Noxious weeds part 2


Thu. Aug. 2, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Noxious weeds part 2

Not much compares to Wild Parsnip and Hogweed in terms of, literally, physical pain to gardeners but there are many other Noxious/OBnoxious weeds that wreak havoc on our ecosystems.

Call them Most Wanted Weeds, or least wanted!  These weeds are not only invasive but destructive to our environment including roads, livestock, crops and property.  Some are poisonous; others damage our ecosystem by displacing our native species.  WI Noxious weed list  MN Noxious Weed list … [Continue reading]

Fertilizers, herbicides and weeds – oh my


Wed. Aug. 1, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Fertilizers, herbicides and weeds – oh my

Crabgrass and Clover and Dandelions oh my!  Yes the weeds in our lawns tend to give many a homeowner a fright.  As we step into  August, a typically hot/dry month, you might notice more issues.

Listeners have asked what they can do to, not only get rid of weeds but also to feed their lawns.  Now is NOT NORMALLY the time to fertilize.   If you must fertilize your lawn, the time  … [Continue reading]

Tough season for trees around the Upper Midwest


Tue. Jul. 31, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Tough season for trees around the Upper Midwest

Yesterday it was about flooding and your vegetable and fruit plants.  Today, I’m going to talk about the unholy winter of 2017/18.  Or the winter that wouldn’t end and then, suddenly, it did.  That was rough on Evergreens in the Upper midwest.

As you may recall…there were pockets of heavy piled up snow in April and then in late April we had warm, very windy days with low relative humidity  … [Continue reading]

Produce and flooding, late starts and zucchini


Mon. Jul. 30, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Produce and flooding, late starts and zucchini

The waning days of July, a month that brought a lot of moisture to many areas in the Upper Midwest.  I talked about water conservation and got a flood of emails regarding soaked gardens.

The University of Minnesota noted that floodwaters can be contaminated with all kinds of things, including raw sewage from septic systems or municipalities, manure from farms or fields, and chemicals or other contaminants.

So, when it comes  … [Continue reading]

Container makeovers


Fri. Jul. 27, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Container makeovers

If you have a bunch of those plastic containers that your new plantings came in, consider recycling them with a spray paint makeover.  This is fun for adults and kids.  If your containers are smooth, you’ll have to rough them up a bit with a little sand paper, if they’re a little rough… all the better for paint to adhere.  With all the spray paint colors available, you can have a blast getting creative.  Use multiple  … [Continue reading]

Drying herbs


Thu. Jul. 26, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Drying herbs

It’s herb mania right now.  I’ve got a wonderful sweet basil growing right now. The aroma is incredible and the taste, sensational when added to tomato soup as well as a number of other dishes.  I also have some ‘Hot & Spicy’ oregano, which I plan to dry.  Drying your own herbs is not only a great way to preserve your harvest but to get the best quality for a cheap price.  There are several drying  … [Continue reading]

Variegated leaves reverting (turning green)


Wed. Jul. 25, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Variegated leaves reverting (turning green)

A friend of mine, Faith Appelquist, is a fabulous local arborist with her company Treequality.  She puts out a monthly newsletter where she shares great information on trees, quotes from cool people and yummy recipes! Sign up for her newsletter, it’s really worth it!

Anyway, the reason I brought her up is she had just shared about variegated shrubs reverting back to their old ways.  And I was amazed by that,  … [Continue reading]

Hogweed vs Wild Parsnip


Tue. Jul. 24, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Hogweed vs Wild Parsnip

Is it Wild Parsnip?  Is it Giant Hogweed?  Is it toxic?  Yes, Yes and yes…  in the last couple of years there’s been a concerted effort to eradicate the toxic Wild Parsnip which is now growing with abandon in many a ditch around Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.  But now there’s another contender for the top toxic title.  Giant Hogweed.   I first reported on this weed in 2014, it hadn’t quite made it  … [Continue reading]

DVSM – Dog Vomit Slime Mold


Mon. Jul. 23, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  DVSM – Dog Vomit Slime Mold

Nope, the dog didn’t do it…  neither did the cat!

While I’ve never like EATING mushrooms, it’s a texture thing, I do find some of the fascinating!  DVSM changes almost daily…

DVSM seeks out wood chips.  We just happen to clean up the weeds, throw down some thick black plastic and a whole pile of wood chips from the local yard waste site and DVSM got very active!  It starts out a  … [Continue reading]

Biochar


Fri. Jul. 20, 2018

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show:  Biochar

I was on a tour of local gardens.  That’s so fun to see what others have done with their landscapes.  I love the diversity!  They were all lovely but there was one in particular that really intrigued as it was not the “usual” garden tour fair.  It was strictly about vegetables and this man’s quest for the best.

John’s been gardening a long time and when I stepped into his back yard I was astounded at the  … [Continue reading]