Tips for Making Better Compost
Probably the most common advice given for improving your garden’s performance is to add compost. Compost improves soil fertility and texture. It’s packed with microorganisms…

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Probably the most common advice given for improving your garden’s performance is to add compost. Compost improves soil fertility and texture. It’s packed with microorganisms…
With the vegetable garden bulging with produce and many flowers starting to fade, seed savers are on the look-out for the best plants in their…
As August ends and fall activities gear up, it’s easy to let the garden go a bit — to weed less, forget to pick those…
As August slides toward September, the heat tends to ease up and many gardens improve in appearance. Some plants will put on a second flush…
You don’t need a large plot of land to grow your own food or some flowers to brighten your home. You can grow plants anywhere!…
Congratulations to all the participants in the MSHS Plant Show at the Minnesota State Fair! The Grand Champion was a gorgeous bonsai entered by Sandy…
Knowing when to pick vegetables for peak taste and texture is a skill many gardeners develop after years of trial and error. Generally, however, vegetables…
We are hearing many reports from gardeners about aster yellows, a highly contagious plant disease spread by aster leafhoppers. Plants show more symptoms during periods…
Like a beautiful photograph or painting, gardens have backgrounds and foregrounds, points of emphasis and the scene in which the accents reside. In our recent…
Moving into August, vegetable gardeners begin to ask themselves a simple question: What was I thinking? The harvests are piling up and, as delicious as…
Pruning can change the look of so many plants, and that’s what makes it a great tool for creative gardeners. Here’s an example of how…
Yesterday, we posted about three of the six insects University of Minnesota entomologist Jeff Hahn thinks northern gardeners should watch out for. So, here’s the…
At the recent Upper Midwest Master Gardener conference at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, entomologist Jeff Hahn led a session called “Watch Out for These Insects.”…
It’s happened to many gardeners and homeowners. You plant a trio of cute little shrubs in front of your house. Three years later, you’re hacking…
Your containers may look lovely in early summer, but what happens when the weather gets hot and the summer gets long? Sometimes the containers get…
By midsummer, your early-blooming native plants may be looking scruffy. It’s time for haircuts! Many perennials and annuals benefit from trimming back or selective pruning…
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