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  North Country MGV

gARDEN bLOGS

Garden Notes:  Late May

5/31/2019

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Phenology:  the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life.
The Spooner Agriculture Research Station is starting to wake up and planting is beginning in the display beds.  The lilacs are blooming which according to phenology is an indicator of the right time to plant vegetables.  

From a UW Horticulture article here are examples of phenological correlations:
• Plant peas when forsythia blooms.
• Plant potatoes when the first dandelion blooms.
• Plant beets, carrots, cole crops, lettuce and spinach when lilac is in first leaf.
• Plant corn when oak leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear.
• Plant bean, cucumber, and squash seeds when lilac is in full bloom.
• Plant tomatoes when lily-of-the-valley plants are in full bloom.
• Transplant eggplant, melons, and peppers when irises bloom.
New this year in the Teaching and Display Garden will be a straw bale garden display and a dahlia bed featuring 30 unique plants.  We're hopeful that last week's rainy and cold weather did not rot the tubers that have been planted. 

You are welcome to visit the gardens from June through September and watch the progress during our growing season.  For more information on the gardens go to our Teaching & Display Garden page. 
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Avoid Early Blight by Planning Ahead

5/23/2019

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Watch for signs of early blight and act quickly.

Early blight is the bane of tomato growers everywhere in the north country. You will know you have it when the lower leaves of your tomato plants wither and die early in the season. Often the upper portion of the plant seems fine and will set fruit which will ripen and are perfectly fine to eat. Other times the blight will wipe out the plant in a few weeks. 

Early blight is a fungus (or two fungi) that lives in the soil and blows in on the breeze. It is almost impossible to avoid but there are some things you can do to the lessen the impact. Planning ahead for the inevitability of early blight is the best defense.
  • Rotate where you plant tomatoes so that you are not planting in an infected patch. Give the infected patch at least two years before planting tomatoes there again.
  • Give your plants room to breath. Crowding plants reduces air circulation creating a humid environment that fungi love. Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart. Remove lower leaves and remove suckers that develop between the leaves and the stem. Stake up the plant for good airflow.   (see link below)
  • Avoid watering the leaves, water from below, mulch around your plants so that possibly infected soil does not splash up onto the leaves. Too much mulch can cause a more humid environment so keep mulch to less than one inch deep.
  • Keep your tools clean with a solution of 10% bleach to water or with rubbing alcohol of 70%, so as not to spread the blight.
  • If you see dead or blighted leaves, remove them immediately and dispose of them in the trash not the compost heap. Heavily infected plants should be removed and disposed of. Be sure to wash your hands after touching infected leaves and plants and before touching anything else in the garden; keep tools clean as well.
  • Planting tomatoes a little later than normal can help avoid infection. Plant in Mid-June.  The warmer air and soil temps of mid-June with help you plants catch up quickly.

Anti-fungal sprays can help. Be sure to use as directed and use proper protection. See link below for fungicides. 

Home remedies include a spray made of a few drops of tea tree oil in a quart of water. Spray the soil before planting and spray the plant, stem and leaves, every few weeks. This may not  prevent early blight but it can slow down the infection.

Another home spray recipe:  3 tablespoons baking soda to  gallon of water, add 2 tbsp of horticultural oil or vegetable oil and 2 drops of dish soap (the soap will help the oil mix with the water). Saturate the leaves with this mixture, top and underside.  Reapply every 2 weeks. Note that baking soda can affect other nutrients in the soil such as magnesium and calcium and can affect the absorption of iron so be careful not to over apply. 

Helpful links:
 
Recognizing early blight, resistant tomato varieties and chemical control:
https://extension.umn.edu/diseases/early-blight-tomato
Pruning and staking indeterminate tomato plants for good air circulation and healthy plants
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=tus&q=staking+tomato+branches#kpvalbx=1

Article submitted by Pamela Davies MGV
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Harden Off Plants before Planting to Avoid Sunscald

5/21/2019

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Avoid sunscald from too long exposure to direct sunlight.

Whether you have started seedling in your house or have gone to the garden store and purchased seedlings, you will give them the best start by hardening off the little plants for up to ten days before planting them in the garden.
Hardening off is the process of acclimating your young plants to the new environment they will be living in the same way you might go to a tanning parlor a few times before heading off to a sun filled vacation--you don't want to get a sun burn your first day. Likewise you don't want to sunburn your little plants or put them in shock with temps colder than they are used to.

Start a week to ten days before you plan to start planting in the garden. Some garden store plants that have spent time outdoors will not need this but any that have lived inside a green house will need at least 4 days.

Start out slowly with a few hours outside in partial shade on a mild day and away from strong wind or hard rain. Over a few days you will increase that time and exposure to the sun making sure the plants don't dry out. When you know overnight temps will be mild, leave the plants out overnight protected from browsing deer or rabbits. If temps are going to be a bit cold you can bring the plants in or cover them up overnight.

Hardy and half-hardy plants such as broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and some herbs, can take temps as low as 45 degrees. Tender plants that have not been well established in the garden will not be happy with temps cooler than 60.

You want to be sure your plants get well established in the garden before they have to endure some of the unseasonably cool nights we get here in the north county. What can help speed this along is making sure your soil temp in the garden is at least 60 degrees before transplanting. Onions, chard, lettuces kale, peas and spinach are fine when the soil is cooler. For tomatoes and peppers, warmer is better. Even if you have to wait a bit longer than you would like for the soil temperature to get to 60 or more, it will pay off in the long run as your plants will get established that much faster. How to tell if the soil is warm enough? Dig a small trench about 6 inches deep and hold the back of your hand in it for a minute or so, if it feels cold, you will want to wait. If it feels cool, or "nice" or you detect no temperature difference, it should be warm enough to start planting. Soil thermometers are economical or you can also use  an instant read cooking thermometer--use a screwdriver to make the hole before pushing in the thermometer.

Water your seedlings once planted but do not drown them with too much water. Their new soil environment will probably not be as hospitable as the mix you used for starting them so be sure not to over water them. In a few days, use a diluted fertilizer to help them along while they are getting established.  Avoid stressing the plants with too much fertilizer. After planting, keep tabs on night time temps and cover if need be and be sure to protect them from pests out looking for a snack. 

Article submitted by Pamela Davies MGV
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Kids in the Garden

5/18/2019

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​Parents and caregivers know how challenging it can be to get kids to eat enough fruits and vegetables, and gardening may help. An expanding body of research shows that when kids help grow fruits and vegetables, they are more likely to eat more produce and try different kinds, too. At our Kids in the Garden free sessions, your child can have this opportunity.
The benefits of gardening don't end there. Gardening helps kids engage their curiosity, learn to be resourceful and gain self-confidence. It also is a great way to get the entire family outside for fresh air and physical activity.  Our Kids Garden is located right in the heart of our Display Gardens, created and maintained by the North Country Master Gardeners.
To Pre-Register & for more information call the Spooner Agricultural Research Station @ 715-635-3506
​
​Make Kids Part of the Planting and Growing Process
Depending on their age, children take to gardening differently. For example, preschoolers tend to be fascinated with exploring dirt, digging holes, planting seeds and working the garden hose, while older children may be more interested in how a single seed turns into an edible plant. While older kids can read seed packets and start to understand growing regions, younger ones may not understand that it's probably not possible to grow oranges in northern Wisconsin. We will be growing fun, reliable plants such as rattlesnake beans in our pirate garden, colorful flowers for a rainbow garden, and plants such as lettuce for a salad bowl garden. We will teach children responsibility by assigning each child a watering, harvesting or weeding task. Allowing children to be involved in every step of the process will get them excited to taste the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. Our summer program is geared towards kids 3 to 12 years of age.
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Learn about marvelous monarchs and pollinators!
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Sample of our snacks – this one is a “dirt” pudding with gummy worms.
Encourage Taste Testing
Gardening exposes kids to a variety of fruits and vegetables to encourage taste testing straight from the ground (after a quick rinse to remove dirt) and at the dinner table. We show kids how a tomato can taste delicious from the vine or in dishes such as fresh salsa, marinara sauce or tomato soup to bring the experience full circle. At almost every Kids in the Garden session, we offer children a taste of the vegetable and fruits grown in our gardens.
​Start Small with theme gardens
We will begin small by creating a garden with a dinner salad in mind. We will plant salad greens, lettuce, arugula, spinach, and herbs and tall greens, kale, parsley and chives — all are kid-friendly and easy to grow. Kids like to see the result of their effort, so we will also be planting crops that grow quickly such as green beans that will grow up the mast of our pirate’s ship.  We will plant colorful flowers in our rainbow garden.
Enjoy a Summer Learning Experience
The gardening experience is helped by our Master Gardeners who will engage your child with learning about bugs, composting, hummingbirds, monarchs and pollinators, apples, and even yoga. Kids will enjoy learning thru our Story Walk presentation at the beginning of each session that introduces the topic of the day to them, and then learning more in depth on the subject of the day from our Master Gardener and other teachers.
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Learn all about beneficial bugs!
We offer flexible scheduling, meeting on Monday afternoons from 4 pm to 5:30 pm, repeating the session on Tuesday morning from 9:30 am to 11 am. Odds are kids and parents alike will enjoy the time they spend together and learn a little something along the way. We hope you will join us!

Our 2019 schedule is:
**A parent or an adult is required to stay with children under 10 years of age.**
  • Monday & Tuesday, June  10th & 11th—Planting Our Garden and Construction of a Bug  Condo!
    We will be planting our seeds and plants and making labels for our spaces.  We plan a story time and plenty of time to learn about the seeds and plants we planted.  We will explore who our bug guest might be in our Bug Condo.  Hummingbird feeders will be filled and put up and then we can watch Hummingbirds all summer. 
  • Monday & Tuesday—June 24th & 25th—Composting We Go and Magical Hummingbirds!  
    We are starting our Compost Pile and learning about the magic of Hummingbirds!  We will also plant beans and cucumbers and learn how to care for our little plants including weeding and mulching them.  We will install our garden scarecrow.
​Learn how to compost!
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  • Monday & Tuesday—July 8th & 9th—Yoga in the Garden!  
    After we weed and harvest the vegetables that are ready, Yoga in the Garden will be our topic & activity to learn about.
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  • Monday & Tuesday—July 22nd & 23rd-Marvelous Monarchs and Pollinators!
    Monarch butterflies are today’s topic.  We will weed, harvest and taste the vegetables that are ready. We will learn about trying new foods.


Learn all about pollinating!

  • Monday & Tuesday— August 5th & 6th—Apples, Apples, Apples and Painting Friendship Rocks!
    ​Today we learn about Apples, and what lives inside some of them.  We are going to paint Friendship Rocks.  This is our final gathering before school starts.
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Paint friendship rocks!
To Pre-Register & for more information call the Spooner Agricultural Research Station @ 715-635-3506
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Annual Plant Sale - Saturday, May 18 at 8:00am

5/17/2019

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​University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension North County Master Gardener Volunteers Association (NCMGVA) is holding their 18th annual plant sale on Saturday, May 18th starting at 8:00am at the Spooner Agriculture Research Station. Specially chosen heirloom tomatoes and a variety of peppers will be featured at the sale. We will again be featuring our native perennial pollinators, featuring Wild Lupine, Swamp Milkweed, Blazing Star Liatris, Butterfly Weed, Black eyed – Susan, Cone Flower. New for 2019 is our herb six-pack, including Thyme, Rosemary, Giant from Italy Parsley, Genovese Basil, Garlic Chives and Bouquet Dill.
Heirloom tomatoes were the cornerstone of the group’s very first plant sale. Since then, NCMGVA has increased the number of heirloom choices and added a few of their favorite hybrid varieties. The tomato and pepper plants are started from seed and grown by volunteers specifically for the sale.

Though hundreds of the plants will be at the sale, they tend to sell out quickly and gardeners are advised to go early for the best selection. The sale begins at 8 a.m. at the Spooner Ag Research Station on Hwy 70 east of Spooner and runs until the plants are 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 and advisor to NCMGVA, 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 volunteers who assist the University of Wisconsin-Extension staff by helping 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.
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Canna Lily will be offered at the Plant Sale

5/15/2019

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The one thing about Canna  Lily that I love is the fact that pollinators LOVE them. If you love hummingbirds, you want to have a Canna Lily in your yard or on your deck.
Canna's can be planted in pots.
Though Canna's are tough enough to grow just about anywhere the following tips will help you have a show stopper Canna Lily garden.

Water.. this may be their most frequently neglected need.
Fertilizer.. they like to eat! Top dress with a handful of rose or tomato fertilizer.
Warmth.. I have started them in pots in the house. Plant  directly or transplant in June.
Sun.. though they will grow in part shade.. they bloom more vigorously in full sun.

Canna Lily can be treated as an annual.
OR
You can save your Canna Lily from season to season.
If you want to save your bulbs for the next season dig them up in the Autumn. Let the bulbs dry in the sun for a day or two. Store in a dry area of your basement.


Old House Gardens Blog  has many fun stories and ideas of how to add Canna Lily to your garden.

oldhousegardens.com/blog/?category=Diverse+Others


Author

Carla TePaske ~ NCMGV

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NCMGV 2019 Plant Sale highlight! Herb six pack!

5/14/2019

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Photo Credit: Pixabay.com/CC0 Public Domain
Join us early (before 8 am) on Saturday, May 18 for our annual North Country Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Sale! We will be offering a large variety of tomatoes and peppers as well as a pollinator six pack and an herb six pack.

The Herb Six Pack will include our cooking favorites: Thyme, Rosemary, Italian parsley, garlic chives, Genovese Basil and dill.

There is nothing like going out to the herb garden to snip what you need fresh for dinner. Just breathing in the aroma will make you want to create fabulous dishes you've never tried  before.  

You can spice up a plain rice dish with chopped fresh herbs or add them to dumplings, soups or stews. Use fresh dill and garlic chives with sliced cucumbers, vinegar and salt, add to potato salad or to  a tomato salad with red onions and feta cheese. Rub them into your hands and breathe in the fragrance for a quick pick-me-up. Use both basil and rosemary as natural bug repellents in pots on your patio.

This collection of herbs can go into the garden bed after a short hardening off period as they have been grown in a green house. They will need about four days or so to get adjusted to the variable temperatures, sunlight and wind outdoors. How to harden them off:
  • When days are mild, set the plants outside out of direct sun and strong wind.
  • Leave them out for a few hours to half a day depending on how warm it is.
  • Increase exposure until you are leaving them out overnight and increasing the exposure to sun and wind.
  • Plant in the garden early in the day and water well.
See you at the sale!

Article submitted by Pamela Davies MGV
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No Knead Rosemary Bread

5/13/2019

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If you’ve been thinking of  growing your own herbs, you should absolutely do it! The next time you want a few leaves of rosemary or basil, you can just pluck them off your plant instead of running out to buy them.

You can get started on your own kitchen garden at our Annual Plant Sale.
New this year is our Herb Six Pack

Annual Plant Sale sponsored by North Country Master Gardener Volunteers, Saturday, May 18, 8:00 -11:00am (or until plants last) at the Station Building, 1035 E. Maple Street (Hwy 70).  For sale:  Heirloom Tomatoes, Peppers, Natives, Herbs, and Cannas


A recipe to try this summer..

No Knead Rosemary Bread
2 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
2 C. of warm water
1 T. sugar
2 tsp. salt
4 C. flour
2 tsp. chopped rosemary
Olive oil

Put the water and sugar in your mixing bowl and stir well.. add the yeast and stir again
Add two cups of flour and stir well then add the other two cups of flour, salt and rosemary mix well with a wooden spoon
Cover with a damp tea towel and  let rise for an hour
With oiled hands divide dough into bread size or form into buns

Let rise
Bake at 375 degrees 30 to 35 min.


Serve with Herb Butter if you missed the recipe click below
www.northcountrymgv.org/blog/herb-butter

Author

Carla TePaske ~ NCMG

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2019 is the National Garden Bureau Year of the Salvia nemorosa!

5/9/2019

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National Garden Bureau, 2019 Year of Salvia nemorosa
One of my favorites and this year's National Garden Bureau's pick for perennial in their "Year of the" program, is Salvia, specifically Salvia nemorosa.

A mint family member, hardy garden Salvia grow into large well contained clumps that will not get out of hand the way other mints such at spearmint or catnip can.

Salvia nemorosa is a hardy and versatile perennial and a beautiful addition to any garden. The purple/blue to pink varieties are striking as accents or in mass plantings and the minty aroma is delightful.

Once established in the garden, Salvias are drought tolerant and take very little care. Amend sandy or heavy clay soil before planting, then a balanced fertilizer applied in the spring and again in the early summer will keep your Salvia healthy and vibrant throughout the growing season. Provide at least six hours of sunlight to encourage profuse flowering.

The spring bloom need not be the only bloom of the season. Cutting the plant back after the blooms brown to one-third the original size will stimulate more blooms four to six weeks later. You can repeat this process throughout the growing season.

Hummingbirds and bees love Salvia, deer and rabbits don't seem to care for them. What could be better in our corner of NW Wisconsin!

To learn more about Salvia nemorosa check out:
https://ngb.org/year-of-the-salvia-nemorosa/

For more information on the National Garden Bureau, check out:
https://ngb.org/about/

Article submitted by Pamela Davies MGV
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Weather Reminder

5/8/2019

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We all are getting excited for the growing season.
We start to visit our local greenhouses and nurseries.  We all are ready for green and color!
A Weather Reminder
50 + degrees - annuals are safe outside
40 + degrees - cool weather annuals are safe outside
40 degrees or below - cover up annuals and pull inside

Author

Carla TePaske ~ NCMGV

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    Learn more about what's going on by checking out these local blogs and Facebook sites: 

    *No. Country MGV Facebook
    *Spooner Ag Station Facebook 
    ​* The River Flowing Blog
    ​
    *  GardenTrueNorth Blog

    (These blogs are not associated
    ​ with the UW-Extension except for the Spooner Ag Station Facebook page.)


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Visit the Teaching & Display Gardens

The Teaching and Display Gardens  are a joint effort between the Spooner Agriculture Research Station, operated by the University of Wisconsin - Madison College of Agriculture and Life Science, the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension and area UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteers.  

Open to the public for self-guided tours during day light hours seven days a week mid-May through mid-September. 

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