< Back Earth Month is for Everyone! Kasha Zeman, Dakota County Master Gardener It is now April and that means EARTH MONTH! While many of us think about growing, planting, tending, and gardening all year long, if you are like me, that doesn’t always include water conservation, energy conservation, cleaning up my neighborhood, etc. The month of Earth Month is a reminder that we can do better to help preserve and cherish planet Earth. For the little ones in our lives, it is never too early (or too late) to teach them how to become better caretakers of mother nature. Please read on to find activities to do with the young people in your life during the month of April (and the other 11 months too!). April is Earth Month, but how did it become Earth Month? Actually, it didn’t start as Earth Month. It started as Earth Day. In 1970, a senator by the name of Gaylord Nelson, knowing there weren’t laws in the United States to protect the earth’s resources, created awareness about the issue. It was decided that in April of 1970 people in the United States were going to gather and have demonstrations about the deterioration of earth’s resources and the need for protection of our air, water, trees, animals, land etc. On April 22, 1970, over twenty million people across the nation participated in the first ever Earth Day. People at colleges, universities, high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, and communities gathered to address the importance of protecting the Earth. From then on, we have celebrated Earth Day every April 22. But, as we know, this has grown to into celebrating Earth Month every April! Earth Month Activities There are so many activities that can be done to help improve and conserve Earth’s resources. This article is going to focus on a few specific things for us to do with the kids in our lives by conserving water, conserving energy, planting trees, and cleaning up garbage. Conserving water Water is one of our most precious resources. Even though about seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water, only about three percent is fresh water. Of that three percent of fresh water, only about one percent of that water can be used as drinking water. Depending on the age of the children in your lives, percentages can be very abstract and hard to understand. So, try this activity with them. Gather 100 rocks, pebbles, acorns, pinecones, crayons…really anything small and easy to collect. Explain that these 100 items represent Earth’s surface. Then count out 30 items and set them off to one side. Explain that these thirty items are the ground we stand on, the trees we see, the buildings we shop in, the schools we attend, the parks we play at, etc. Then show the remaining 70 items. Explain that these 70 items represent the rest of earth’s surface, and it is all water! Even though it is water, most of it isn’t fresh water. Explain that there is a difference between fresh water and salt water. Depending on your comfort level, you may even add a bit of table salt to a glass of water and have everyone try a small sip to see how undrinkable it is. Next, of those remaining 70 items, remove three. Explain that out of those 70 items, these three represent the only fresh water we have on earth, the lakes and rivers we enjoy swimming and fishing in. Finally, remove one item and explain that this one item represents the only drinkable water we have on Earth. Because there is so little drinkable water on Earth, that is why it is so precious and why we need to conserve it. Ways to Conserve Water Turn off the faucet while washing hands and brushing teeth. Take quick showers. No more than 5 minutes. When rinsing dishes, don’t turn the faucet on full strength. Use rain barrels for watering plants and flowers outdoors. If you are a homeowner and don’t already have a rain barrel, Dakota County has information regarding how you can build your own through this link . If you would like a rain barrel, but do not want to build your own, you can purchase one at a discounted price, while supplies last, from the Recycling Association of Minnesota . (They sell compost bins too! Conserving Energy In an ideal world we would all use energy produced only by the sun, wind, and water. But until that becomes more economically possible for all of us, here are a few simple ways to conserve energy. Turn off lights whenever you leave a room. Regarding your house temperature, turn your thermostat off whenever the weather is comfortable and open your windows. During the winter months, turn the thermostat down to a lower temperature at night. During the summer months, turn the thermostat up a few degrees. Even a few degrees makes a big difference! Close the blinds during really hot and really cold days. This will keep your air conditioner and furnace from having to work constantly. Ride your bike to school and work. Plan to have to leave a bit early and come home a little later. You will save on gas money and get exercise too! This next one is one of my favorite energy conserving activities to do with my own kid - have a light and electronics free day! When we have one of those rare days where no one has any planned activities, we sometimes have a light and electronics free day. We don’t turn on any overhead lights or lamps. You won’t be able to avoid a completely light free day because of the refrigerator, microwave, oven, garage door, etc. However, we unplug what we can and put tape over all the light switches, in case we forget. We tuck our iPads, laptops, and phones away, and prepare for a day outdoors and playing games by candlelight. Planting Trees Planting trees is a great way to help the environment and create cleaner air. An average 50-year-old mature tree can produce enough oxygen for 4 people to breathe a year! In addition, trees take in greenhouse gases and remove particle matter from our air. So, not only do we get oxygen from trees, but they also remove toxins that are unhealthy for us. Trees also provide shade and can help to reduce energy costs that come from using air conditioners in the summer. You can purchase trees from local greenhouses in various sizes and species. Often around Arbor Day, which is Friday, April 26 th this year, many organizations will give away free tree seedlings. Also, if you have a large area for which you are looking to plant trees, seedlings may be purchased in bulk - 50 seedlings per order from the Arbor Day Foundation . In addition, if you are part of an organization such as a school, library or youth group you can sign your organization up with “Neighborhood Forest.” This organization provides free tree seedlings to children. Once the organization is registered, parents can sign their kiddos up to get a free seedling. Cleaning up Garbage When I was in elementary school, we had a student group called the Green Team. One thing our students organized, was a school-wide community clean up. The teachers, volunteers, and students went out with gloves and garbage bags and cleaned up trash in our community. This is an easy activity for a family or a neighborhood to do together. Afterward, you can recycle anything that is allowed at your local recycling center and throw away the rest. Most times, when my family takes our dog for a walk, we bring a bag with us and pick up trash as we go. Community clean-up doesn’t have to be once a year or just in the month of April. We can all, including our children, participate in making our environment cleaner and healthier. April – Earth Month – is the perfect time to inspire your children - and yourselves! Resources https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/build-healthy-cities/cities-stories/benefits-of-trees-forests/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwncWvBhD_ARIsAEb2HW9Trl1lPBpLAgcSGf1wG1iA5BEswP_MZMQSoin46BvbaRKXjAw3ld4aAn8iEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/nursery/pricelist.html https://www.neighborhoodforest.org/ https://www.epa.gov/history/epa-history-earth-day#:~:text=There%20were%20no%20legal%20or,U.S.%20cities%2C%20and%20it%20worked ! https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/earth-day-70-what-it-meant.html https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/Environment/WaterResources/Stormwater/Pages/rain-barrels.aspx https://recycleminnesota.org/compost-bins-rain-barrels/ Photo Credit: Flickr (1,3,4), Picryl (2)

< Back The Effects of Drought on Trees Lisa Olson, Master Gardener I have heard it said tongue in cheek that Minnesota’s average weather is the midpoint between two ridiculous extremes, because when we talk about averages, it can be misleading. Sometimes it happens that one huge deluge of rain will offset a long dry spell, at least on paper, where the average rainfall for the month or year may appear as normal in the record books. But those long drought periods are not so easily erased in the lives of the trees. According to the US Forest Service, healthy trees mean… Healthy people: 100 trees remove 53 tons of carbon dioxide and 430 pounds of other air pollutants per year. Healthy communities: Tree-filled neighborhoods lower levels of domestic violence and are safer and more sociable. Healthy environment: One hundred mature trees catch about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per year. Homeowner savings: Strategically placed trees save up to 56 percent on annual air-conditioning costs. Evergreens that block winter winds can save 3 percent on heating. Better business: Consumers shop more frequently and longer in tree-lined commercial areas and are willing to spend more. Higher property values: Each large front yard tree adds to a home’s sale price. One thing that helps to keep trees healthy is a consistent, sufficient amount of rainfall. Extended dry periods, even if followed by enough rain to offset the deficit in the record books, will still have a detrimental effect on trees. During an extended dry spell, young trees will be the first to show the effects, while older, mature trees with large root systems may take three to five years to show outward signs of drought effects and at that point it may be too late for them to recover. Additionally, droughts are getting worse. Due to global warming, the increase in average temperature amplifies the effects of drought. Hot and dry is much worse than cool and dry. Higher temperatures mean evaporation increases which means soil dries out faster and trees transpire more. As a result, trees have evolved strategies to cope with drought conditions. One strategy a tree may employ is to close its stomata, or leaf pores, to minimize transpiration. Transpiration is the evaporation of water in plant leaves. A large oak tree can give transpire a whopping 40,000 gallons of water per year. 10% of the moisture in the atmosphere comes from transpiration. With the pores closed, besides preventing transpiration, the tree is unable to take in carbon dioxide which is critical to the process of photosynthesis. Without the ability to make food, it becomes dependent on the energy it has stored to keep itself alive. Symptoms can include scorched, wilted, or rolled leaves, or early fall color. A tree may drop some or all of its leaves to further prevent transpiration. As a tree uses up its reserve energy, growth will stop and twigs and branches begin to die back. Symptoms of drought stressed trees will occur from the top of the tree down, and from the outside toward the center. In other words, the extremities are the first areas to show damage. Damage caused by drought may not show up until the winter when a normally resilient tree becomes affected by sunscald, frost-splitting, or its weakened branches break from heavy snow. Another secondary effect of drought is that a weakened tree is more susceptible to disease and insect damage. Widespread areas of damage from emerald ash borer or diseases like oak wilt or other diseases are more prevalent when trees are stressed. One area of damage on a tree cannot be easily observed for damage. Most tree roots are in the top six to 24 inches of soil making them extremely vulnerable to dry periods. https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/root-growth-lateral4.shtml This leads us to what we can do to minimize the effects of drought on our trees. Water using good practices. Slow, deep watering is critical. Water every five to seven days or more often if the temperature soars above 95 degrees. Place a shallow can where you are sprinkling to be sure at least two inches of water are slowly applied. Be sure to water the entire root area. Roots spread at least two to three times farther than the dripline of the tree. Another factor regarding watering is that any plants growing above the tree roots are also competing for water, so increase the amount of water if other plants are present and be sure to remove any weeds. A couple inches of mulch, but not touching the base of the tree, is a good alternative to grass under a tree. The best way to see if water is getting to the roots is to dig a hole approximately 10 inches deep to see if a sufficient amount of water is getting down to that depth from your watering. An area of heavy clay soil may seem saturated if the water is puddling, but in fact the water may just be sitting on the surface as it takes a long time for water to infiltrate clay. Young, newly planted trees will need more frequent watering until their roots are developed. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources put together this video How to Water a Tree for tips on watering newly planted trees. While it may be tempting to water a little bit every day instead of deep watering once a week, shallow watering will cause the roots all to move closer to the surface where they are more likely to be affected by the extreme weather conditions and unable to grow deeper where more water may be available. For best results, water in the morning and consider using a soaker hose. Avoid pruning stressed trees. Healing the wounds uses up the energy the tree is trying to conserve just to survive. If you are planting new trees, choose your plant wisely. Always consider the site where the tree will be living and select a plant that can tolerate the conditions. If you are interested in learning more about the effects of drought on trees, the links below include helpful information! https://www.fs.usda.gov/learn/trees https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/journal/drought_monitor.html https://news.iu.edu/live/news/28084-young-trees-more-susceptible-to-drought-but-also https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/healthy-roots-and-healthy-trees-2-926/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4518277/ https://environment.yale.edu/news/article/brodersen-drought-and-tree-mortality-science-reveals-harsh-future-for-forests https://www.mass.gov/doc/citizen-forester-june-2017/download https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/ilriverhort/2016-07-08-drought-impacts-trees-years-come#:~:text=Many%20trees%20will%20take%20three,to%20insect%20and%20disease%20infestations . https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/long-term-drought-effects-on-trees-shrubs https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/root-growth-lateral4.shtml https://extension.umn.edu/how/water-wisely-start-your-own-backyard https://extension.umn.edu/my-minnesota-woods/caring-trees-dry-weather https://extension.umn.edu/natural-resources-news/avoid-pruning-drought-stressed-trees https://extension.missouri.edu/news/how-to-help-your-trees-recover-from-drought-5728 https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/ll-leaf Photo Credit: National Drought Mitigation Center (1), University of Minnesota Extension (2), Lisa Olson (3), University of Florida (4)

< Back Roasted Spiced Cauliflower Joy Johnson, Dakota County Master Gardener Cauliflower has taken the nation by storm. 40 years ago, no one had hardly heard of it, now it seems like everyone has their favorite way to eat it from crunchy and raw with dip or as pizza crust! Cauliflower is a mild flavored, versatile vegetable, so it adapts well to many recipes. It is easy to grow in your garden, but make sure you are diligent in watching and controlling for pests who love to enjoy it too. This recipe heats it up with a mind-blowing array of spices, serving it with cool and creamy Burrata cheese and a crunchy topping of browned nuts/seeds and herbs. It’s a real flavor explosion and impressive to serve as a side dish. Ingredients 1 large head of cauliflower, leaves trimmed 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Fine pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper Herb Mixture Ingredients 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup chopped mixed herbs, such as basil, dill, tarragon or cilantro. You can also use dried herbs, decrease quantity to 1 teaspoon of each ¼ cup mixed toasted nuts or seeds. I used sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pinenuts roasted in a skillet in 2 teaspoons of butter 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or grated 8 ounces burrata cheese Process Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Cut away and discard the cauliflower stalk so the cauliflower can site flat on its underside, then cut a cross into the base. Place the cauliflower in a large Dutch oven or casserole dish. In a small bowl, stir together the paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Rub the spice mix all over the cauliflower. Drizzle the cauliflower with 1/3 cup of the olive oil, the balsamic vinegar and the lemon juice. Pour ¼ cup water into the bottom of the dish. Cover the cauliflower and bake for 1 hour or until fork tender. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes until lightly charred on top. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the herbs, nuts, garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes and salt. To serve, slice the burrata cheese onto each plate, place a serving of the blackened cauliflower alongside. Spoon the herb mixture all over the cauliflower and cheese. Photo Credits: University of Minnesota Extension (1), Joy Johnson (2,3)

< 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 SEED SAVING 101 Shari Mayer, Master Gardener Do you have some beautiful plants or vegetables in your garden that you would like to replicate next season? You can make that happen by saving the seeds from that plant and growing them yourself. If you haven’t given seed saving a try, now is the perfect time to start. As the season starts winding down, it’s a great time to look around your garden, assess what you’ve planted, and decide if you would like to grow it from seed next year. Read this article for a few tips on making your seed harvesting a success. Do you have some beautiful plants in your garden that you would like to replicate next season? You can make that happen by saving the seeds from that plant and growing them yourself. If you haven’t given seed saving a try, now is the perfect time to start. As the season starts winding down, it’s a great time to look around your garden, assess what you’ve planted, and decide if you would like to grow it from seed next year. Here are a few tips on making your seed harvesting a success: - Know your plant. Seed saving is not the same across the board. The big takeaway here is heirloom vs. hybrid (F1). Heirloom seed will save true, hybrid seed will not. - Choose the ‘perfect’ specimen. There is variation in your plant, and selecting by size, shape, etc., will make a difference. Sacrifice that perfect tomato, largest flower, or tallest dill—whatever you want to reproduce. - Collect seed when it is ripe. The seed does need to ripen before it becomes viable. This happens in different ways, but generally speaking, you need to let the plant go beyond the growing stage and head into decline. Collect and obtain the seed once it is ripe. - I like to follow the plant’s lead. If the seed dries on the plant (typically a pod or seedhead), wait until it is dry and ready to fall off the plant, or the pods are dry and cracking open. Remove from the plant (threshing), and then remove the seeds from the pod or seedhead (winnowing). - If enclosed in wet fleshy fruit, (like tomatoes, cucumbers, melons), wait until the fruit is almost rotting or well past prime. The seeds have a gooey substance that needs to be removed in order to improve their germination rate. An easy way to remove the ‘goo’ is to soak them in a small jar of water until it ferments (several days) and then strain and dry them. The goo will have separated during this time, and the fermentation process actually helps make the seeds disease free. - Dry your seed thoroughly. Store in paper envelopes—they need to breathe. - Don’t forget to label everything, including the date harvested. - Crossbreeding—if you want your seed to be true to the plant, this needs to be avoided. Plant one variety, or keep the plants far enough away from other plants that can cross-pollinate. This does require knowledge of how the plant pollinates, whether wind, insect or self. Perhaps creating a new variety is of interest—in which case you would want to plant the two parents close enough to create cross-pollination. Do a little background on your plants to achieve your desired outcome. If you are interested in learning more, Seed Savers ( www.seedsavers.org ) is a great place to get started. They have a lot of articles, seed saving charts, and more. Happy Harvesting! Photo credits: University of Minnesota (1, 2), www.Flickr.com (3)

< Back Raspberry Delights Joy Johnson, Master Gardener Yes, it’s December and there probably isn’t anything growing in your garden right now, since you live in Minnesota. But not that long ago you may have had a bumper crop of berries that are now in your freezer. Here’s a fresh idea for strawberries, blackberries, gooseberries, and raspberries. I love raspberries. After all what’s not to like? (Don’t answer that. They do have thorns, but I can overlook one minor flaw). They are sweet and sour all at once, have a fresh fruity fragrance and come in a variety of colors and flavors. And most important, they have seeds that stick in your teeth, which gives you a really good excuse to chew on a toothpick – something my mother never let me do. She said I was going to trip and fall, and it would go through the roof of my mouth (which has never happened). I grow a variety of raspberries. Most of my plants bear red berries that all get ripe within a 3 to 4 week period in the middle of July. I also have a few black raspberries, which are so little and sweet, it’s an absolute delight to eat them fresh off the bush. My golden raspberries are deer magnets, so last spring I moved them all into the end of my fenced-in vegetable garden where the deer and rabbits can’t eat them. They ripen all season long. Note - they do not work well for the recipe below because their golden color turns to brown when heated. Last July, my brother and his family were visiting from Oregon. I was watching the kids for the day while mom and dad had a break. The raspberry bushes were loaded with raspberries ready for picking, so I marched the kids down to the patch to pick with the promise that we were going to make raspberry treats, IF we could pick enough berries. With this motivation, they grabbed buckets and followed me down. They were so excited to see all of the berries and eagerly started picking. Suddenly, “Auntie, what’s this?” and “Oh yuck”, then, “Auntie, there are bugs everywhere!” The bushes were covered with Japanese beetles. They were devouring the raspberry leaves and even some of the berries. I said, “This is war, show no mercy!” They looked askance at me. “Don’t let the invaders destroy my berry patch!” I commanded. “Can we just flick them off?” my niece asked. “No, that doesn’t do any good they will just come right back.” Then I told them to do what I usually do, “You have to pinch their heads until you hear a satisfying crack.” I nearly caused a stampede back to the house with those instructions. So, I quickly changed to a softer approach, “here’s a bucket with soapy water in it, brush them into them into it or shake the branch over the bucket.” That was something they could do. We divided our team into 2 bug brushers and 3 berry pickers. In no time at all we had a couple of buckets full of berries, plenty for Raspberry Tarts (see that recipe in the Master Gardener Cookbook, for sale on our website) and Raspberry Stars . We gently washed the berries and then mixed 2 cups of them with 2 Tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in ¼ cup of water . The rest of the berries were divided between some for freezing and some for eating fresh. Then we made the Raspberry Stars. They are best eaten when still warm out of the oven. They don’t keep, so we took one for the team and ate all 18 of them with tea! They also make a beautiful Christmas morning pastry because of their color and shape. A light dusting of powdered sugar gives a snowy touch. I am hoping you have some raspberries in your freezer that you can use for the Raspberry Stars, but if you don’t, store bought Raspberry Jam works too. Raspberry Stars 1 Puff Pastry Sheet (each sheet will yield 9 pastries) 4 Tablespoons Filling (see above for recipe) OR Raspberry Jam 1 Egg 1 Tablespoon water Powdered Sugar for dusting Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Lay frozen puff pastry on clean work surface and allow to thaw 10 minutes or more. Do not unfold until thawed. Unfold and cut it into 9 equal squares. Beat the egg in a small bowl with the water, set aside. With a sharp knife tip, score L-shaped cuts at the corners of each pastry square. You may need to use a kitchen shears to cut the L-shapes after using the knife. Place 1 teaspoon filling onto the center of each square. Take the outer corner of each puff pastry and fold over into the middle. Dip you finger in the egg water and use it to ‘glue’ each tip into the center. Do this with all four corners, shaping folds into a bow. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the pastries with the egg water. Bake for 13-14 minutes or until they puff up and the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Dust with Powdered sugar and serve. Photo Credit: Joy Johnson (1,2,3,4)

< Back Honeyed Cardoons with Pine Nuts and Thyme Susan Ball, Dakota County Master Gardener Intern If you have read Susan Ball’s article on Cardoons and want to try a recipe, we have provided one for you. Cardoons are just starting to come into season. They are available at farmers markets and/or specialty grocery stores. With their leaves cut off they look like giant stalks of celery. Honeyed Cardoons with Pine Nuts and Thyme COURSE: side dish CUISINE: Italian SERVINGS: 4 people AUTHOR: Hank Shaw PREP TIME: 20 minutes COOK TIME: 1 hour TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 medium onion 1/2-pound cardoons 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup dry sherry, or white wine 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon fresh thyme. (Author strongly recommends using fresh thyme) 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts Salt and black pepper Instructions: Trim the cardoons and boil them for 30 to 40 minutes in salty water with the juice of 2 lemons thrown in. This can be done up to a day ahead. Slice the cardoons into 1/2-inch pieces. Slice the onion into half-moons. Toast the pine nuts — watch them, as pine nuts go from toasted to burnt in a heartbeat. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions with some salt until just beginning to brown on the edges. Add some salt. Add in the cardoons and stir to combine. Let this cook for a minute or two. Add the dry sherry. If you don’t have dry sherry, use a dry white wine. Turn the heat up to high and boil it furiously. Add the honey and stir to combine. Add the pine nuts. Let this boil down to a glaze. Turn off the heat and toss in the thyme and add some fresh ground black pepper. Toss well to combine and serve at once. NUTRITION Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 341IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Photo Credits: www.pinterest.com (1)

< Back Give Your Orchid a Vacation Paul Wood, Dakota County Master Gardener Orchids are like school children. They have been cooped up in your house all winter. They have treated you well, stayed healthy, and maybe even treated you to blooms; for that they deserve something special: a vacation! It is easy; you don’t need a travel agent, an airline reservation or even a hotel room: just set them outside. Read this article by avid orchid grower, Paul Wood, to learn how to safely grow your orchids outside in the summer. The orchids in your house are not native to Minnesota so being outside is like a foreign country to them; they need some orientation and acclimation to feel comfortable and really enjoy their vacation. Prime Vacation Time Orchids like to take their vacations most any time after our night-time temperatures stay above 50 degrees. They can stay on vacation until the temperatures start dipping below 50 at night. Accommodations For the most part, when you put your orchids outside, they should be in dappled light. Putting an orchid that has been inside all winter into direct sunlight will burn its leaves. This is particularly true if you have Phalaenopsis (Phal) because they grow in the lower story of the forests so they don’t get a lot of light even in nature. The dappled light comes in many forms. My orchids spend the summer on the back deck in the shade of a birch tree and do quite well. There are pot clips you can buy for ceramic pots that allow you to hang the orchids right in the tree. If you don’t have a shady spot, you can use shade cloth to protect your orchids. The level of shade depends on the orchid, but for Phals it is 70-80%. You can build a supporting structure for the cloth, but if you have a pergola you are ready to go. Some orchids like Cattleyas, Dendrobiums or Oncidiums prefer more light than a Phal, but that doesn’t mean direct sun light. Bright diffused light is called for. Be sure to harden them off before leaving them in the brighter light. Spa Treatments Orchids, like any other plant, are subject to pests and disease. While your orchids are outside, it is a great time to give them “spa treatments” to keep them healthy. You won’t find orchid specific pesticides, but any pesticide that can be used on tropical plants will be OK for your orchids. Systemic pesticides are best for sucking pests. Safari ®, Malathion ® or Imidacloprid work extremely well. Mix them with water and soak the roots. Both Safari and the chemical Imidacloprid are neonicotinoids, but there are no pollinators visiting your orchids so from that perspective they are safe to use. Horticultural oil can be used for scale as well. Fungicides are best applied when the orchids enter the spa. The copper-based fungicides or a fungicide with chlorothalonil as the active ingredient work well. Remember that fungicides are preventative, not curative, so prevention is key. There are more natural solutions to pest control than what I noted above. These are best used when the orchids return from vacation. Libation Station What is a vacation without some libation! When your orchids are outside you need to continue to water and fertilize them, but you also need to consider the weather conditions. If it has been hot and dry, they might need to be watered more than once a week, particularly if they are in a small pot. Conversely, if it has been hot and humid or very rainy, you might want to hold back on the watering. Under hot conditions, they enjoy a misting to cool their leaves. Orchids prefer their libations straight up, they don’t like mixes such as chlorine or pH increasers (e.g. city water). Watering from your rain barrel or using RO water will go a long way towards keep your orchids healthy. In summary, don’t be afraid to move your orchids outside in the summer; just be sure to keep them shaded and out of direct sun. While on vacation they still need to be watered and fertilized, just be cognizant of the local weather conditions. While they are outside, use this time to treat them with pesticides to keep them healthy and pest free. Treating them also lessens the chance of bringing pests indoors when the vacation time must come to an end and they return to their job of being a flowering indoor plant for your enjoyment. !!!!!! WARNNG- Orchids can become addicting!!!!! References: How To Care For Orchids Outdoors - Everyday Orchids Heat Stress ( aos.org ) Outdoor Orchid Care - American Orchid Society ( aos.org ) Photo credits: www.justaddiceorchids.com (All Creative Commons) (1), Paul Wood (2,3)

< Back Chow Mein – A Vegetable “Left-Overs” Recipe Joy Johnson, Master Gardener Joy Johnson is a prolific vegetable grower. She has found this recipe for Chow Mein not only delicious but helpful in making use of the abundant vegetables in her cupboards. Whether using your own vegetable stash or those purchased at the grocery store, you will enjoy this recipe! Are you buried in vegetables from your garden? Like me, can you not bear to weed out plants or seedlings? I am always sure that everything will fit in the garden and that not everything will grow and produce. I am usually wrong on both counts! I have a very full garden with the raspberries hanging over the broccoli and the beets, the cucumbers growing on the fence because there is no room for them on the ground and the tomatoes growing up and over the fence, with no room to walk in between the plants. And then I’m always sure I’m never going to get very many vegetables as they start out few and far between, suddenly I’m buried in bowls full of veggies on my kitchen table! Here is a recipe that I’ve been making for years to use some of my mountain of vegetables. Since the words “Chow Mein” actually mean “left-overs”, I have proven over the years that it turns out no matter what vegetables I put in it (don’t put in tomatoes though) and no matter what quantity of vegetables are used. You don’t have to put in the chicken, and if you want it spicier, you can add Italian sausage. If you need to add more sauce because of the quantity of vegetables, you can easily double that part of the recipe. I often serve it topped with the crunchy Chinese noodles and/or cashews. Chow Mein Prepare and have ready: 1 lb pork, beef, chicken or shrimp. (I usually use chicken) cut in thin slices. 3 c. celery, sliced diagonally 2 c. onions, sliced lengthwise ¾ c. mushrooms, fresh or canned (drain) 3 c. fresh bean sprouts Combine in a small bowl and set aside: 1 T. fresh ginger, chopped OR ¼ tsp powdered ginger 1 tsp sugar 3 T. cornstarch 5 T. soy sauce ¾ c. soup stock or reconstituted bouillon Heat in a large skillet: 1 T. oil. Add meat and stir-fry just until done. Remove from heat. In another skillet, stir-fry in 1 T. oil each vegetable just until slightly cooked. Add each vegetable to meat skillet after stir-frying. Just before serving, reheat meat mixture and add sauce. Cook just until sauce thickens and clears. Serve hot with rice and enjoy! Photo credits: www.angsarap.net/All Creative Commons (1), Joy Johnson (2)

< Back Master Gardener Seed Trials – Choose the Best Varieties Julie Harris, Dakota County Master Gardener It’s March and you may be thinking about starting vegetable or flower seeds for your garden this summer. First, you have to decide what to grow - beans, basil, zinnias, tomatoes? But there are several different varieties of each of these plants. So, how do you know what variety to plant? You can look through the seed catalogs or go to the garden store and peruse the many different varieties on the racks. Confused? The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners can help. The UMN Extension sponsors Annual Master Gardener Seed Trials to find the best varieties of various vegetables and flowers. In 2023, 235 Master Gardeners from 51 counties, participated in the Seed Trials. Seed Trial participants test 6 different varieties of 8 different plants against each other (6 vegetables and two flower varieties; including one herb). The collective results of the trials are compiled at the end of each growing season and each plant is ranked. Winners are the top performers in each trial. The rankings are published each year by March – in time to help you, the home gardener, learn about and obtain the most highly ranked plants to grow in your garden – or to purchase when harvested. This will be the 42 nd year of the Seed Trials’ existence, so there is ample data on many varieties to inform the home gardener. In Dakota County, Master Gardeners manage two Seed Trial Gardens; one in the First Presbyterian Church Community Garden, South St. Paul and one at St. Joseph’s Church in Rosemount. Some individual Master Gardeners also participate by testing plants in their own gardens. Two Dakota County Master Gardeners – Marc Battistini and Janice Gestner – are among the group at UMN Extension who select which plants will be part of the trials. Master Gardeners receive the seeds from the UMN Extension and grow the plants from seed. The plants are planted in the ground or transferred to the gardens in the spring according to planting instructions. Teams of Master Gardeners prepare the soil, plant the seeds or seedlings, water, weed, and monitor diseases and insects on the plants over the summer. Taste tests are performed when the plants are ready for harvest. Data is kept throughout the summer on each plant variety regarding: flavor, disease and insect tolerance, productivity and germination rate. At the end of the growing season, the data is given to the UMN Extension, which compiles the statewide data and produces the annual report. Dakota County Master Gardeners who work the gardens also provide horticultural education to community members. Produce is donated to a local food shelf. Complete results of the trials are available here . In 2023, the top ranked plants in each category were: Paste Tomatoes – Cipolla’s Pride; Green Pole Beans – Seychelles; Red Carrots – Malbec; Mustard Greens – Mizuna; Small Watermelon – Mini Love; Purple Basil – Amethyst Improved; Melampodium – Derby; and Pink Cleome – Mauve Queen . You can find a complete list of all of the seed trials since 1982 at the same site. In 2024, Master Gardeners will be testing 6 varieties of Swiss chard, Asian long beans, stem broccoli, cilantro, shallots, snacking peppers, helichrysum (strawflowers) and centaurea (bachelor buttons). Look for the results of those trials in winter 2025. Dakota County Master Gardeners also test plants for the PanAmerican Seed Company. These plants include annual flower varieties and some vegetables. Typically, the seeds grown in these trials are plants that PanAmerican is testing in various test trials around the country to help them decide which plants can be successfully grown and marketed. Data on these plants is compiled periodically over the summer and a report is sent to PanAmerican at the end of the growing season. Currently, the primary trial garden is located in Rosemount. Volunteer Master Gardeners around the state, including Dakota County, participate in various projects which improve horticulture and provide gardening information that will be useful to the home gardener. The vegetable and flower trials are one of these projects. Hopefully, you can use this information to grow happy, healthy vegetables (or flowers) for your enjoyment. Photo Credits: Photo 1 – University of Minnesota Extension; Susan Hickey Photo 2 – Robert Hatlevig Photo 3 – Robert Hatlevig Photo 4 – Robert Hatlevig Photo 5 – Jean Chrysler Photo 6 – Jean Chrysler

< Back Helping Houseplants Stay Healthy this Winter Jim Lakin, M.D., Master Gardener Chances are, you’ll be spending more time indoors over the next few months. So will your green and growing friends – your houseplants. It makes sense then to get to know how to keep them healthy. Healthy plants look better. They have less insect problems. Their chances of making it through the winter and out onto the patio next spring increase. So, what can we do to help them out? First grow plants in the best possible conditions. Here you will have to do a little research on the preferences of each plant. Match the plant to its light, moisture and temperature requirements. If a plant is struggling with too little light, too much moisture or too warm or cold a temperature, it will not do well. Second, fulfill your plant’s nutritional requirements. Is your fellow a big feeder or not? Generally speaking, fertilize at half the “recommended dose” for a given plant at the intervals suggested. Fertilizers will be most effective when applied while the plant is actively growing. Third, water your plants properly. This is a biggie! More plants ascend to heaven (or descend to the compost) from overwatering than any other cause. Over-watering combined with poor drainage can encourage root rot and pest problems. If you water on a schedule, say every Tuesday whether they need it or not, you’ll set yourself up for this problem. Water when the soil is dry, say,halfway up your index finger. Also don’t let your plants stand in water. Water at the base of the plant, not on the leaves. Fourth, keep your plants clean. Remove dead leaves, stems and flowers. Don’t let them pile up on the soil surface where they can harbor insect pests. Fifth, use new, sterile potting soil when potting plants. Avoid outdoor garden soil. It probably is chock full of weed seeds and insect eggs. Plant in clean pots and wash off the roots before planting bare-rooted purchases. Finally, inspect your houseplants frequently for insect pests. They most often tend to congregate on the underside of leaves. Early detection is key. If you do suspect that bugs are beginning to set up shop, check out “Managing Insects on Indoor Plants” on the University of Minnesota website: https://extension.umn.edu/product-and-houseplant-pests/insects-indoor-plants It’s a great aid for diagnosing and treating pest problems. Observe these few simple procedures and you’ll go a long way to having happy house plants and home bodies! Photo credits: University of Minnesota (1, 2)

< Back Guarding the Gardener: Cold Injury Jim Lakin MD, Dakota County Master Gardener Most Minnesotans spend the month of January by a nice warm fire, or at least by a nice warm TV. Not so, the avid gardener! There are things to do, last minute trimming, tipping a floribunda rose that you missed in October, cleaning up all those dead stalks that didn’t get clipped. But working outside in Minnesota in January can lead to cold injury. An unwary gardener can easily lose bits and pieces of his anatomy out in the yard if he's not respectful of the cold. Read this article to help yourself to keep safe in the winter “garden.” Most Minnesotans spend the month of January by a nice warm fire, or at least by a nice warm TV. Not so, the avid gardener! There are things to do, last minute trimming, tipping a floribunda rose that you missed in October, cleaning up all those dead stalks that didn’t get clipped. Spring is just around the corner, so get to work! Unfortunately, weather that's good for winter gardening isn’t necessarily good for winter gardeners. Of course, I'm talking about cold injury, something that’s always a potential winter danger up here in the Northern Midwest. An unwary gardener can easily lose bits and pieces of his anatomy out in the yard if he's not respectful of the cold. Not all of us have the luxury of a heated greenhouse. Typically, you're out late in the afternoon, trying to get just a few garden chores done. The sun is waning and the wind is picking up on a frigid stretch of garden. That's an ideal set-up for freezing some part of your anatomy--frostbite! The mildest form of frostbite is frostnip , something that almost all of us have experienced. First, your skin pales or turns red and feels very cold. Keep trying to clip off all those “witches’ brooms” and you start feeling prickling and numbness in the exposed skin. As you finally head back to the house and heat up, your skin warms and you may feel pain and tingling. Frostnip doesn't permanently damage the skin but it sure can be uncomfortable! If you just have to get all those chores done, no matter what and your cold exposure increases you will progress to " superficial frostbite ." The skin that was previously red from frostnip turns a pale white. As you rewarm, the skin may look mottled, blue or purple. You may notice stinging, burning and swelling. A fluid-filled blister sometimes appears 24 to 36 hours later. With superficial frostbite you could have some permanent tissue damage. If you stay out working in the bitter cold even longer, you can progress to severe (deep) frostbite . Here the skin and underlying tissues freezes solid. The exposed finger, toe or nose becomes numb. All sense of cold, pain, or discomfort is lost. The joints don't bend. The muscles don't work. Again, blisters may pop up 24 to 48 hours later. The underlying skin then turns black and hard as tissue dies. You're in big trouble! If you are experiencing anything more severe than frostnip, you should seek medical attention. Of course, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from getting into that situation. First of all, wear suitable clothing. That seems like a no-brainer, but how often do you go outside to do chores that “will just take a minute” and stay an hour? The risk of frostbite increases dramatically in temperatures below 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind chills below - 16 degrees Fahrenheit can cause severe frostbite in less than 30 minutes. A number of things can increase your chances of getting frostbite. Alcohol or drugs, smoking, dehydration, mental or physical exhaustion all lower your resistance to frostbite. Being at high altitude reduces oxygen supply to tissues and allows damage to occur more easily. Keep that in mind if you are taking a winter vacation to the ski slopes. One final caution: if you or someone with you begins to experience intense shivering, slurred speech, loss of coordination or drowsiness, get out of the cold fast and seek medical attention. These are signs of hypothermia--a lowering of your body core temperature. If that continues, loss of consciousness, heart rhythm disturbance and death can follow. All that “getting ready for spring” stuff can wait ‘till spring! Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons (1), vriethael.deviantart.com (All Creative Commons) (2)