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Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica) flowers and bulbs. Nancy Rose
Self-planting bulbs? When gardeners plant bulbs we carefully dig holes and place the bulbs at the right depth. But how do bulbs that grow from seed plant themselves? The secret is contractile roots. These are specialized roots that are capable of contracting, which pulls the small seedling bulb deeper into the soil. Contractile roots look quite different from the bulb’s regular string-like roots. They are large, fleshy, wrinkled, and taper to a point. The wide upper portion of the contractile root helps push aside soil, creating an open path for the bulb once the root whithers.
Shown here are the flowers and bulbs of Siberian squill (Scilla siberica), a hardy minor bulb that’s great for naturalizing in gardens and lawns. Siberian squill seeds readily, producing an ever-widening swath of blue-flowered spring bulbs. The young bulb on the right, dug in early summer, shows fully developed contractile roots. Many other bulbs, including lilies, use contractile roots to plant themselves at the right depth. --Nancy Rose
The many different kinds of roses grown in Minnesota vary in how well they survive the winter and how well they resist disease. Spring is an important time to examine roses for winter damage and disease problems. It is also an appropriate time to prune roses to improve the plant’s overall health and beauty for the season ahead. As buds swell and growth begins in April, we have a pretty good indication of what tissue is dead and what is alive. By waiting until the buds start to swell and grow, we can avoid inadvertently pruning out live wood.
Remove dead canes first
Begin by pruning out obviously dead canes. Dead canes can be the result of winter damage or a canker-causing fungus. There are many different fungi that can cause cankers on rose plants. Many canker-causing fungi take advantage of wounds to enter the plant tissue and cause infection. Plants that have been stressed by drought, poor soil fertility, or other factors are especially susceptible to these fungi. Brown canker (caused by Cryptosporella umbrina) and brand canker (caused by Coniothyrium wernsdorffiae) develop in the cold, moist conditions present in late winter and early spring, but many different types of canker can be observed this time of year.
To find cankers, examine canes for white or tan areas, where the epidermis looks dry and papery. These cankers often have a red or purple border. Raised pimple-like fungal spore-producing structures may be seen in or around the canker. Cankers can be several inches long and will kill the cane if they grow large enough to girdle the stem. All stems with cankers should be pruned out, removed from the garden, and destroyed. Make sure to prune below visible symptoms of the canker.
(top) Rose brown canker
(bottom) Nectria canker with fungal spore producing structures.
Michelle Grabowski
Canes killed by winter injury alone will be dark in color and not have any fungal spore producing structures. These canes can be left in the garden, chipped, or composted.
Consider the kind of rose
Before pruning out live canes, consider the type of roses in your garden. Many species of climbers and old garden roses bloom predominantly or solely off of side buds from the previous year's growth. Pruning more than just the dead wood in spring can reduce the number of side buds and blooms. With these roses wait until after they are done flowering to significantly prune, otherwise you will lose the main spring floral display.
Very hardy roses can accumulate years of growth and may require rejuvenation pruning. Rejuvenation pruning involves removing about 20% of the oldest canes. Cut old canes near the base of the plant - this will encourage healthy new canes which tend to flower better. Many everblooming shrub roses, which bloom well on new basal canes, can be pruned severely. Canes can be thinned out to open the center and promote symmetry. Thin, weak, or twiggy growth can be removed in order to promote fewer, but stronger flowering stems. Remaining canes can be cut to a relatively uniform height or desired shape to promote plant symmetry. The number of canes to retain depends on many factors such as general branching and growth habit for a cultivar, ultimate plant size desired for the given area and personal preference. The harder an everblooming rose is pruned, typically the less flowers there will be, but they will be larger and on stronger stems.
Check for symptoms of disease
Before thinning stems or removing branches, examine all live canes for disease symptoms. The fungi that cause black spot (Diplocarpon rosae), downy mildew (Peronospora sparsa) and rust (Phragmidium sp.) can all survive the winter on stem infections. Look for purple or black spots. These spots may be smooth, rough or blister-like and typically do not kill the cane. Whenever possible prune out canes showing these symptoms as part of the thinning process and remove them from the garden. This will reduce the amount of fungi that are present in the garden to start leaf infections in the upcoming season.
Making the cut
All pruning cuts should be made about ¼" above the swelling bud and at a 45o angle with the high side of the cut right above the bud. If possible, prune the canes back to an outward facing bud. Cutting to an outward facing bud will help direct new growth outward away from the center of the plant. Avoiding crowded canes in the center of the plant promotes better air circulation. This will allow foliage to dry quickly and will discourage diseases like black spot and powdery mildew. For climbing roses or other roses positioned on support structures like fences or trellises, the cut can be made at a bud pointing in the intended direction you want the new growth to grow.
Always use a sharp pair of pruners capable of leaving a clean cut without crushing the stem and cut no more than ¼" above a live bud. This will encourage better healing of the wounded surface. If more than ¼” of cane tissue is left above a bud, the excess cane will typically die. This dead stub is easily colonized by canker-causing fungi which then continue down the stem to infect and cause cankers in the live tissue below the stub.
Pruning our roses, as well as other plants, is similar to spring cleaning in our homes. As we get rid of what is no longer needed and give greater priority to what is kept, we are rewarded with fewer problems and can enjoy greater health and beauty in the gardening season ahead.
Want to learn more about roses? Michelle, David, and other horticulture experts will talk about growing healthy, beautiful roses in Minnesota’s challenging climate. Learn about exciting new roses for your garden, plus a hands-on lesson in selecting cut roses for bouquets.
Manure has been used as a soil amendment for centuries by farmers and gardeners to improve plant growth. Manure not only supplies many nutrients needed by plants, including micronutrients, but it is also a valuable source of organic matter. Increasing soil organic matter improves soil structure or tilth, increases the water-holding capacity of coarse-textured sandy soils, improves drainage in fine-textured clay soils, provides a source of slow release nutrients, reduces wind and water erosion, and promotes the growth of beneficial soil organisms. Although there are many benefits of using manure in gardens, proper management is essential to prevent potential illness to humans, environmental contamination, and poor plant growth. The purpose of this article is to provide guidelines for effective and safe use of manure in gardens.
Commercial manure composting. Carl Rosen
All types of fresh manure pose some health risk to humans if not properly handled or processed. Fresh manure from all animals contains various strains of bacteria such as Eschericia coli (E. coli) that can cause gastro-intestinal illness with symptoms ranging from an upset stomach and diarrhea to death in people with weak immune systems. The recent problems associated with fresh spinach and lettuce consumption were related to contamination with manure at some stage during production, processing or handling of the produce. Even though the contamination does not always occur during the production stage, the outbreaks have made people more aware of the potential problems related to manure use. In addition, fresh manure from non-herbivores like cats and dogs may also contain other types of disease-causing organisms such as round worms from dog manure and a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis from cat manure. For this reason, it is recommended that only manure from herbivores be used for gardening and composting. More information about the problems with using cat and dog manure can be found at:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h238manure-dog-cat.html
For most garden situations, manure should be composted or heat treated before use. This is especially important if the manure is being used as the nutrient source to grow vegetables or fruit for fresh consumption or if it is being used as a mulch. Heat generated during the composting process will kill most pathogens, provided temperatures are maintained at or above 131°F for 15 days or more (and the compost is turned several times so that all material is exposed to this temperature for a minimum of 3 days). The heat generated during composting will also kill most weed seeds, which is an added benefit. When handling fresh manure for composting gloves should be used and hands washed before eating food. Many backyard compost piles do not reach the temperatures necessary to kill pathogens, so unless you are willing to actively manage your compost pile it is safer not to add fresh manure. More details on how to properly compost manure can be found at:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG3296.html#toc
It is important to locate a compost pile, and piles of manure that will be composted, in a site where runoff to the garden or children’s play areas will not occur. If necessary, a berm of soil can be constructed around the area to contain water. Do not harvest garden produce into containers that have been used to transport manure and thoroughly wash tools, gloves and other items used to handle manure before using them in the garden.
Aged manure, or manure that has sat for an extended period of time and is partially decomposed, will have reduced pathogen levels compared with fresh manure; however, it may not be pathogen free and it is safest to treat aged manure in the same way as fresh manure is treated.
Dried manure products can often be purchased at garden centers. Drying manure or compost to a low moisture content reduces their volume and weight. Dried products can be easier to handle and apply more uniformly to gardens, especially those products that have been processed into pellets. Heat drying will eliminate most pathogens if temperatures exceed 150 to 175°F for at least one hour and water content is reduced to 10 to 12% or less. One advantage of dried manure is that it will have a much higher nutrient value than composted manure.
Avoid growing leafy vegetables like Swiss chard immediately after fresh manure application. Nancy Rose
Many different types of manure composts and dried manure products are available at garden centers. The nutrient content of these products varies with animal, bedding, storage, and processing. Because of the variability in manure and compost, it is difficult to provide a general recommendation for how much to apply. Poultry manure compost usually has higher nitrogen content than compost made from horse or cattle manure. Applying manure at rates that are too low can lead to nutrient deficiency and poor plant growth. On the other hand, too high a rate can contribute to nitrate leaching, phosphorus runoff leading to algal growth in lakes, and excessive vegetative growth of some crops. In general, composted manure is applied based on its nitrogen content. The nitrogen content of composts will range from about 0.5% to about 3% and only about 10-15% of that nitrogen will be available over the first growing season. The greatest benefit from manure compost will be attained if it is incorporated into the soil. If your compost has 1% nitrogen, then about 2 lbs of compost should be applied per square foot. If your compost has 2% nitrogen, then 1 lb of compost should be applied per square foot. The nutrient value of the compost is often provided if you purchase it from a garden center. In many cases, a recommended rate of application will be provided on the bag.
Key Points
The intense fragrance and elegant form of the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) with its white trumpet flowers beautifully framed with dark, grassy foliage make it a holiday favorite. The primary market for Easter lilies in the United States and Canada is as a potted flowering holiday plant. In Europe and Asia, however, Easter lilies are forced into flower and enjoyed throughout the year primarily as a cut flower, much like Asiatic and Oriental lilies.
Things to look for when selecting an Easter lily:
The potted Easter lily market is very unique compared to all other North American floriculture crops because of a combination of these four factors:
The potted Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) ranks among the top 5 flowering potted plants in the United States in wholesale value behind only poinsettias, mums, orchids, and azaleas (citation). In 2005 close to 8.5 million pots were forced into flower by U.S. greenhouse growers and had a wholesale market value of about $35.6 million. In addition to these 8.5 million pots, many Easter lilies, especially those sold at big box stores, are grown in Canadian greenhouses and shipped to the United States. Favorable exchange rates with Canada and lower production costs due in part to fuel subsides from the Canadian government to Canadian growers encourage import of floriculture crops into the United States. In recent years there has been a shift in the final customer as well. Most Easter lilies are purchased by individuals who buy just one plant and plants are primarily purchased from discount stores. In the past, churches accounted for a greater percentage of overall sales and there was a stronger market for higher quality plants from retail florists. Overall, the total number of plants sold annually has remained relatively constant.
US Easter lily history
United States Easter lily bulb production emerged as a thriving market during World War II, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor severed trade with Japan. Before this time Japan was the major source for Easter lily bulbs for U.S. greenhouse growers. Environmental conditions along the Pacific coast of California and Oregon are similar to those in Japan, where Easter lilies are native, so this allowed for successful U.S. Easter lily bulb production. Thousands of farmers saw the benefit of diversifying the crops they grew to include Easter lilies. Farmers obtained and grew whatever Easter lily propagation material they could get their hands on. Easter lilies were nicknamed “white gold” because of the high price bulb growers could get from the greenhouse growers. In fact, the wholesale price of an Easter lily bulb in the late 1940s was about $1 each (Clark, 1949), the wholesale price of an Easter lily bulb today!
The market soon became saturated with U.S. grown Easter lily bulbs. As prices declined many farmers could no longer compete and got out of growing Easter lilies. What started out as thousands of bulb growers in the 1940s is now approximately 9 large growers located in the most favorable coastal regions of Northern California and Southern Oregon. Out of those 9 growers, 5 predominant growers supply greater than 80% of the market. In addition, competition and a stabilizing market led to the identification and production of the choicest clones which became named cultivars. Popular cultivars included ‘Ace’, ‘Croft’, and ‘Nellie White’. These names are associated with the names of the farmers who grew them. Over the years ‘Ace’ and ‘Croft’ have become susceptible to leaf scorch, while ‘Nellie White’ remains relatively resistant. This along with some other production factors has led to ‘Nellie White’ becoming the predominant U.S. Easter lily cultivar. No other major U.S. crop relies so heavily on a single cultivar. ‘Eden’ and ‘Harbor’ are two relatively recent cultivars available from the Easter lily Research Foundation located in Brookings, OR, but they comprise a very minor portion of the market.
Easter lily production
Easter lily field production takes 2 or 3 years before a bulb is large enough to sell to a greenhouse grower and be forced for Easter sales. Each bulb producer maintains their own stock of ‘Nellie White’ and chooses plants with more desirable features for propagation. Over the past 60+ years that ‘Nellie White’ has been in existence differences in performance have emerged based on which bulb producer a greenhouse grower obtained their bulbs from. Mutations are likely occurring and accumulating over time and to different degrees across bulb lots grown by the different growers.
For part of my Ph.D. research I obtained samples of Easter lily bulbs from each of the major bulb producers and grew them in a common greenhouse environment. Samples of bulbs were obtained from the growers over two shipment years and each bulb was forced into flower over two growing cycles. This experiment was initiated to complement the lily genetics research being conducted within the University of Minnesota Floriculture Breeding Program led by Dr. Neil O. Anderson. The objective was to investigate the assertion of greenhouse growers that there are performance differences between lots of bulbs from different field producers and document the extent of differences if differences were found. Upon careful analysis of the data, vast variability in performance for almost every trait examined was found across plants of ‘Nellie White’ based on what grower they came from. The major reasons explaining the variability were:
Genetic Differences Between Grower Bulb Sources- Mutation accumulation has led to different degrees of genetic divergence among stock of ‘Nellie White’ of bulb growers.
Lily Symptomless Virus (LSV)- All lilies sampled were positive for this virus. Although this virus does not produce streaks or mottling on the foliage (it is “symptomless”), it does effect plant height, plant vigor, and time to flowering. Lilies with greater virus concentration were shorter and took a longer time to flower. The virus concentration was variable from the same grower from year to year and across lily plants. Such variability makes it nearly impossible to predict and manage the effect of virus on crop performance.
Variable Grading of Bulbs- All bulbs for this study were designated as the 8-9” circumference commercial size. However, growers sent bulbs of variable sizes and many bulbs were larger than the designated class. Larger bulbs tended to produce larger plants; they were taller and had more leaves and flowers. Harvest, grading, and shipping is a very busy time for bulb producers. They want to complete these tasks as soon as possible to get the bulbs to greenhouse growers who need to begin forcing them so they flower by Easter. Bulb producers feel that erring on the side of providing greenhouse growers with larger than expected bulbs is to their customers’ benefit. However, variable bulb size can lead to challenges in keeping height within a prescribed limit and having a uniform crop.
Recommendations based on University of Minnesota research:
How to care for your Easter lily during the holiday season
What to do with your Easter lily after Easter
Exciting Easter lily hybrids for Minnesota gardens
LA (longiflorum-asiatic) and LO (longiflorum-oriental) lilies are hybrids of Easter lily (L. longiflorum) with Asiatic or Oriental lilies, respectively. Most LA and LO hybrids are hardy in zone 4 and some are hardy even in zone 3. The LA hybrids tend to have larger flowers and darker, larger foliage than most Asiatic lilies and open flat like Asiatic lilies. Through persistent efforts of breeders and raising multiple generations, LA lilies now come in a very wide assortment of colors. Most LA hybrids trace back to the Easter lily cultivar ‘Ace’. LO lilies have come onto the market in only the past few years. The first and most widely grown cultivar is ‘Triumphator’, a lily with a shallow trumpet and primarily white flower with a rich reddish-pink throat. Crosses between genetically diverse lilies have been possible in recent history through special pollination techniques and rescuing embryos before they would have normally aborted in tissue culture. Crosses between other diverse lily groups are being made as well by breeders worldwide.
Clark, R.R., 1949. The history of the Easter lily indisutry on the West coast. North American Lily Society Yearbook, pp. 29-31.
Zlesak, D.C. and N.O. Anderson, 2007. Clonal variability among grower bulb lots of Easter lily ‘Nellie White’. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science Volume 132, pp. 29-43.
French marigolds were the companion plant for tomatoes. Nancy Rose
Companion planting is a topic that raises questions and stirs controversy among gardeners. The practice of companion planting is based on the belief that certain plants will benefit specific desired crops when the two are planted closely together. Suggested benefits of companion planting include reducing pests, improving crop vigor and yield, and imparting better flavor. Companion planting is typically practiced in smaller scale crop production, such as in home gardens.
How companion plants are supposed to protect desired plants is not well understood. Some companion plants are thought to emit chemicals which could repel pests, mask the odors of or improve the growth of desired plants. Other companions are believed to protect the desired crops by physically hiding them. Still others are thought to be much more attractive and are used as trap plants to distract pests from desired crops.
While there is a lot of information written about companion plants in books, gardening magazines, and on the Internet, it is largely anecdotal, lacking a critical scientific examination of the control method. When companion plants have been tested and reported on in the scientific literature, they have not survived the scrutiny of replicated research trials.
Squash Bugs nymphs and eggs . Jeff Hahn
Let's Do Our Own Research And Find Out.
During the summer of 2005, an e-mail on the Master Gardener list serve sparked some discussion concerning the pros and cons of companion plants. Because there has generally been little research done in this area, this presented us with an excellent opportunity to test this for ourselves. So a companion plant research trial was organized to examine what effect, if any, certain companion plants had in gardens protecting desired plants. It was also a chance for Master Gardeners to experience first hand the scientific method at work.
The first step was to determine what companion plant combinations to use in the study. The choice was made to offer several different combinations to attract a larger number of volunteers. We wanted to be sure the companion and desired plants were commonly grown in Minnesota home gardens and the target insect pests were common in the state.
The list was finally narrowed to nasturtiums paired with summer squash* to repel squash bugs; icicle radishes and squash/cucumber* to generally keep away all insect pests away; garlic to protect all garden plants from Japanese beetles and aphids; and French marigold** combined with tomatoes to repel general insect pests. Eventually the garlic combination was dropped because of a lack of interest.
* Note: The original literature suggested that nasturtiums and icicle radishes protected squash in general; we specifically designated the desired crop as summer squash to help minimize the space need to grow them in gardens.
** Note: The original literature suggested marigolds; we asked volunteers to plant French marigolds to try to establish a degree of continuity.
A request was made for Master Gardener volunteers to participate in this study. They were told they could select the combination(s) of their choice and conduct as few or as many trials as they wished. The goal was to test the ability of companion plants to protect desired crops from insect pests. Twenty-seven people from throughout the state expressed interest in helping with this trial.
A volunteer's plot. Eileen McCormick
How Were the Trials Set Up?
Each volunteer was asked to establish two plots for each trial, a treatment plot (one desired plant with companion plants) and a check (just one desired plant). The desired plants had to be the same species and variety in both plots. However, different plants could be grown in different plots. For example, although everyone planted summer squash and nasturtiums together, different gardeners planted different types of summer squash. We stressed that everyone needed to establish their plots in the same manner so the results would be comparable.
First, the same number of companion plants needed to be grown in each plot. It was decided that the companions should surround the desired plants. With that in mind, we determined that volunteers should plant five nasturtiums around summer squash; 20 or 5 icicle radishes around summer squash/cucumbers; and three or five marigolds around tomatoes.
Second, it was important that each plot was cared for in as similar a manner as possible. This includes planting both plots in the same soil type, in sites that receive the same amount of sun, and a similar distance from the edge of the garden. The plants should also receive the same amount of water and fertilizer.
Third, the gardeners needed to plant the companions the same distance from the desired crops. We wanted the nasturtiums to be planted three feet from summer squash; icicle radishes three feet from summer squash and unstaked cucumbers and 12 inches from trellised cucumbers (trellised cucumbers only had 5 icicle radishes around them). If tomatoes were staked and pruned, plant marigolds 12 inches away; if tomatoes were caged, plant them 6 inches away. Plant marigolds two feet away from tomatoes without support; they needed more marigolds (five instead of three).
Note: Jackie Smith, Master Gardener coordinator in Carver/Scott county, was extremely helpful in setting up the protocols involving number of companion plants, how close they were planted together, and other instructions involving planting and care of them.
Volunteers were asked to randomly assign garden space to their trials. They were told the best method to do this was by flipping a coin to choose between the two plots. There was no minimum distance required between treatment plots and checks.
How did we know if the companions were having a positive influence on the desired plants? The primary method for measuring success was to count and weigh the fruits and vegetables that were produced (e.g. on a kitchen or postal scale). Volunteers were asked to harvest fruits and vegetables at the same approximate level of ripeness so they would be more directly comparable (Note: specific information was provided to the volunteers for harvesting the specific fruits and vegetables). Although not required, volunteers were asked, if they had time, to record any injury (e.g. chewing damage, discolored leaves, wilting vines etc.) and approximate count of pest insects on desired plants.
What Were The Results?
Of the 27 volunteers that started, only nine sent in results. Some were not able to plant their trial plots due to a variety of circumstances. Others got started without a problem but experienced trouble later in the season. Problems, including heat, drought, disease, or animals, devastated some of the volunteers’ plots and forced them to drop out of the project. The nine remaining volunteers completed 23 trials between them.
The number and weight of the fruit or vegetable for each treatment (with a companion) and control (without a companion) were tabulated. The total weight for the treatment plots and the control plots were totaled and then added to each other. A positive number meant the treatment plots were a greater net weight and conversely a negative number meant that the control plots were a greater net weight. The differences were then averaged for a particular plant combination.
Roger Moon, department of entomology, analyzed the information using a paired T test with the following results.
| Crop | Companion | No. of Trials | Total Difference in Yield (oz) |
| summer squash | nasturtium | 7 | 15 |
| summer squash/cucumber | icicle radish | 6 | 14 |
| tomato | french marigold | 10 | -4 |
Numbers of individual trials varied considerably. However, when all of the replicates for each of the three combinations were added together and analyzed statistically, the result was the same in all three trials -- companion plants were not a benefit to the desired crops (Remember, the definition of success was the number and weight of the harvested fruits and vegetables).
Most gardeners did not comment on finding insect pests in their trials. This is probably because they did not record this data regularly but also because insect pests were not always present. When gardeners did comment on this, there were always similar numbers in both plots. In no case did a volunteer observe large number of insects in the control plot and few or none in the treatment plot.
Nasturtiums were planted with summer squash in the trial. Nancy Rose
Discussion
What do these results mean for us? The findings of this study are consistent with other research reports that found companion plants were not effective in protecting desired crops. It isn’t enough to judge how effective a companion plant is without comparing it to a crop plant that grew without companion planting. You don’t know if the lack of insects is due to the companion, a lack of pest insects that particular season, or another factor. Comparing desired plants with and without companions gives you a much truer picture of what is happening in your garden.
Does that mean this is the final word on the topic? It is possible that these were not the best combinations to try. Perhaps a different pair of plants would give more encouraging results. Also, we should consider the small number of trials that were actually completed in this project. It is desirable to conduct trials with larger sample sizes to give us a higher confidence level in our results.
What are the next steps? This project was definitely a learning process and we should refine our procedures and protocols and repeat it. Ideally, it would be nice in future research to have just one plant combination to simplify the procedures and include a greater number of results. It would also be desirable to have all participants grow the same species and variety of plants so the results are more comparable. We should keep weekly records of the pest insects presents and their damage as well as define what is an acceptable and unacceptable difference in yield between crops to help us better define success.
While there is no plan to run a companion plant trial in 2007, look for a similar research project in 2008 when this projects hopes to work with the vegetable trials project run by Jackie Smith.
High quality lawn area. Bob Mugaas
To rake or not to rake
Early spring lawn repair
Dethatching and aerating
Fertilizing with a broadcast spreader . Bob Mugaas
Fertilizing
Lawn Watering. Bob Mugaas
Watering
Mowing
Weed Control
STOP pruning oaks and elms - this will reduce the chance of oak wilt and Dutch elm disease transmittal by insects. Avoid pruning oaks and elms from April through June, or better yet until fall at the earliest.
Finish pruning other deciduous trees and shrubs, including fruit trees. Cut down raspberry canes that bore fruit last July.
Gradually remove winter mulch from gardens.
Hybrid tea roses like 'French Perfume' can be uncovered in April. Nancy Rose
Tender garden roses that were tipped and covered last fall can be unearthed in mid-April (or later farther north).
Many county compost/organic debris sites reopen in spring, so you can now drop off pruned branches and other yard waste, and also obtain finished compost.
Many garden centers have spring bulbs and other bagged or boxed bareroot plant materials. Sometimes stores obtain these materials before the temperatures are warm enough to plant outdoors and they start to sprout in the warm stores. Purchase such materials early and keep them dormant in a cool basement or refrigerator until planting.
There's till plenty of time to start many flower and vegetable seeds indoors. Use a heating mat to speed seed germination. Early April is a good time to start tomato seeds.
Lawn - read everything you need to know about April lawn care in Bob’s article above!
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Back issues Yard & Garden Line News for the past nine years are online at http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/ygline-news.html.
Deb Brown will answer gardening questions as a recurring guest on the Midmorning show on MPR. The program is broadcast on KNOW 91.1 FM, and available state-wide on the MPR news radio stations.
For plant and insect questions, visit http://www.extension.umn.edu/askmg. Thousands of questions have been answered, so try the search option in the black bar at the top left of the board for the fastest answer.
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Happy gardening!Nancy Rose
Editor
Regional Extension Educator - Horticulture
Home « Gardening News « April 1, 2007