Show Date: 22 Feb 12

Different colored veggies have different nutrional values!  I find that quite fascinating…  I hope I’m not alone in my fascination as I’d like to share it with you.   Nature has provided us with much of what we need. 

Harvest

tomatoes, beets, turnips

• RED – lycopene and anthocyanins – may reduce risk of cancer and heart diseas
• ORANGE/YELLOW – carotenoids – good for your eyes, good for your heart
• GREEN – lutein – good for your eyes, protect against some cancers
• BLUE/PURPLE – anthocyanins – antioxidants – reduce risk of cancer, stroke, heart disease
• WHITE – anthoxanthins – lower cholesterol, blood pressure; reduce stomach cancer and heart disease

Show Date: 21 Feb 12
Greetings Gardeners!  We’re on the edge (almost) of zone 5 and so I decided to share some of the zone 5 plants I’d like to try this year.  Granted, I’m living in zone 4b NOT zone 5, however, I like to live on the edge…

Here are 2 new Coreopsis from the Big Bang Series that are rated zone 5.  I love coreopsis for their free-flowering all summer long.  Plant these beauties in full sun.  When first planting mix in compost or some peat moss to fluff the soil and give them a good start.  Water well and see that they get about an inch of water a week, at least for the first year.

Coreopsis 'Cosmic Eye'

‘Cosmic Eye’ grows 12 to 15 inches tall with a 12 inch spread, blooming June through October.  Mix with ‘Full Moon’ that grows 24 to 30 inches tall with an 18 inch spread and blooms from July through September. 

Coreopsis 'Full Moon'

I already told you about ‘Route 66′.  I liked it so much I thought it was worth the risk!  Now, there may be no risk.  Here’s a reminder of this pretty perennial.

Coreopsis 'Route 66'

I just couldn’t help myself, I needed to add ONE more plant for Fall.  The queen of fall flowers is the Chrysanthemum. ‘Aglaya’ is a 2012 introduction.  This plant grows to 26 inches tall,  is clay soil tolerant and does best in mostly full sun flowering from late spring through summer.  Enjoy…

Chrysanthemum 'Aglaya'

Show Date: 20 Feb 12

It’s happened!  The US Department of Agriculture put out new Hardiness Zone Maps.  The new HZM has shifted Minnesota by half a zone.  That means no more zone 2b and welcome zone 5a in south central Minnesota!

The above is just a snapshot of the new map but click HERE for the interactive map from the USDA.  You can zoom right into your town!  Zone 4a has extended nearly to Brainerd!  This map is simply about winter survival.  The incredibly mild winter we’ve experienced this year is an anomaly.  Next year could be the tundra… again!  The weather data was taken from 1976 to 2005 and goes through some mathematical stuff that I couldn’t begin to explain (and you likely don’t care!) where the coldest AVERAGE temperature is registered.   This is an in-depth article from the University of Minnesota Extension on the new maps. 

While plants are certainly affected by the weather, there are also many other considerations!  Soil, sun, pH and precipitation. 

This winter is going to be tough on our plants come spring.  While going into the winter with a moisture deficit and now no snow cover, they will be very thirsty!  Bugs will be an issue too….  since our temps have been mild, they are likely thriving underground.  We’ll be discussing this more as the time nears.

Show Date: 17 Feb 12
There are so many soils and soilless mixes on the market, which do you choose for repotting or potting your new plants?

 soil, perlite, fish emulsion

What’s the function of soil aka potting media? 

• to anchor the roots
• provide nutrients to your plant
• offer good drainage

Ideally your mix will be part pasteurized soil, organic matter like compost or peat moss and drainage material like perlite or coarse sand.  This mix works for MOST plants.  There are variations to this mix depending on the plant.  The cactus needs better drainage, so the mix would have more perlite or coarse sand in it.

Soilless mixes are lighter and almost always used for seed starting.  Seeds need no nutrients from soil to sprout, they carry all they need within them.  Orchids are an example of plants that use a soilless mix.  Be sure to check your plants preferences or ask the staff at your local nursery what would work best!

Show Date: 16 Feb 12

Now’s a good time of year to repot those houseplants that have outgrown themselves.  If their roots are coming out the bottom, or have circled around so many times they’ve formed their OWN pot, it’s time!

As you can see from the above picture taken from dummies.com, those roots have circled around themselves and are of no benefit to the plant.  They’re actually strangling it.  They can either be cut off carefully or unwind what you can.  Remove any mushy roots as well.

 Repot in a container that is just one size bigger than the one it’s in.  That means 1 to 2 inches.  Thoroughly water your plant 24 hours before you repot, carefully remove your plant.  Place a coffee filter at the bottom of your new container, this will let the water drain out but the soil will stay.  Fill your new pot with just enough soil to center your plant at the same depth it had been in.  Fill in the sides, tamping the soil and watering.

Water well and keep your plant out of direct sunlight for a few days while your plant gets used to it’s new digs.  For more information and pictures check out Our Garden Gang, this website has some other great information as well.

Show Date: 15 Feb 12

Vegetable garden size, that is!  It’s very easy to get excited about all the veggies and herbs you want to plant but it’s best to ask yourself some questions FIRST.

garden out of control!

This is my raised bed 5 years ago!  The nasturtiums went CRAZY from seed.  I planted too much and, although I did several things right, there’s always that last question you might forget to ask yourself!  Such as, in this instance, HOW much can I eat?!?

Keep these things in mind:

• you need Full sun
• close water source
• close to your home for quick access and ease of maintenance
• how much can you REALISTICALLY handle in regard to weeding, watering, harvesting
• do you want to share your food?
• do you want to have enough to freeze, can, preserve? 
• how much are you willing to let animals have?!?
• how will you prevent critters from munching?  Bunnies love beet tops!  One year they ate 2 separate plantings till I bought Plantskydd (granuals are best, they don’t smell as much, it lasts for 3 months)

Show Date: 14 Feb 12
Romantic love wasn’t even mentioned on St. Valentine’s Day until the poem “Parlement of Foules” by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1382, however, the celebration of St. Valentine started in 500AD! 

Flowers and chocolate became the “norm” of Valentine gift-giving in the 2nd half of the 20th century.  It all started here in the U.S.  thanks to some clever entreprenuers! 

Roses aren’t the only flowers!  There are carnations, aka Dianthus, which stands for love.  Daisies and Peruvian Lilies.  Sunflowers and Calla Lilies.  BTW, Calla lilies were used to express sophisitication and beauty!  And, as always, there are Orchids!! 

THE most important thing?  SAY it and MEAN it!    Happy Valentine’s Day…

Show Date: 13 Feb 12
Most men choose to give their Sweetheart roses  for Valentine’s Day.  Red is certainly the most popular, but what do the other colors mean?  There’s a message in those colors you might want to know!

• Red, the most popular, means love
• Coral represents desire
• Lavender means enchantment.  This is a good choice for a newer relationship
• Pink stands for perfect happiness
• Orange can mean fascination or new beginnings
• Yellow has a couple of meanings too.  It could stand for decreased love and jealousy or joy.  Make sure she knows which one you mean!
• White roses mean innocence and purity OR you are heavenly and I’m worthy of you.  Hmmm, not sure about that part.
• Exotic Green represents fertility!

Show Date: 10 Feb 12

EAB is not going away.  Yes, we can try to hold off the beast but, like Dutch Elm Disease and Buckthorn, it won’t disappear.  There is research underway using a certain type of wasp to prey on the bug, but whenever we introduce a species of any kind to deal with another invasive problem, we create another problem! 

Emerald Ash Borer

This little bug is responsible for the deaths of MILLIONS of Ash trees.  Minnesota has about 9 million Ash trees.  Many were planted along boulevards because of their easy growing, nice look and tolerant demeanor.  Well, now what?  We’re going to lose some.  What are our alternatives?

Variety is certainly the name of the game when planting anything.  The more diverse and the more we use natives, the better off our landscape will be.  I’m not saying that natives are completely protected, they’re not as evidenced by the destructive EAB, what I am saying is that they USUALLY have a better chance at survival overall. 

A couple of newer cultivars for American Elm trees that could serve as alternatives include ‘Valley Forge’ and ‘Princeton’. 

American Elm 'Valley Forge'

American Elm 'Princeton'

There are also a couple of other hybrids that the U of MN recommends.  ‘Accolade’ and ‘Triumph’.  Honeylocust is one of my favorite trees as I love it’s Spring chartreuse color that deepens to a glossy green in Summer.  Maples are an option as well, the Freeman Maple, ‘Autumn Blaze’ is a favorite of mine. 

Maple 'Autumn Blaze'

The Gingko is a good choice but only if you plant the MALE tree!  I know, sounds like discrimination.  Well, it’s just that the female tree bears fruit that’s messy and smells like dirty diapers.  Go figure! 

Show Date: 9 Feb 12
There’s a rainbow of colors now being used for plastic mulch and it’s been scientifically proven, the color makes the difference! 

colored plastic mulches photo by Veronica Justen

Several Universities have done extensive testing on the effects of different colored plastic mulches with different types of vegetables.  The effect on yield, nutritional value and soil temperatures.  This blurb is taken directly from the University of Minnesota Extension article:   Colored mulches are important in altering the microclimate during vegetable production as they change the quality of light that is reflected onto the vegetable plant. Previous research has shown that the color of the mulch used can influence yield and quality of vegetables. The most widely used result of colored plastic mulch research is the use of red plastic mulch to increase tomato yields. Light reflected from red mulch can increase tomato yields between 10-30% based on previous experiments. Other research has shown that flavor and health components of vegetables can be altered by growth on colored mulches. For instance, flavor compounds can be increased in basil using yellow colored mulch, chemopreventive compounds can be elevated in turnips with blue mulch, and B-carotene content can be enhanced in carrots using white mulch. Yellow mulch has been used with trap crops as it attracts some insects, while aluminum reflective mulch has been used to ward off insects. Trap crops are strategically placed crops used to deter or “trap” pests in order to protect more desirable or valuable crops. Black and clear mulches are used to elevate soil temperature, especially during early season growth. Current research at the Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca, MN is looking at the additional health benefits that can be obtained in the cabbage family of vegetables and garlic by growing them on various colored plastic mulches.

It never ceases to amaze me what technology can do.  I’m okay with working with some of this stuff, however, I DO question (to an extent) what the implications of any plastic vapor “off gassing” may produce.  I don’t even know that it does but I recently read a book called “The Non-Toxic Avenger” which highlights the ills of plastics and all sorts of other manmade chemical concoctions.  I’m really not a freak about it but I think having dialog about it keeps us on our toes!   

Here are some other articles for you to peruse if you are so inclined!  The Effect of Colored Mulch on Yield of Squash, Tomato and Cauliflower [Penn State]; How Scientists are Tricking plants [Penn State]; Colored Plastic Mulches for Vegetable Gardening;