There are many reasons why a gardener might want to utilize raised beds. One of them – better drainage – became very apparent last week when more than two inches of rain fell over a short period of time. Other reasons include: raising the soil even a few inches makes it easier on your back [Continue]
Asparagus is usually the first vegetable out of the garden in spring, in early May. If you’re already growing asparagus – lucky you! – because after planting, it’s two years until the first harvest. It is well worth the wait though, since harvesting can continue beyond one gardener’s lifetime. While asparagus can be [Continue]
A floating row cover is a thin white material made of polypropylene or polyester that has multiple garden uses. They come in various weights and sizes depending upon their intended use. The lightest weight products, used to protect plants from pests, allow about 95% of sunlight through and don’t trap heat so they can be [Continue]
It’s hard for many people to understand, but there are some of us who love winter. If you are one who would rather think about winter from a distance of six months or so, or if you’d like to experiment with a unique theme garden next year, here are some plants you might include [Continue]
A bright orange pumpkin is not necessarily ready for harvest. Full-sized pumpkins take 90-105 days from planting until they are ready to harvest while miniatures are ready in 70-90 days. If you bought and planted seedlings, subtract seven days. If you have no idea when you planted your pumpkins, there are other ways to [Continue]
UW-Extension Master Gardeners must acquire ten hours of continuing education each year to retain Master Gardener certification. Most months, an hour of education is offered prior to our monthly business meetings. In September, our speaker was Patrick Lake from the Oshkosh office of the National Resources Conservation Service. He was an enthusiastic and entertaining speaker. [Continue]
Do you realize how often math is involved in gardening? Here is the answer to the oft-asked question, “When will I ever need math in real life?” Say you want to fence your garden. You measure two sides, add those measurements together and multiply by two to find out how much fencing to buy [Continue]
Some people greet the end of the growing season with sadness while others feel a sense of relief – will those zucchinis never quit??? Here are a few tips to help you make the transition to the off-season whatever your feelings about the imminent change in weather. Continue harvesting vegetables and deadheading annual flowers [Continue]
Over the 18 years I’ve been writing this column, I’ve mentioned the benefits of using mulch in the garden many times. In case you missed it, here it is once more, plus a few new and even more important reasons to keep soil covered. Mulch is a layer of material spread on the surface of [Continue]
Weeds. You either love them – no sarcasm here, that would be me – or hate them. I’ll start off by saying that if you take care of your garden weeds in June, you’ll have a much better time of it in July and August. Just like flowers, weeds can be annuals, perennial or biennials. [Continue]