Home & Garden

Before weather gets too brutal, it’s a good idea to check mulch levels around woody trees and shrubs in the landscape. If mulch has packed down noticeably over the past growing season or two, add more before the soil freezes or weather grows so nasty that it’s tempting to skip outdoor chores altogether. Shredded bark,…

More than 400,000 households in Minnesota rely on private wells, and one in four show potential problems. Regular testing of these wells may help prevent illness. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) estimates that as many as 25 percent of private wells in Minnesota have detectable levels of total coliform bacteria, an indication that some…

The sooner a wasp nest is discovered, the more easily it can be eliminated. Watch for nests in the ground, in trees and shrubs, around buildings, under eaves or decks and inside attics and wall voids. Consider the relative risk of being stung before deciding to eliminate a wasp nest. If the nest is in…

Early autumn is an excellent time to plant flowering perennials, and the sooner they are in the ground, the better. Flowering perennials need at least three or four weeks of decent growing conditions before harsh weather sets in. This allows time for root growth so they can survive the winter. Add two inches of mulch…

Many homeowners have been impatiently waiting for those first ripe tomatoes, and are disappointed when their first tomatoes have dry sunken areas of decay on the blossom end of the fruit. This is the primary symptom of a tomato disorder called blossom-end rot. Blossom-end rot has been very prevalent this year and has been very…

Early to mid-August marks the beginning of the best time of year to seed lawns. Northern parts of the state should plan to complete seeding by early September. In southern Minnesota, seeding can continue until about the middle of September. This allows time for new seeds to germinate and become established before cold weather arrives.…

“Tomato blight” has attacked the tomato plants in many homeowners’ gardens again this year. The lower leaves of the plants first turn yellow, then brown and dry up before falling from the plant. This disease, is formally known as Septoria leaf spot, and is caused by a fungus. While it is really too late to…

We had a wet spring, but now that summer temperatures are rising faster it’s time to give Mother Nature a helping hand with the watering chores. Established trees and shrubs have deep roots and are less likely to suffer from dry conditions. Shallow-rooted plants like flowers, vegetables and grasses are the first to show the…

An herb is any plant whose leaves, stems, seeds or roots are useful as flavoring, as a scent or as medicine. Growing herbs is easy; they can be tucked into flowerbeds, vegetable gardens or pots, or they can have a garden area of their own – whatever suits you. Some common herbs are parsley, chives,…

Regardless of this year’s gardening successes or setbacks, now is not the time to slack off. Despite the discomfort of hot, humid weather and hoards of hungry mosquitoes, you need to hang in there to get the most from your garden. Watering, weeding, replanting – even picking – will result in increased vegetable yields and…