outdoors

Are you donating produce to food shelves this year? Remember these basic guidelines

If your farm or garden is able to donate excess or dedicated produce to food shelves, churches or other hunger relief efforts this summer and fall, you are helping your fellow citizens find access to fresh and healthy locally grown food. Remember some basic food safety considerations when you are...

Ask Extension: My lilacs seem to be dying. What can I do?

People have been reporting issues with lilacs dying to Extension Master Gardener volunteers this season. Find out what may be causing the problem and what, if anything, can be done to remedy it. What species of lilacs are affected and how? Dieback on common lilac due to fungal infection ...

Be on the alert for wasp nests

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Wasp nests become more conspicuous during late summer. Where the nest is located will influence what you decide to do with it. The first option is to ignore it If the nest is located away from human activity and the chance of stings are...

Late summer bur oak blight

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu A recent increase in questions from homeowners about sick oak trees have revealed their concerns about oak wilt. But another major disease that shows symptoms in August is bur oak blight or BOB. BOB is specific to bur oaks, but not all bur...

Safety measures all hunters should take

Hunting draws millions of people into the great outdoors every year. Many avid hunters feel hunting is a great way to actively participate in nature while also taking responsibility for procuring one's own food. Hunting requires discipline, dedication, patience, and, perhaps most important, a...

How to Combat White Grub Lawn Infestations

If you are seeing unsightly brown patches in your lawn, you might be having a problem with white grubs. White grubs are soil-dwelling larvae of beetles. The adult beetles emerge in late-June and lay eggs in the turf during July. The eggs hatch in two to three weeks and tiny white grub larvae begin...

How to hike safely in remote areas

Many people have rediscovered the great outdoors in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Social distancing measures have greatly restricted indoor gatherings, but outdoor activities, particularly once parks were reopened, allowed people to get out of their homes while still keeping their distance...

Fall care for tender and hardy bulbs

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu “Bulbs” is a general term gardeners use when referring to true bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, and tuberous roots. All of these are storage structures for plants and hold nutrients and water to support the plant during the growing season...

Controlling buckthorn: the who, what, where, when and how

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION - www.extension.umn.edu Understanding the basics of buckthorn biology will help you to control its spread so that you have a healthy woodland and crop field. Despite the invasive nature of buckthorn, many landowners have had success in controlling it, but only...

Essentials for your tackle box

Recreational fishing is enjoyed by millions of people. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that there was an 8 percent increase in anglers between 2011 and 2017. Expenditures by anglers nationwide rose 2 percent during the same time, from $45 billion to $46.1 billion. As more people stay...