< Back Sunburned plants This article provides advice about how to recognize sunburned plants (sunscald), how to prevent it and what to do if your plants suffer from it. Marjory Blare, Master Gardener Many plants in your vegetable garden can get sunburned! For instance, vegetables and fruit can burn if the canopy of leaves over them is removed or if they are placed outside without being hardened off. House plants will suffer if moved from a shady room to a sunnier room. Sunscald is a synonym of sunburned. How to recognize sunburn/scald Look for: sunken bleached spots on fruits and vegetables; brown areas on pome fruits such as apples; or whitish, yellowish or browned foliage. Some things to do to prevent sunburn or sunscald 1) Harden-off plants before moving them to a sunnier location. Over the course of about 5-10 days, let them have longer and longer exposure to the sun (and wind). This goes for houseplants moving to a sunnier room or outside, as well as seedlings and plants grown in a greenhouse. 2) Plant out on an overcast day, if possible. 3) Water thoroughly before and after planting out. 4) In the case of house plants, research ideal light conditions and then observe the new location for several days in advance of moving them. 5) Water in the morning, and water at the root instead of the foliage. Water on leaves can magnify the sun to cause damage. 6) Be careful to not remove foliage shading immature fruit/vegetables when harvesting; this will let the sun reach areas that aren’t used to it. 7) Research whether your fruit/vegetable will continue ripening after picking and possibly pick them a little early, then promptly get them into the shade or a cooler place. 8) Try a different variety if you notice lots of sunscald this year. 9) Mulch freshly planted starts to conserve moisture, and facilitate root growth. 10) Do not fertilize right away; a high nitrogen fertilizer will direct energy into the leaves before the roots can settle in. 11) Kaolin- based products such as Surround® can reduce the chances of sunburn. Read the label for proper application rates and personal protective equipment. The label for Surround WP® includes language about reducing sunburn damage, but Surround CF® doesn’t. This product covers the surface of the fruit with clay. The clay will reflect the sunlight and reduce the sunlight that reaches the fruit. Kaolin should be applied to the point of near-drip coverage. Be careful to leave enough foliage free of the kaolin for photosynthesis. Check label for organic certification. Read more about the use of Kaolin from Purdue University here: https://vegcropshotline.org/article/sunburn-on-vegetables/ 12) Prune carefully to leave enough foliage to shade the fruit/vegetable. Prune diseased foliage promptly. 13) Water deeply. 14) Sheer curtains in the window can help house plants deal with too much light. 15) Use a shade cloth or bamboo screen to throw some shade during the hottest part of the day, and growing season. Shade cloth differs in the amount of shade that is thrown. A 70% cloth will let 30% of the light through. There is no one, right, answer to which percentage your garden needs. I used an orange snow fence last summer. Some things you can do after a plant shows sunburn/sunscald 1) Move plants (if possible) to a less exposed site. 2) Cut fertilizer rates to half strength until new leaf growth shows. 3) For tomatoes, try to keep temperatures below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Tomatoes are native to alpine regions in Central and South America. The hottest days of Minnesota’s growing season can be hard on tomatoes. Try a shade cloth or bamboo screen to keep the tomatoes cooler during the hottest parts of the day. 4) Remove damaged fruit or leaves so that the plant can use its energy to grow more fruits, vegetables or leaves. 5) Be patient. Planning to prevent sunburn/scald before it can happen will lead to a happy productive garden! Read more from UMN here: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/gardens-get-sunburned-too Read more from Michigan State here: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/hot_and_sunny_days_promote_sunscald_in_peppers_and_other_vegetables Photo credits: Marjory Blare (1, 3), Dreamtime.com (2), istockphoto.com (4)

< Back Fall Lawn Care Margie Blare, Master Gardener Fall is the best time to prepare for next year’s healthy lawn. Most lawns in Minnesota have cool weather grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall and fine fescues and perennial ryegrass. Renovation Fall can be a great time to renovate your lawn. Seeding is easier because the seedlings won’t experience as much heat stress. Avoid adding additional nitrogen as it will over-stimulate the existing grass, thereby crowding out the new seedlings. Fine fescues will use less water, and tall fescues have longer roots. Figuring out why your lawn isn’t doing well before renovating it, will save you time and money. Go to: https://extension.umn.edu/lawn-care/renovating-lawn-quality-and-sustainability for more information. If you are laying down sod it, too, benefits from cooler temperatures in the fall and will require less water. Fertilization When temperatures are between 50 and 75 degrees your grass starts storing nutrients in its roots, to be used next spring, so late August through mid October is the optimal time to fertilize. Applying fertilizer in the spring leads to fast growth that suffers in the summer heat. Applying it after the ground is frozen creates run-off pollution and wastes your money. You should start with a soil test (go to: https://soiltest.cfans.umn.edu/ or e-mail soiltest@umn.edu ) before applying fertilizer. Weed Control Fall can also be a great time to kill those perennial broad-leaf weeds. They, too, are storing nutrients in their roots, so taking care of them in the fall eliminates them next spring. If using an herbicide (or fertilizer), always read ALL the instructions and follow recommendations for application rates, weather conditions and personal protection. Spot-treating may be the most economical and safest way to apply broad-leaf weed control products. Herbicide/fertilizer combination products can compromise both the fertilizer and the weed control effectiveness due to the ‘water-in’ vs. ‘leave-on-the-leaf” instructions. Crabgrass sprouts earlier in the year, so don’t use a crabgrass pre-emergent product in the fall. Go to: https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/lawn-care-calendar for more information. Mowing Continue mowing until the grass stops growing, sometime in October. Make sure your mower blades are sharp and remove no more than the top 1/3 of grass length in any one mowing. During warm weather 3-4” long grass keeps the ground moister. But if you leave it long over the winter it becomes a vole paradise! Leaving (small) grass clippings on your lawn returns their nitrogen to the lawn and mulching blades help keep the clippings small. Bee Lawns Bee populations have been declining in part due to habitat loss and pesticide use. Having flowering plants in a lawn will help bees, and you also increase your lawn’s resilience; it will have healthier soil and need less watering, mowing, and fertilizer. White clover, Creeping thyme, Self heal, and Ground plum are low-growing flowers that tolerate mowing down to 3 inches. Turf areas that have little foot traffic or that are primarily aesthetic are great locations. Examples are: steep slopes, right of ways or easements. Do not use broad-leaf weed control on Bee Lawns: it will kill all the flowers that the bees need. Spot treat very carefully. Go to: https://bluethumb.org/turf-alternatives/pollinator-lawn/ for more information. Photo credit: University of Minnesota Extension

< Back What’s the Buzz about Bee Lawns? Marjory Blare, Master Gardener You may have heard about bee lawns on the news or from a friend or at a county park. And, you may be wondering what that is and why you might want to plant one in your yard. Read this article about bee lawns to help you decide if planting one is right for you. Did you know that about 1/3 of the plant-based foods that humans eat are insect pollinated? But pollinators are in trouble due to habitat loss, pesticides and parasites. Butterflies, wasps, flies, soldier beetles, and moths are also in jeopardy. A pollinator lawn provides the high-quality nutrition that pollinators need to survive. A bee lawn can attract over 50 species of bee! A bee lawn integrates low-growing flowering perennials with grasses. They require fewer pesticides, less fertilizer, water and mowing than a traditional lawn. Grasses in bee lawns can include grasses already present in your lawn, but, adding fine fescues and Buffalo grass will reduce the number of mowings needed per year and make the lawn more drought tolerant. “Strong creeping red fescue,” “slender creeping red fescue,” “chewings fescue,” “hard fescue” and “sheep fescue” can be grown with other cool-season grasses in full sun to shaded areas. Another alternative to cool-season grasses are sedges. However, they don’t take as well to mowing. Pennsylvania sedge grows to about 6”. White clover springs to mind when thinking of bees, but there are several other good candidates that will spread out the flowering season from spring through fall. “Self-Heal” (Prunella) and “creeping thyme” and “birds foot trefoil” are non-natives that should not be planted near a wild area, but can be used in urban areas. “Ground plum,” “sweet white violets” and “common blue violets” are native alternatives. Bee lawns can be treated similarly to lightly-used traditional lawns. They can be mowed (or not) at 3” or higher and take light foot traffic. Some examples of good places to plant bee lawns are: boulevards, steep slopes, primarily aesthetic areas, rights of way and easements. There are at least two ways to plant bee lawns. One is to start with bare soil (be aware that this area will have a “seed bank” of weeds.) and the other is to overseed. In certain cases, plugs might be a better choice. Click here for information on planting a bee lawn: https://extension.umn.edu/landscape-design/planting-and-maintaining-bee-lawn And here are some additional sites to help you get started on your bee lawn: Here is a site to find bee lawn seed: https://turf.umn.edu/lawn-info/purchasing-seed/bee-lawn-seed Click here to get signage for your lawn: https://bwsr.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2021-05/Lawns%20to%20Legumes%20yard%20signs_Final_Single_2020_edits_smalllink_new_0.pdf Click here to see the Lawn to Legumes site and apply for a grant to help with expenses: https://bwsr.state.mn.us/l2l Here is a webinar discussing the ins and outs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEiEoSC60Ss Your lawn can “Bee” the change! Photo Credit: Marjory Blare (1,2,3), University of Minnesota Extension (4,5)

< Back Our State Soil: Lester If you have ever planted anything in the ground, or even just dug a hole, you know how our soil can vary depending on where we live. As a gardener, it is likely you have had your soil tested and amended your soil to provide optimal growing conditions for your plants. Here in Minnesota, mother nature amended some soil on a very large scale and deposited about 400,000 acres of it across 17 counties, perfect for growing crops like corn, soybeans, and alfalfa, right in the heart of our state. Click here to get the dirt on Lester, our state soil. Lisa Olson, Master Gardener It’s 2012, and Lester, named after Lester Prairie, Minnesota where it was first acknowledged, is about to be named the state soil of Minnesota. Sen. Rod Skoe, DFL-Clearbrook, summed it up with, “Maybe with this [vote], we’ll stop treating our soil like dirt.” After all, it’s easy to take for granted what’s under our feet. But without soil, clean water and air, we literally can’t live. And by the way, to get right down to the nitty gritty, soil and dirt are not the same thing. Dirt is just that, dirt. It’s what you get on your hands or wipe off the floor. Soil, on the other hand, is a living ecosystem. Let’s dig in and learn what is so special about Lester soil and how it came to be designated as the “Official Minnesota State Soil” by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton on April 28, 2012. It all began about 10,000 years ago when glaciers were sliding south across Minnesota, depositing rocks, pebbles, sand, and other materials along the way. After the ice melted, plants began to grow on the material left behind by the glaciers. The cycle had begun. Plants would grow, die, and become organic matter to nourish new plants that would grow, die, and support the next generation of plants. Forests and prairies eventually grew up and spread across the land. The roots from grasses and trees worked their way through the rocks and pebbles further breaking them down while water flowed into the soil dissolving minerals that had been deposited during the glacial period. The decaying leaves and grass from the forests and prairies added to the layers, called horizons, and continued to increase the fertility of this nutrient rich soil. In addition, the glacial moraines where the soil formed provided well-drained conditions adding to the ideal properties of the soil. In 1985, the Minnesota Association of Professional Soil Scientists put together a task force to select a soil to represent Minnesota. In 1987 they voted to recommend Lester as the state soil because they recognized the significance of this resource. It took a while for Lester to gain its status as the official state soil however. There is always competition with other groups, often schoolchildren, pushing for designations of various state symbols. But finally, after the blueberry muffin became a symbol and the black bear didn’t, and just in time for the Smithsonian exhibit “Dig It!” to arrive in Minnesota, with Lester featured as the state soil, and coinciding with the University of Minnesota celebrating its 100-year anniversary, and 40 years of the Minnesota Association of Professional Soil Scientists – phew! - Lester became official. From the Smithsonian State Soils exhibit Having a state soil provides unique opportunities for education about this precious resource, especially since agriculture is extremely important to the Minnesota economy. As we have learned, soil is one of the basic necessities to support life and we need to care for it. We can’t control drought, but we can control how we plant, protect our resources, and share our knowledge. typical landscape where Lester soil is found Resources for this article: https://www.startribune.com/hot-dish-politics-new-state-soil-is-a-standout/150303445/ https://www.soils4teachers.org/files/s4t/k12outreach/mn-state-soil-booklet.pdf https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/young_naturalists/young-naturalists-article/soil/soil-health.pdf https://www.soils.org/files/certifications/licensing/lester.pdf Photo Credit: Smithsonian Institute ( http://forces.si.edu/ ) (1), Minnesota Association of Professional Soil Scientists https://www.soils.org/files/certifications/licensing/lester.pdf (2), Smithsonian Institute ( https://forces.si.edu/SOILS/interactive/statesoils/html/State-Soils/Default.aspx?selection=Minnesota ) (3)

< Back Storing Root Vegetables Over the Winter Did you have a bumper crop of potatoes sweet potatoes, carrots, beets or turnips this year? You worked hard this year to produce that crop! Here are some helpful tips on how to store them to last for use all throughout winter and into spring. Joy Johnson, Master Gardener Potatoes Step 1: Dry them . After harvest, remove any damaged potatoes. Leave the rest outside to dry for a couple of hours. Don’t wash them but brush off excess dirt. Step 2: Cure them . Keep the potatoes in a dark, humid place for one to two weeks. These conditions help prevent rot. Indoors near the furnace works best. Spread out the potatoes in boxes and covered with cloth to enhance humidity. If you want to speed up this process, you can lay them out on racks or pallets, make a tent over them with light weight tarps or blankets and turn a box fan on under the tent. This will aid with drying them. Step 3: Choose a spot . For long-term cold storage, find a storage area that’s dry and dark, such as a basement, garage or shed with plenty of ventilation. A temperature of 35° to 40° is good. Step 4: Pack them . Pack the potatoes in a wooden crate, or something similar, with slatted sides and bottom. Alternate layers of newspaper and potatoes until the stack reaches 6 to 8 inches high. Make sure the newspaper covers the open slats so that light can’t get in. Step 5: Keep an eye on them . Check your potatoes monthly and remove any that are beginning to rot. One rotten spud will ruin the lot. Some varieties store better than others—russet potatoes are among the best. Sweet Potatoes and Yams Step 1: Time your harvest correctly . Wait for dry weather to dig up sweet potatoes and yams. Wet tubers attract insects, disease and mold. Wipe all the dirt off, but don’t get them wet. Step 2: Cure them . Lay the tubers in a warm location, similar to potato storage. Let them dry for 10 days to two weeks. Curing ensures excess moisture is drawn out, preventing mildew. Step 3: Pack them . Box up the tubers or wrap them in newspaper. Store them in a cool pantry or closet at 55° to 60°. If no cool place is available, pack them in layers of sand in barrels or crates. The sand cushions and keeps the tubers cool, but not cold enough to freeze. Place the containers in a moderately warm basement or garage. I have a barely heated garage. We keep it around 50 degrees or cooler, so that works well. Carrots, Beets, Turnips, Parsnips Step 1: Trim the tops . Cut off the leafy tops. Left on, they will draw moisture from the vegetable. Brush off loose dirt and remove any damaged ones. Step 2: Pack them . Place the root vegetables, unwashed, in boxes layered with slightly damp sand. I used Rubbermaid totes and buried the carrots, the tops that were exposed sprouted and grew very tall in the dark cool garage, but the carrots still tasted good. Step 3: Store them . Keep them in a cool place. Step 4: Keep an eye on them . Check regularly for spoilage and moisture, which causes rot, or dryness that could cause them to harden and split. Store your root vegetables correctly and you can enjoy your home-grown root vegetables all season! Photo credits: www.flickr.com (1,3), pxfuel.com (2)

< Back Creating a Butterfly Habitat Susan Ball, Dakota Master Gardener Would you like to attract a variety of butterflies to your garden? Different plants and environments attract different types of butterflies. So, if you really want to focus on particular butterflies, you can do it by planting appealing plants and creating welcoming environments. Read this informative article about what you need to do to attract butterflies to your garden. Would you like to attract a variety of butterflies to your garden? Different plants and environments attract different types of butterflies. So, if you really want to focus on particular butterflies, you can do it by planting appealing plants and creating welcoming environments. For example, asking, “what color flowers will attract butterflies?” is the wrong question to ask. Or rather, an incomplete question. Successful butterfly gardening requires creating “butterfly habitat,” which addresses each type of butterfly’s needs over its entire life cycle. The life cycle of the butterfly consists of four distinct stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis: sack-like covering), and adult. A successful butterfly garden must provide food and habitat for both adult butterflies and their caterpillars all year round. Though many butterflies will drink nectar from a variety of flowering plants, their caterpillars are often limited as to which plants they can feed on. These plants are called “host plants”. I n order to create a successful butterfly habitat you must have: 1. A combination of adult nectar sources and larval host plants . Your goal is to attract the maximum variety of species to remain in your yard, reproduce and build populations, not to pass through for a snack on their way to more attractive living quarters. While butterflies need both host and nectar plants to complete their life cycles, an emphasis on host plants encourages butterflies to breed within given areas. Each kind of butterfly uses a limited range of host plants, but many host plants also provide nectar; in other words, a “twofer;” consider these plants first. Milkweed is a good example of a twofer: a host plant and nectar provider for Monarch butterflies. 2. Native species and their favorite landscapes . Most larval host plants are natives. Click here for a list of butterflies and their host plants from the University of Minnesota Extension. Remember that larval host plants are meant to be eaten . Damaged leaves or even plants that are completely defoliated is a good thing. It means your butterfly garden has attracted butterflies that have reproduced! And only a few plants are eaten to the ground by butterfly larvae; examples being, milkweed, parsley, dill, and fennel. These plants, however, often rebound several times before they must be replaced. On other hosts, like trees, most shrubs and grasses, feeding damage is barely noticeable, and what there is encourages healthy, new plant growth. NOTE: many nurseries use pesticides and these chemicals can be deadly to butterfly larvae. When buying host plants always ask if they have been treated with pesticides. Similarly, be very careful when using pesticides in your garden. If you must use chemicals, use them sparingly, and only treat the infected plant. 3. Shelter and a variety of feeding opportunities . Plants with different heights and growth habits appeal to a greater variety of butterflies by providing more opportunities for feeding and shelter. For example, when monarch and queen butterflies are looking for nectar, they are generally attracted to taller flowers. And don’t forget trees: wild cherry (which hosts tiger swallowtail ) and willow (which hosts Viceroy - a monarch look-alike) provides both food and shelter . In addition, wild cherry and willow also produce nectar that attracts many other kinds of butterflies. Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly 4. Plants which have different blooming times . These plants provide food for butterflies during periods of low natural availability. Flowers, like asters, which are late season bloomers, are important sources of nectar for butterflies (as well as bees and other pollinators) in the fall. Asters 5. Plants with different flower colors and different flower shapes . Different butterfly species are attracted to different flower colors : yellow, orange, white, and blue flowers as well as reds, pinks, and purples, but the shape of the flower is important too. The feeding behavior and length of the proboscis (aka: butterfly tongue) dictate which flowers butterflies visit. Long-tubed flowers are more accessible to species with long probosces whereas many composites (daisy-like flowers, like black-eyed Susans and Stokes’ aster) provide a feeding platform and easy nectar accessibility for smaller species. As a rule, small butterflies feed on nectar from small flowers and large butterflies feed on nectar from larger ones. Avoid double flowers. They are usually bred for showiness, not nectar production. 6. Plant in shade as well as full sun . Shade appeals to more butterfly species, especially forest species butterflies. The Giant Swallowtail and the Mustard White are Minnesota butterflies that prefer a shady woodland habitat. A rare shade-loving species, the Taiga Alpine , occurs in northern Minnesota exclusively, when in the lower 48 states. Mustard White Butterfly (first of its kind documented at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 2021 7. Group plantings of flowers . Group plantings of flowers are more apparent in the landscape, not only to us but to butterflies as well, allowing larvae to locate additional food in the event of shortage. 8. Habitat and food for “no-flower” butterflies . There are butterflies that rarely visit flowers, like the Question Mark . These butterflies hang around rotting fruit, animal dung, dead animal carcasses - which you may or may not want to supply - or tree sap. If you have fruit trees, you can leave fallen fruit, like apples, on the ground. Then there are also the “ puddle club ” butterflies - mostly male. They gather at mud puddles and stream banks to drink water and take in salts and other nutrients. You’ll attract these butterflies if you live on or near water, or you can create your own “puddles” to attract them. 9. Shelter for “overwintering” butterflies . There are about nine butterflies that overwinter in Minnesota, among them the Question Mark. Although many of them “hibernate”, only coming out during the winter if there is an exceptionally warm day, these butterflies need shelter during the winter months to survive our climate. Adjust your fall cleanup to provide habitat for them. Don’t mulch everything. Leaf litter from large plants, like hostas, for example, provides shelter for butterflies and other pollinators. Also, don’t cut your spent flowers and plants down to the ground. Leaving 18” to 20” worth of stems and leaves also provides shelter for these overwintering butterflies. In addition, you can take fallen sticks and stems, bundle them together and put them in an out-of-the-way place in your yard to provide more habitat. To sum up: Be less tidy! Provide a year-round combination of food and shelter for butterflies. Then, sit back this summer on your lounger, a glass of lemonade or ice tea by your side, and enjoy your successful butterfly garden! REFERENCES “Butterfly Gardens”, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/gardens/butterfly/index.html “Butterfly, Bee and Moth Garden Designs”, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/gardens/butterfly/designs.html Krischik, Vera, “Creating a Butterfly Garden”, https://extension.umn.edu/landscape-design/creating-butterfly-garden . Contains a list of butterflies and their host plants Malone, Kathy, IFAS Publication “COMMUNITY BUTTERFLYSCAPING: HOW TO MOVE BEYOND BUTTERFLY GARDENING TO CREATE A LARGE-SCALE BUTTERFLY HABITAT” (contains tables listing flowers and hosts for specific butterflies), https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP420 Reeves, Walter, “Attract Butterflies to Your Garden by Building a Butterfly Puddle”, You Tube, U of GA Extension: https://extension.uga.edu/ Stokes, Donald and Llillian, The Butterfly Book: An Easy Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification, and Behavior, Little, Brown and Co., New York, NY 1991. Weisenhorn, Julie, “UMN Extension Fall Cleanup for Pollinators” (video), https://extension.umn.edu/lawns-and-landscapes/flowers-pollinators “Rare Species”, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/rsg/profile.html?action=elementDetail&selectedElement=IILEPN8140#:~:text=The taiga alpine is listed, clearly a long-term threat. Photo Credit: University of Minnesota Extension (1), www.flickr.com (all creative commons) (2), www.publicdomainpictures.net (3,4), https://arb.umn.edu/blog/2021/03/30/meet-the-mustard-white-butterfly (5)

< Back How To Identify Butterflies Susan Ball, Dakota County Master Gardener Intern Few things in nature enchant both children and adults more than butterflies. Whether feeding on a flower or basking in the sun, butterflies, in every imaginable color, with patterns and markings that only nature could create, delight the soul. And like all things in nature we love, we want to know more about them. But butterflies are also important pollinators. Traveling long distances and responsible for one in every three bites of food we consume, butterflies contribute over 200 billion dollars to the food economy worldwide. It seems appropriate to know more about which of these essential creatures are visiting our gardens. Read this article for important advice about how to identify the butterflies that you see. Why would you want to identify butterflies? They are worse than birds - always on the move and tiny too! First, few things in nature enchant both children and adults more than butterflies. Whether feeding on a flower or basking in the sun, butterflies, in every imaginable color, with patterns and markings that only nature could create, delight the soul. And like all things in nature we love, we want to know more about them. Second, they are important pollinators. Their immense diversity and ability to adapt to many environments - including mountain tops, rainforests and mangrove swamps - benefit plants because butterflies transfer pollen while feeding. Traveling long distances and responsible for one in every three bites of food we consume, butterflies contribute over 200 billion dollars to the food economy worldwide. It seems appropriate to know more about which of these essential creatures are visiting our gardens. For tools and tips that will help you identify butterflies, read on. Butterfly identification is hampered by the fact that butterflies often don’t stay still long enough for us to even whip out our field guides, let alone find whatever page the unknown butterfly might be on. Thank goodness for smart phone cameras. Snap a photo the second you see an unknown butterfly, before it even thinks of taking off. That way, if it does, at least you have something to help you identify it. If it doesn’t – you will learn to be faster. While the smart phone camera is one of the best tools for identifying butterflies, you will also find these tools useful: 1. A butterfly identification guide. My review of the butterfly guides at the Dakota County library and the MN Landscape Arboretum Gift shop suggests finding the right one is a tricky business. The big, fat guides listing all 170,500+ butterflies found in the world can be expensive. In addition, you are probably not interested in identifying every butterfly in the world because only about 160 of these - plus a few strays - ever visit Minnesota. For my reviews and recommendations of field guides click here . 2. Close focusing binoculars. Next to the smart phone camera, this tool has been the single greatest aid to field identification of butterflies. Consider getting them if you decide to get serious about butterfly identification and want to spend the money. For more information about them, click on this link. Ball-Reference for butterfly article .pdf Download PDF • 89KB All that said, it is OK not to be “serious” about butterfly identification. On the other hand, you may be in-between “serious” and not caring at all. About eighteen butterflies are commonly found in Minnesota. You may want to get to know all of those or maybe just a few. So, you may or may not want to spend money on close focusing binoculars. Start by trying to identify butterflies and see how it goes. Click here for images from the Minnesota Zoo of some of the most commonly seen butterflies in this area and here is information on the top commonly reported butterflies and moths in Minnesota. Here are some other useful things to know when trying to identify butterflies : Butterfly Anatomy : Look up photos of butterfly anatomy. Identification guides will refer to dorsal and ventricle wings, eyespots and other butterfly “parts”. If you do not know to what these terms refer, you won’t know what your field guide is talking about when it tells you that black swallowtails, a common butterfly seen in MN, have “tails”. Additionally, without this knowledge you will not have the vocabulary to note what you see. Where to find butterflies: · Sun preferences : Sun loving butterflies - like Monarchs and Viceroys - are usually found in bright, open spots like fields, pastures, parks, and roadsides. If you know someone with a butterfly garden, invite yourself over, or visit one of Minnesota’s pollinator gardens. (location in Minneapolis ; location in St. Paul ). Shade-loving butterflies, on the other hand, favor sheltered spots like forests and woodland edges, places with less sunlight. · Host plants : Every butterfly has a specific plant or plants where it deposits its larvae (caterpillars) - its “host plant”. The larvae feed on the host plant and subsequently turn into butterflies. Monarchs, for example, feed exclusively on the leaves of milkweed. Learn about which plants are hosts to your favorite butterflies. · Colorful flowers : They tend to attract butterflies because butterflies rely on the sugar-rich nectar. However, some butterflies, like the Question Mark, never visit flowers. Look for them around rotting fruit, animal dung, dead animal carcasses, or tree sap. · Mud puddles and stream banks : “puddle club” butterflies gather at mud puddles and stream banks to drink water and take in salts and other nutrients. · Movement corridors : As previously noted, butterflies are usually moving so other good places to find them are “movement corridors”. Movement corridors are forest trails, waterways, woodland edges, and even, believe it or not, power lines! Butterflies use these flyways for many purposes, including migrating long distances and locating mates. When to find butterflies : Butterflies are most active during the day between 10 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon. Warm, sunny days are crucial for butterfly viewing because butterflies are cold-blooded. Unable to generate the body heat they need to warm up and fly, they must rely on sunlight. Thus cool, cloudy days are bad for butterfly viewing. Ditto for windy days. Strong winds also interfere with flight as do rain and even mild showers. How to approach butterflies : If you have ever tried to sneak up on a butterfly, you know they can take off before you are even halfway there. So, approach slowly and with caution. Butterflies have excellent eyesight and startle easily (so don’t let them see you coming). Sneak up from the lowest angle possible. Butterflies are on the alert for predators, which usually attack from above, so that is where they will be looking for danger. Pay attention to your shadow. Sudden changes in light may signal a potential predator to a butterfly so it will take off. Now that you have spotted a butterfly, how can you identify its type? · Moth or butterfly : Is this flying insect actually a butterfly? Or could it be a moth? It is easy to be fooled because many moths are more colorful than some butterflies. Notice the antenna: butterflies have long antenna with a ball or club-like tip. Moths have “fuzzy” antenna. · Size : Field guides will list butterfly wingspans in inches and/or centimeters which is rarely helpful in the field. Notice instead whether the butterfly is Small, Medium, or Large. The Monarch and the Swallowtail, for example, are LARGE butterflies. Using the them as a comparison helps you determine which butterflies are medium and small-sized. · Color : Notice the butterfly’s overall color. · Patterns or markings : Does the butterfly have distinct stripes, bands or eye spots? Where are they? Upper or lower wing? Edges? Center? · Wing shape: The wing shape will help you identify the family to which your butterfly belongs, considerably shortening the number of pages you will have to turn to find your butterfly. Swallowtails, for example, belong to the family “Papilionidae .” Most of its members have ‘tails.’ · Flight pattern and behavior : Butterflies have four wings that are connected in a way that allows the wings to move independently, allowing a wide variety of flight patterns. Therefore, observing flight patterns is a good way to identify butterflies. For example, does the butterfly flutter slowly with a weak, relaxed motion or whiz past with a strong, rapid flight? Does it fly low to the ground or soar far overhead? Does the butterfly bob up and down or periodically glide following a series of quick wing beats? “ Skipper butterflies,” for example, are called skippers because their flight pattern resembles a series of “skips”. · Range : Many butterfly species are found only in certain regions of Minnesota, or even the country. Consult a field guide range map and always start with the most probable identification. Initially, noticing all these features and remembering them may be overwhelming. It helps to record your observations and take a photo. Once you have made them, you can consult your butterfly guide. Over time your skills will increase. You will soon learn to recognize many common Minnesota butterflies like: Monarchs (our state butterfly) and Viceroys (often mistaken for Monarchs and vice versa) and Mourning Cloaks , one of 8 or so butterflies that overwinter in Minnesota. Identifying butterflies can be a fun summer activity for adults and children alike. Following these tips can make the experience more rewarding. Happy butterfly watching! REFERENCES https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/gardens/butterfly/index.html Carter, David, Butterflies and Moths, Smithsonian Handbooks, NYC, New York, 2023 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Farris Bryant Building620 S. Meridian St. • Tallahassee, FL • (850) 488-4676 Minnesota Butterflies, inaturalist, https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/1647?taxon=47922 https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0752.pdf https://www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/attracting-butterflies/focus-on-natives-giant-swallowtail-butterfly/ https://www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/butterfly-behavior-basics/ Wing, Scarlett & 3 more, Butterflies and Moths (Smithsonian Kids First Discovery Books) Board book – Touch and Feel, April 29, 2019 http://www.minnesotaseasons.com/Main/Butterflies.html#:~:text ecoredux.com https://www.ecoredux.com › butterflies-are-important Daniels, Jaret, Butterfly Watching Basics, University of Florida, IFAS Extension, July 2008; produced with cooperation and funding from FL Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the FL Museum of Natural History. https://www.lccmr.mn.gov/projects/2014/finals/2014_05j1_MNZoo_ButterflyNeighbor_ENG.pdf https://www.lccmr.mn.gov/projects/2014/finals/2014_05j1_MNZoo_ButterflyNeighbor_ENG.pdf Photo 1, credit: commons.wikimedia.org (all creative commons) Photo 2, credit: publicdomainpictures.net (all creative commons) Photo 3, credit: flickr.com (all creative commons) Photo 4, credit: en.wiktionary.org (all creative commons) Photo 5, credit: Jeff Hahn, University of Minnesota Extension Photo 6, credit: Marylandbiodiversity.com (all creative commons)

< Back The Enchanting World of Fairy Gardening Mary Gadek, Dakota County Master Gardener Looking for a way to engage the child in your life with the outdoors?! Look no further… read here to learn about the fun and enchanting art of fairy gardening- a creative way of gardening with endless possibilities for the young and young at heart! Capture your child’s imagination as they create a small garden meant to attract the tiny magical beings, called garden fairies. Often found at the edge of the tended garden, garden lore says these guardians of nature are masters of disguise and appear in gardens as small animals, little creatures, or brightly colored orbs of light. Why Have Fun with Fairy Gardening? Whether you believe in garden fairies or just want to engage your child in imaginative play, the small-scale method of fairy gardening offers many benefits to the gardener, including connecting the child with nature while providing them with an immediate creative outlet. Also, fairy gardening can offer a way to teach the elements of landscape design, spacing, and proper irrigation to children. Another benefit of this type of gardening is that it enables a less physically constraining form of gardening for any age. How to Make an Enchanting Fairy Garden The most important tool of fairy gardening is your imagination ! Take some time and develop your plan or the story you want to tell (and attract fairies!) by deciding on the following gardening elements: 1. Theme: It can be anything you want, especially something to reflect a child’s current interests (e.g., princesses, farm animals, favorite movie characters). 2. Location: Determine where to locate your garden - in a container inside your home or outside, or in a small area of your garden. Add good potting soil for your plants and also, to set hardscape figures and structures. Good drainage, like providing holes in your container and the right soil mixture, ensures a long-lasting garden. 3. Plant selection: Choose plants that will grow to the right scale, or size, for a small garden. As you search for the right plants, consider contrasting or complementary colors and shapes of plants that best fit your theme. Here are some resources to help you choose the right plants: https://www.usbg.gov/fairy-gardens https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/miniature-gardens-a-story-to-tell/ 4. Accessorize: Start by “shopping” around your house and garden to find items that match your plan and can shape the story of your fairy garden. Suggestions: Acorns, pine cones, seeds, stones, shells, small branches, leaves, bottle caps, pipe cleaners, straws, discarded toys or parts of toys, and unused costume jewelry or fish tank stones. Craft stores have endless possibilities, too. To pursue an even more magical journey when creating your fairy garden, include the garden attributes that fairies prefer. Fairies enjoy a place to hide, like under a big leaf or behind a smaller rock. Look for small, colorful, shiny, fragrant, or soft items that will attract your neighborhood fairies. Use small ornaments or sparkly treasures. Incorporate fragrant plants (like lavender), choose plants with soft leaves, like lamb ears, or find pods (like milkweed), for a fairy to sleep on. Now you are ready to create your fairy garden! Once completed, feel free to add or change the garden as your child wants, to fully express their imagination (or even try to attract a fairy to live in their garden). As time passes, encourage your child to visit their fairy garden and leave little gifts of nature or special trinkets for the fairies. Here are some examples of fairy gardens found in Dakota County, Minnesota: To further enhance your fairy gardening experience, read: How To Catch a Garden Fairy, by Alice Walstead, a delightful read-aloud for younger elementary-aged children, which allows your child’s imagination to grow and see how making a fairy garden can entice a fairy into your garden! Borrow from the Dakota County Library: ISBN: 9781728263205 Or Buy: https://www.amazon.com/How-Catch-Garden-Fairy-Springtime/dp/1728263204 Reference: (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Extension, https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/blossom-end-rot/ ) Photo Credits: Mary Gadek (1,3,4,5), Marie Smith (2,6)

< Back Summery Chicken Salad and Easy Swedish Dessert Joy Johnson, Dakota County Master Gardener If you grow vegetables in your garden or frequent farmers markets, you know that September can yield a bountiful crop. Yes, you might be thinking about canning, freezing, sharing or drying some of your harvest but this month’s recipes give you the opportunity to enjoy many of your fresh vegetables in a delicious, smokey chicken salad and traditional Swedish dessert. Yum! It’s a crisp day in September and you’ve just walked in from your garden with yet another bowl full of fresh vegetables. Excited about the bounty you’re reaping from your hard work all spring and summer, you wonder what you’re going to do with it all. As you contemplate canning, freezing, sharing, or drying some of your produce, why don’t you fuel up with this delicious smokey fresh chicken salad? Most of the ingredients are flexible, so whatever you’ve got growing, can probably be added while still retaining a “bit of smolder”! This recipe was inspired by the Disney villain, Hades, the god of the Underworld, known for his ability to create flames. While not as fiery as some of his creations, the almonds and paprika are the smoked variety which sparks this salad with a unique flavor. Smokey Chicken Salad Ingredients: 2 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken. Using rotisserie chicken adds extra flavor, but canned chicken breast or plain cooked chicken works just fine too. 1 cup mayonnaise 1 fresh green or red sweet pepper, chopped 2 large stalks celery, thinly sliced 1 handful of garlic or regular chives, chopped 1 cup chopped smoked almonds 3 finely chopped garlic tips 1 large carrot shredded 4 red globe radishes, thinly sliced 1 cup fresh pea pods, cut into bit sized pieces 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half. I used “golden globe” orange ones 1 head fresh broccoli, peeled and cut into small florets 1 cup Pastina (very small pasta shapes, typically star-shaped), cooked al dente about 6 minutes 1 T. smoked paprika 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper Fresh lettuce, washed and torn gently into bite sized pieces Process: In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the smokey paprika, salt and pepper, stir until blended. In a large bowl, toss together all the vegetables and chopped nuts Stir the pasta into the vegetables Add the mayonnaise mixture, stirring gently Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking Serve on top of a bed of lettuce A perfect follow up to this smokey chicken salad is a very old recipe from Sweden, it was common years ago at Swedish smorgasbords, remember those?! It’s called Saftkram and is a sweet thin-set pudding traditionally served with milk or cream. I serve it without the milk or cream. I purchased a fruit steamer last year and it has been a wonderful way to get pure juice from plums, apples, grapes, rhubarb, and currents. I haven’t tried pears yet, but I can imagine that juice would be delicious too. I don’t add any extra sugar to the steamed juice. I pressure can it in sterile jars. You can use any fruit juice for this recipe, but dark colored juices are the prettiest and most flavorful. This is a very easy recipe, when you don’t have much time, but are hankering for something a little sweet and fruity. Leave it to those hard working, thrifty Swedish grandmas to come up with something easy, inexpensive and delicious. Saftkram Ingredients: This is the traditional recipe. I used 4 cups rhubarb juice, no extra water, for the photo. 1 ½ cups fruit juice or 1 ½ cups berry juice 2 1/2 cups water ¾ cup sugar (to taste) 3 tablespoons cornstarch Slivered almond, garnish Directions: Bring juice, water and sugar to boil Mix cornstarch with a small amount of cold water Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in cornstarch Return to heat and bring to boiling point Simmer 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally Remove to serving bowl, cover and chill Garnish with almonds if desired and serve with cream or milk Photo credits: Joy Johnson (1-3)

< Back Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) Jim Lakin MD, Master Gardener Looking for a small tree to add to your landscape? Consider the Pagoda Dogwood, it grows quickly and offers delicious berries for the birds in late summer. Read more about this attractive tree here. January is a time for planning. Where to put the annuals can be figured out on the fly. Perennial forbs take a bit of thought but you can dig most of them up if you want to move them next year. However, tree placement should be very carefully considered. What looks good now will be there years from now and may not look so good. Short of a chainsaw massacre, you’ll be stuck with the ill-considered tree. Then, of course, you have to consider size. Do you really want a 90-foot white oak in your 12 x 16 courtyard? Fortunately, if you are looking for a small tree, you have many excellent choices, one of which is the Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) or alternate-leaved dogwood. This beauty is a common understory tree which grows rapidly as a youngster, adding a new tier of branches each season. Pagoda dogwood is native to northeastern North America and is found in central and southern Minnesota, Iowa and all the way down to the Ozarks. It does best in well-drained soils and will have difficulty in clay or compacted soils. In the wild it is found in moist woodlands so it is best to plant it where it is protected from the hot afternoon sun. Observing this caveat, it will grow in full sun if there is sufficient moisture, but it will do better in part to near-full shade. One of its most compelling features is the berries produced in late summer, greatly loved by the birds. For good fruit-set, however two separate trees are needed. After a time, some trunks will suddenly die and turn orange. Quick rejuvenation is possible by pruning away the dead trunk. Select a vigorous new shoot from the sprouts that usually emerge quickly. Pagoda dogwood’s horizontal tiers of branches give the tree its name and render it a charming ornamental at the corner of the house or the edger of a wooded landscape. It is great as a bird garden plant. These lovely branches are festooned with clusters of creamy white blooms in the late spring. The resulting berries are bluish black and ripen in late summer, providing welcome nourishment to a variety of songbirds. Come fall, the leaves will turn a striking yellow to burgundy. The popularity of this showy ornamental has been enhanced by the development of a number of great cultivars. You might check your local nursery this spring for such attractive varieties as “Pistachio”, “French Vanilla”, “Gold Bullion” or “Big Chocolate Chip”. Whichever you choose, keep it well-watered and mulched that first year and you’ll soon have a great addition to your landscape! Photo credits: Morton Arboretum (1), University of Minnesota Extension (2)

< Back Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria): Springtime Treat Jim Lakin MD, Master Gardener Read on for Master Gardener Jim Lakin’s exploration of this month’s featured Minnesota native perennial - Dutchan’s Breeches, a springtime treat! Antiquated articles of gentlemen’s attire do not make good names for flowers…usually. One exception is Dutchman’s Breeches, named after the ubiquitous knee-pants of the 17 th century Lowlands. This curious little ephemeral pops up each spring, looking for all the world like a series of Hollander’s pants hung out to dry. Dicentra cucullaria is native to temperate North America and can be found throughout the Midwest. It is hardy from USDA Zones 3 to 7. North Shore gardeners note! Dutchman’s Breeches is a forest dweller, preferring humus-rich, well-drained soil in part shade. You will usually find them on north or east facing forest slopes with underlying limestone. The foliage is fernlike, emerging in the early spring. Blooms last for about two weeks in April or early May, looking like upside-down white britches. The flowers are translucent, luminous white, standing out vividly against the primavera greens of the spring woodlands. Once the forest canopy closes and blocks most sunlight, the plant will stop blooming. Soon after flowering, the leaves will turn yellow and disappear. The flower stalks and leaves arise from an underground corm. Seeds are dispersed by ants, who are encouraged to carry the seeds underground as they are covered by a protein and fat-rich layer called an elaiosome. The elaiosome covering makes great food for the ant larvae. Once established, the plants grow to about 6 to 12 inches in height and width. They can be grown from seed although that is a bit of a process. Use fresh seed and sew in the early spring. The seeds need a warm period followed by a cold one before germination, so don’t expect sprouting until the following spring. An easier, and more expeditious means of propagation is to plant corms, which are similar to bulbs, in the fall. You should have a plant blooming late in the following spring. If you are interested in propagating more Dutchmen, the mother corm will produce offset corms after a couple of seasons, which can be separated and replanted in the fall. The landscape uses of D. cucullaria are numerous. It makes a classic addition to shade or woodland rock gardens. If you have a shaded slope, it will make a great spring accent. It nicely fills in a bare spot in a shaded raised bed. No matter where you plan Dutchman’s Breeches it will always produce a smile at the beginning of the gardening season. Photo Credit: Wikipedia, Fritz Flohr Reynolds (1), Minnesota Board of Soil and Water Resources (2)

< Back Trifecta of Small Fruits Ride along with Margie Blare as she provides winning advice about how to grow “small fruits” - strawberries, raspberries and blueberries - in an entertaining, tongue-in-cheek style. Marjory Blare, Master Gardener Excitement at the Garden Track! Learn how to beat the odds and win the small fruits (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries) race in your garden. 1st race: Maiden Race - Track Prep All tracks need full sun, good drainage and air circulation. Test soils before planting. Soil pH needs: Strawberry needs a soil pH of 6-7.0 Raspberry needs 5.5-6.5 pH Blueberry needs 4.0-5.0 pH 2nd race: Planting Stakes Race 3rd race: Maintenance Claiming Race 4th race: The Harvest Home Derby Strawberry out of Hija X Deckard (0.5” to 6”) Jockeys: Ever Bearing (spring and fall harvest), June Bearing (spring harvest) and Day Neutral (all season). Racing strategies: Remove flowers during year one to grow a better root system. Plant new crowns above soil level 12-18” apart. Runners should be pruned; leave enough daughter plants to replace diseased, non-productive crowns or plants older than four. Change track location every 4 years to stop build-up of diseases and insects. Renovate the bed after harvest. New leaves will re-grow quickly. Remove last year's mulch, add fresh mulch. Strawberry wins The Harvest Home Derby around 2-4 years-old. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Discard berries that are bird/insect damaged or diseased. Raspberry out of Hedgehog X Shillelagh (2'-5') Jockeys: Primocane Fall-Bearing (fall harvest),and Floricane Ever-Bearing (spring and fall harvest). Racing strategies: Raspberries need to be cross-tied in order to win the Harvest Home Derby. Posts and wires work well. In early spring, plant red and yellow raspberries about 2-3' apart, spreading the roots. Rows wider than 12” impede harvesting. Black and purple raspberries form 'hills' with primocanes sprouting from the crown. Plant in rows four feet apart. Feed Raspberry frequently. Annual pruning increases productivity and reduces disease. 2-3” of mulch controls weeds and conserves moisture. Mosquito netting can exclude pests, but can also exclude pollinators. Use support and pruning to control the spread of black and purple varieties; when arching canes touch the ground, they root. At two years, Raspberry will win The Home Harvest Derby as the berries develop full color. Raspberry keeps 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Pick berries daily, with clean hands; afterward, pick all uneatable berries and dispose of them. Blueberry out of Boreal X Peewee (4”-12') Jockeys: Northern Highbush (up to 12'), Half-bush (3-4'), Low bush (2-3'), Dwarf (1-2') Racing Strategies: Add amendments before planting. Use a raised bed or 'hill' your Blueberry. Blueberry needs a pollinator of a different variety to win the Harvest Home Derby. Dig a hole twice the size of the pots your blueberries came in. Loosen the roots and spread as much as possible. Remove flowers during year one to grow a better root system. Roots are shallow; keep the water bucket handy! Acidify your water with 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 gallon of water. Mulch to retain moisture; keeping it 6” away from the trunks. Replace mulch annually to control diseases. Animals can be excluded with appropriate height fencing. Insects and birds can be mostly excluded with mosquito netting, (except during flowering). Blueberries can be early, mid or late season producers. Blueberry will start winning races in 2-4 years. He wins The Harvest Home Derby by year. He may take 8 years to reach full maturity. For more information on growing these and other fruits go to the University of Minnesota Extension Yard and Garden website and search “Growing [insert fruit] in the Home Garden.” Photo Credit: www.flickr.com (1) & University of Minnesota Extension (2,3)