with Teri Knight
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Wasp nests
Now’s a good time to inspect your home for wasp nests that are being constructed.
It’s easy to overlook nests when they’re small and there are only a few wasps hanging around. However, that’s the best time to treat them when you can find them. Some wasp nests are built out in the open, like under eaves, and are the easiest to find and control.
Jeffrey Hahn is a University Extension Entomologist, he says, if a … [Continue reading]