Earth Day 2022


Fri. Apr. 22, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Earth Day 2022

Today is Earth day. Northern Gardener magazine had an insert last month with the 7 ways to Garden Greener. Today seemed a PERFECT day to share some of those ideas.

  • Nourish your soil with what’s on your property. Don’t haul those leaves, spread them on your garden beds for mulch. Compost your other plant debris!
  • Pick Perennials. Once established they use less water and fertilizer than annuals.
  • Put your plants where they want to be.
 … [Continue reading]

Organic matters


Thu. Apr. 21, 2022

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

 I talked about soil and rain barrels and composting last week. But what about organic matters? What is it? Does it matter? How much organic matter matters? Can it be too much? According to the University of MN Extension, the answer is actually… YES.

Soil organic matter (SOM) is the portion of soil that is composed of living and dead things in various states of decomposition, such as plant roots and microbes.

Organic (carbon-based) materials that  … [Continue reading]

Tips to keep your indoor seedlings thriving


Wed. Apr. 20, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Tips to keep your indoor seedlings thriving

 If you planted seeds indoors, you’re seeing sprouts now. Now is the time to give them some extra attention.

The University of Minnesota Extension says one of the most common problems affecting seedlings is Damping off. The link also has information on hard water. 

This problem is caused by a number of pathogens that I can’t pronounce, but results in seedlings collapsing at the base of the stem, and you can  … [Continue reading]

April is a fickle month


Tue. Apr. 19, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: April is a fickle month

April is fickle in the Upper Midwest. From sandals to Sorels, ya never know what we’re gonna get.

So what’s a gardener to do? Check the weather! I’m optimistic that this is the week we turn the corner! The projected forecast for my area is finally looking at lows above freezing and highs closer to 60!

Your perennials and hardy spring bulbs that are peeking out don’t need extra protection—they can take whatever  … [Continue reading]

Caring for your Easter Lily and planting it


Mon. Apr. 18, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Caring for your Easter Lily and planting it

Did you receive an Easter Lily this past weekend?

These plants are forced to bloom out of their normal flowering time to be ready for the Christian Holy Day as it is marked by many traditions including the beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers of lilium longiflorum. They symbolize purity, hope and life.

Caring for your Easter lily:

  • Lilies prefer it a little cool, around 60 to 65 degrees
  • They also prefer
 … [Continue reading]

Rain barrels and compost bins


Fri. Apr. 15, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Rain barrels and compost bins

Yes, it’s a perennial topic but with 18 million new gardeners recently, I want to share about these awesome garden tools!

April Showers bring May flowers and an opportunity. Of course, the hope is that moisture isn’t in the solid form of snow!  Rainwater is the best kind of water for your lawn, trees, shrubs and flower gardens. Capturing it is a good thing for several reasons.  First, it’s free!

It’s also a  … [Continue reading]

Mole or Vole?


Thu. Apr. 14, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Mole or vole?

Moles or voles, neither is great in the landscape. Voles are common in yards. They eat grasses and roots and leave trails. We usually see their small surface tunnels winding through lawns right after snow melt. Voles love munching on small trees and shrubs, they can be a problem with newly planted plants that don’t have protection in winter.

Large vole populations can most effectively be reduced using toxic baits. There are some available  … [Continue reading]

Fun plants for pollinators & people


Wed. Apr. 13, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Fun plants for pollinators & people

 Eighteen million new gardeners all want pollinators too! I’m sharing some pretty plants for them and you…

This annual is hot pink prolific bloomer. Gomphrena ‘Truffula Pink’ grows to 2 ft tall and wide, has no problem thriving in a drought and delivers blooms from planting to hard frost! 

Give it full sun and watch the pollinators stop by. Oh, and you don’t need to deadhead it either.

The Suncredible Yellow sunflower  … [Continue reading]

Epsom salts in your landscape – Yay or Nay


Tue. Apr. 12, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Epsom salts in your landscape – Yay or Nay

A listener recently asked me about using Epsom salts. Thank you, Dawn, for a great idea for a Garden bite! There are varying opinions as to the wisdom of using them.

First, I need to explain that Epsom salts contain magnesium. So I will debunk the notion that Epsom salts will prevent blossom end rot on tomatoes. Can’t do that because blossom end rot is a lack of calcium.  … [Continue reading]

Lawn spots from Fido or snow mold


Mon. Apr. 11, 2022

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Lawn spots from Fido or snow mold

We love our dogs but not so much what they do to our lawns over the winter.  Spot may have left some dead spots around the yard.

You can buy a lawn repair kit at most garden centers or you can mix your own.  After the soil has warmed up and isn’t wet, you can lift out the dead grass, loosen the soil and mix a handful of seed with a  … [Continue reading]