Yard & Garden Line News Volume 2 Number 4                                                              April 15, 2000

Features this issue: Update on Vermiculite All America Selections; Orange Will be "Hot" in This Year's Gardens Healthy Vegetables are in; Grow All America Selections Unhealthy Evergreens Iris Leaf Spot Plant Pathology Reminders Be on the Alert for Spring Insects House Centipedes in Spring Tiny Red Clover Mites Are Found in Homes Now Now is a Good Time to Seal Old Yellowjacket Entrances Editorial Notes

Update on Vermiculite
Carl Rosen, Extension Soil Scientist
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate

The EPA has recently reported that 27% of the vermiculite sources from garden stores in the Seattle area contained low (less than 1%), but detectable levels of asbestos and recommend that consumers "presume that any vermiculite-containing product is contaminated" until further testing is done. Be careful not to purchase older inventory products especially those sold as "Zonolite", which contain 2-3% asbestos.

When using vermiculite, as well as any other material that inherently contains dust sized particles, it is recommended that dust control measures be adopted and/or personal protective equipment (approved respirators) be used to protect against dust inhalation. Keeping the vermiculite moist will greatly reduce dust problems and minimizes any risk from using vermiculite products.

All America Selections; Orange Will be "Hot" in This Year's Gardens
Deborah Brown, Extension Horticulturist

Photo credits: AAS

'Cosmic Orange' cosmos.

'Soraya' sunflower.

'Fiesta del Sol' Mexican sunflower.

The All-America Selections folks have just released names and photos of their award winning seed selections for the year 2000, and three of the five flowers -- a sunflower, improved cosmos, and a compact Mexican sunflower -- are all bright, hot orange. Three orange winners in one year is pretty much unheard of.

Orange flowers can present a problem in some gardens. The color has a strong enough personality that it doesn't get along well with everything. Combined with yellow, gold, and red flowers, orange blossoms will really grab people's attention, up close AND from a distance. Orange flowers may also be used as accents, to bring some sizzle to "cooler" blues and purples. And though most orange flowers grow best in full sunlight, orange impatiens or tuberous begonias can be a real standout in a shady garden with a preponderance of deep green foliage in the background.

Here are brief profiles of the orange All America Selections for the year 2000. All three are excellent choices for children and other beginning gardeners; you needn't be an expert to achieve a stunning success with any of them.

'Cosmic Orange' Cosmos
This new variety is a type of sulphureus cosmos, not the tall, ferny-leafed type with broad daisy-like flowers. 'Cosmic Orange' plants are quite compact, growing about a foot tall when planted in full sunlight. Each plant forms a tidy mound, literally covered with cheery, semi-double two-inch blooms. Though you might find them available as bedding plants, 'Cosmic Orange' cosmos are easy to plant directly from seed, and will thrive on minimal care.

'Soraya' Sunflower There's been an explosion in sunflower varieties over the past few years; 'Soraya' can't help but fuel the flames. The first sunflower to ever win an AAS award, its orange petals contrast beautifully with chocolate brown centers. Though plants will grow five to six feet tall, they're self-supporting and well-branched, producing an abundance of four to six-inch blooms. These can be left in the garden to provide seeds for hungry birds, or picked as they open, to use as cut flowers indoors.

'Fiesta Del Sol' Mexican Sunflower
Mexican sunflowers are not true sunflowers, but it's easy to see how they got their name. Plants produce dozens of showy orange daisies with yellow centers, a sunny combination if there ever was one. 'Fiesta Del Sol' is an improvement over older Mexican sunflowers because of its relatively compact growth habit -- it generally reaches two to three feet in height at maturity. Others grow five, six, seven feet tall, then fall over in the first storm.

'Fiesta Del Sol' blossoms are two to three inches across and make excellent cut flowers. They also attract monarchs and other butterflies. Again, sow seed directly into the garden in full sunlight. They'll bloom with less sun, but will be taller and produce fewer flowers.

Two Additional Winners

'Stardust Orchid' vinca.

'Melody Pink' dianthus.

Two additional flowers were named All America Selections for the coming year, 'Melody Pink' annual dianthus and 'Stardust Orchid' catharanthus (formerly known as vinca). Though neither looks particularly good in gardens near the orange flowers already described, each merits attention on its own.

'Stardust Orchid' catharanthus produces large, inch and a half flowers, orchid-colored with white centers. Like other catharanthus varieties, it is heat and drought tolerant and will bloom in light shade -- though it does better in full sunlight. Plants grow only fourteen to sixteen inches tall unless low light "stretches" them. You'll find these bedding plants in packs at your favorite nursery or garden center, probably in late April or early May.

'Melody Pink' dianthus are interesting because they produce sprays of dainty single blooms with frilly petals. Their old-fashioned look is equally attractive in the garden or floral arrangements. Like other good dianthus varieties, they'll bloom all season long, and will reach a mature height of about two feet. They, too, may be bought as small plants in cell packs.

Thanks to the mild winter we've had, my dianthus from last year not only overwintered in good condition, they've spread. You can't really count on them being reliably hardy here, though.

Healthy Vegetables are in; Grow All America Selections
Deborah Brown, Extension Horticulturist

Polls tell us more people are following the government's nutritional guidelines which recommend eating at least five portions of fruit or vegetables daily. We expect this to have a positive influence on the popularity of home vegetable gardening. Gardeners agree, vegetables are never tastier than when picked fresh and eaten or prepared within minutes. Tending a garden -- whether it's flowers, vegetables, or a combination of the two -- is itself a healthful, and in many ways therapeutic, activity.

This year's All America Selections award-winning vegetables put the accent on nutrition. And they're almost as good to look at as the floral winners, especially 'Indian Summer' sweet corn, 'Blushing Beauty' bell peppers, and 'Savoy Express' cabbage.

Here's a little information on this year's selections:

'Mr. Big' Garden Pea

'Mr. Big' peas. Photo credit: AAS

In Minnesota, fresh pea season is short; this year it will be early, as well. By the time weather heats up (typically late June or July) most pea plants are struggling with mildew and various other ailments. Along comes 'Mr. Big' garden pea, to extend that season a little bit, and give us more delicious peas to enjoy from the moment they begin to mature....peas that are tasty and rich in vitamins and minerals.

'Mr. Big' produces heavy yields of 4 1/2 inch pods each filled with nine or ten large sweet, flavorful peas, often growing two pods where there's usually just one. 'Mr. Big' is also noted for its excellent disease resistance which staves off common problems for several weeks of added productivity.

The key to success with peas is planting them early enough, as soon as soil is dry and crumbly enough to work. While 'Mr. Big' will grow two to three feet tall without support, vines will reach five or six feet on fences, poles, or pillars; yields will increase accordingly.

'Savoy Express' Cabbage

'Savoy Express' cabbage. Photo credit: AAS

Let's face it; cabbage is not among the most popular vegetables we can grow at home. Here's a cabbage that could change peoples' minds, though: 'Savoy Express' is a crinkly-leaved cabbage with a mild, sweet flavor, perfect for making cole slaw. While most savoy (crinkly) varieties take anywhere from 100 to 150 days to mature, 'Savoy Express' is ready for harvest roughly 55 days from transplanting into the garden -- and we can transplant it into gardens very early. To grow early cabbage, start seeds indoors under fluorescent lights then transplant the seedlings while they're still quite small. You will probably find transplants at your local garden center shortly, also.

'Savoy Express' is a compact cabbage variety; heads grow to about six by eight inches and weight just over a pound each. Space seedlings as close as twelve inches apart in full sunlight. The heads tend to split when left too long in the garden, so plant just what you will need or can share, then make a second planting around mid-July, for fall harvest.

'Indian Summer' Sweet Corn

'Indian Summer' corn. Photo credit: AAS

If you're looking for something really unusual that will grab everyone's attention even before they taste it, try planting 'Indian Summer' sweet corn. It looks like decorative Indian corn, with blue-black, orange, and mahogany-colored kernels interspersed among the dominant gold ones. Unlike true Indian corn, however, this sweet corn is both tender and delicious. Its unusual colors develop as the ears mature, and intensify during cooking.

One of the new "supersweet" varieties, 'Indian Summer' must be kept as far as possible from other corn in your garden to prevent any cross-pollination that would compromise its delicious flavor. (Since we literally eat the seeds of sweet corn, what we taste is impacted by the genetics of both the male and female parents that came together to produce the corn.)

'Indian Summer' matures about 79 days from seeding, producing large, eight inch ears. Like all corn, it grows best in full sunlight, with ample moisture and nutrients. Space seeds twelve to eighteen inches apart in a block of several rows rather than one long row. Corn depends on wind to move pollen from its tassels to the silks of its developing ears; a block planting is more efficient.

'Blushing Beauty' Bell Pepper

'Blushing Beauty' bell peppers. Photo credit: AAS

'Blushing Beauty' bell peppers are also tasty and good looking, though not as radical a departure from the norm. With compact plants that top out at about eighteen inches, 'Blushing Beauty' is equally useful in containers or planted directly in a sunny garden. And it produces so many colorful peppers at once it is ornamental enough to plant in a flower garden.

'Blushing Beauty' peppers start out ivory then blush to pink and eventually red as they mature. Though they're more vitamin-laden when allowed to ripen fully, they taste sweet and are nutritious regardless of which stage you pick them. In fact, one medium pepper contains about 190% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C along with beta-carotene and natural antioxidants that help protect against many diseases. All this for a measly 30 calories per four by four inch pepper!

While it should take only seventy-two days to maturity, do not try to rush the season by planting these peppers while the soil is still cool. Seed breeders who developed 'Blushing Beauty,' suggest waiting until night temps reach 60 degrees and days, 70 to 80 degrees.

Don't mulch the soil until it has warmed sufficiently; usually mid to late June, but perhaps a week or two earlier this year.

Unhealthy Evergreens
Chad Behrendt, Extension Plant Pathologist

Uniform browning. Photo credit: U of Mn Plant Disease Clinic

Tip browning.

Dothistroma on pine. Photo credits: Chad Behrendt

Rhizosphaera on spruce. Photo credit: Dept. of  Plant Pathology

As you venture outdoors this spring, you may notice a number of unhealthy evergreen trees. These trees, which appear to be dying, usually develop a brownish cast and thin appearance. Closer examination of the tree may reveal a loss of the inner needles, browning of the needle tips, or reddish-brown needle banding. Symptoms may develop on many different species including Austrian, mugo, red, and ponderosa pines, and Black Hills, Colorado blue, and white spruce. The unhealthy appearance may be the result of environmental stresses or plant disease.

To differentiate between environmental stresses and plant disease, examine the tree closely. First, identify if the problem is occurring uniformly or randomly throughout the tree. Second, identify whether the problem is spreading. For example, the problem may be spreading form the inside of the tree outward or it may be spreading from the base upwards.

If the problem is uniformly distributed throughout the tree and the needles appear to be browning from the tip inward, the problem is most likely the result of environmental stress. Specifically drought stress, due to the low levels of rainfall last autumn and this spring. In addition, many of these trees are also suffering from poor site conditions. Soil compaction, urban heat and pollution, construction, and poor soils also stress trees.

Although drought stress can cause needle browning and tree decline, drought also stimulates a number of plant diseases. If the problem is randomly distributed and spreading outward and/or upward, it is probably a plant disease. One of the most common diseases occurring on pine trees is Dothistroma needle blight. The reddish-brown bands on the needle easily identify this disease. These bands, caused by fungal infections, girdle the needle causing it to brown and die from that point outward. You won't see the reddish bands on spruce needles, as Dothistroma affects only pines. However, examination of spruce needles may show small, black, pinhead-like structures emerging in neat rows. This indicates the presence of Rhizosphaera needle cast, a very common disease on spruce.

To improve the vigor of your tree, water it during dry periods. Mulch around the base of your tree with 2 to 4 inches of wood chips making sure to keep the chips pulled away from the trunk. This will help cool the soil and maintain soil moisture. Finally, avoid wounding and unnecessary soil compaction. If you are considering applying a fungicide, you need to identify the problem before applying fungicides. For more information contact the Yard and Garden Clinic at the University of Minnesota.

Iris Leaf Spot
Chad Behrendt, Extension Plant Pathologist

Iris leaf spot. Photo credit: Chad Behrendt

Protect your iris from leaf spot by monitoring leaves for early signs of infection. Iris leaf spot, a common fungal disease, appears in early spring as small brown spots with dark green margins on the upper leaf surface. These spots enlarge slowly until bloom, but then enlarge rapidly. Eventually, leaf spots turn gray and develop red-brown margins.

Iris leaf spot tends to be more severe when spring conditions are cool and wet, since moisture is required for fungal germination and infection. Therefore, one can predict the severity of leaf spot by monitoring the number of initial infections and spring rainfall.

To control iris leaf spot, begin with good cultural practices. Plant iris in full sun and space them properly to assure adequate airflow. This will reduce the amount of available moisture and hence disease severity. Remove severely infected leaves and cut off the infected portion to prevent further development and spread of the disease. If iris leaf spot has been a problem in the past and precipitation is heavy this spring, you will probably need to apply a fungicide. Apply fungicides as a protective spray. Fungicides can also be applied to cut leaves to prevent further infection. Daconil 2787 (chlorothalonil) and Cleary's 3336 (thiophanate-methyl) are currently labeled for use on iris.

Plant Pathology Reminders
Chad Behrendt, Extension Plant Pathologist

Prevent apple scab by following a protective fungicide spray program. Begin when the new leaves are ½" in length. For a detailed spray schedule see 'Home Fruit Spray Guide' (http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG0675.html). Remember, if rain is not forecast you can delay or delete scheduled sprays.

To prevent oak wilt, do not prune oaks in April, May, or June. If pruning is unavoidable, paint the wound immediately with a water-based paint or shellac.

Test your diagnostic savvy monthly with Disease Watch at: http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/Plpa.htm
Be on the Alert for Spring Insects
Jeffrey Hahn, Assistant Extensiton Entomologist

Iris borer damage. Photo credit: U of WI

Cankerworms.

Cabbage maggot damage on turnip. Photo credit U of MN Dept. of Entomology

Shepherd's crooking caused by asparagus beetle.

Plum curculio Photo credit: U of IL

Eastern tent caterpillars. Photo credit: U of MN Dept. of Entomology

Honeylocust plant bug feeding.

Forest tent caterpillar. Photo credit: U of M Entomology Dept.

Ash plant bug feeding.

Early mines of birch leafminer.

Pine needle scale and crawlers.

Photo credits:  Jeff Hahn, except as noted.

After our mild March (with temperatures at times in the 70's) we were expecting an early spring. That was preempted by cooler April weather (along with snow in some areas). However, it looks like spring is poised to try again. With that in mind, insect activity could begin quite quickly.

Effective management often depends on early detection. To help anticipate some early season problems, brief summaries of common spring insects are listed below. They are listed according to when we would expect to first see these insects in central Minnesota. This includes the Twin Cites. Expect insects about 7 days earlier in southern Minnesota and 7 to 10 days later in northern Minnesota. If temperatures become unseasonable warm again, we have the potential for an early spring. If that happens, expect these insects sooner than normal.

April
iris borers - The eggs of this borer normally hatch when iris has 4 to 6 inches of new growth. New growth was already 4 to 6 inches in some areas by the end of March. However, that was too soon for iris borer eggs to hatch. We should be hitting temperatures in the 50's more consistently very soon. That will be the best time to spray new growth with dimethoate (Cygon 2E).

Early to mid May
cankerworms - These caterpillars feed on the leaves of many hardwood trees, especially elm, hackberry, and apple. If management is necessary, there are many insecticide options, including, acephate (Orthene), malathion, carbaryl (Sevin), and Bacillus thuringiensis (Dipel, Thuricide). Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterial insecticide, is very low in toxicity towards people and animals. Management is most effective when caterpillars are ½ inch or less when treated.

root maggots - Cabbage and onion maggots can attack broccoli, radishes, cabbage, turnips, and other crucifers and onions. Adult maggots start laying eggs early to mid-May and can continue to the end of the month. You can help prevent egg-laying by using a floating row cover, placed in your garden when adults flies are laying eggs.

asparagus beetles - Adult asparagus beetles attack asparagus as it iis first growing. This feeding can cause asparagus to bend over, i.e. into a shepherd's crook. If you find beetles on 10% or more of your asparagus, it is probably desirable to treat your plants; carbaryl (Sevin) or malathion are effective insecticides. Be sure the insecticide is labeled for asparagus.

plum curculios - Adults are active on apple about the time the trees bloom. If it necessary to protect your apples, make an insecticide application at petal fall, i.e. when about 3/4 of the petals have fallen. Make a second application ten days after the first treatment. Use one of the following insecticides: phosmet (Imidan), diazinon, or malathion + methoxychlor.

eastern tent caterpillars - These common caterpillars construct conspicuous silken tents in apple, cherry, flowering crabapple, plum, and chokecherry trees as well as ash, birch, maple, willow, and other hardwood trees. Remove the webbing when the caterpillars are inside the tent. There are many registered insecticides if it is necessary to treat the foliage. Be sure most caterpillars are one inch or less. Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacterial insecticide that is very low in toxicity and poses very little risk to people and pets. If the tree is flowering, spray Bacillus thuringiensis to protect pollinating bees.

honeylocust plant bugs - These plant bugs emerge from eggs about the time honeylocust leaf buds open. Early feeding on leaves can cause leaves to become dwarfed and cupped, resembling herbicide injury. Honeylocust plant bug feeding also causes whitish or yellowish speckled discoloration on the top of leaves. If it is necessary to protect your honeylocust from plant bugs, apply a registered insecticide, such as acephate (Orthene) or permethrin. Time your spray for just after bud break or as soon as you see plant bugs to minimize injury to honeylocust.

Mid-May

forest tent caterpillars - These caterpillars feed on many types of hardwood trees, especially aspen. They are a problem in northeastern Minnesota in forests and landscapes. If you intend to protect landscape trees, management is most effective when the caterpillars are young, one inch long or less. It is more difficult to manage forest tent caterpillars in a wood lot, although the timing would be the same. There are many registered insecticides if you wish to protect trees. Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterial insecticide, is very low in toxicity and poses very little risk to people and pets.

ash plant bugs - Ash plant bug feeding causes whitish or yellowish speckled discolorations on the top of the leaves. This feeding is not associated with ash trees dropping leaves. Although they can occur in large numbers, ash plant bugs normally just affect the tree's appearance.

birch leafminers - The best time to treat birch leafminer are when the mines are small is light greenish blotches. By the time these areas become larger and turn brown, it is too late to treat trees. Birch leafminers are normally active about 10 days after bud break. If necessary, you can manage leafminers with a foliar systemic insecticide application (acephate [Orthene] or dimethoate [Cygon]).

Third week of May

pine needle scales - The best time to treat this scale is when eggs hatch into tiny reddish crawlers. The immature crawlers are vulnerable to insecticide treatments while the waxy covering of adults protect them from sprays. Double sided sticky tape can be placed on infested branches to help detect when crawlers are present. A registered insecticide, such as acephate (Orthene) or malathion is effective. Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil are biorational products that are very low in toxicity and soft on natural enemies.

european pine sawflies - This caterpillar-like insect feeds on the old needles on pines, especially mugho and scotch. Because of their small size, early detection is important for proper management. When full grown these sawflies are about 3/4 inch long. Sawflies are best treated when larvae are 3/8 inch or less in size. If treatment is necessary, use a registered product, such as acephate (Orthene) or malathion. Insecticidal soap, a biorational option, is very low in toxicity and soft on natural enemies. If sawflies are found on only a few branches, just treat those areas; it is not necessary to spray the entire tree.

House Centipedes in Spring
Jeffrey Hahn, Assistant Extension Entomologist

House centipede. Photo credit Jeff Hahn

As the weather becomes warmer, house centipedes are more commonly seen in homes. These insect relatives are easy to identify from their very long, numerous legs (adults usually have 15 pairs of legs). They also are brownish-yellowish with dark stripes and have a flattened body. Adults are one inch long. They move quickly (much to the dismay of some homeowners) and like to hide in cracks and tight spaces.

Centipedes are found outdoors in damp areas under stones, leaves, and around other accumulations of debris. They enter homes through cracks in the foundation and other small spaces at ground level. Although house centipedes prefer damp areas they can be found anywhere in homes. The are predaceous, feeding on a variety of insects and related arthropods. Even some people think of centipedes as "yucky bugs", they are harmless to humans and animals.

If you encounter only a few centipedes, just ignore them. If you would rather eliminate them, take a shoe, rolled up newspaper, or something similar and kill them. You can also put out sticky traps (like a roach motel) in areas where you most commonly see centipedes to trap them.

If you find consistent numbers of centipedes, caulk or seal any cracks or spaces you find around the foundation to help keep centipedes out. Also remove leaves and other debris that are close up to the house to reduce potential hiding places for centipedes.

Indoors, dry out any damp areas with a fan or a dehumidifier. You should also remove boxes, bags, and other items to minimize clutter. This reduces the number of potential centipede hiding places and makes control easier. If another insect in abundant, they may act as a food source; controlling those insects also helps reduce centipede numbers.

Insecticides can be used to supplement the above nonchemical measures. Ready-to-use aerosol sprays labeled for ants or cockroaches are effective against centipedes. Spray in areas where centipedes are common, especially behind baseboards and other cracks and crevices where centipedes may hide.

Tiny Red Clover Mites Are Found in Homes Now
Jeffrey Hahn, Assistant Extension Entomologist

Clover mite, Photo credit: Mark Ascerno

The warmer weather has brought out tiny 'red bugs' in homes. These minute creatures are clover mites. These insect relatives (they are closely related to spiders and ticks) are about the size of a 'pinhead' and are reddish or rust -colored. When viewed under a microscope (you might be able to tell with a hand lens), you can see the first pair of legs are quite long.

These mites are usually found in lawns where they feed on the sap of grass, clover, and other plants. Despite this feeding, they do not injure grass. Last fall, some clover mites moved from lawns to homes to spend the winter in protected cracks and spaces. As spring arrives, clover mites that are in or near buildings often enter homes, sometimes in large numbers. Due to their small size, they can easily move into buildings through small spaces in the foundation and around ground level windows. You are most likely to find clover mites on the sunny south side of buildings.

Although they can be quite annoying, clover mites are harmless to people and animals. Once clover mites are found in your home the simplest way to get rid of them is to remove them with a vacuum or to wipe them up carefully with a damp cloth. You do need to be careful because clover mites can stain fabric and other materials if crushed.

To prevent clover mites in the long term, cultivate the soil around your home in a band of 18 to 24 inches. This helps deter clover mites. You can plant flowers in that area but don't space them so close that clover mites can use them as a bridge across the soil. Landscape rock or wood chips are not effective barriers. As a last resort, you can treat the foundation of the house with an registered pesticide (dicofol [Kelthane], chlorpyrifos [Dursban], or diazinon).

Now is a Good Time to Seal Old Yellowjacket Entrances
Jeffrey Hahn, Assistant Extensiton Entomologist

Seal nest openings in buildings. Photo credit: Jeff Hahn

It is common for a yellowjacket colony to construct a nest in homes in wall voids and other concealed sites. You can't see the nest but you can see where the workers enter the structure. You didn't want to seal this entry way last summer or fall while the colony was still active. However, a yellowjacket colony does not survive the winter. In early spring, there are no live yellowjackets in these old nests. Although those nests are not reused, a new queen could build a new nest in the same void or cavity. To prevent this, seal these spaces now to help avoid yellowjacket problems later. Seal as many cracks and spaces as possible. Check around your home and be sure all vents have tight, finely meshed screens. This preventive action helps minimize an insect invasion.

Editorial Notes

Squill.

Squill naturalize readily. Photo credits: Beth Jarvis

The Siberian squill always put on such as great display here on the St. Paul campus. They set seed and spread everywhere!

Finally got some seeds started. Hope you did too. My garden beds will get turned the last weekend of the month and planted over subsequent weekends. Now, if it would only rain---on weekdays!

Coming attractions:
Growing potatoes and some information on the potato breeding project and how to make sense of a soil test will be coming up soon. In a future issue, Mary Blickenderfer, shoreline vegetation and landscaping specialist, will be sharing some ideas on landscaping around ponds. Patrick Weicherding, Anoka Co. Extension educator, will expound and opine on hazard trees in June, just in time for storm season.

I'm always looking for article ideas, so, don't be shy!! Your story suggestions are most welcome!

The Water Line, a selection on the Yard & Garden Line closed April 15. Information on water issues is available on-line from the Extension home page (www.extension.umn.edu) and county offices.

Please feel free to cut and paste any of the articles for use in your own newsletters. All we ask is that you give our authors credit.

Back issues Yard & Garden Line News are on the Yard & Garden Line home page at www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/. Our home page has clickable links to most of the components of the Yard & Garden Line, such as Bell Museum of Natural History, INFO U and the Soil Testing Lab.

Deb Brown answers gardening questions on Minnesota Public Radio's (MPR) "Midmorning" program on the first Thursday of every month at 10 a.m. Katherine Lanpher hosts the program that is broadcast on KNOW 91.1 FM, and available state-wide on the MPR news radio stations.

If you have gardening questions, please call the Yard & Garden Line at (612) 624-4771.

If you would like to receive an e-mail reminder when the next issue of the Yard & Garden Line News is posted to the web, just send an e-mail to: listserv@lists.umn.edu (note: the second E in listserve is omitted), leave the subject line blank, then in the body of the message, type: sub yglnewslist
or to unsubscribe, enter: unsub yglnewslist

Happy gardening!

Beth Jarvis
Yard & Garden Line Project Coordinator

Websites
Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series. This site contains everything from landscape design planning and lawncare to both herbaceous and woody plant selection databases. The URL is:http://www.sustland.umn.edu


For pesticide info, for both home owner and professionals, check out:

http://www.crc.agri.umn.edu/~mnhelps/

There's also some very interesting reading at Forest Products website. To get there from here, click on: http://www.cnr.umn.edu/FR/extension/

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