mulch that's right for your garden. Garden Mulch and Jumping Worms There are several options for mulch or soil covering in our gardens. Choices can be either organic, which are compostable materials that improve soil fertility, or inorganic film coverings that can be black, red, green or silver colored. Inorganic film mulches are often sold in rolls. Mulch can improve our plants and gardens in the following ways: · Moisture retention/water conservation · Soil temperature control and stabilization · Weed suppression – weed growth is eliminated when light is not available · Soil borne disease prevention · Improved soil fertility through decomposition of organic mulches left on the top of the soil · Minimize soil erosion and compaction from heavy rains and help with water absorption · Improved landscape appearance with clean and neat mulch between plants In the spring, gardeners have to decide what type(s) of mulches to use. The best mulch application time is after the plants are established, four to six inches tall, and the soil has warmed up enough for active root growth. Mulch applied too soon will delay root development. Be sure not to touch the plants with the mulch. Many plants such as tomatoes are planted only after the soil is sufficiently warm. For tomatoes and other warm season transplanted plants, it is best to apply the mulch immediately to avoid soil splash-up/soil borne diseases. If you are using an inorganic film, you can add a couple of layers of newspapers under the film to help with weed suppression. The newspaper is a safe, compostable layer. Depth for most organic mulches is two to three inches to provide the positive results described above without becoming too heavy. Mulch applied too deep can cause a lack of oxygen to roots, can yellow foliage, and could provide a space for small burrowing animals to feed on plant stems. In fact, be sure that the mulch is close but not touching the stems! Favorite organic mulches include straw with newspaper under it to prevent light to seeds, compost with newspaper under it, brown decomposing paper rolls, dried grass clippings, and mulched leaves. Other possible organic mulches include cocoa bean hulls, pine needles, and crushed corn cobs. Gardeners who choose to use straw should be sure to buy tight bales that do not have too many seeds. Some gardeners have also successfully used burlap bags, and they can be reused year after year. Mulched leaves may need to be reconsidered this year and in the near future due to jumping worm concerns. Jumping worms are a type of angleworm, but they change the soil texture to make it look like coffee grounds. As they move and eat, they strip the soil of nutrients and kill plants. They are recognizable, in part, by their whipping action. They live in leaf litter on the top floor of forests and hatch in the soil in late spring. All gardeners in Dakota County need be aware of them and on the lookout for them. For more detailed information about them, please read the University of Minnesota article titled “Jumping Worms” . Another excellent article is “Coping with Jumping Worms” by Karen Randall. The damage jumping worms can do should cause gardeners to reconsider the types of mulches that they add to their gardens. At this time, there are no known ways to easily rid the soil of jumping worms once they are present. Inorganic mulches may be considered as alternatives to organic mulches. They do not break down and add nutrient value to the soils, but they help with several of the mulch attributes described above. Black, red, green and silver plastics provide weed control, splash-up protection, and some temperature control. Red plastic used with tomatoes is said to improve crop harvest by 20% because it reflects growth-enhancing light waves from the sun. It can be used with newspaper under it to control weeds and help conserve water. The down side of inorganic mulches, in addition to initial cost, is that they add to environmental plastics and may or may not be reused in a future year. Inorganic mulches can be found either in garden centers or in seed catalogs. Mulch can be a great addition to your flower or vegetable garden. However, take care in choosing a type that will benefit your garden. Photo credits: Janice Gestner (1, 3, 4), University of Minnesota Extension (2)

< Back Pound Flowers for Summer Fun Brenda Hansell, Master Gardener Many of the flowers you have enjoyed throughout the summer will soon fade away. Even cut flowers last only a few days in the house. Here is a fun way to preserve flowers and entertain the children. Flower pounding is an easy activity for most any age. Adult guidance and assistance will vary from child to child. When complete, my granddaughter jumped up, threw her hands in the air and shouted: “YAY, ART!!” (‘nuf said.) Read this article to learn how to share this fun activity with the child in your life. Materials: Watercolor paper (optional card stock) Parchment or wax paper Masking tape Hammer or mallet Fresh flowers Steps: 1) Gather the flowers. Bright colors such as red, yellow, and blue release more intense pigments. 2) Trim off the stems close enough to the base of the flower to permit it to lay flat while keeping the bloom intact. Use some of the leaves as well. 3) Flowers with large centers, such as cone flowers, will require removal of the thick center. Use only the carefully placed petals. Otherwise, there will be too much dark pollen “explosion.” (Though it does create a rather interesting, abstract appearance!) 4) Work on a hard, flat surface 5) Arrange the flowers face down on the watercolor paper. 6) Carefully cover with the wax paper 7) Press down firmly on the wax paper and tape in place 8) To get the feel of how firmly to pound & which flowers transfer best, you may want to try one or two “practice flowers” on a separate paper. (This is an optional step.) 9) Using firm pressure begin pounding the flowers, working in from the edges 10) Carefully, lift the wax paper to check the transfer 11) Continue pounding until desired effect is achieved. 12) Some pieces of petals and leaves may stick to the paper. Gently use your fingernail to scratch them off. 13) Frame and admire the finished piece of ART! Note, some folks embellish the print with colored pencils or fine painted brush strokes. Photo credits: Branda Hansell (all)

< Back American Smoketree - An American Beauty Jim Lakin MD, Dakota County Master Gardener This month, MG Jim Lakin continues his series on smaller understory native trees with an article on the American Smoketree. This beautiful specimen can be pruned to be a small tree or large bush. It features stunning “smoke-like” clusters of flowers from which its name is derived. Read Jim’s article to learn more about this stunning specimen tree for your yard. We’ve been talking about smaller understory native trees over the winter, and the American Smoketree ( Cotinus obovatus) is a stunning conclusion to our little survey. This gorgeous small tree is sometimes called Chittamwood but by any name, it is native to the prairie covered limestone hillsides of southeastern Texas, extending up into the Ozarks, as well as the Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee and down into Alabama. It is a member of the Anacardaceae family, making it a cousin to the cashews and sumacs. In spite of its Southern roots, it is fully cold hardy through USDA zone 4. So, it should be a good bet for central and southern Minnesota as well as the Red River Valley. Sheltered areas up the near North Shore would also be suitable. You should look for well-drained soil and full sun (6 to 8 hours of direct light) when selecting a spot. It will tolerate partial sun (4 to 6 hours) but may grumble a bit. It will grow pretty easily and quickly from seed and transplants easily as it has a shallow, fibrous root system. That makes growing Smoketree from seed a good winter project if you are aiming for a grove of them! Smoketree showing its spring “smoke” Smoketree really is a landscaping asset if you have a hot, west-facing area on your lot. It grows well on exposed limestone and gravelly sites. So, if you have one of these difficult areas, by all means give Smoketree a go. Water well the first year or two and it will be happy thereafter. It seems to be remarkably free of disease or pest problems and once established requires little care. It usually attains a height of 20 to 30 feet with a width of 10 to 20 feet when mature. This beauty produces silky clusters of flowers in the spring that develop into feathery seeds. The seeds look like small clouds of smoke hovering over the leaves in the late spring and summer, giving Cotinus obovatus its common name. These leaves are rounded (obovate), 2 to 5 inches and of a greenish blue, almost steely color. In fall they turn a brilliant yellow to orange to fiery red. It’s quite a show. The bark is grayish brown and will break into scaly plates as the tree ages. That in itself is a point of interest after leaf fall. Smoketree in the fall There are a couple of common cultivars in the trade although they may be difficult to locate. The first is Cotton Candy™ American Smoketree Cotinus obovatus “NorthStar”. As the name implies it is hardy to zone 3. The other is Grace Smoketree ( Cotinus ‘Grace’). This is a hybrid of Cotinus obovatus and Cotinus coggygria . The latter is a Eurasian species which introduces some pest problems. You may encounter leaf spot, rust and verticillium wilt. Die back in severe winters can be a problem. It boasts large pink flowers in the spring and can be pruned either as a small tree or large shrub of some 15 to 20 feet. So, if you want to try one of these fancy hybrids, you may sacrifice hardiness for showiness. I think though, that sticking with the true native Cotinus obovatus will provide ample rewards over many disease-free years. Photo Credit: University of North Carolina (1), North Carolina State University (2)

< Back Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum): A-Long Blooming Stunner Jim Lakin, MD, Master Gardener Anise Hyssop or Agastache foeniculum is a tough plant, easy to grow, beautiful to behold and a one of the premier plants for feeding pollinators. Add to those virtues, Anise hyssop is drought tolerant and does not attract deer or rabbits. As a perennial native to the American Midwest, this plant belongs in your garden. For millennia the hyssop plant has been associated with ritual purification. Tradition holds that King David, regretting some of his actions, prayed, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Ps 51:7). It has been used medicinally for digestive and intestinal problems including liver and gallbladder conditions, intestinal pain, intestinal gas, colic, and loss of appetite . While I can make no claims for its therapeutic properties, I can quite vigorously assert the virtues of its American cousin, Anise Hyssop or Agastache foeniculum . This is a tough plant, easy to grow, beautiful to behold and a one of the premier plants for feeding pollinators. Agastache foeniculum alternately known as anise hyssop, blue giant hyssop, fragrant giant hyssop or lavender giant hyssop is a native perennial to the American Midwest and Central Canada although it has spread to much of upper North America. It is drought tolerant and not very tasty to deer or rabbits (a plus in Minnesota). As mentioned, it is very attractive to honey bees as well as a host of native bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, bumblebees and night flying moths. Anise hyssop grows as a bush some 2 to 4 feet tall with a clump-like upright shape. Its tiny lavender flowers appear as a flashy panicle (stalk of many small flowers) above oval, serrated leaves with white tan undersides. Its blooming season is long, starting in early June and continuing into September. Anise hyssop puts down a taproot, so if you are transplanting, do it in late fall, dig deep and don’t expect 100% success. Anise hyssop grows easily from seed, although you should stratify the seeds before trying your hand at germination. This simply means storing the seeds in a moist, cold environment for 30 days. Popping them into the fridge in a Ziploc bag with a moist coffee filter does the trick nicely. After that just sprinkle a few seeds on the seeding media and press them in. Don’t cover with soil as the seeds need sunlight to germinate. Once the seedlings have developed their first two sets of true leaves, they should be ready to transplant. You can, of course seed directly into the garden in late spring but you may not get blooms the first year. The plant does best in full sun (6+ hours of sunlight) but will soldier along in partial shade (at least 4 hours sunlight). It is not particularly fussy about soil type although the site should be well-drained. Avoid damp areas around ponds or areas prone to flooding. Those areas will leave the plants open to foliar disease, fungus and root rot. Although it is of the mint family, anise hyssop is not invasive. It does self-seed but if you are manicuring your garden, it is a pretty easy matter to pull unwanted seedlings in the spring. If you are going for a more naturalized effect, mixing with Black-eyed Susan, Coreopsis, Bee Balm, Echinacea purpurea, and/or Smooth Blue Aster can create a stunning effect. No matter how you incorporate this versitle plant into your garden décor, it will prove to be a valuable addition to your local ecology. Photo credits: www.flickr.com (1), istock (2)

< Back Don’t Let the Snow (or Lack of) Determine Next Year’s Blooms Patricia Johnson, Dakota County Master Garden Intern It’s October and soon the winter snow will be here, or will it be? We all remember the “lost winter of 2023-2024” when Minnesota received record warmth and lack of snow. Just as a super cold winter can damage your plants, so can a super warm, snowless winter. This article explains why these extreme temperature variations can harm your plants and what you can do to protect them. October is the time to prepare your plants for the winter! In the article *Winterizing Plants: Cold Damage, Julie Weisenhorn, U of MN Extension horticulture educator says, “ Lack of snow cover and dry, droughty conditions negatively influence winter soil temperatures and cause root injury.” In Minnesota, the earth rotates on its axis at about 700 mph. The ground beneath our feet, known as the earth’s lithosphere, is in constant motion also. Yet we don’t “feel the earth move under our feet”, unless an earthquake occurs or you’re Carole King. Instead, we see the effects of this movement. We see it in the passage of a 24-hour day, in the cracks of an asphalt driveway, or the heaving of landscape edging over an extended period of time. We also see the effects it has on our perennials as this heaving occurs. Heaving is the upward movement of soil due to wide temperature fluctuations coupled with the expansion and contraction of moisture (water) within the soil. The tiny root hairs of a plant are microscopic and invisible to the human eye. They are responsible for absorbing water and nutrients for the plant. The freezing and thawing process of heaving, negatively affects these tiny hair roots, resulting in damage or even death to a plant. And at times, if the plant was not properly planted, heaving can push the plant up from the ground exposing its roots to other damaging environmental conditions, such as insects, diseases, and animals. To minimize heat loss in the soil surrounding the plant, and the potential for heaving, winterize your plants with shredded wood mulch. Shredded leaves also provide a good source of organic mulch, as well as pine needles. Four to six inches of mulch will help the soil temperature remain consistent and help prevent heaving. Other helpful considerations for Minnesota gardeners include: Select plants according to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map. Watch “Right Plant Right Place” video series on the U of MN Extension You Tube channel to learn how to give your plants the best start possible. Continue to water your plants until the ground freezes. Water serves as an insulator; well-watered soil retains heat. And as your plants come to life in the spring, they’ll get their first drink of water as the ground thaws. And if possible, mulch after the top one to two inches of the ground has frozen. The mulch helps retain moisture from watering. In summary, to prevent potential root injury, Weisenhorn says, “Snow cover and mulch are good insulators and help keep soil temperatures warmer . . . Soil moisture is important to root and plant health.” So, the big question on many people’s minds is, “Will we get snow this winter or see a repeat performance of the Lost Winter of 2023-2024?” “Hard to say what exactly will happen for the winter of 2024 -‘25, but it would be difficult to have a repeat of the record warmth and the nearly snowless winter of 2023-’24,” says Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay, MN DNR. “The Winter Outlook (December-February) from the Climate Prediction Center depicts a slight tendency for below normal temperatures over Northwest Minnesota with equal chances of below normal and above normal temperatures across the rest of the state. There is a slight tilt for above normal precipitation across the eastern half of the state. La Niña is expected to be present this winter. For me, I prepare for the worst and hope for the best!” We can’t control the weather, but we can in part, minimize the effects it has on our plants with proper planning and preparation. Whether it snows or not this coming winter, let’s plant and maintain properly, water sufficiently and mulch so your plants will have a blooming tomorrow. Make sure your plants will be the “Happy Perennials of spring 2025.” To read more on The Lost Winter of 2023-’24, log on to https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/journal/lost-winter-2023-24.html . To learn more about the intricacies of a plant root system, log on to https://open.lib.umn.edu/horticulture/chapter/3-3-roots/ . For fun facts about Minnesota weather, log on to https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/summaries_and_publications/normalsportal.html . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkaBGry87JE&list=PLyMOSdo2sM9sqq7P8DR8qKV8f_bkPXAgG&index=1 * https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/winterizing-plants-cold-damage Photo Credit: https://open.lib.umn.edu/horticulture/chapter/3-3-roots/ (1), University of Minnesota Extension (2), Patricia Johnson (3)

< Back April Bring Us – Asparagus! Julie Harris, Master Gardener If you are lucky enough to have an asparagus bed in your garden, you will probably be able to start harvesting this tasty vegetable in April. And look for fresh asparagus in the stores in April, as well. There are so many fantastic ways to eat asparagus – raw or cooked. But here is our family favorite recipe. Asparagus is one of few perennial vegetables suitable for growing in Minnesota gardens. If you are lucky enough to have an asparagus bed in your garden, you will probably be able to start harvesting this tasty vegetable in April. And look for fresh asparagus in the stores in April, as well. If you would like to start an asparagus bed this year, you should plant between early May and early June. An established bed can provide you with delicious and tender harvests for 15 years or more. There are many ways that you can use asparagus, of course. I ran across this recipe several years ago and it has been a family favorite ever since. Cheesy Asparagus Salad 2 ½ pounds fresh asparagus (white or green, or mix) 1 teaspoon of salt 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 ounce fresh thyme (or to taste) 1/3 pound Jarlsberg cheese or Swiss cheese, shredded ¼ cup spicy sprouts, optional Trim asparagus and break off thick ends. Place asparagus in boiling water with 1 tsp. salt; reduce heat and cook for 4 – 6 minutes. Cook until crisp-tender. Plunge into cold water to chill. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, vinegar, kosher salt and pepper. Remove leaves from 2/3 of the thyme stems; coarsely chop leaves and add to olive oil mixture. Place chilled asparagus on a platter; pour dressing over asparagus. Garnish with Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese, remaining thyme and spicy sprouts. Photo Credits: Photo 1 - Newsletter Intro - credit: publicdomainpictures.net , Photo 2: Credit – University of Minnesota Extension

< Back Garden to Kitchen Joy Johnson, Master Gardener All your hard work has paid off, the thrill of the harvest is upon you! But you can’t see your kitchen table because of all the vegetables you’ve brought in from the garden. First, way to go! You are on your way to creating healthy food. Second, here are a couple of recipes that will help you make good use of your produce. They can be frozen for use in the bleak mid-winter and are real crowd pleasers. Bushels of Tomatoes and Cabbages. All your hard work has paid off, the thrill of the harvest is upon you! But you can’t see your kitchen table because of all the vegetables you’ve brought in from the garden. First, way to go! You are on your way to creating healthy food. Second, here are a couple of recipes that will help you make good use of your produce. They can be frozen for use in the bleak mid-winter and are real crowd pleasers. Hungarian cabbage rolls are a favorite at my house. I make them now when I have oodles of tomatoes and huge cabbages. Then, in the middle of winter, I pull them out of the freezer and cook them on low in a crock pot over night and serve them with mashed potatoes to soak up all the juice. I make my own tomato juice to cook them in by cooking cut up fresh tomatoes until they are soft, then putting them through a food mill to remove the skins and seeds, add a little salt and then freeze or can the juice for later use. This recipe can easily be doubled if you have an especially large cabbage. You can use either turkey kielbasa sausage or beef. Cabbage Rolls 1 ½ lbs. hamburger or pork sausage (if you use spicey pork sausage, you don’t need to add all the following spices) 1 tsp. Salt ¼ tsp. pepper ¼ cup chopped onions 1Tbsp. chopped garlic ¾ cups rice, uncooked 1 whole cabbage, wash, trim off outer leaves if they aren’t good quality. 1 link of Polska Kielbasa sausage (either turkey or beef). Cut into 2-inch chunks. 1 large can of tomato juice or 1-2 quarts of homemade juice. Combine hamburger and rice with one whole egg and mix thoroughly. Set aside. Immerse the cabbage into a large pot of boiling water. Boil until the tops layers of leaves look slightly cooked. Remove cabbage from pot to a large cutting board. Trim off outer layers of leaves that are soft, lay aside to cool. Re-immerse cabbage in boiling water and cook the next few layers of leaves, remove and cut off cooked leaves. Keep doing this until the cabbage is too small to use for rolls. (Refrigerate and use in a different recipe). For each cooked leaf, trim down the hard spine so that the leaf can be rolled up. Discard spine (or give it to your kids to eat, they are delish). Lay a loose handful of the hamburger or sausage mixture in the lower end of the leaf, roll once, tuck in both sides, finish rolling and tuck in the end. You can use a toothpick or skewer to hold roll closed. Put sausage pieces in b ottom of large kettle. Stack cabbage rolls gently on top. Pour over enough tomato juice to cover the cabbages. Bring to a boil, turn heat way down and barely simmer for an hour or two until the rice is cooked. You can also do these in a crock pot for 4-6 hours. Serve over mashed potatoes. Clara’s Salsa Here’s an excellent salsa recipe that my daughter came up with. You can hot water bath can it in jars or freeze it in baggies or plastic containers: 16 cups blanched, peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes 4 cups chopped green onions ¾ cups chopped jalapenos 2 cups chopped peppers, use a variety of sweet peppers 4 cloves garlic ¾ cup vinegar 1 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp salt 1 tsp cumin ½ bunch cilantro Mix, simmer until thick (2 hours). Hot water bath can for 15 minutes. Zucchini Bread (Good, easy, healthy, freezable – what’s not to love!) Makes 2 loaves 3 eggs 1 cup oil 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 3 tsp maple flavoring 2 cups raw, grated zucchini 2 ½ cups flour (I use half whole wheat) ½ cup wheat germ 2 tsp soda 2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1 cup chopped walnuts Sesame seeds Mix in order given. Pour in greased, floured bread pans. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Photo Credit: Joy Johnson (1,2,3,4,5)