​Some of these peppers are the traditional bell shape while others are conical.

• 65 days New Ace. Nearly every flower will produce a fruit on this bell shaped pepper plant. Fruit is medium sized and can be eaten green or ripened to red. Well adapted to a cooler climate where other bell peppers may not produce as well. F1 Hybrid.
• 65-70 days Ruby King (Heirloom). Bell pepper (1902!) bears heavy crops of sweet fruit. Open pollinated, which means great for seed saving!
• 68-70 days King of the North.  (Sold out) This tall plant will produce 4-6 inch long sweet bell shaped peppers great for stuffing and eating fresh, green to red. Great cool, short season producer. Open pollinated!!
• 70 days Giant Marconi, (2001 AAS Winner) a great producer with huge 8 inch by 3 inch fruit, this F1 hybrid has a sweet smoky flavor eaten green to red.
• 75-80 days Wisconsin Lakes, developed at the University of Wisconsin for northern climate, this medium sized thick walled bell shaped pepper is a good producer with thick, juicy, sweet walls eaten green to red. Open pollinated.

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We offer one hot pepper:

• 60-65 days Early Jalapeno. Ideal for Mexican dishes. Deep green, sausage-shaped, 3 1/2" x 1 1/2" fruits mature to red and are great for pickling, too. Just like Jalapeno, but earlier and better adapted to cool, coastal conditions. Compact, non-brittle bushes.

For more information on growing tomatoes and peppers in Wisconsin, check out:
https://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/a3687.pdf

Please note:  This year’s plant sale will have a “twist” from prior years, as we are requesting pre-orders from February through May 1 or until supplies are sold out. There will be a new pickup location at the City of Spooner Front Street Public Parking Lot (north of the Canoe Heritage Museum) on May 21. The sale is pre-order only with pick-up on Saturday May 21st, 2022, from 8:00 am - Noon. The pre-order form is available on our website at www.northcountrymgv.org/plantsale and at the Spooner Memorial Library, Shell Lake Public Library, Larsen Family Library in Webster, the Sherman Weiss Library in Hayward and the Washburn County Tourism office.
 
Article submitted by Roseann Meixelsperger MGV

​by Melinda Myers
 
For many of us, winter is the start of the gardening season. We are busy browsing catalogs, reading garden articles, and looking for sources of new plants. As the planning process continues, the plant wish list keeps expanding. Once your list is complete and before placing any order online, be sure to check your list for any invasive plants that are prohibited or restricted in Wisconsin.
 
According to the Invasive Species Rule NR40, prohibited plants are those that are not currently found or occur in isolated areas in the state. If introduced into the state, these plants are likely to cause significant economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.  Restricted plants according to NR40 are already established in the state causing harm or have the potential to cause significant harm.
 

The ability to spread and vigorous growth habit of the yellow flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) make this invasive plant a threat to our waterways.  Photo credit:  photo courtesy of Zach Stewart

We have tomatoes with a noticeably short "Days to Maturity" rating. Since our plants are well started when you get them you will have about a 15 to 30 day  head start on the how long you will have to wait for your first crop depending on a number of variables including how you harden off the plants before planting, what the soil temp is when planting, how much sun, wind and moisture the plant gets, and what the daily high and low temperatures are. Days to maturity is a rating to help us determine what plants are best suited to our zone (3-4) and the limitations that makes on the plants we raise.

Most of the varieties we offer will continue to set fruit until frost kills the plant. Others which are called "determinate" will set fruit until the plant reaches it mature size. Once these ripen the plant will die back. All determinate varieties that we offer are indicated.

The earliest varieties tend to be the cherry tomatoes. We offer:

• SOLD OUT-Sungold 55-65 days This is an F-1 hybrid that is exceptionally sweet, an orange gold cherry tomato that will bear right through the season.

For mid-sized early tomatoes, we have:

• SOLD OUT - Early Girl will give you crimson red fruit in about 57 days with a good tangy taste.
• SOLD OUT -Sweet Valentine, a great container plant, yields mid-sized heart-shaped red fruit in about 60 days. Determinate.

Large slicing tomatoes take longer to maturity. We offer:

• SOLD OUT German Johnson pinky-red fruit can reach up to 1.5 pounds and has few seeds in about 76 days. It is productive with some disease resistance.
• SOLD OUT Beefsteak yields bright red ribbed fruit up to 2 lbs. in about 80 days. Consistent moisture will help prevent these giants from cracking during ripening.
• SOLD OUT Cherokee Purple if a flavorful deep pink to purple tomato with a sweet aftertaste. Fruits up to one pound in about 80 days.

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If you have experienced "early blight," watch for our article on early blight and how to avoid it in a coming post.

​Please note:  This year’s plant sale will have a “twist” from prior years, as we are requesting pre-orders from February through May 1 or until supplies are sold out. There will be a new pickup location at the City of Spooner Front Street Public Parking Lot (north of the Canoe Heritage Museum) on May 21. The sale is pre-order only with pick-up on Saturday May 21st, 2022, from 8:00 am - Noon. The pre-order form is available on our website at www.northcountrymgv.org/plantsale and at the Spooner Memorial Library, Shell Lake Public Library, Larsen Family Library in Webster, the Sherman Weiss Library in Hayward and the Washburn County Tourism office.
 
Article submitted by Roseann Meixelsperger MGV

​It was only after WWII that houseplants became mainstream in everyday homes. As people began to spend longer hours at the office, they wanted the comforts of home. Houseplants were developed to tolerate low light levels and some neglect.
 
Currently, houseplants are seeing surge in popularity. There are several reasons for this:

• It’s a way to care for and nurture something without a large investment (think buying a house, having
  children)
• Plants require less attention than pets
• Any home can have plants, even small apartments or tiny homes
• Plants help with “self-care” and love
• Plants still give you the freedom to travel or not come home at night

Now we have research to support their benefits: 1) improved all around environmental quality, 2) psychologically links us to nature, 3) improve air quality, e.g., remove carbon dioxide, benzene, particulates, & up to 90% formaldehyde, 4) stimulates physiological and psychological relaxation response, 5) increase humidity in dry indoor conditions, from 20% to 30%, 6) supply beneficial bacteria & increase microbial diversity indoors, 7) stabilize & reduce CO2 levels, 8) each 1-percent addition of plants in a room reduces formaldehyde 6-7 percent, 9) have fewer pollutants (like volatile organic compounds)
 
IMPROVE concentration: better at home and office, tasks were more accurate and of higher quality, offering stimulation to senses and mind
 
IMPROVE HAPPINESS: reduce stress & anxiety, more optimism, resulting in being optimistic, more relaxed and happier
 
IMPROVE compassion: increase empathy & concern, healthy relationships, wanting to help others,
 
IMPROVE children in classroom: improve concentration, reduce agitation & stress, help minimize distractions

IMPROVE seniors (in group settings) quality of life: reduce anxiety & stress, allow to care for something, remembering previous positive experiences
 
FEWER sick days, Norwegian study, reduce sick time by 14%, less physical symptoms of illness
 
INCREASE medical recovery: more quickly with less pain medication, a Dutch study of recovery from stressful situation noted quicker recovery due to parasympathetic nervous system kicked in.
 
SCRUB the air clean: of toxins (formaldehyde) by bacteria growing on plant roots, also remove ozone & benzene (found in cleaning products & glue)
 
KEEP dust down: particulates decreased by 20-percent, even if plants are located on the outer perimeter of a room
 
PEOPLE respond to nature, based on experiences and learned habits.

The pre-order form is available on our website at www.northcountrymgv.org/plant-sale and at the Spooner Memorial Library, Shell Lake Public Library, and other local organizations.

Tomatoes, Peppers, and our popular 6 Packs of Pollinators and Herbs 

• Specific Tomato varieties are Beef Steak, Cherokee Purple, Early Girl, German Johnson, Sungold, and Sweet Valentine Container. (ALL VARIETIES ARE SOLD OUT)
•   Specific Pepper varieties are Early Jalapeno (Heirloom), Giant Marconi (2001 AAS Winner), King of the North (SOLD OUT), New Ace, Ruby King (Heirloom), and Wisconsin Lakes.
• The Pollinator Collection has Native Perennial Plants; Wild Lupine, Butterfly Weed, Black-eyed Susan, New England Asters, Swamp Milkweed, and Blazing Star Liatris.  (SOLD OUT)
• The Herb Collection has Six Herbs for the Senses: Thyme, Rosemary, Giant from Italy Parsley, Genovese Basic, Garlic Chives, and Bouquet Dill.  (SOLD OUT)

The proceeds go toward supporting the Teaching and Display Garden that is open to the public on Orchard Lane, just east of the Ag Research Station; for garden-related grants; for promoting horticulture outreach and education in Sawyer, Washburn, and Burnett counties; and other horticultural projects. According to Kevin Schoessow, Area UW-Extension Agriculture Development Educator, “Master Gardener volunteers come together from many backgrounds. They find common ground in their appreciation for growing plants, whether edible or ornamental. They are trained horticulture volunteers who help people in the community better understand horticulture and the environment, and they donate thousands of hours’ worth of their time each year toward that end.”
​
Further information about the sale is available at www.northcountrymgv.org/plant-sale or e-mail ncmgva@gmail.com.