Yard and Garden News

Did you know? Blueberries are unique from many common garden plants, because they require acidic soil in order to grow and produce fruit. That means that before planting new blueberry plants, you must check your soil pH and then amend it prior to planting your blueberries. This article outlines how to do that.
Blueberry soil requirementsBlueberries require the soil to have a pH between 4.3 to 5.5 pH. This is unique, because most fruit and vegetable plants do best in a relatively neutral pH soil between about 6.5-7.5. Growing blueberries between 6.5-7.5 would cause them to have slow, weak growth, yellowish leaves, and little to no fruit.

Reducing the pH prior to planting and keeping it low for the lifespan of the plants, will help ensure strong fruit yields and healthy plants. The pH is amended by adding sulfur to the soil in the form of sphagnum peat moss, elemental sulfur, or another widely available sulfur amendment found at garden stores.
How to check your soil pHThe pH of the soil mu…

Winter is a time when you assume you get a respite from the insects of summer. While that is true most of the time, you may still cross paths with a few insects. A variety of insects use buildings to hide in when it gets cold and can be seen walking around your home even in the dead of winter. One of these opportunistic insects is the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB).

Sometimes confused as a beetle, BMSB is ½ inch long and a mottled brown and gray color (marmorated means marbled). They are stout, shaped like a shield or a badge.  There is a large triangular plate, known as scutellum, on their back. If you flip a stink bug over, you can see its needle-like mouthparts. Ask an expert if you suspect you have found a BMSB.

If you are thinking you have not seen BMSB before, that’s probably true. This invasive insect is relatively new in Minnesota; it was first discovered here in 2010. Originally from Asia. BMSB was found in the U.S. for the first time in Pennsylvania in the 1990’…

There are a lot of tools in my indoor gardening "toolbox" - rubber-coated ties, lighters for sterilizing, pruners, snips, meters, hooks, stakes, cotton swabs. I recently added another tool: an LED flashlight.

As I've mentioned on the WCCO 830 AM Smart Garden radio show, like many of my fellow gardeners, I have been challenged recently with pests on a few of my indoor plants. Specifically, an orchid I added a year ago came with extra baggage: mealybugs.
Shine a light on the problem! Shining a very bright LED light really helps spot mealybugs and other pests. Adult mealybugs are pretty easy to spot, but it's tough to see the young immature insects. Using a light to examine a plant helps to light up even young pests.

Mealybugs of all ages hide under at the base of buds and blossoms, undersides of leaves, and near the growing point of the plant where leaves overlap or unfold. Here, they can safely feed on plant juices unseen. Orchids like Phalaenopsis have thick, leathe…

Sometimes, a plant challenges even the best of our efforts as gardeners. I recently bid farewell to my five year-old Meyer lemon tree.

I love Meyer lemons, and this tree had produced some fruit, and the beautiful fragrant flowers that bloomed in winter were almost as good. The small tree (about 5 ft tall) resided outside on my deck in the summer and indoors under a grow light in the winter. This tree has also been the subject of many WCCO Smart Garden discussions and text messages.
What happened to my Meyer lemon tree A few years ago, I discovered scale on the lemon tree. Scale reside on all parts of the plant and are very hard to see - especially on a large plant like a citrus tree. Scale suck the plant juices and produce a sticky, clear excrement kindly referred to as "honeydew" (I called it "honey glue" as it is impossible to remove off of the plant, the pot, the floor, furniture).

I pursued the scale first by hand-picking the insects -  a time-consuming, labor…

Q:I have a number of seed packets (annual flowers and easy vegetables) that are partially full but are out of date. Is there a way to predict what percentage of seeds will sprout? Or should I just toss them in the compost and buy fresh seeds?

A:Seed viability period can vary depending on the plant, how the seeds are stored and even on their treatment (pelletized, etc.) prior to packaging. Ideally, they should be stored in well sealed, water-tight containers in a cool (50 degrees F.), dark location. If you have not stored them like this, you might want to consider buying new seeds.

You can test the seeds yourself by using what's called the "ragdoll method," an inexpensive and easy way to test seed viability. In fact, we have a how-to video that can walk you through the steps, and it's a great activity to do with kids! 

It's also a good way to start warm season plants like tomatoes and peppers. 

How to do the 'Ragdoll Method' of testing seedsGrab your seeds and…

“How can I make my poinsettia rebloom?” is a common question we hear in January.

Poinsettias can be grown as attractive green plants, but most people are interested in making their green poinsettia colorful again and ready for the holidays.
Can I make my poinsettia re-bloom?It is not an easy task, as it requires excluding light from the plant for a period of time while keeping the plant healthy. 

The reduction in light prevents the plant from producing chlorophyll, the pigment that makes plant parts green. This changes the bracts to red, pink or white, depending on the poinsettia variety.
An E-Z to follow system of careDr. Leonard Perry, Extension professor emeritus at the University of Vermont and author of Caring for Your Poinsettia Year-Round, developed an easy-to-follow poinsettia care calendar based on the holidays of the year! 

For more info, read this article on our Extension web page--be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page: 
Poinsettia Care after the Holidays and Reblooming

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