< Back Behind the Plant Sale Julie Harris, Dakota County Master Gardener (and the Plant Sale Team) Every May, the Dakota County Master Gardeners put on a fabulous Plant Sale. In this article, we focus on what goes on “behind the plant sale.” From harvesting native seeds, to growing vegetables and herbs in our green and hoop houses, our plants are healthy, well-cared for and home-grown. This is a look at the people and processes that allow us to bring you some of the best quality, healthy and unique plants in the area. Every May, the Dakota County Master Gardeners put on a fabulous Plant Sale . This year the sale is on May 18th and will be held at the Whitetail Woods Regional Park, Empire Shelter, 171 Station Trail, Farmington from 8 a.m. to noon. All of the proceeds from our plant sale go to support our local projects: school and community gardens, adult education, the Farmington Seed Library, and seed trials throughout Dakota County, and many more. More information about the plant sale can be found elsewhere in this newsletter. In this article, I want to talk about what goes on “behind the plant sale;” focusing on the people and tasks that allow us to bring you the finest plants. The Dakota County Master Gardener (DCMG) plant sale is somewhat unique in that all of the plants that we sell are either directly from Dakota County gardens or are grown from seed by our Master Gardeners. We don’t buy plants grown by third-party growers. Our plant sale is well known for the quality and variety of vegetables that are available. Recently, we have also become recognized for the number and variety of native plants that we grow and sell. This effort is complex and requires expertise to provide you with the best quality and healthiest plants. Let’s take a look at what it takes to put on our plant sale and some of the people who make it happen. Preparing for the plant sale is a group effort. Approximately 70 MGs are involved in preparing for and working at the plant sale but Mary Beth Kufrin and Marie Stolte are the two very organized, very hard working and very talented MGs who are “in charge.” Collecting Native Seeds The annual plant sale starts with collecting seeds. DCMGs encourage the use of native plants. Take a look at the many articles on our website about native plants and the environmental benefits of growing them. In the fall, DCMGs collect native plant seeds from Dakota County Parks and our own gardens. The seeds are cleaned and stratified as needed. The seeds are then taken home by several DCMGs who will plant and grow the native seedlings. The Greenhouse Crew In addition to the native plants grown by DCMGs, we buy a variety of vegetable seeds based on plants that our customers have preferred the past. In March, those seeds are planted in a greenhouse by a group of DCMG volunteers. The group is led by Marc Battistini, Jinny Berkopec and Lisa Hofmann – all very experienced and dedicated DCMGs who spend many hours directing the volunteers and caring for the young plants. For the plant sale this year, the greenhouse crew planted : 12 varieties of tomatoes, 13 varieties of peppers and a few varieties of herbs (including Asian herbs). Also, in March, the seedlings that have been nurtured by DCMGs at home (including houseplants) are moved to the greenhouse. Over 50 varieties of natives and several different landscape plants were seeded. The greenhouse crew waters and tends to the seedlings as they grow into more mature plants. As they mature, seedlings are transplanted into larger pots. In April, the maturing plants are moved to a “hoop house” on the grounds of UMORE Park. (A hoop house is a type of greenhouse that is covered in heavy-duty plastic.) The plants will have outgrown our current greenhouse (which also grows plants for our trial gardens) and the hoop house provides a roomier home for the plants. The hoop house also provides a good staging area for the plant sale. All of the hundreds of plants must be labeled and priced by another group of volunteers. And - our plant sale is well-known for its very reasonable prices . Digging and Bare-Rooting Established Plants Of course, we also provide plants that are established and grown in the gardens of DCMGs. DCMGs tend to grow perennials that will prosper in our part of Minnesota! They dig the plants out of their own gardens shortly before the sale. DCMGs crews go the homes of Dakota County residents with large numbers of appropriate plants and dig those plants, as well. You are probably aware that jumping worms have become a significant problem in Minnesota. Jumping worms can severely stunt or kill plants and are transferable in the soil around a plant’s roots. (Read the article on our website about the problems that jumping worms cause in gardens.) As a result, DCMGs don’t just transfer the plants directly from the ground to the pots that we sell. We go through a process called “bare-rooting.” Bare-rooting is the process of cleaning the roots of a plant. (Read our article on “ bare-rooting .”) Our established perennials will appear wrapped in wet newspaper and tubing. Presented this way, our plants may not look as “pretty” as in a garden store but you can be assured that you will not be importing jumping worms into your garden. And they carry the added benefit of being easier to transport and plant! Plant Sale Set up Finally, the day before the plant sale, the hundreds of plants that have been seeded and grown or dug from local gardens, are moved and set up at Empire Shelter at Whitetail Woods Regional Park, thanks to the generosity of Dakota County Parks and Recreation. In addition to the plants, DCMGs provide educational materials for display at the sale. After all, we don’t just view the plant sale as a fundraiser - the sale is a great opportunity to provide advice to homeowners about the plants. Part of the preparation for the plant sale is getting the word out. Providing information in the Garden Buzz, email, news outlets and other tools helps us to bring you in to our plant sale experience. Plant Sale Day As you might imagine, plant sale day is an “all-hands-on-deck” event for the DCMGs. We have volunteers walking the floor to provide advice and direct you to the appropriate plants. At the sale, you will also find a table labeled “Ask a Master Gardener” – DCMGs who are there to answer any gardening questions you may have. DCMGs are directing traffic, tending our “garage sale” and of course acting as cashiers. We know that there are many plant sales around the Twin Cities area in May. We hope that this article has helped explain why you should choose the DCMG plant sale for your gardening needs. Our plant sale provides home-grown, unique and healthy plants that, we think, cannot be found elsewhere. Come check us out on May 18th and see for yourself! Photo Credit: Robert Hatlevig (1,2,6), Jinny Berkopec (3,4,5), Marie Stolte (7), Robert Heidtke (8)

< Back Taking on Ticks Jim Lakin, MD, Master Gardener You’ve turned in after a productive day of gardening. Beginning to doze off, you feel something ever so slightly brushing against your thigh. You reach and feel a small hard object crawling up your leg. Lights on. It’s a tic, ambling along, looking for a nice warm place to suck your blood! It is tick season and there is good reason to be wary. You’ve turned in after a productive day of gardening. Beginning to doze off, you feel something ever so slightly brushing against your thigh. You reach and feel a small hard object crawling up your leg. Lights on. It’s a tick, ambling along looking for a nice warm place to suck your blood! Enough Stephen King. Ticks are gross but sometimes unavoidable if you are a gardener. Yet in addition to being unpleasant they can also be dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control list at least sixteen serious infectious diseases that can be transmitted by ticks in the United States, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. So what are these guys and how do they manage to get on your skin? Ticks are arachnids, insects that are second cousins to spiders, members of the Ixodida family. Like many insects they go through egg, larva, nymph and adult stages. At each stage of life they need a blood meal to survive. Most aren’t picky as to whose blood they drink, selecting mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian hosts as they pass through their life stages. Also they aren’t picky as to what’s in the blood they drink, ingesting whatever assorted bacteria or viruses the host happens to have. Ticks can’t jump or fly but they can wait patiently on a blade of grass or leaf, latching on to whomever happens to be passing by. Once on board, the tick settles down on a promising spot and inserts a feeding tube. In the process it often secretes saliva which can contain whatever infection the tick has picked up from its previous host. If all goes well (for the tick) it will feed for several days and then drop off to begin its next life stage and find its next victim. The deer tick (blacklegged tick) below is much smaller than the wood tick (American dog tick) above and to the right. The lone star tick on the upper right is occasionally seen in Minnesota. Although there are about a dozen species of ticks in Minnesota, two types commonly spread disease. They are the deer tick or black legged tick and the wood tick or American dog tick. Of the two the deer tick is by far the most common disease spreader, transmitting Lyme disease among other things. Wood ticks may spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia but most bites thankfully are unpleasant but harmless. There are a number of things you can do to lessen the chance of picking up one of these fellows. First of all avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass or leaf litter. Walk in the center of trails when you are out in the woods. If you can’t avoid these high exposure areas consider treating clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin. It is available as a spray or you can even buy pretreated clothing and gear. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests use of insect repellants such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. They advise against using OLE or PMD on children less than three years old. After a day out in the garden or the woods, it's best to shower down and then carefully check your body, clothing and gear for ticks. Don’t forget to check the family dog too! The life stages of the Blacklegged (deer) tick, lone star tick and American dog (wood) tick demonstrating their relative sizes. If you do find an attached tick, remove it with a pair of fine tipped forceps (tweezers). Grasp it as close to the skin as possible. Pull up with steady, even pressure. Don’t jerk or twist it as this may break off the mouth parts, leaving them in the skin. If this does happen remove them with the tweezer tips. After removing the tick, clean up the bite with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Never crush a tick with your fingers. If you do develop a rash or a fever within a few weeks of a tick bite, see your health care provider right away. Be sure to tell him or her about the bite, when and where it occurred. Want to learn more? The CDC has an excellent site . Also check out this Minnesota Department of Health article . And read this article from University of Minnesota Extension’s entomologist, Jeffery Hahn. Photo credits: Minnesota Department of Health (1, 2)

< Back April - What To Do About Winter Damage Karna Berg, Master Gardener As we think beyond winter to spring, you may encounter winter damage to some of your plants. In this article, Karna Berg reminds us how to give your plants a boost going into winter and how to deal with winter damage in a way that will allow plants to recover and, ultimately, flourish. As you adjust to the cold of our winter, are you already looking ahead to spring? Before we know it, it will be here. In April, we start uncovering a few plants, anxious to find them poking their noses out of the mulch and leaves. Unfortunately, as we continue that process, we find plants that have not made it through the winter or have winter damage. What do we do? Hopefully, you watered your plants, especially trees and shrubs, as long as you possibly could in the fall. That gives them a better chance of making it through the winter. And also, you provided your perennial beds with a nice blanket of mulch and leaves. In fact, as the first snows hit us, we can carefully shovel some of that snow under the lower branches of our conifers to act as a cushion and help the branches stay upright when the ice or extremely wet snow falls on them. While it is tempting to try to remove snow and ice from our plants after a heavy snow, it is generally not a good idea. The only exception to that is for conifers. If you can safely brush some of the snow off those branches, it will help them stay upright. But no matter our fall attempts to prevent winter damage and death, we usually have some of it when spring comes. It’s just hard to avoid all damage, particularly with our erratic weather patterns that bring warm days in March to fool our plants. So, what can we do in spring? First, don’t take off the mulch and leaves too early no matter how tempting that may be. Wait until all chance of severe cold has passed. We all remember that late snowfall or cold. Also, walking on our gardens and lawns too early can cause foot damage. Then, start to assess damage winter caused in your garden. On trees and shrubs (often the plants that experience the most damage), remove dead, dry and damaged foliage. If you find broken branches, cut them back to the stem or back to the first live bud you find. Always leave a little distance from the stem or bud when you do this trimming. And if a limb is bent down but doesn’t appear dead, it may be possible to prop it up and see if it recovers. Again, in our perennial beds, hold back from uncovering them too early. But don’t wait too long or you’ll find pale green limp plants trying to get to the sun. If you have covered your perennials with mulch and leaves, most have probably made it through the winter. Now it’s important to remove those leaves. If not, they will smother the plants and cause mold in your garden. Also, the dreaded jumping worms, which live mainly in the top two inches of soil, love those leaves and will feed on them voraciously. Let’s not give them any reason to fall in love with our garden. Once you have babied a plant along, hoping it will come back to life but it doesn’t, just remove it from your garden. Then plant a native plant in its place. Our native plants are best at dealing with our Minnesota winters. And are also great for pollinators. Remember, when fall comes, water a lot but don’t fertilize your plants. Watch your use of salt during the winter. Then, hope for the best and enjoy spring! Photo credits: Rebecca Finneran, MSU Extension (1), University of Minnesota Extension (2, 3)

< Back Is it Too Late to Plant . . .? Mickey Scullard, Master Gardener Now it’s June and for many reasons, you don’t have your garden planted. Is it too late? This article explains why the answer is a resounding No! There are many vegetables and annuals that have a shorter time to maturation and will allow you to enjoy the fruits of your June labor. Read on to learn how to save your summer planting enjoyment. Now it’s June and for many reasons, you don’t have your garden planted. Is it too late? The resounding and reassuring answer is – No! And the answer is also – it depends. There are many vegetables and flowers that you can plant in June and still get a good harvest. However, there are a few plants that need a long growing season and planting in June might not provide sufficient time for flowers or vegetables to mature. This year, we’ve had a cool, wet spring and many of the perennials (plants that grow back every year) are ‘behind schedule,’ emerging or blooming at least a couple of weeks late. This suggests we already have a delayed planting season and even gardens planted early might be growing slowly or may even need to be replanted if the seeds rotted in the wet soil or tiny plants experienced a frost or freeze. How do you know what you can plant? There are some key items to look at – read the back of the seed packages, if you are sowing seeds, or tags inserted into plants you purchase. The back of the seed package tells you when it is best to plant the seeds, how long before the seed will germinate (when you can expect to see green pushing up out of the ground), and how long to harvest if the seed is going to produce vegetables. If the seed package says 90 days until harvest, you can plant it, but you might not get to pick anything unless we have a long, warm fall. In the picture, you can see Turnips have an estimated 45 days to harvest, so that would work but Parsnips are harvested 95 days after sowing. Even in a good growing year, Parsnips might be a gamble. If the package says the vegetable is a cool season crop, like peas, lettuce, or spinach, you might want to wait until late summer to plant as we are (usually) heading into our hottest growing time in late June, July, and August. You may have missed the spring season harvest, but you have an opportunity to enjoy the vegetable in the Fall. For more information on planting for fall harvest, see the Mid-Summer Planting Guide on the University of Minnesota Extension website. It also has excellent online resources and a handy “at a glance chart” on when to plant: Planting and Growing Guides If you were not able to start seeds yourself for plants needing more growing time than we have in a Minnesota summer, you could consider buying plants from garden centers or nurseries. This will increase your chances of planting late but still successfully growing longer season plants. Flowers don’t have the same timescale on their packages, but you can gather some hints from how the package describes planting. For example, if the package directs you to start the seed inside several weeks before outdoor planting, this may be a flower that needs a longer season than we have in Minnesota. This is not a hard and fast rule, however, as Zinnia packages suggest starting seeds indoors a few weeks before planting. You can successfully direct seed Zinnias – and many other flower seeds – through late June - early July. Just a word of caution: perennials can be sold in seed packets, but will take several years to reach maturity and bloom. To learn whether the flower you want to grow is an annual or perennial, and more information about many types of flowers and flower landscapes, e.g., pollinator gardens, you can refer to - UMN Extension Flowers In the end, especially with seeds, it never hurts to try. One year, I planted sunflowers, cosmos, and zinnias on the Fourth of July – all by seed – and by mid-August, had a pollinator’s paradise and riots of color to enjoy from my deck until Fall. Planting in June is very doable and, while you might have to watch neighbors and friends enjoying their garden harvest while you wait, you will be able to eat your own home-grown vegetables – just a little later. Photo Credit: University of Minnesota Extension (2) & Mickey Scullard (1,3)

< Back Purple Clematis (Clematis occidentalis): Beauty Reaching Upwards Jim Lakin MD, Dakota County Master Gardener If you are a fan of clematis, you know that there are dozens of varieties to choose from. In this article, Jim Lakin states the case for the “good old native purple clematis.” It’s on of Jim’s favorites. Read his article to understand why. I must admit, I’m a big fan of clematis. I have over a dozen varieties running up wire fences around the back garden, blooming at different times of spring and summer, effortlessly providing an ongoing show of color and form. Yet, of all the flashy varietals, good old native purple clematis remains a favorite. It’s tough but fairly easy to grow. Once established, it is vigorous but long lived, a dependable but showy workhorse. Purple clematis, sometimes known as “Purple Virgin’s Bower” is native to most of the upper East Coast and Midwest, extending up into Eastern Canada, so it is hardy all through Minnesota. In the wild it is found in "calcareous cliffs, rock ledges, talus slopes, gravelly embankments, rocky woods, and clearings" (Flora of North America, Volume 3. 1997). As you might imagine, the vine is not too picky about soils and will do well in a variety of environments, although you should make sure it has decent drainage. Clematis will need support to climb on as the plant will send out several shoots that can grow as tall as 12 feet although usually 4 to 6 feet. As a woodland plant it is mostly found in partial sun environments but usually tolerates full sun. This perennial woody vine blooms in May and June although it can appear a bit earlier in southern Minnesota. It produces gorgeous blue-violet to pinkish purple flowers 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long. Several pollinators have been recorded visiting purple clematis, most frequently bumble bees. In late summer into fall, fruiting bodies are formed from the flowers. The styles elongate to form “tails” about 2 inches long, upon which green to rusty brown seeds form which are spread by the wind. There are, at present over 200 cultivars of clematis, which are wondrous in their variety and well worth growing, if you have the room. However, a great place to start is with the simple elegance of the native species, Clematis occidentalis. Photo credits: Minnesota Wildflowers, K. Chayka (1), Minnesota Wildflowers, P.M. Dziuk (2)

< Back Try the Many Ways to Enjoy Swiss Chard Mickey Scullard, Dakota County Master Gardener In the featured vegetable section of this newsletter, you read about how to grow Swiss Chard. In this article, you will learn about the many delicious ways that you can include Chard in your dinner menus. There are so many ways to enjoy this beautiful garden vegetable. Swiss Chard (Chard) is a green leafy vegetable that has multiple health benefits, in addition to being very tasty. It is best eaten fresh, but can be frozen. Chard can be stored up to 2 or 3 weeks in the refrigerator but is best eaten within 2 to 3 days. Chard can be eaten raw or cooked. When eaten raw, it is usually best to select the younger, smaller leaves. These can be included in salads, much like you would add spinach. Other common ways of eating raw Chard are in sandwiches, wraps, and smoothies. The University of Nebraska Extension provides this nice list of different ways you could use Chard. Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Swiss Chard One‐Pot Dish: Dinner couldn’t be easier with one pot stir fry featuring Swiss Chard. Ravioli filled with Swiss Chard, part ricotta, and a touch of parmesan cheese. Finish your your favorite sauce. Scrambled eggs or omelets: replace spinach with Swiss Chard. Add fresh tomato for a burst of flavor. Soup. Whether it’s minestrone, beef barley, or vegetable, Swiss Chard makes a scrumptious addition to any soup. Pasta: Layer Swiss Chard in your lasagna or toss if with pasta in a light olive oil and lemon sauce. Finish with freshly cracked pepper. Quiche. Substitute Swiss Chard for spinach in your favorite quiche recipe. It pairs beautifully with egg whites and a little pancetta. Stir Fry. For extra nutrition and flavor, add fresh Swiss Chard to stir fried brown rice just before serving. Stew. Try adding Swiss Chard to stews. It boasts an elegant balance of sweet and savory. Pizza. Swiss Chard makes a delicious … and unexpected … pizza topping. Try adding it to your pizza marinara sauce. Steamed. Steam the stalks of Swiss chard and eat them as you would asparagus. Very Simple Swiss Chard Cooking Preparation (basically steaming) Place Swiss Chard in a pan Add a small amount of water Cook on medium heat until wilted and stalks are soft Eat with butter, salt, and pepper to taste. Variations: Instead of water, use olive oil. Add garlic to taste (most recipes suggest 2-3 cloves, minced) Salt and pepper Red pepper flakes Juice of a ½ a lemon The University of Purdue Extension has a delicious recipe that uses another favorite vegetable I wrote about earlier this year, the Sweet Potato. It also features black beans. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew with Swiss Chard This hearty main dish combines the sweetness of orange sweet potatoes and the robustness of black beans, with the surprise addition of Swiss chard and a light touch of cumin. Serve over brown rice or whole-wheat couscous for a warm delight! Recipe adapted from the What’s Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl Website ( https://www.whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/ ) . Prep 20 min Cook 40 min Total Time 60 min Servings: 6 Ingredients 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small whole, dried New Mexican chili pepper 1 1/4 cups fresh onion (diced) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 1/2 cups fresh sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into half-inch cubes) 6 cups (about 3 cans) low-sodium black beans (drained and rinsed) 3/4 cup orange juice 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 cups fresh Swiss chard (stems removed and chopped) Directions 1. Dice onion. 2. In a large pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and whole chili pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes. 3. Add cumin and cook for 2 minutes. 4. Add sweet potatoes, black beans, orange juice, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then cover, and reduce heat to low. 5. Simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). 6. Remove chili pepper and discard. 7. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper. 8. Add Swiss chard, cover, and continue cooking until chard is tender. Serve hot. 9. May serve over brown rice or whole-wheat couscous. Nutrition Information Serving Size: 1 cup Nutrients Amount Total Calories: 222 Protein: 10g Carbohydrates: 43g Dietary Fiber: 12g Total Fat: 4g Photo Credit: Chezlouloufrance.blogspot.com (all creative commons) (1)

< Back Two-Lined Chestnut Borer and Their Impact on Stressed Oak Trees Janelle Rietz-Kamenar, Dakota County Master Gardener Look up, up, and see that Minnesota’s mighty oaks need your help to keep them healthy and strong especially in urban and suburban areas. Many of us gardeners have heard about oak wilt. But we should also be concerned about the Two-Lined Chestnut Borer, an insect that particularly attacks stressed, weakened, or injured oaks causing a slow, steady death after a few years. Why should we care? Oak trees represent 10% of Minnesota’s forests and they have an extremely positive impact on the natural food chain and climate. So, let’s look up and keep an eye open for the two-lined chestnut borer before it’s too late. Click here to learn more. During the drought years of 2021-2023, many of us watered our lawns, gardens, and small trees but did you think to water those massive oak trees that have been around for decades? Maybe not; we may not think about watering established trees. Two-lined chestnut borers are a secondary pest, meaning they spare healthy trees and invade on stressed trees. Because of this drought and other environmental factors, the two-lined chestnut borer has now become commonplace in the Minnesota’s forest and urban areas. What do they look like? The two-lined chestnut borer is a native, metallic wood borer. It is bluish-black and has two yellow vertical stripes down its back. It’s about 1/5 to 3/8 inches in length. In late May, the beetle emerges from trees and continues to be active until early July. After mating, eggs are placed into bark crevices and hatch within 1 to 2 weeks. The larvae have a legless body that is pale, slender and segmented with darkened mouthparts and a couple of spine-like projections on their end. tree-lined chestnut borer; Credit: treehealthmgmt.com How do you know if you have them in your oak tree? Unfortunately, often times you won’t see their signs and symptoms until it is too late as it will be too high up to get to. Tops of the tree canopy show die back; in other words, dead branches and small discolored foliage, most noticeable in late July. Eventually the dieback will continue into main branches and tree trunk. In late May to early July, the beetles emerge from the bark in a small D-shape hole. If you remove the bark of a dead branch, you may see sawdust S-shaped galleries. two-lined chestnut borer larvae; Credit: www.content.ces.ncsu.edu What can we do to help the tree survive? If the dieback is less than 40% to 50% of the canopy, you can treat it with an insecticide. It is best to contact an arborist as they have more options available such as granules, liquid drench, and tree injections. Prevention is the best method to save your oak trees. You can do the following: Add organic mulch around the oak tree canopy floor but don’t put too much mulch within a foot of the tree. Mulch lowers soil temperature and decreases the rate of moisture evaporation. Plants around a tree are fine as long as there is air circulation around the trunk. Ensure your oaks are well-watered. Don’t fertilize stressed trees as it will increase the need for additional water and can cause additional injury. When you plant an oak tree, beware of root girdling (roots circling the tree). Avoid soil compaction in planting sites and don’t injure tree roots if planting around a tree. Remember tree roots can extend well beyond the canopy floor. Most pests spread through movement of deadwood. Keep infested wood away from healthy trees. two-lined chestnut borer and tree damage; Credit: www.Hort.extension.wisc.edu We love our oak trees in Minnesota. Let’s do everything we can to help them survive. Sources https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/treecare/forest_health/oak_decline/index.html https://trees.umn.edu/sites/trees.umn.edu/files/2021-10/TLCB%20FAQ%20Sheet.pdf https://extension.umn.edu/tree-and-shrub-insects/metallic-wood-boring-beetles https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/two-lined-chestnut-borer/ https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/um/forest-resources-report-2020.pdf https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/foresthealth/oakwilt

< Back Foxglove Jim Lakin, MD, Master Gardener Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) can be a charming addition to your landscape. In this article you will learn about its interesting history and growing tips. In the year 1785 the English physician William Withering published An Account of the Foxglove, describing the medicinal features of extracts of this native perennial in the treatment of dropsy. That was a term for the swelling associated with severe congestive heart failure. This was the first account of its use in the medical profession, yet herbalists had been using foxglove tea to treat heart failure for centuries before. The only drawback of this “miracle cure” was that too much of a good thing could quickly dispatch the tea imbiber. The pharmacologically active agent in foxglove is digitalis, a drug still used today to treat heart failure and disturbances of heart rhythm. Digitalis, like foxglove has a narrow therapeutic range. Too much can cause serious side effects, including death. If, however, you are not prone to munching on your garden perennials, you will find that Digitalis purpurea is a charming addition to your landscape. Although originally native to most of Northern Europe, it has naturalized to the Upper Midwest where it grows as an herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial. That is to say, a given plant usually lives two to three years but plentifully reseeds. Thus, if a garden area is left undisturbed, germination should provide an ongoing colony of Foxglove. In the first year, the plant forms a tight rosette on the ground. The second year a 3 to 6 foot stem develops with spirally arranged 3 x 2 inch or larger leaves. The flowers are arranged in a showy, terminal, elongated cluster. Each flower is tubular hanging downward. The “finger like” flower shape is reflected in the name Digitalis . These flowers are typically purple, but some plants, especially cultivars, of which there are many, may be pink, rose, yellow, or white. Foxglove tends to bloom in late spring to early summer with occasional shows later in the season. Digitalis purpurea prefers partial sunlight to deep shade, being a forest understory dweller. It frequently pops up in areas where the soil has been recently disturbed. Some accounts maintain that skin contact with foxglove can be harmful, so it is best to wear gloves when handling it. Although it can be grown from seed, this can be a little tricky and germination rates are not all that high. It’s probably a better bet to purchase a potted plant in the spring and enjoy the spectacular show that Foxglove provides. And remember, no nibbling the plants! Photo credits: www.abebooks.com (1), publc domain (2)

< Back Pruning Hydrangeas and Clematis Carolyn Plank, Master Gardener Ever wonder when is the best time to prune hydrangeas and clematis? This article will help clear up the pruning mystery for these beautiful blooming plants. Ever wonder when is the best time to prune hydrangeas and clematis? In this article I’ll help clear up the pruning mystery for these beautiful blooming plants. HYDRANGEAS When to prune hydrangeas depends on when it blooms. If the hydrangea blooms in late summer on new growth, pruning should take place in late winter or early spring before the shrub begins active growth. Some of the hydrangeas in this category include Limelight, Burgundy Lace and classic snowball types. Most other hydrangeas that bloom on old wood (growth from the previous year) should be pruned in summer after they’re done blooming. Pruning too soon increases the risk of cutting off dormant buds. Oakleaf, Big Leaf, Nikko Blue and other pink and blue flowering hydrangeas bloom from the previous year’s buds. If you want to maintain their size or shape, prune in summer before August. Ever-blooming hydrangeas such as Endless Summer also bloom on old and new wood and should also be pruned the same way. CLEMATIS Clematis pruning made simple. There are three groups of clematis. Group I is in the Red Category (red means stop) and blooms in early spring set on old wood from the previous year’s wood and doesn’t die back in winter. Pruning should be done sparingly. This category includes Pink Perfection, Spooneri and Pink Swing. Group II is in the Yellow Category (yellow means go slow) and grows on old wood in late spring/early summer, and on new wood in late summer or fall. This group should be given a light trim in March before it begins blooming. Remove dead wood and cut back remaining stems to 6-8”. This category includes Horn of Plenty, Patricia Ann Fretwell and Beautiful Bride. Group III is in the green category (green means go) and blooms on new wood in summer and dies off to the ground over winter. In March, prune all stems back to a strong set of buds 12” from the ground. This category includes Summer Snow, Prince William and Mississippi River. Stems of live and dead wood look alike. The leafy growth from the bud indicates a live vine. Always prune from the top down. Work down each vine until you find a live bud or growth and then stop once you find it. You can cut off all of last season’s growth to the ground; however, this results in a shorter plant, a few less flowers, and will bloom a little later. Happy pruning!! Below are a few great sites to visit for further information: University of Maryland Extension Guide to Pruning Hydrangeas | University of Maryland Extension ( umd.edu) Wayside Gardens Tips for Pruning Clematis l Wayside Gardens Spring Valley Nurseries Clematis Pruning Guide | Easy Clematis Care | Spring Hill Nurseries ( springhillnursery.com) Photo credits: Pat Cox (1), University of Maryland Extension (2), Kansas State Johnson County Research & Extension (3, 4)

< Back Are You Contributing to the Illegal Succulent Trade? Amanda Drews, Dakota County Master Gardener Succulents, particularly rare or unusual succulents, have become very popular. Easy online succulent sales boomed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the demand for rare and unique plants plus the ease of being able to buy and sell plants online has contributed to the illegal succulent trade business. This, in turn, has created a nightmare for plant conservationists, particularly in South Africa, where illegal plant harvesting is disrupting the ecosystem. This article is intended to bring awareness to this problem and to suggest how you can avoid being part of the problem. The demand for rare and unique plants plus the ease of being able to buy and sell plants online has contributed to the illegal succulent trade business. This, in turn, has created a nightmare for plant conservationists, particularly in South Africa. This article is intended to bring awareness to this problem and to suggest how you can avoid being part of the problem. the plant on the left, Lithops Olivaceae, is threatened by trade Succulents have become very popular and online succulent sales boomed during the Covid-19 pandemic. But not all plants are grown equally or harvested legally. Many are illegally harvested from South Africa. According to traffic.org , over 1.6 million plants from 650+ species were illegally harvested between 2019 to May of 2024. TRAFFIC is a non-governmental organization working with the South African government and botanical gardens to ensure that trade in wild species is legal and sustainable. Single confiscations included 60,000 individual plants and researchers believe whole species are extinct in the wild because of one harvesting event. Succulents evolved to survive the harsh arid climate of South Africa and some animals depend on these water storing plants during dry spells. Many of the succulents in South Africa’s ‘Succulent Karoo Biome’ are endemic to the area and found nowhere else in the world. The Succulent Karoo is a nearly 45,000 square mile biodiverse, arid region spanning South Africa's Atlantic coast into Namibia. It hosts the planet's richest succulent flora—nearly 40% of the world’s succulent species—with 40% endemic to the region. Aloe Striata-plant of the Succulent Karoo How would you know if you were contributing to the shady business of succulent poaching? Ask yourself these questions about plants you are about to purchase online: Tips to tell if a succulent was propagated and grown in a nursery or sourced from the wild. More likely to be propagated and grown in a nursery Signs it may have been sourced from the wild Appearance Neat and tidy. Irregular. Like they’ve seen some things (hungry herbivores, fires, being stepped on, a rough harvesting and transport). Form Upright like it was growing towards an artificial light. Warped form potentially from winding around a rock or another plant to access sunlight. For species that only bloom once No seed pods or flowers present Seed pods or flowers present Size (for a species that takes a long time to mature) Smaller Large Roots Uncut and in the shape of the pot it was planted in. Cut from whatever the plant was growing on or around. Info Seller has paperwork from a mother stock with legal permits and/or can tell you when a succulent was planted. No additional information or paperwork upon request. Seller A large, known, certified dealer. Unknown individual Is the species you are buying protected? Always check with local and national laws to determine if it’s legal to possess your plant or move it across borders. Buying locally helps avoid issues with CITES (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species) permits and reputable sellers should be able to provide you with proof of permitting. You can put the plant name into the IUCN Red List Portal to check to see if it is a succulent being threatened by trade. If it is and you can’t verify it was propagated sustainably, do not purchase it! Criminal networks used to traffic plants are often involved with other illegal activities. It would be best to buy from a seller with a legitimate certification from Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network , Fairtrade Flowers and Plants , or FairWild . If you do think that a plant you found online has been harvested illegally, report it to the ecommerce platform it was listed on. Etsy, Ebay and other sites are partnering with the Coalition to end Wildlife Trafficking online to prevent the sale of illegally obtained plants. It pays to ask questions first. If a plant you bought online ends up being confiscated you could be the one that ends up in big trouble! Succulents are fascinating plants and it is fun to acquire unusual and exotic plants. But, we all have a responsibility ensure that our purchases are legal not interfering with the ecosystem of the planet. Resources https://www.traffic.org/news/are-your-houseplants-fuelling-extinction-south-africas-rare-succulents-face-silent-crisis/ https://www.traffic.org/publications/reports/a-succulent-trade/ https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/26240/succulents_report.pdf https://www.sanbi.org/media/sas-succulent-plants-experience-unprecedented-rates-of-decline/ Succulent Karoo , Wikipedia Photo Credit: Kristin van Shie, TRAFFIC (1), Wikipedia, Dwergenenpaartje (2)

< Back Sedum in Your Fall Garden Tracey Scurto Autumn Joy Sedum is a perennial with thick, succulent leaves, fleshy stems, and clusters of star-shaped flowers. There are many varieties of Sedum. Adding them to your garden will extend interest and color well into the late Fall. Looking for the perfect plant that is easy on the eyes and provides beauty all year round? Then maybe adding Sedum to your garden or containers is the answer. All gardeners, from beginners to seasoned professionals, can find a place for Sedum in their gardening plans. This diverse group of plants has many varieties, and even in September and October, Sedums will bring color and interest to any landscape. One of the most popular and easiest Sedum to grow is Autumn Joy . Its dramatic presence can be used in a variety of ways. Use it as a backdrop for other early blooming perennials or plant it center stage where its beauty will create a pleasing focal point. Autumn Joy’s popularity for use in containers is expanding due to its rich fall color, which is a perfect complement to any autumn themed planter. Though popular in the fall, this reliable bloomer looks fantastic all year round. In late spring its thick stem starts to appear with a sturdy uniformed look that has a stunning polished appearance. The flower heads, composed of mini blossoms, appear in early August and can remain vibrant through November. The bloom’s first color appears in a pale pink and then slowly develops as the weeks progress into a deep shade of copper. When other perennials are fading, Autumn Joy hits its stride. During September and October its large flower heads are in full bloom. These late bloomers are also a fall favorite for bees and butterflies and help extend the pollen that is available in your garden. If left standing, Autumn Joy looks exceptional, even after first frost. By forgoing deadheading, it will provide a good source of food for birds and provide year end interest. This easy to care for perennial prefers full sun and well-drained soil. It is drought tolerant and in fact prefers dryer conditions. Autumn Joy can be pinched back in the spring to encourage bushier growth and prevent flopping. Any variety of Sedum can be a wonderful addition to any gardener’s pallet. It is easy to grow, extremely hardy and drought tolerant. Autumn Joy is a favorite of many gardeners for its vibrant fall color. With so many varieties to choose from, you will be able to find one best suited for you. Can’t decide? Plant an entire garden bed of different varieties of Sedum! It will not disappoint. Photo credits: Tracey Scurto (1, 2, 3, 4)

< Back Black Spruce (Picea mariana): A Northwoods Native Jim Lakin MD, Dakota County Master Gardener As Master Gardener Jim Lakin explains, you don’t need to go to the Rhine country in Germany to see a cathedral of natural majesty. This month, Jim profiles the mighty and beautiful Black Spruce (pices mariana). Black Spruce is native to Minnesota and can grow to 50-100 feet under the right environmental conditions. But other varieties have been developed for landscape use. Read on to learn more about this magnificent conifer. Last spring we toured the Rhine country of Germany. The majestic twin spires of the Cathedral of Cologne couldn’t help but remind me of the North Country of Minnesota. In that cathedral of the Northwoods, the spires of Pices mariana (black spruce) soar skyward in quiet majesty. They are native to the northern Midwest and grow well throughout Central and Upper Minnesota. They require full sun and are quite sensitive to shading. Black Spruce is a slow-growing conifer and prefers moist environments. It is often found in bogs and other wetlands. a stand of Black Spruce Black Spruce vary in height depending on the environment, ranging from 15 to 50 feet in height, although some can push to 100 feet. The leaves are needle-like and seed cones are small, ½ to 1 ½ inches long, dark purple ripening to reddish brown. They are produced in dense clusters in the upper crown, opening at maturity but persisting for several years. needles and young cones The roots of black spruce are shallow and spread widely. Consequently, the tree is susceptible to wind-throw. Perhaps the most spectacular example was the 1999 July 4 th Boundary Waters Blowdown or derecho. Aerial view of the 1999 Blowdown A number of cultivars have been developed for landscape use. The cultivar P. mariana ‘Nana’ is a dwarf form that has gained in popularity. If you are looking for one of these stately trees, they are hard to find in nurseries but can readily be grown from seed. They do transplant well. So, with a bit of patience, you can inexpensively generate a handsome stand of black spruce. Photo Credits: Daniel Case, Wikipedia (1,2), Quetico Superior Wilderness News (3)