Planting Dahlias

1. Select a sunny garden spot with freely draining soil and prepare it thoroughly before planting.
2. To plant, dig a hole 4-6 inches deep and place the tuber on its side, horizontally with the growing eye facing up. Once in place, refill the hole with soil. Dahlias get quite large, so allow at least 12-18 inches of space between plants.
3. Dahlias require consistent water throughout the growing season.  Dahlias should not be watered until you see the first green shoots poking through the ground. Overwatering before shoots are visible can lead to tuber rot. After plants reach a foot tall, give them a hard pinch by snipping out 3-4 inches of the growing center to encourage low basal branching, which increases flower production and overall stem length.

Click on the below link for more information on tips and tricks with growing dahlias.
How to Grow Dahlias - Floret Flower Farm
www.floretflowers.com/resources/how-to-grow-dahlias/

The NCMG have a Dahlia garden starting to sprout.. come and visit the 
www.northcountrymgv.org/teaching--display-garden.html

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.
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“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.

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

Her presentation included the herb gardens at Old World Wisconsin, the Schulz Farm located at Eagle, WI. The
history began with the European settlers arriving in the mid 1800’s, and the herbs they brought with them. Note the German immigrants migrating to Wisconsin in 1900 was equivalent to 34% of the population. The herbs were for medicinal purposes as well as culinary additives for their sustenance with a well rounded German garden containing 34 herbs.
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If your organization would be interested in this hour long herb presentation, contact the Spooner Agriculture Research Station.
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Article/Photos submitted by Katie Childs

Late winter and early spring are the time to check out catalogs, place seed orders and start seeds.  Learn more about several seed starting techniques from Sue Reinardy, UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in an upcoming webinar.  Sue has volunteered her time to create and deliver this webinar that will feature:  deciphering catalog and seed package jargon, proper planting conditions and several techniques including the winter sown planted method that you can start now.  

This webinar can be attended from any home computer or device with an internet connection, microphone and camera.  Instructions to access the course will be provided a few days before the start of the class.   Registration is required through WITC at courses.witc.edu   Enter "Early Seed Starting" in the search box.   The registration fee is $13.50, and for those 62+ it is $9.00 . 

Seed Saving, Harvest, and Fall Clean-up
 
August, 2018 Spooner, Wisconsin.    On Saturday morning at 10:00, September 8, gardeners will be meeting in the award-winning Teaching and Display Garden at the Spooner Agriculture Research Station and all are invited to discuss late season gardening.  The program will focus on harvesting, seed saving and clean-up.  Learn tips and resources on storing and preserving fresh produce.  Several types of seed saving techniques will be demonstrated and there will be checklists for fall clean-up.  The garden will still be at its peak to enjoy.  University of Wisconsin-Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will share their tips gathered through experience and university-based research.

This year’s theme is “Get Social in the Garden”, a part of the All American Selections #AASWinners.  The Garden is one of eight in Wisconsin that display vegetable and flower varieties who have been awarded this designation as an outstanding cultivar.   
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Remember to bring your own lawn chair for the Meet Me in the Garden Seminar.  The session is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine – please dress accordingly.  In case of inclement weather, the program will be held at the Station Building at W6646 Highway 70, Spooner.    The garden is located on Orchard Lane, 1.5 miles east of Spooner on Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of the Hwy 70/53 interchange.  Watch for garden meeting signs.
 
For more information and a map visit the station’s web site at: http://spooner.ars.wisc.edu/ or contact Kevin Schoessow or Lorraine Toman at the Spooner Area UW-Extension Office at 715-635-3506 or 1-800-528-1914. 

Welcome to the Playground Garden....the first American playground opened in 1887 in San Francisco.  Ever since then, playgrounds have become the meeting place for children and adults all across the country to exercise, enjoy fresh air and meet new friends.  Baseball diamonds, tennis courts, swings and slides - the joy of socializing has introduced millions of strangers who have enjoyed life bonding experiences. 

From All-American Selections, a 2018 AAS Flower Winner"Sister to 2013 AAS Winner South Pacific Scarlet, this newest AAS Winner is compact in habit and well suited for both landscape and container use. This variety is more vigorous, more uniform, and has more basal branching than comparison cannas. It offers an outstanding bloom color in an attractive, vivid bright orange that contrasts nicely with the bright green foliage. Pollinator gardens will love this addition of an attractive canna that sports uniformly colored flowers over a long blooming period. Bonus: this canna is grown from seed, not tuber, meaning less chance of succumbing to disease."

This is part of a series of blog posts featuring the All-American Selections Display Gardens.
What is All-American Selections?  As written on their website: “All-America Selections is an independent non-profit organization that tests new, never-before-sold varieties for the home gardener. After a full season of anonymous trialing by volunteer horticulture professionals, only the top garden performers are given the AAS Winner award designation for their superior performance.”  The Spooner Teaching and Display Garden is one of eight AAS display gardens in Wisconsin.
 
​Come to the Spooner Teaching and Display Garden to see over 600 plants that have been planted in the display beds.  The planting of both the display and vegetable beds is now complete and each day there is more to see as the season progresses.
  
The Teaching and Display Garden can be found on Orchard Lane and is located 1.5 miles east of Spooner on State Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of Highways 70/53 interchange.  It is open to the public daily in the growing season during daylight hours.
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This is part of a series of blog posts featuring the All-American Selections Display Gardens.
What is All-American Selections?  As written on their website: “All-America Selections is an independent non-profit organization that tests new, never-before-sold varieties for the home gardener. After a full season of anonymous trialing by volunteer horticulture professionals, only the top garden performers are given the AAS Winner award designation for their superior performance.”  The Spooner Teaching and Display Garden is one of eight AAS display gardens in Wisconsin.
 
​Come to the Spooner Teaching and Display Garden to see over 600 plants that have been planted in the display beds.  The planting of both the display and vegetable beds is now complete and each day there is more to see as the season progresses.
  
The Teaching and Display Garden can be found on Orchard Lane and is located 1.5 miles east of Spooner on State Highway 70 or 1/2 mile west of Highways 70/53 interchange.  It is open to the public daily in the growing season during daylight hours.
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