You know that one neighbor of yours with the amazing garden? Admit it, you're a little bit jealous whenever summer rolls around and everything starts blooming.
Given your two brown thumbs, it's understandable you might have a hard time competing. Until now, that is, because you just gained a secret weapon: the brains of our Patch pros.
Have you been having trouble pruning your rose bushes? Perhaps you want to know the best vegetables to plant in Minnesota. Or maybe you're just wondering how to get rid of the Asian lady beetles making a home in your garden. Whatever the problem, our Patch pros are here to help.
Larry Cipolla, a Hennepin County Master Gardener, is ready and able to offer helpful advice on anything related to gardening. Larry is also a member of the Minnesota Hosta Society and the American Hosta Society.
Tim Zimmerman is the city horticulturalist in charge of all of Edina's gardens and the city's greenhouse. Joining him is Ted Stephenson, the horticulturalist at in Edina.
UPDATE: Another expert has joined the fray. Jason Ladd, a Richfield resident who works for the U of M libraries, has been gardening all of his life as a hobbyist. He's taken several horticulture classes and currently manages a 30-by-40 square foot vegetable garden with eight raised beds.
If you have any plant-related questions in the next few days, please post them in the comments below. One of the aforementioned Patch pros will get you an answer ASAP.
The old railroad ties were drenched in creosote and can slowly leach into your soils. The longer the railroad ties were there, the greater the possibility of creosote leakage. If it was my garden, I would keep it in flowers and not plant vegetables because of the possible risk. You can do soil test and have the University of Minnesota test it. If you are to do this, I recommend 3 soil samples from differant parts of the garden. Tim
I've learned from the questions and answers. Many thanks for doing this for us...I'm sure you are in the middle of your busy season and your time is valuable. Cheers!
Tropical Plants could include Rubber Plant, Jade Plant, Sanseveria 'Black Coral', and Sanseveria 'Laurentii', Phapis Palm, Ti Plant (magenta-like leaves), and Janet Craig Limelight. However, before you go off and buy the store out, where do you want to put the plant and what type of light is in that area? Some plants will require bright sunlight for most of the day, while others do very well in low light or a shady area of your house. For example, Spider Plants require bright, direct sunlight; Pothos Vines can handle indirect light and do well under fluorescent lights; Aloe, requires full sun, but can survive in a shadier area (and if you tend to get boo-boos, the Aloe Plant is great for relieving pains from burns, itchiness from mosquito bites, etc. Other possibilities are Chinese Evergreen (low light) and if you want a hanging container consider Walking Iris, which creates a delicate white and blue flower. The flowers only last a day, but maintenance is close to zero. I hope these few suggestion help.
Rabbits in Edina? You jest! When the snow begins to melt, rabbits will eat pretty much anything that looks green. Once vegetation is more available then tend to be less of a bother, unless of course, what they are eating is what you don't want them to eat. First, almost any herb (except Basil) is Rabbit proof. You can also consider a mix of perennials and annuals, such as Yarrow, Columbine, Sage, Asters, Balsam, Begonias, Coreopsis, Dahlias, Bleeding Heart, California Poppy, Ferns, Daylillies, Candytuft, Lupine (Red and Blues make a great color combination), Bee Balm, Beard Tongue (Penstemon), Santolina, Lamb's Ears (nice fussy leaves), and Verbena among others. Hope this helps.
Yes, you should practice rotating crops, regardless of the size of your garden. You rotate to minimize insect damage and diseases from the soil. Basically, you do not plant vegetables from the same Botanical Family in the same space for at least three years. I practice a five year rotation, but the UMINN folks recommend three as a minimum. For example, if you plant Potatoes, Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplants, which are in the Solanaceae Botanical Family, in the same row or area this year you should not plant any of those vegetables in the same row or area for at least three years. That goes for container gardens as well. This year in Container #1, you can plant a Tomato. Next year, you can plant almost anything else in that container soil EXCEPT another Tomato, Potato, Pepper, or Eggplant. And, by the way, Sweet Potatoes are not in the Solanaceae family. They are in the Morning Glory or Convolvulaceae family, so you could plant a Sweet Potato slip in "Container #1 if you wanted (or flowers, herbs, cucumbers, etc.).
JBs have already emerged in the metro area. I saw my first one on a Pea plant this past Sunday. They are here. They will be here for close to forever and keeping them in check will take a little work on your part. First, Milky spore is not effective against the adults. It some minor effect on the grubs, which have been eating the roots of your grass last summer, fall, and in the spring. Second, don't even think about using the yellow hanging traps--or any trap! The JB traps include a female pheromone, which is designed to attract male JBs. You will certainly trap the adults, but with a trap you are attracting many, many more JBs to your yard. So, I suggest not using them. Sevin (carbaryl) is effective against many pests, including the adult Japanese Beetle. However, I would not recommend it because it kills ladybugs and other beneficial insects. It is highly toxic to bees and people--you, me. When you spray Sevin on a flower, the flower becomes toxic to bees and any insect that lands on it. The best method, the safest method, is to use a bucket with some water and dish soap. JBs tend to drop to the ground when they sense a predator (you, me). Use a five-gallon bucket; place about 3" of water and dish detergent in the bucket and hold the bucket below the JBs, knock them into the bucket, they will die within 30 seconds. Guaranteed!
Here comes the bride! Creeping Charlie (CC) is an accepted ground cover in England, but not so much here. If you like your lawn nice and pretty, with no weeds, then CC is not for you. However, it is one of the earliest flowering plants in the spring and, as such, is very beneficial to bees and other insects. And it is one of the few plants that will survive (thrive) in full sun and deep shade so if you have a patch of soil where nothing seems to grow, CC is your pal. That said and you have decided that CC is not for you, you can purchase chemicals such as Weed-B-Gon that will kill CC. However, make certain you see CC on the front of the label. Regular Weed-B-Gon will not kill CC. Read the directions for any chemical you decide to use. Some are designed to kill only broad-leafed plants, while others will kill anything it touches. Never apply chemicals when it is breezy or windy. You will destroy half the neighborhood. Asian Beetles: they were not a big problem last year, at least we as master gardeners did not get many calls about them. A few years ago there was a heavy infestation, with complaints that the beetles were biting folks. Not a big deal, but a major nusiance. Last year it was JBs galore and into the fall-winter there were a lot of Box Elder bugs--those cute orange and black bugs that clung to the south side of your house and eventually found their way inside.
Chris, I'm cleaning the beaches in Puerto Rico for episodes of that dating game (can't remember the name of it. The Bachelor or something like that) and then, have to come home to rid us of Creeping Charlie in MN. "Tis duty, I suppose.
...Any way I'm heading off to Fridley to a parade. Fridley has parades on a Thur night where some friends reside. I didn't think anything was going on here, but then I saw a sign for a beer bonanza sign on Schooner Way. Next to it was a sign for an Open House. Is this the way you are selling houses now?? So, Woodbury is not dull whatsoever but I'm going to Fridley. And, instead of your owl and rabbit request, I'll be sending you a piece on how to age like scotch and all that awaits you in your senior years. We wouldn't want you grumpy in your ripe ole age, would we? Talk later so.