< Back A Trio of Garden Produce Recipes Joy Johnson, Master Gardener It’s cold, it’s snowy and your garden is sound asleep resting under a blanket of snow and ice. Last summer’s dry, hot weather is a distant memory. However, it was that weather which helped us produce a bumper crop of tomatoes, peppers and apples. Joy Johnson shares 3 yummy recipes that make great use of those saved vegetables. It’s cold, it’s snowy and your garden is sound asleep resting under a blanket of snow and ice. Last summer’s dry, hot weather is a distant memory. However, it was that weather which helped produce a bumper crop of tomatoes, peppers and apples at my house. By early November I had finally finished processing all my fruits and vegetables. My freezer was packed, and I had to turn to canning and drying in order to keep produce over the winter. Now I’m disciplining myself to stop buying so much at the grocery store and make use of what I have on hand. The three recipes here do just that. The salsa verde makes use of the green tomatoes that I picked right before the first hard frost. The chicken stew uses the parsnips and carrots that were harvested, blanched and frozen, and the butterscotch apple muffins make use of the apples and apple sauce that were canned or frozen. Salsa Verde For canning, or you can eat it fresh Ingredients: 5 1/2 cups about 2 pounds peeled, chopped green tomatoes 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped peppers (I had a couple small jalapenos left from the garden that I used along with sweet green peppers 6 cloves garlic, chopped 1/3 cup minced cilantro 2 1/2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup white vinegar 3 tablespoons lime juice Have your hot sterilized jars and lids ready (keep them hot). Chop the tomatoes, onion, peppers, and garlic in a food processor by pulsing, until they are finely chopped. Remove and put into sauce pot you will be using to cook. Add the cumin, paprika, salt, vinegar and lime juice. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat to a simmer for 12 minutes. During the last minute of cooking add the minced cilantro. Ladle hot salsa into hot sterilized jars and leave ½ inch head space. Place sterilized rings and lids on top, then return to boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Listen for the pop! Serve with chips, on scrambled eggs, on tacos, enchiladas…. Chicken Stew with Mushrooms and Peppers Makes 4 servings Ingredients : 1 tsp olive oil 1 onion sliced 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 cups chopped tomatoes fresh or canned 3 cups cubed acorn or butternut squash 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 bay leaves ¼ tsp black pepper ½ cup chopped red or green peppers, fresh or frozen 1 cup sliced carrots, fresh or frozen 1 cup sliced parsnips, fresh or frozen Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms and check and sauté stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent and the chicken is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Combine chicken mixture, tomatoes, squash, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, red/green peppers, carrots and parsnips in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is cooked through and vegies are tender, 6-8 hours. Discard bay leaves before serving. Butterscotch Apple Cupcakes These cup cakes are a sweet treat that complement the stew well and make for a delicious warming winter lunch. Ingredients: 1 cup butter, room temperature 1 c sugar 3 large eggs 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 2 large apples 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 cup unsweetened applesauce Preheat oven to 350. Place 18 muffin cup liners in muffin pans. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixture until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beat in vanilla, Peel apples and grate into butter mixture, avoiding core. Stir until batter is well blended. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon Add flour mixture to apple mixture, alternating with applesauce, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling ¾ bull. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes; remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on wire racks. Pipe or spoon on frosting. Frosting : Combine ¼ cup butter and ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar melts. Bring mixture to a boil. Whisk in 2 T. milk, cream or almond milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar. Spread over cupcakes while still warm. Makes 1 ¼ cups. Photo credits: Joy Johnson (1, 2, 3, 4)

< Back Shrub Pruning in Late Summer Sally McNamara and Janet Poore, Master Gardeners Some shrubs can be pruned later in the summer but not all of them. Some plants must be pruned right after they bloom so as to not cut off the beginning of next year’s blooms. Learn when it is okay to prune the shrubs in your yard. This article will tell you what you need about grooming your shrubs to keep them healthy and looking their best. Please note that this article discusses late summer pruning. Once Fall arrives, pruning should cease, except for storm damage of course. Pruning in fall encourages growth which will not harden off properly before temperatures fall, exposing that growth and the connected branch to injury or death. Late summer pruning is done for two reasons: 1) damage or disease removal and 2) shrub renovation. Those shrubs that bloom in the spring should be pruned right AFTER blooming so as to NOT cut off next year’s blooms. Lilacs, forsythia, mock orange, azaleas & rhododendron are examples of shrubs to be pruned after blooming in the spring. If renovation is more desirable than next year’s blooms, they can be pruned over the summer or even in the prime pre-spring pruning window. Renovation is often best undertaken when the actual shape of the leaf-covered plant is visible. Plant material damaged by storms, hail, pets, sports in the yard, etc. should always be removed for safety reasons and to limit input points on the plant for disease or insects. This is true in every season. Unless there is disease in the pruning, this material can be discarded with regular yard waste. Plants damaged by disease should be pruned to minimize the spread of the disease. Use the U of M Extension site to identify the problem. After pruning diseased material, sterilize tools and gloves used to halt the spread of the disease. Hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial wipes, Lysol, Pine-Sol and Listerine are all good disinfectants. Diseased material should NOT be put in the regular yard waste but should be placed in a plastic bag, sealed and set in the sun for several days before discarding in the regular trash. Late summer is a less busy time in the garden and is a good time to assess how your shrubs are working in your landscape. If some have become a little “aggressive” or even (horrors!) “shabby,” now is a good time to rein them in. Most deciduous shrubs can be pruned at this time to improve their shape and size. Note that this is NOT true of evergreens except Yews! Evergreens should only be pruned in the spring when their candles are present. The pruning goal is to reduce the plant to the size desired and thin out from the inside, removing inner branches to increase airflow through the plant which encourages healthy growth. Remove the oldest, woody stems right down to the base. One caveat - hedges are often prime nesting places for birds so check for “residents” before taking on that hedge. Wait until the fledglings have taken wing. Some plants which react well to late summer pruning: Roses - encourages fall bloom Alpine currant Barberry Burning Bush - Euonymus alatus Bush honeysuckle Buttonbush Coralberry Cotoneaster Dogwoods Elderberry Fothergilla Gro Low Sumac Ninebark Potentilla Privet St. John’s Wort Smokebush Viburnum Spirea Willow Yew Notice that hydrangea is absent from the list. Pruning hydrangea depends on the type of plant and varies widely. Also, most hydrangeas are in best bloom in late summer. Julie Weisenhorn has a good description of hydrangea pruning on this U of M Extension website . Remember that there are right and wrong ways to prune bushes. For advice about proper methods of pruning, look back at our article from the March 2022 Garden Buzz - March is a Great Time to Prune Many Trees and Shrubs – currently found on the Master Gardeners in Dakota County website. Some shrubs can be pruned later in the summer but not all of them, so get to know when it is okay to prune the shrubs in your yard. Photo Credit: www.forestryimages.org (creative commons) (1)

< Back March is a Great Time to Prune Many Trees and Shrubs Sally McNamara, Master Gardener Don’t let the fact that there is still snow on the ground deter you from getting outside and pruning the trees and shrubs in your yard that need it. Late winter and early spring is the best time to prune most trees and shrubs. This article will provide some advice on how to go about it to make your plants and yourself pleased with the result. Don’t let the fact that there is still snow on the ground deter you from getting outside and pruning the trees and shrubs in your yard that need it. Late winter and early spring is the best time to prune most trees and shrubs. This article will provide some advice on how to go about it to make your plants and yourself pleased with the result. Believe it or not, the biggest mistake with pruning shrubs is being too conservative. While it is certainly possible to REMOVE too much, most pruners LEAVE too much. The other major mistake is not using sharp, effective pruning tools. Cutting is easier and better for the plant with the right size sharp tool. Disinfecting tools with a disinfecting wipe between plants is ALWAYS a good idea to prevent any potential for disease spread. There are 5 reasons to prune: 1) Remove diseased, damaged or dangerous material 2) Develop a strong framework for growth 3) Improve air circulation and fruit production 4) Improve a plant’s shape 5) Control size - although planting the right-sized plant initial is a better solution Timing Most pruning of both trees and shrubs is best done in late winter/early spring when the plants are just coming out of dormancy, the form of the plant without the leaves is visible, and the sap is beginning to flow. Sap moving into the pruning wounds helps the healing process and prevents drying out of the plant material. Winter winds will extract moisture from the plant through the pruning cuts so fall is NOT a good time to prune. The one big exception to this rule is maples and birch which can be pruned after the spring sap flow has slowed. Spring flowering plants should typically be pruned AFTER they flower. Summer and fall bloomers are best pruned in the late winter/early spring. Pruning during the growing season opens the plant to disease and insect damage. Oaks especially should not be pruned between April and August to avoid the picnic beetle which spreads oak wilt. Plant material damaged by storms, etc. should be removed as soon as possible if it could cause harm to people or structures. Diseased or insect damaged material should be removed to limit spread of the problem. Discarding of diseased material should be done with care - bag and discard in the trash for small amounts. Transfer to a facility that composts material to a proper temperature for larger quantities. Proper cuts The magic words in pruning are “branch collar” followed by “branch bud”. Using the t hree-cut method to remove most of the branch weight before complete removal is important on large branches to prevent ripping the bark down the tree. Branches should always be cut back to the branch collar and cut cleanly at that point. Cutting further in or leaving a stump out decreases the tree’s ability to grow protective bark over the wound and increases the chance of disease and insect damage. Smaller branches should be cut at a bud point to encourage growth and not leave material for decay. When pruning away dead material, prune well back to living material. General pruning of shrubs should be done to improve overall plant health. Recommended. Removing old growth to the trunk or soil results in a refreshed plant, such as pictured below. Discouraged. Shearing the plant encourages more growth in the top part, limiting light and air to the interior, causing dead inner branches. An excellent reference book on pruning is ESSENTIAL PRUNING TECHNIQUES: Trees, Shrubs, Conifers by George E. Brown and Tony Kirkham. So, put on your warm jacket and boots and give your trees and shrubs a proper haircut before the warm days of spring! Photo credits: theiowagardener.com (1), Alden Land Nursery Livermore CA (2), thisoldhouse.com (3, 4, 5)

< Back Companion Gardening Linda Stein, Master Gardener It’s April and we are starting or continuing to plan our gardens for the new season. Most of us consider the amount of sunlight we need, flower size and color and, probably, our favorite plants. But many of us do not take into account how various plants interact with each other - “companion planting.” Companion planting considers how to enhance the garden or impact plants by growing them in close proximity to each other. Companion planting has the potential to enhance your garden, reduce the need for pesticides, promote stronger plants and take maximum advantage of the space available. Read this article to learn more about why and how to use companion planting in your garden. As plans are being prepared for our gardens, most of us think about the layout, considering each plant type separately. The planning generally looks at the amount of space needed and the amount of sunlight required by the plant as decisions are made about where to position plants. However, many of us do not take into account how various plants interact with each other, a concept referred to as “companion planting.” Companion planting considers how to enhance the garden or impact plants by growing them in close proximity to each other. Companion planting has the potential to enhance your garden, reduce the need for pesticides, promote stronger plants and take maximum advantage of the space available. Companion planting is not a new concept. It is a tool used in organic gardening and has been used historically by indigenous people. Research has identified varying results regarding the benefits of specific companion plantings. There is only anecdotal evidence of the benefits of overall companion planting. But there are numerous reputable articles on how to incorporate the concept into our gardens. In this article I will identify six potential benefits of companion gardening, using a relatively broad definition of companion gardening. 1. Repelling Pests Consider planting plants that repel pests next to plants that the pests target. According to an article in the University of Arizona Agriculture and Life Sciences Cooperative Extension site: One of the most accepted wisdoms of companion planting is the use of repellant plants to keep bothersome insects away from their favorite vegetable plants. Insects locate their favorite plants through smell and many repellant plants work by masking the scent of their neighbor plants. That is why strong-smelling plants such as basil, onions, garlic, and marigolds are good reliant plants. [1] 2. Attracting Beneficial Insects Conversely, companion planting might be used to attract beneficial insects. The best example of this is the suggestion that a gardener plant flowers that will attract pollinators next to vegetable that will benefit from these insects. Companion planting can also be used to attract insects that will feed on destructive insects. For example one might grow plants, such as carrots, to attract lady bugs that will feed on aphids that might attack your plants. 3. Growing Sacrificial Plants A sacrificial crop is a plant that you add to your garden to attract pests away from the main crop you are growing. The reasoning is that garden pests have preferences for what they like to live on or eat. By planting rows of sacrificial plants near your preferred vegetables, the pests will be attracted to these plants and leave your “preferred plants” alone. 4. Enhancing the Taste of Edible Plants Many people believe that planting herbs such as basil, dill, oregano or marjoram next to tomatoes and peppers may enhance the sweetness of these vegetables . . . and they also add beauty to your garden. 5. Supporting the Growing Needs of Surrounding Plants The growing characteristics of one plant can be used to benefit surrounding plants. For example, plants that grow tall or are supported by trellises can provide shade to plants that prefer limited sunlight. Vining plants and plants with large leaves that cover the ground can reduce weed growth and help retain soil moisture. 6. Promoting Maximum Use of Garden Space In this example of companion planting, you’re considering how to enhance the production of your garden as a whole. By intercropping plants in spaces left when one crop is done producing you can increase the production from a limited space. Radishes mature quickly and do well in cooler weather so they can be planted in the spring. When they are harvested, plants that prefer warmer weather can be planted. And when those plants are done producing, another crop of radishes can be planted in late summer. This is a link to a chart developed by Todd Weinmann of North Dakota State University Agriculture Extension that provides an extensive list of plants that you might consider growing near each other and plants that have the potential to negatively impact the growth of certain plants and therefore should not be planted in close proximity. [1] The Best of Enemies: A Brief Guide to Companion Planting - Part 2, https://cals.arizona.edu/cochise/mg/best-enemies-brief-guide-companion-planting-part-2 Photo credits: www.flickr.com (1), Linda Stein (2), University of Minnesota Extension (3)

< Back How to Identify Minnesota Native Conifers Lisa Olson, Master Gardener The garden beds are tucked in under an abundant blanket of snow. The wardrobes of the deciduous trees are a distant memory after their yearly fashion show. But for some of us, one of the most beautiful sights this time of year, is the star of the season’s show: the coniferous tree. Most conifers stay green throughout the winter but they are not all the same. It’s February in Minnesota. The dead of winter as they say. The garden beds are tucked in under an abundant blanket of snow. The wardrobes of the deciduous trees are a distant memory after their yearly fashion show. Many having changed from vibrant spring green all the way to the glorious colors of autumn, finally turning brown and floating to the ground to nourish the soil, leaving the trees bare and waiting for the next phase of the cycle to begin again. Many gardeners are dreaming of their favorite plants that will spring back to life again when the warming sun melts away the chill of winter. But for some of us, one of the most beautiful sights this time of year, is the star of the season’s show: the coniferous tree. Though not synonymous with the word evergreen, most conifers in Minnesota do remain green throughout the changing seasons, providing a welcome contrast of color against the white and gray landscape. Note, there are many tropical plants in warmer climates that are evergreens in that they stay green all year, but they are not all conifers. This article will help you identify the lovely conifers native to Minnesota. First of all, it is important to note the difference between conifers and deciduous trees. All trees have leaves, but the leaves of conifers are needles. The other obvious difference is that all conifers have cones to hold their seeds, unlike the various seed covers deciduous trees possess. Many people incorrectly call all cones pinecones, but not all conifers are pine trees. All deciduous trees drop their leaves in winter. It may seem surprising, but conifers lose their needles too. For most conifers, however, it happens over a very long period of time. Rather than drop all of their needles at once like deciduous trees lose their leaves, it may take many years for a conifer to gradually drop and replace all of its needles. There is an exception though, and that is the Tamarack , also known as the eastern or American larch . Each fall, the Tamarack turns a dull yellow in the fall and loses all of its needles just like a deciduous tree loses its leaves. Its cones release tiny winged seeds from its cones which often remain on the tree for years. Tamarack Besides the Tamarack, there are nine other conifers native to Minnesota. They are all true evergreens, slowly changing out their needles over a number of years. Two of the native conifers are cedar trees. One is the eastern red cedar, which is actually a juniper, and the other is the northern white cedar. 1. Eastern red cedar (actually a juniper): The needles on the red cedar are scale-like with four rows lining up along the stem making it appear almost square. Its ¼ inch blue berry-like cone holds one or two seeds that are a bird favorite. Eastern red cedar 2. Northern white cedar : The scale-like needles on the white cedar are arranged in such a way that they appear to form small flat branches. The cones are ½ inch oblong yellowish-brown that grow singly or in clusters at the ends of the branches. Northern white cedar 3. Balsam fir : It is very popular as a holiday tree with its dark green, ½ -1 inch long flat, rounded-tip needles. Its cones are about 3-4 inches long that stand upright on the branches. When it ripens, the seeds fall along with the scales protecting them. What’s left, is the empty inner core of the cone, standing straight up like a spike. Balsam fir 4. Hemlock : The shade-loving hemlock has needles that are about 1/3-2/3 inches long. They are flat and blunt. The cones are ½-3/4 inches long. They hang from the ends of twigs. The hemlock is just barely native to Minnesota, reaching the state up north just south of Lake Superior. Hemlock 5. White Pine : The white pine has 2 ½ - 5 inch long needles that are bluish-green on one side and white-ish on the other side. They grow in bundles of five and they are incredibly soft. The cones are 4-8 inches long. White pine 6. Jack Pine: The jack pine needles are ¾ to 1 ½ inches long that are flat and stubby and grow in bundles of two. The cones are 1 ½ - 2 inches long. They are curved, brown-ish when ripe, and its not uncommon to find ripe seeds on the tree for many years. Jack pine 7. Red Pine (also known as the Norway Pine – the state tree of Minnesota): The 4 - 6 inch long needles of the red pine also grow in clusters of two. If you bend a needle, it makes a clean break. The interesting cones are about 2 inches long and light brown. While they mature and drop their seeds in early fall, the cones remain on the tree until the following spring. Red pine The last two native conifers are the black spruce and the white spruce. Spruce needles are unique in that they are square shaped. You can pull off a singularly grown needle and roll it in your fingers due to its square shape. The needles of the white spruce have an unpleasant odor when crushed. 8. Black Spruce : The cones of the black spruce are ½ - 1 ½ inches long and they start out dark purple and change to brown when they are ripe. Black spruce 9. White Spruce : The cones of the white spruce are about 2 inches long with a slender appearance. White spruce While you may be familiar with names like Fraser Fir, Doulgas Fir, Scotch Pine, and Colorado Blue Spruce, these popular trees commonly used over the holidays, are not actually native to Minnesota and so were not featured in this article. In closing, however, here is a summary to at least help you differentiate between fir, pine, and spruce trees: Fir : Needles are flat and soft. (Remember “friendly fir” - if you were to shake its hand compared to a pointy, stiff spruce.) If you were to pull off a needle, which grows singularly, it would leave a small circular scar on the stem. Pine : Needles group in clusters of two, three, or five depending on the type of tree. The clusters of needles are called fascicles. Most pine cones are woody in texture. Spruce : Spruce needles are sharply pointed, square, and you can roll them between your fingers. They are attached singularly to the stem on small woody structures that remain as projections if you pull a needle off the stem. Spruce cones are generally more flexible than pine cones. For more information, The University of Minnesota has put together this handy booklet: A Beginner’s Guide to MINNESOTA TREES. https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/49816/6593.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y References: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/trees/native-trees.html (including all photos, except where noted) https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/pine_spruce_or_fir_getting_to_know_michigan_evergreen_trees https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2005/nov/061401.htm Photo credits: Lisa Olson (1), Minnesota DNR (2 - 12))

< Back How to Share Your Plants Safely Sharing plants from our gardens is a common and gratifying practice among gardeners. But in these times, we must know how to share plants safely. Safe from what? Jumping worms have become a significant and difficult problem for Minnesota gardens. This particular type of worm has the ability to ravage your garden soil and weaken or kill your plants. This article will help you learn more about this pest and show you how you can still share your plants safe from the spread of jumping worms. Mary Gadek, Master Gardener The Dakota County Master Gardener Plant Sale is scheduled soon. As we plan to share the lovely garden flowers abound in Dakota County, we will be mindfully bare rooting the plants before donating to the sale . If you are planning to share plants from your garden with others this summer, bare rooting them is the safe way to do it. Why bare root?! The goal of bare rooting plants is to prevent the spread of jumping worms, which are an invasive species of worms in the United States. The worms can produce significant destruction in your garden by severely impacting the soil structure of your garden and reducing or destroying plant growth. Read this article from the University of Minnesota Extension to learn more about jumping worms in Minnesota. Prevention is key to limiting the spread of invasive jumping worms. Since soil, plant roots and mulch are the common materials most likely to spread the jumping worms, you can play an integral role in minimizing jumping worm issues. Note that in the spring, jumping worms are either cocoons or juveniles. The cocoons are the size and color of soil aggregates so they are difficult to see. Juvenile jumping worms may look like other juvenile earthworms at this point, without the telltale cream color collar, so they are hard to find or identify. These worms and juvenile worms can easily hide inside the roots of your plant. You can still share your plants and dramatically reduce the spread of jumping worms by taking steps to “bare root” your plants. The remainder of this article will provide step-by-step instructions about how to do so. How to Bare Root Your Plants Before sharing your beautiful garden plants, please take the following steps to bare root your donations. SUPPLIES: Drop cloth for work area; your plant; deep tray or wash tub; chopsticks or bamboo skewer; 4-5 five gallon buckets, with all but one half full of water; sheets of newspaper; paper towel; sterile soil; twine; label; 5 gallon elastic-top paint strainer and a gallon sized plastic bag. DIRECTIONS : 1. Prepare the work area with a dropcloth. Take the plant out of its pot over the deep tray/washtub. Using the chopsticks/skewer or your hands, completely remove all the dirt directly into the tray. 2. Rinse the roots in 2-3 of the water buckets until clean. 3. Examine the roots to ensure no dirt or potential jumping worm cocoons remain. 4. Position one sheet of newspaper into a diamond shape. Set a paper towel in the middle of the newspaper. 5. Lay the plant on the paper towel. Sprinkle sterile soil on the roots. 6. Wrap the bottom of the newspaper up on the roots and dirt. Fold in both sides of the newspaper over the roots. Tie the packet with twine. 7. Attach a label with the plant’s name to the twine. Write the plant’s name on the newspaper, too. 8. Put the tied packet into a bucket of clean water (ie., a bucket of water not used to rinse the roots) to hydrate it initially, removing it after soaked. Water the packet daily. 9. Return the dirt from the washtub to the old plant pot. Put the dirt back where it came from. 10. Pull the elastic paint strainer over the empty bucket. Dump everything collected in the other 5 gallon buckets (that you used to rinse off the plant’s dirt) into the empty bucket. Remove the strainer and the strained material into a gallon sized plastic bag. Seal the bag and discard it in the trash. Tip the bucket to empty the water into the area where the plant originated. Clean the dropcloth to prevent inadvertent spread of the worms/cocoons. NOTE : Since no earthworms are native to Minnesota, drop any worms found while bare rooting into a plastic bag, seal it and put it in the trash. Do not compost. With a little practice, you’ll get the hang of bare rooting. A practice well worth it to keep your garden healthy. Resources Bare Root Instructions Credit to Marie Stolte, Dakota County Master Gardener Video instructions from Dakota County Master Gardeners. Included in this video is another video by Julia Vanatta. Special credit must be given to her. Without her research and demonstration classes this article could not have been written. Julia promotes sustainable gardening as a volunteer for Wild Ones Twin Cities. Photo credits: University of Minnesota Extension (2, 3), Longfield Gardens (from Creative Commons licenses) (1)

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

< Back Growing Sweet Potatoes in Minnesota Growing potatoes in Minnesota is easy, and you can grow many varieties, sizes, and colors. Sweet potatoes are a whole other story. They aren’t even in the same family as potatoes, who belong to the nightshade family. Sweet potatoes typically need a long, hot growing season – which can be a challenge in Minnesota. Read this article to learn the secrets to growing sweet potatoes in your back yard. Michelle Scullard, Master Gardener Growing potatoes in Minnesota is easy, and you can grow many varieties, sizes, and colors. Sweet potatoes are a whole other story. They aren’t even in the same family as potatoes, who belong to the nightshade family ( Solanaceae ), similar to peppers and tomatoes. Sweet potatoes belong to the ( Convolvulaceae ) family, as do morning glory flowers. Kind of makes sense when we recall the luscious sweet potato vines we often use in containers (purple and lime colored) and how much they do look like morning glory vines. Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes need a long and hot growing season. Sounds like a typical Minnesota summer, right? In many of our dreams, maybe. In Dakota County, we land firmly in USDA Growing Zone 4b , which means we have a little bit longer growing season than our fellow Minnesotans in northern Minnesota, but not as long as a sweet potato really needs. What this all means is that we have to put more work into successfully growing that yummy sweet potato. It starts with choosing the right variety of sweet potato. The two most successfully grown varieties in Minnesota are “Beauregard” and “Georgia Jet”. Beauregard is considered to have great flavor while Georgia Jet is more consistently successful here. Both produce a harvest in about 90 days instead of the usual 100-170 days most other varieties require. You plant them after the danger of frost, which is around mid-May here, according to the MN DNR’s Last Spring Frost map (but keep an eye on those nightly temperatures). Start the sweet potatoes from slips, not seeds. Sweet potatoes prefer a soil pH between 5.5 – 6.5. To provide as warm a planting site as possible, choose a location that receives at least 4-6 hours of sunlight per day. It is recommended that you mound the soil or create ridges that are 8-12 inches high, or plant in a raised bed. Place black plastic over the soil to help heat the soil and maintain the warmth throughout the growing season. It is suggested that you plant in the late afternoon when the soil has warmed. Plant the slips 10-18 inches apart in rows that are three feet apart, about 4 inches deep, making sure the roots are covered completely with soil. You want to leave space for the vines to spread. There are differing opinions about whether to use fertilizer or not. Some people feel it detracts from the flavor, however, others think fertilizer is needed to produce a larger harvest. If you do choose to fertilize, it is recommended to use a balanced fertilizer, avoiding excessive Nitrogen. Place the fertilizer to the side of the plant (called side dressing) about six weeks after planting. Water regularly, providing the plants with about ¾ of an inch a week initially, and watering more often as the plants mature. You will want to stop watering two weeks before you harvest. Carefully dig the sweet potatoes before the first frost (usually mid-October). Try to avoid bruising or cutting them by using a potato fork or even moving the soil away with your hands. Once you harvest the sweet potatoes, you are going to have to wait between one to three weeks before eating because they need to ‘cure’. The curing process turns the starches in the sweet potato to sugars, producing the characteristic sweetness of the potato. If properly cured, you can store sweet potatoes in a dry 55° F area for several months. Then, eat and enjoy! References used in this article https://northerngardener.org/sweet-potato/ Minnesota State Horticultural Society https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/growing-sweet-potatoes-zm0z11zsto/ Mother Earth News https://www.seedsavers.org/site/pdf/SweetPotatoGrowingGuide1.pdf Seed Savers https://www.burpee.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=sweet%20potatoes Burpee (not an endorsement of any seed catalog as many garden catalogs carry sweet potato slips) Photo credits: USDA. https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/seasonal-produce-guide/sweet-potatoes-yams (1), www/.scientificgardener.blogspot.com (2), University of Georgia Extension. https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1014 (3)

< Back Sweet Potatoes and a Sweet Winter Treat Joy Johnson, Master Gardener Sweet potatoes are a lovely garden plant. They are a low calorie but highly nutritious food and have a beautiful color. Sweet potatoes can be harvested very late in the fall and are pretty easy to store over the winter. Best of all, they taste great. You will love this sweet potato recipe from Master Gardener Joy Johnson along with a bonus sweet treat. I want to encourage you to grow sweet potatoes. They are a lovely garden plant, although their vines do take up a lot of room in the garden. The sweet potatoes can be harvested very late in the fall just before the first hard frost. It’s pretty easy to store an abundant crop of sweet potatoes in your home over the winter. That process can be found easily online. The sweet potatoes that I used in this recipe were ones that were grown last fall and stored over the winter. They are a low calorie highly nutritious food and of course have a beautiful color. This recipe makes use of your crockpot but it could also be baked in the oven. Balsamic Seasoned Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Ingredients 2 lbs chicken thighs (You can use boneless skinless if you prefer) 14 oz fat free chicken broth One cup dry white wine, or Moscato if you prefer a sweeter broth One tablespoon balsamic vinegar One teaspoon dried thyme One teaspoon olive oil ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (you can also use fennel seeds) 4 sweet potatoes ½ of a large onion sliced Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over high heat, add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides. Let cool slightly. Combine the broth, wine, vinegar, and thyme in the crock pot. Add the chicken. Rub the exposed area of the chicken with the oil, sprinkle with the pepper and caraway seeds. Arrange the potatoes and onions around the chicken. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender the juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 170 degrees F and the potatoes are tender: 8 to 10 hours on low or six to 8 hours on high. OR put the chicken in a large, deep casserole dish, pour the broth mixture over, add the spices, put the potatoes in, layering them with the chicken. Cover and bake in a 350-degree oven for two hours or until chicken registers 170 degrees and potatoes are done. Serve this with rice or mashed potatoes or toast because you have a lot of delicious broth. Chinese Almond Cookies April 9th is national Chinese almond cookie day. Even though there are no ingredients that come from your garden, I thought you would enjoy this Chinese American treat that aren't authentically Chinese. Their round shape symbolizes coins and good luck. They are traditionally served for Chinese New Year. Here are a couple tips to make your cookies a success. · Make sure the butter is cold · Use almond flour not almond meal · Do not skip refrigerating the dough for two hours Ingredients 1 1/3 cups almond flour lightly packed 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes A pinch of salt 2 large eggs, divided 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup +2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda thinly sliced almonds, for decoration Place the almond flour, salt, and butter into an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for three minutes. The mixture will become coarse and chunky looking. Add one of the eggs and the almond extract. Mix them in on low speed just until incorporated. Sift the flour, sugar, and baking soda together, and add to the mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Take the dough and flatten it into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for two hours to chill. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg. Take pieces of dough and roll them into balls about 3/4 inch wide. Place them on the sheet about an inch apart and then press them down slightly with your palm to make a coin shape. Press 1 slivered almond into the center of each cookie. Then using a pastry brush or your finger, paint each cookie with the beaten egg. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the edges just begin to tan. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack. Photo credits: Joy Johnson (1, 2, 3)

< Back Cooking with Frozen Vegetables (And a St. Patrick’s Day Nod) Joy Johnson, Master Gardener It’s not too early to order seeds for your vegetable garden this summer but first, you need to use up all those vegetables left over from last summer that are sitting in your freezer. Joy Johnson’s Minestrone soup will help you do just that. Add some Irish soda bread for a great St. Patrick’s Day meal. The ground is still frozen in Dakota County and I don’t have anything growing in my garden. However, I have received some seed catalogs already and I’ve even seen a rack of seed packets for sale at the store. You may be thinking about starting some vegetable plants early indoors. It’s always so fun to see the little seedlings sprout. I just realized that if I’m going to grow more vegetables this year, I need to clean out my freezer and use all the ones I froze last year. I have been using my frozen produce all winter long, see my past recipes! But I do still have a variety of veggies in my freezer. I like to cook in large batches so I have food to share with other family members, or just so I don’t have to cook for a few days, and we can live on leftovers. I have a recipe that I’ve been making for years that uses my frozen veggie stash and makes plenty to share. A bonus – everyone who has eaten it has loved it. The recipe is flexible, so if you don’t have one of the veggies, or you want to add in something that is not listed, feel free to experiment. This recipe is from The Saint Paul Farmers Market Produce Cookbook. Minestrone Soup 6 cups beef broth 1 (15 oz.) can great northern, cannellini or lima beans 1 large potato, peeled and dices 2 carrots, sliced 2 ribs celery, sliced 1 white or yellow onion, chopped 1 small green pepper, chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 1 ½ cups green cabbage, chopped 1 cup zucchini, cubed 1 cup green beans, cut in 1-inch lengths ½ lb. spinach or Swiss chard, chopped 3 cups Italian plum tomatoes, chopped ½ cup small shell macaroni or other pasta, uncooked ½ tsp each dried oregano and rosemary (or 1 tsp. each, fresh or frozen, chopped) 1 tsp dried basil (or 2 tsp fresh or frozen chopped) 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper Grated Parmesan cheese In a large stockpot, bring beef broth to a boil. Add cannellini beans, potato, carrots and celery. Simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onion, garlic and green pepper for 5 minutes. (If using frozen peppers, no need to sauté). Add to broth mixture and simmer another 15 minutes. Add cabbage, zucchini, green beans, and spinach or Swiss chard. Simmer 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, pasta, oregano, rosemary, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer another 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Makes 15 servings. A bread that goes well with Minestrone, and gives a nod to Saint Patrick’s Day, is Irish Soda Bread. The recipe that I’m sharing with you here is an authentic Irish recipe. My elderly neighbor who is 100% Irish has verified that it is a true Irish soda bread because it has raisins and caraway seeds. Irish Soda Bread 3 ½ cups flour 2/3 cup sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 ½ cup raisins Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together these wet ingredients: 1 1/3 cups buttermilk 2 eggs beaten 4 Tbsp melted butter ½ tsp vanilla 1 Tbsp vanilla 1 Tbsp carraway seeds Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Grease and flour baking dish. I use an actual Irish soda bread pan, it’s like a 9” round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons (1) & Flickr (2)

< Back Green Beans for the Holidays – Should You Plant Pole or Bush Green Beans Next Year? Are you one of the 20 million people who enjoyed green bean casserole for Thanksgiving dinner? If you plant green beans in your garden this summer, you can preserve and use your home-grown green beans in your next Thanksgiving meal. In this article, you will learn more about your green bean planting options and how to choose which beans to grow and enjoy. By Janelle Rietz-Kamenar, Master Gardener Many of us choose to adorn our holiday tables with the classic Green Bean Casserole (French cut green beans, fried onions, and mushroom soup). For trivia types, this casserole was first created in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly while employed at the Campbell Soup Company. As of 2020, Campbells estimated that approximately 20 million U. S. Thanksgiving dinners include this dish each year. That’s a lot of beans! And a reason to contemplate growing green beans next gardening season and then freezing them for the holiday season. Read more to determine if you should plant the Pole or Bush type green beans. Green Beans are also referred to as Snap Beans or String Beans and are a member of the wax bean family. And not to confuse people, but string beans can also be yellow, red, striped, and even purple (the purple disappears when cooked)! Growing green beans in your garden has many benefits; to name a few: · Easy to grow especially for young children as the larger seed size makes it easier to plant and the long green bean makes it easier for them to see to harvest; · Excellent companion plant to tomatoes as they put nitrogen back into the soil; · Can be grown in smaller spaces but require full sun; and · Excellent source of nutrition (low in calories, high in antioxidants including Vitamin C and fiber). In general, there are two types of these beans for gardeners to consider: Pole vs. Bush beans. Pole Beans, simply put, are vining plants which must be supported by a trellis, pole, or fence. They can grow up to 6 to 7 feet long. Bush beans are low growing plants that grow 1 to 2 feet tall only. So which type is better to plant: Advantages of Bush Beans: · No trellis or pole is required; · Great for compacted, raised beds; · Have a shorter production time (usually harvest within 50 to 55 days vs. 55 to 65 days for pole beans) · Produce all their beans within a short time (2 to 3 weeks) which is great for freezing and can stagger planting times for additional harvests Advantages of Pole Beans: · More productive than bush beans (in a 10-foot row space, pole beans can yield 8 pounds of produce compared to bush beans at 4 to 5 pounds) · Have a longer harvest window if you prefer to eat them fresh (continually harvest them). · Less susceptible to diseases such as powdery mildew · Have a better flavor than bush beans (sweeter and starchier) · Easier to harvest (gives your back a break) · Excellent companion plant to corn and squash/cucumber or with a teepee system you can plant lettuce, parsley, or radishes in the center. So, while you are enjoying your holiday feast, remember to dream about the upcoming planting season and decide if you are going to plant pole vs. bush string beans next year! Sources: · Green Bean Casserole, Wikipedia.org · WebMD Health Benefits of Green Beans. November 28, 2022 · JohnnySeeds.com About Pole Beans · Iowa State Extension and Outreach, Which is more productive, bush or pole green beans? Photo credits: www.Flickr.com (1,2), Davidbach.net , All Creative Commons (3)

Contact Dakota County Master Gardeners Volunteers We would love to hear from you! Visit our Speakers Bureau page if you are interested in having a Master Gardener speak to your group. Use the contact form on this page or send us an email at : mgdc@co.dakota.mn.us. Submit Thank you for contacting Dakota County Master Gardener Volunteers. One of our volunteers will respond soon. Contact Information Dakota County Master Gardener Volunteers c/o Ann Liberty Western Service Center – Dakota County 14955 Galaxie Ave., Suite 286 Apple Valley, MN 55124 Tel: 651-480-7700 Email: mgdc@co.dakota.mn.us