Gardening ideas & tips for the average gardener.
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From The Ground Up

Mushrooms in lawns

Quick facts Mushrooms may appear in lawns due to excess rain or irrigation. Mushrooms are fruiting bodies of soil fungi. Mushrooms are rarely indicative of a lawn disease. During periods of heavy rain, mushrooms may start to pop up in lawns. Their appearance may cause you to be concerned about the...

Mushrooms in lawns - A new Extension resource

Fairy ring in lawn. Photo: William M. Brown Jr. Bugwood.org Wet weather and over irrigation of lawns can sometimes result in mushrooms popping up. Most notably, "fairy rings" make themselves known, causing lawn overs to wonder if their lawn has a disease. Not to mention dodging mushrooms in a...

Pollinators are an important part of gardens

A thriving backyard garden requires homeowners to take steps to ensure the garden has the best environment in which to grow and thrive. The right tools and components, including trowels, rakes, soil, amendments, and fertilizer, can help gardeners create beautiful spaces. It's also important that...

The unique pollination systems of cucumbers, melons, and squash

You've likely all seen the images of what grocery store shelves would look like without pollinators. While many fruit and vegetable crops require pollinators to set fruit, cucumbers, melons, squash, and other plants in the cucurbit family have one of the most complex pollination systems of any...

Prepare for apple maggots

While early July means different things to different people, if you are an apple grower, it reminds you that this is the beginning of apple maggot season in Minnesota. This pest spends the winter as pupae in the soil and begins to emerge as adults starting about July 1. Why are they are pests?...

How to bring beneficial bees back

Bees, birds and butterflies play integral roles in pollinating many of the crops humans rely on for sustenance. The National Pollinator Garden Network, through the National Wildlife Federation, recently launched the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, an effort to increase the amount of nectar and...

Managing soil crusting

We've seen some very heavy rains followed by hot weather over the last couple of weeks. These conditions can cause crusting on the soil surface. In this brief overview, I'll discuss how / why crusts form, and how you can respond in the immediate and longer term. At this point in the season, most...

Reasons for Small Fruit Size in Strawberries

Small fruit size in strawberries is a common occurrence in Minnesota berry farms. Troubleshooting the cause of the problem and addressing it will help ensure higher marketable yields and happy U-Pick customers. There are several potential causes of small or deformed strawberry fruit. These...

Horticulture Oils: Use and Safety

Horticultural oils are widely used to mitigate insect pests in a variety of settings such as ornamental trees, landscape plants, greenhouses, fruit trees, and orchards. But what are they, what are their appropriate uses, and what precautions should you take when using them? What are horticultural...

Emerald ash borer active now through Sept 1

Minnesota Department of Agriculture reports the emerald ash borer (EAB) to be active from May 1 through September 1. EAB is responsible for destroying millions of ash trees across the US including in Minnesota. MDA Certified Seal Some things you can do to prevent the spread of EAB: Do not...