Digging a square hole and mulching to prevent girdling


Mon. Jun. 15, 2020

Click on the link below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Digging a square hole and mulching to prevent girdling

Mulching helps newly planted trees create stable root growth, which means longevity. I’ve told you this multiple times but I’ll say it again, when you mulch, think DONUT, not Volcano.

The idea is to mulch out to the dripline of the tree, away from the trunk. The point is that the roots will follow the mulch, so if you mulch at the trunk, there’s more chance  … [Continue reading]

Plant sale tips


Fri. Jun. 12, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Plant sale tips

Soon, if not already, there are plant sales. Although this year is different with a garden explosion, the choices may not be as prevalent as previous years.

Still, you want to be smart about what you buy. I have some tips for you as you shop…

Maybe I’m a little out of control!  Here are some tips for touring the plant sales:

  • buy healthy stock
  • check the roots, if you can.  Pull the plant, gently,
 … [Continue reading]

Perennial planting tips


Thu. Jun. 11, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Perennial planting tips

Yes, there is a pun in the title…

Sometimes we forget that not everyone knows how to do things we’ve done for years.  In that spirit, today is about perennial planting tips.

When planting containers:

  • Right Plant, Right Place (I know we talked about this but always a good thing to reinforce)
  • In container planting, mix perlite with your potting soil to lighten it and allow better drainage
  • plant your purchase at the level it
 … [Continue reading]

Tree of Heaven


Wed. Jun. 10, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Tree of Heaven

It sounds so lovely… and it is… elsewhere in the world. But in the U.S., and just recently Minnesota and Wisconsin, it’s on the ERADICATE list! Tree of heaven – U of MN Ext.

 Every obnoxious, noxious weed was brought over with good intentions. These plants worked well and were beautiful in other countries, so there was an assumption they would do fine here. It took decades, and in some cases, a century to find  … [Continue reading]

Controlling late blight on tomatoes


Tue. Jun. 9, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Controlling late blight on tomatoes

Nobody wants to see that!!!!

 If you lost your homegrown tomatoes due to a nasty disease called Late Blight, will the disease affect this years crop?  Not likely, the pathogen doesn’t survive our winter.  It’s generally brought in from elsewhere.  It can only survive on potato culls or tomato fruit that are sheltered in soil or a warm compost pile.

Late blight is caused by a water mold and needs high levels of  … [Continue reading]

Vegetable garden tips for June


Mon. Jun. 8, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Vegetable garden tips for June

June is an exciting month for vegetable gardeners!  We’ve got our warm season plants in the ground and we’ve already been munching on salad greens!

Although most folks have got their tomatoes, peppers and herbs in the ground, you still have a week, however, it would be best to find tomatoes like ‘Early Girl’, short season growers.

You can start successive plantings of beets, peas and shorter season crops.

Also fans of broccoli,  … [Continue reading]

Annuals for punctuation


Fri. Jun. 5, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Annuals for punctuation

Punctuate your landscape by stuffing some annuals in with your perennials!  Annuals make great transitions for filling in those “holes” in our perennial gardens.

As the tulips and daffodils fade, don’t pull them out, just put some pretty annuals around them!  Either right in the ground or in pots.

The ‘Wave’ petunias are some of my favorites for sun.  They fill in very nicely, offer a wide variety of colors and generally don’t get as  … [Continue reading]

Shrubs, shade and dogs


Thu. Jun. 4, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Shrubs, shade and dogs

A listener asked me about shrubs for shade, but she had a caveat, dogs… there are some shrubs to avoid when you have a curious dog or two…

Take the Yew, please, it’s toxic to nearly everything. The seed inside the berries is toxic to pets and people.

The yew we yanked…

Hydrangeas are pretty but poisonous to pups. In fact, the leaves and buds are also toxic to cats and horses. These parts  … [Continue reading]

Ants are not social distancing


Wed. Jun. 3, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Ants are not social distancing

 If there’s one creature I really wish would social distance it’s ANTS. Holy cow have they come out in abundance this year.

They’ve already lifted several of my plants right out of the soil including a beautiful grass that is in danger.

 I tried the non-toxic diatomaceous earth, a fine white powder that sticks to their bodies and dries them out. It killed some and sent the rest of them fleeing. No  … [Continue reading]

Quackgrass and your garden bed


Tue. Jun. 2, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Quackgrass and your garden bed

A friend of mine asked me about getting rid of quackgrass in the garden. So I did some research, turns out the best defense is not to have any to begin with. Uh, too late!

Yes, I said quacking… this is a nasty infestation of quackgrass. It COULD have come from a plant you brought home and inadvertently tucked into your garden.  A little more information from the University of MN on quackgrass … [Continue reading]