with Teri Knight
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: October perennial care
Yowza, it’s October 1st and time for some October to-do’s in the garden.
The seeds of rudbeckia and coneflower are ready to be collected if they’re dried!
Cut the heads off in the afternoon when the plant is dry, open the flower head and collect the seeds. You can store them in a dry area in jars or envelopes. Make sure you mark them or it really will be a surprise!
Sometimes you’ll get the … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Hummingbirds heading out
I still see those little jewels at my Honeysuckle vine and red mandevilla! But they’ll be on the move very soon.
Hummingbirds, their wings beating out the symbol for infinity, and a tattoo on the back of my shoulder! All 350 (or so) species of hummingbirds are native to the Americas! Another great guide to all kinds of birds comes from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
As for the Upper Midwest, we are graced with 7 … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Best time to fertilize your lawn
Although most plants are shutting down right now, your lawn continues to actively grow, if it’s had water!
Fall is the time when lawn grasses use their energy to spread and develop deeper root systems instead of above ground blades. The best time to fertilize your lawn is, generally, now to late October.
I will share how to do this now, but remind you that many of us are still in a … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min Garden Bite radio show: Apple trees for northern climates
Apple season is in full swing with local orchards now open.
For those of us in cold climates, growing apples wasn’t always easy but with a lot of research by places like the University of Minnesota, which started breeding apples in 1888, we can grow some delicious apples!
I remember the first ‘Honeycrisp’ apple I ever ate … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Oak wilt
Last year, a friend of mine had, what used to be, a gorgeous old oak tree. Sadly it developed Oak wilt. It won’t survive. Oak Wilt is caused by a non-native, invasive fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum. (now you know why I didn’t even try to pronounce it on my radio show!)
And now, Oak will has traveled further north, for the first time showing up in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. Wisconsin also has the disease.
Oak … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Dogs and their amazing noses
You might wonder what dogs and their noses have to do with a gardening show… I’ve talked before about how dogs are being used to sniff out the invasive insect Emerald Ash Borer.
It’s amazing as forestry services and universities are delving even further into what dogs are capable of. They can detect the insect well before humans know it’s there. That means treatment can happen much more quickly. It also means … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Spotted touch-me-not aka Jewelweed
I was recently on a bicycle ride with a friend along a trail the city created. They did a really nice job of weaving it through wooded areas and open spaces. It was also fun to see all the native plants including helianthus laetiflorus aka cheerful sunflower…
…and solidago aka goldenrod. Which is NOT the plant that makes you sneeze!
But then there was this little jewel of a flower you had to look … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Autumnal Equinox – savoring Fall
Happy Autumnal Equinox Day! We turn the Autumnal corner at 2:20 central time this afternoon! I just love this time of year.
Sweatshirts and flannels, leaving the windows cracked open at night with that cool air making good sleeping weather, that feeling of nesting as we bring our garden harvests in and preserve, can, dry or freeze them for winter.
The change of seasons means we need to watch those temps as they … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Fall herbicide care in a drought
In a “normal” year, now through late October would be the best time to put down a herbicide for broadleaf weeds. Dandelion, plantain lily, white clover and wild violets are actively growing.
HOWEVER, for 2021, for drought stricken areas, homeowners are being urged NOT to use treatments. The biggest reason is that, if the weeds are wilted the herbicide won’t be nearly as effective and if your lawn is dormant, the chemicals … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Overabundance of produce?
Got a problem with too much produce? Neighbors done accepting more cucumbers and zucchini from you? What do you do? Preserving, canning, drying and even fermenting are great options.
Comprehensive information on varied ways to safely preserve your harvests [Univ. of MN Ext.]
When harvesting vegetables, be careful not to break, nick or bruise them. The less you handle your vegetables, the longer they’ll last in storage. And only harvest the best stuff! Rotting produce … [Continue reading]