straw bale gardening experience ~ minnesota, carlton county

10
IN THIS ISSUE Carlton County Page 2 Cook County Page 3, 9 Lake County Page 4, 6 St Louis County Page 5, 7 Calendar of Events Page 7 Recipes Page 8 Northeast Minnesota Master Gardener NOVEMBER 2013 What Kind of a Growing Season Did You Have? by Eleanor Hoffman South St. Louis County farm to market producers agree 2013 has been a challenging season. The problem was the wet, cold May. Weeds were an issue because soils were too wet and too cold to be worked in May. The early May corn plant- ing largely rotted in the ground. The mid-May planting yielded about 5060% while the early June planting came in at 100%. Having to reseed these crops and others was costly. Cole crops generally did well, especially cabbages. Broccoli and cauliflower, while profitable, were beset by flea beetles according to one farmer. Beets seeded in May yielded about 50%; carrots seeded at the same time produced normally. Cole crops ripened early in the warm August weather. Tender crops such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers were delayed by the late May-early June cool, wet weather. One farmer noted that his peppers were smaller than usual; others saw their peppers grow to normal size. Flower set- ting was sparse for these crops in the cool days of late July. However, a warmer August encouraged flower set (Continued on page 7) State Master Gardener Program Updates COMMUNICATING & EDUCATING WITHIN OUR REGION SERVING CARLTON, COOK, LAKE AND ST. LOUIS COUNTIES Reminders for Master Gardeners This Fall by Julie Weisenhorn If you have hours to report for this year, please go to the web site www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/master- gardener/ and report your volunteer hours by December 31, 2013. There are no exceptions. The 2014 Master Gardener Core Course will be held on line this year beginning January 13. One module is presented weekly. The cost to new interns for the course is $275. If an intern does not finish the class, they will need to pay the additional $300 charged to pro-hort stu- dents. Registration deadline for the 2014 core course is set for December 1, 2013 and is firm. Thank you Julie & Welcome Tim! by Kit Sitter The big news, which you’ve probably heard by now, is that our current state director, Julie Weisenhorn, is leaving her position for one in Extension education de- velopment. Julie will be creating horticulture education for master gardeners. Her replacement will be Tim Kenny, Landscape Arboretum Education Director, who will take over January 1, 2014. Comments and concerns about the master gardener program may be directed to Kit Sitter, the northeast representative. Which squash do you think was grown in the straw bale garden this past summer?

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Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County Master Gardener

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Page 1: Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County

IN THIS ISSUE

Carlton County Page 2

Cook County Page 3, 9

Lake County Page 4, 6

St Louis County Page 5, 7

Calendar of Events Page 7 Recipes Page 8

Northeast Minnesota

Master Gardener N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

What Kind of a Growing Season Did

You Have? by Eleanor Hoffman

South St. Louis County farm to market producers agree

2013 has been a challenging season. The problem was the

wet, cold May.

Weeds were an

issue because

soils were too

wet and too cold

to be worked in

May. The early

May corn plant-

ing largely rotted

in the ground.

The mid-May

planting yielded

about 50—60%

while the early

June planting

came in at 100%.

Having to reseed

these crops and

others was

costly.

Cole crops

generally did

well, especially

cabbages. Broccoli and cauliflower, while profitable,

were beset by flea beetles according to one farmer.

Beets seeded in May yielded about 50%; carrots seeded at

the same time produced normally. Cole crops ripened

early in the warm August weather.

Tender crops such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers were

delayed by the late May-early June cool, wet weather.

One farmer noted that his peppers were smaller than usual;

others saw their peppers grow to normal size. Flower set-

ting was sparse for these crops in the cool days of late

July. However, a warmer August encouraged flower set (Continued on page 7)

State Master Gardener Program Updates

COMMUNICATING & EDUCATING WITHIN OUR REGION

SERVING CARLTON, COOK, LAKE AND ST. LOUIS COUNTIES

Reminders for Master Gardeners

This Fall by Julie Weisenhorn

If you have hours to report for this year, please go to

the web site www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/master-

gardener/ and report your volunteer hours by December

31, 2013. There are no exceptions.

The 2014 Master Gardener Core Course will be held

on –line this year beginning January 13. One module is

presented weekly. The cost to new interns for the course

is $275. If an intern does not finish the class, they will

need to pay the additional $300 charged to pro-hort stu-

dents.

Registration deadline for the 2014 core course is set

for December 1, 2013 and is firm.

Thank you Julie & Welcome Tim! by Kit Sitter

The big news, which you’ve probably heard by now,

is that our current state director, Julie Weisenhorn, is

leaving her position for one in Extension education de-

velopment. Julie will be creating horticulture education

for master gardeners. Her replacement will be Tim

Kenny, Landscape Arboretum Education Director, who

will take over January 1, 2014.

Comments and concerns about the master gardener

program may be directed to Kit Sitter, the northeast

representative.

Which squash do you think was grown in the

straw bale garden this past summer?

Page 2: Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County

Carlton County Master Gardeners Page 2

Straw Bale Gardening Experience by Laurene Longsyo

Straw bale gardening involves conditioning the straw

bales and after conditioning using them as a gardening me-

dium. The method of conditioning was developed by Joel

Karsten who details the method in his book, ‘Straw Bale

Gardening.’ Because I did not have the book, I tried the

formula below which is virtually the same as the method rec-

ommended in the book.

Preparing the bales:

The preparation of the bales gets them past the initial heat

of decomposing. With the proper fertilizers and water your

straw bale should warm up to a temperature of about 100 de-

grees. As in many gardening techniques, there are proponents

of several different methods. You can prepare your bales by

just keeping them wet for three to four weeks prior to plant-

ing. If you prefer a more proactive approach, here’s one

widely recommended method. This is the method I used.

Days 1-3: Water the bales thoroughly and keep them damp.

Days 4-6: Sprinkle each bale with a 1/2 cup of a high

nitrogen fertilizer like ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) or ammo-

nium sulfate per day, and water it well into the bales. If you’d

like you can substitute blood meal for the nitrate.

Days 7-9: Cut back to 1/4 cup of fertilizer per bale per day,

and continue to water it in well.

Day 10: No more fertilizer, but continue to keep the bales

damp.

Day 11: Stick your hand into the bale. If it has cooled down

to less than your body heat, you may safely begin planting as

soon as all danger of frost has passed.

Originally I planned to make a square foot garden at my

grandson's home as a way to teach him where food came

from, but another master gardener said he had a source for the

bales at $5.00 each. Considering that four bales would

probably be enough for my needs, I abandoned the notion of

a raised bed. We purchased deer fencing and stakes and set

up the bales next to the deck so that one side abutted the deck

and the other three sides were protected by the deer fencing.

The garden was an amazing success, but there are some

things I would do differently next year. My four bales were

placed side by side up against each other. In this arrangement

the plants encroached upon on another. Next time I will keep

the bales in a line. Since my original plan was to do square

foot gardening, I tried to intensively plant in the bales. There

was a zucchini plant, two pepper plants, one grape tomato

plant, one pear tomato plant and a heritage tomato plant that

was orange when ripe. Before adding seeds to the bales,

I added soil to the top of the bail. Then, I planted rad-

ish seeds, two lines of peas and two lines of beans. The

peas and beans were not very productive. I even added

carrot, cucumber and watermelon seeds. These seeds

didn’t do much either. They had no chance once the

tomatoes took over the south side of the bales. The two

pepper plants were so crowded out by the tomatoes that

we removed them and planted them in a container.

Of course, the radishes were ready first. Then every-

thing exploded into life. The grape tomato and the pear

tomato were so filled with fruit, there must have been

300 on each plant. The zucchini did pretty well, but

something that another straw bale gardener and I dis-

covered was that there was a profusion of green leaves.

We attribute this to the excessive nitrogen fertilizer that

was infused into the bales. Next year, I will use a more

balanced fertilizer. In fact, the master gardener who got

the bales for me used no nitrogen at all, instead spread-

ing Miracle Grow potting soil on top of the bales. He

says that was very successful. I also had a brief bout

with what I believe was a slime mold. The recommen-

dation is to water the bales every day. As a result, my

zucchini looked like there was a furry collar on one of

the stems. I stripped it off and washed the stems until

no mold remained and it recovered.

I can recommend the straw bale garden to anyone

with limited space, physical limitations or anyone who

wants to grow some of their own food or a lot of their

own food. Straw Bale gardening can be done on any

scale. One bale, four bales, eight bales, etc. My master

gardener friend made his garden with 36 bales. There is

virtu-

ally

no

weed-

ing,

even

if you

use

hay

bales

in-

stead

of

straw

bales.

Now that the gardening season is over, the bales will

serve as a base in the raised bed my son made for my

daughter-in-law to raise perennial plants in. They're

nearly soil already.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Page 3: Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County

Cook County Master Gardeners

Are You Considering Grafting

Tomatoes Next Year? by Diane Booth

Grafting vegetables for better production is not new

but actually started in Asia in the 1920’s. Japan grafts

90% of all watermelons, greenhouse cucumbers, tomato

and eggplant crops that are grown in the field or in the

greenhouse. Many of us older gardeners who are ‘set in

our ways’ are finally coming around to thinking this is

not just a fad but could become a best practice to

increase our production of heirloom tomatoes.

Mark and Melinda Spinler, owners of Maple Hill

Farm & sugarbush, started grafting heirloom tomatoes

several years ago and have determined their production

has nearly doubled by grafting their tomatoes. Tomato

growers in Cook County have trialed a number of non-

grafted heirloom tomatoes over the years. We have

often found that inconsistent weather conditions of wet

rainy springs or super hot summers make these finicky

plants more susceptible to blight, Septoria leaf spot or

lower fruit production than F1 hybrids. The value of

heirloom tomatoes, especially in a greenhouse setting

where every square foot counts, increases dramatically if

you can produce more heirloom tomatoes in the same

space. Grafting tomatoes allows you to do this.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers or

Farmers Market attendees are often looking for

vegetable items they cannot find in a traditional grocery

store. Prices for your heirloom produce can be higher.

Melinda was kind enough to offer a free community

workshop on grafting tomatoes for Cook County

homeowners. We will go step by step through the

process here in case you are interested in trying this

technique next spring. Grafting tomatoes and growing

them for fruit can be completed in one season.

What are Scions and Rootstocks? The scions are the

upper part of the plant that will produce a tomato you

actually want like a Black Prince, Anna Russian or

Caspian Pink. The rootstocks are used for the lower part

of the plant and will provide the roots for the plant to

grow on.

Choosing the Right Rootstock There are two types

of rootstocks. One is a generative rootstock that is less

vigorous but puts more energy into the flowers and fruit

of the plant. The other rootstock is vegetative. A

vegetative rootstock is more vigorous and allows more

energy into leaves and stems. You want to find a

balance between the putting energy into growing the

You want to find a balance between putting energy into

growing the plant and fruit development. You can

purchase rootstock seeds from several seed companies but

it is fairly expensive.

Vegetative rootstocks are most appropriate for large-

fruited crops that will be in cultivation for over 6 months or

with crops that are growing in hot areas. Greenhouse

tomato growing might be a good application for these

rootstocks.

Generative rootstocks are more appropriate for crops

that will be growing for under six months. Growing in

fields or in unheated hoophouses might be more

appropriate for these rootstocks.

Young tomato plants start with vegetative growth at

the beginning of the season but when flowering and fruit

begins that will slow down the vegetative growth and put

more energy into flowering and fruiting.

Rootstocks are available from different sources but may

include some of the following:

a. Maxifort (F1) disease resistant rootstock – quite

vigorous resulting in more vegetative growth

b. Colosus (F1) extremely vigorous & disease resistant

rootstock

c. DRO138TX (F1) strong generative rootstock

d. Estamino (F1) organic generative rootstock

e. Beaufort (F1) less vigorous rootstock than Maxifort

Preliminary results show that both Maxifort and

DRO138TX have done well in high tunnels or greenhouses

in Cook County. We have not trialed all the rootstocks in

the greenhouse or outside in the field. We hope to trail

more rootstocks outdoors for the 2014 summer.

Starting the Plants You may want to do a germination test

on both the scion and rootstock to see how long it takes

them to germinate. You want to grow the plants for 14 –

21 days so the size of the stems are less than 1/4” in

diameter and you have 2 – 4 true leaves above the

cotyledons. For a successful graft union to form, the

cambium layer of the rootstock and the scion need to be

aligned.

Splice or Top Grafting Water both the scion and rootstock

plants 12 – 24 hours before grafting. Graft early in the

morning when plant transpiration is the lowest. Try to find

a rootstock and scion that have the same diameter stem.

Remove the first set of leaves on the scion and leave only

the uppermost leaves. Cut the scion from its roots just

below the cotyledons at a 60 degree angle.

(Continued on page 9)

Page 3

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Page 4: Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County

Lake County Master Gardeners Page 4

Evolution of a Community Garden Plot

by Kit Sitter

The trend

toward of-

fering com-

munity gar-

den plots is

a healthy

one for the

public and

an excellent

opportunity

for Master

Gardeners to

promote

sound gar-

dening prac-

tices. When

the opportu-

nity arose in

fall 2012 to

support a

local community garden at the AEOA Food Shelf in Two

Harbors our Lake County *EMG’s “stepped up to the plate”,

along with other sponsors such as local Scouts and churches.

The vision for the gardens was to engage people to grow food

for themselves and to share a small portion of their produce

with the food shelf. Participants applied and were chosen

based on need and commitment. Although food shelf users

were given preference, anyone could apply. Registrants var-

ied in their level of gardening experience, with many being

first time gardeners.

With donated time and materials from the City, a private

landscaping company, and several volunteers from the food

shelf, wood frames for the raised beds were constructed last

fall and filled with soil. Then the entire area was fenced to

detain deer, rabbits, and bears. The 39 beds (4’ x 16’) were

oriented lengthwise east/west with walking paths between the

beds. Working with the Food Shelf director and the County

Extension nutritionist, we agreed that our group of six active

EMGs and three new interns would use two of the plots to

demonstrate growing techniques and seed varieties appropri-

ate to our region. We asked that our beds be located near the

entrance to the garden so gardeners would walk past our plots

and learn passively from viewing our plants. The last thing

we did before the ground froze was to take a soil sample to

determine the need for nutrients and organic matter.

*Extension Master Gardener (EMG)

At our January 2013 meeting, seed catalogs and

graph paper appeared and the garden plot planning

process began. We were aware of a grant through the

local power company so one of our members com-

pleted the application asking for soil amendments, a

rain barrel, a compost bin, trellising and protection ma-

terials. When we decided to plant a wide variety of

vegetables, each member signed up for one or two va-

rieties and supplied the seeds or plants required for the

allotted space. Vegetables included beans, peas, cu-

cumbers, radish, peppers, beets, carrots, chives, basil,

cilantro, lettuce, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and onions.

The food shelf staff requested that we not grow toma-

toes because they usually receive an overabundance.

We wanted to demonstrate several growing tech-

niques in the garden. On the north side of both plots

we constructed some pipes with netting to support peas,

beans, and cucumbers. At one end, “teepee” poles

were put up for the pole beans, and in one plot low row

covers were placed over pepper plants. By March we

received grant money allowing us to purchase the rain

barrel and compost bin. The composter was placed

near our plots but outside the fencing to further dis-

courage animals. Due to some issues with water col-

lection and dispersal, the rain barrel was placed inside

the fence by our plots. Although this did not allow a

fast collection of rain water from roof runoff, it at least

got people noticing the possibility of the barrel. Water

for the gardens was supplied from the AEOA building.

Our system consisted of a big water tank and a couple

open drums that were filled from a building spigot and

open rainfall. Water was transferred with watering cans

by gardeners leading to a lot more time and work than

expected. The watering system will need revision for

next year!

A late, cold, wet start to the growing season delayed

our planting until early June. The donated soil in the

beds contained numerous rocks which we sifted out.

We then worked in composted manure, bunny manure

and peat moss. Seeds were planted and the trellises and

row covers were installed. Plant markers were made to

identify the seedlings as another way of educating our

fellow plot growers. Over the winter, we had designed

a series of eight “Garden Talks” which we presented

throughout the season at the plots. A sign listing the

dates and topics was (Continued on page 6)

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

While the produce from this first year was less

than desirable, we did have good crops from

cool weather crops like these peas.

Peppers, tomatoes and root vegetables hope-

fully will be better next year with better weather.

Page 5: Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County

St Louis County Master Gardeners

Northern Minnesota Beekeeping

Groups Help Beekeepers, Bees and

Gardeners by Catherine Winter

I had no idea I was harboring illegal bees.

Before I put a beehive in my Duluth back yard in the

spring of 2012, I had a look at the city’s code, and I

thought bees were legal.

The city attorney had a different interpretation. That

meant that a lot of people in Duluth who’d been quietly

keeping bees for years were on the wrong side of the law.

So last year we began lobbying the city council for

change.

Members of two local groups, the Lake Superior

Beekeepers and the Northern Minnesota Beekeepers,

helped draft an ordinance permitting beekeeping. We told

the city councilors about how bees are in decline, and

how much we need them to pollinate the food we eat. We

pointed out that many major cities now allow beekeeping.

A few councilors were skeptical at first. “I hate

bees!” one of them told me. But in the end they passed

the ordinance unanimously, and our bees were no longer

fugitives from justice.

Working with these two beekeeping groups has been

a highlight of my first year with bees. Before I got bees, I

had no idea these organizations existed. It turns out they

do lots of work to help beekeepers and bees.

Beekeepers from these groups speak at public events.

They work with 4-H kids, they help each other solve

problems, and they mentor newbies like me.

I don’t know what I would have done without them to

get me out of jams this summer - like when my bees

swarmed.

Swarming happens when some of the bees in a colony

leave to start a new one. It’s how honeybees in the wild

create new colonies. It’s natural. But you don’t want to

lose all those bees if you don’t have to. Bees are

expensive. And these days, bees that leave the hive and

try to make it on their own usually don’t survive because

of the many threats they face – habitat loss, lack of food

sources, disease and pesticides. (Colony collapse disorder

is only one of many threats to bees; bees were declining

before CCD was identified.)

Bee experts say you can reduce swarming by dividing

your hive into two hives in the spring, so I did that. But

the bees hadn’t read the guidebooks. One afternoon, tens

Page 5

of thousands of them left the hive and made a humming

cloud in the back yard.

Bees aren’t aggressive while they’re swarming. But

I was worried about scaring the neighbors, and about

where the swarm would go.

Swarming bees typically leave the hive in a cloud

and then form a cluster somewhere. Sometimes they

pick weird places to cluster, like the bumper of a car,

and people freak out and call pest control or spray them

with hoses. If they’re left alone, the bees in cluster will

eventually fly off on their own, after scout bees have

found a new home, such as a hollow tree.

My bees formed their cluster high on a branch of the

spruce tree next to their hive. I was relieved that they

weren’t bothering the neighbors, but the swarm was way

too high for me to reach it.

Lake Superior Beekeepers came to the rescue. One

of the guys in the group is a mason. He came over and

set up scaffolding. He and another member of the club

climbed up 15 feet and cut off the branch the bees were

on. They put the swarm in a can, and the mason drove

the bees away and put

them in a new hive,

where they still live. He

was glad to get more

bees, free. I was glad

they had a safe place to

live. I hope they make

him some honey.

Some members of

our local beekeeping

groups keep bees for

the honey and beeswax. Some just think bees are

fascinating. Many are hoping to help do something to

stop the decline of pollinators that are crucial to our food

system.

The Lake Superior Beekeepers have two new

projects this year. One is an attempt to raise queens that

can withstand our northern winters better. The other is

an attempt to help gardeners find and buy plants that

have not been pre-treated with insecticide.

Some members of the group were dismayed this

summer when they realized that the flowers they had put

in to provide food for bees came from greenhouses that

sold plants treated with systemic insecticides. Some of

these insecticides are long lasting and get into all parts

of the plant, including the nectar and pollen. Bees that

feed on these plants can get sick or die. (Cont. on page 7)

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Page 6: Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Evolution of a Community Garden

Plot (Continued from page 4)…

posted at the garden gate. Topics included soil amend-

ments, garden myths, insects, diseases, worm farms, etc.

To help our interns earn their hours, we assigned a leader

each month. This leader coordinated the help needed for

weeding, watering, and harvesting.

Our first season was very challenging. We found the

dismal weather, difficult water dispersal, harvesting, and

educating an audience to be more difficult that we thought.

Obviously controlling the weather is not possible but we

used row covers to help our peppers get a head start during

the cold, wet spring. The weather also affected our crop

failure of beets and cucumbers. Difficulties in hooking up

the rain barrel to the building gutter required us to disperse

water by hand. The food shelf asked for food donations

only once a week, leaving us with extra produce. There

was not a good way to store produce for later dispersal.

Lastly, we had poor attendance at our information presen-

tations and we are evaluating whether it was due to the

dates, time of day, location, or lack of interest.

Although there are things to learn and to improve, it

was still a productive and valuable first season. We will

continue this demonstration site and perhaps help with a

second site identified at the local high school. Gardening

lives on!

Straw Bale Gardens by Joel Karsten by Eleanor Hoffman

Straw Bale Gardens (SBG) seems designed to draw

urban or reluctant gardeners into gardening. Karsten's

method also lends itself to extending any garden space

where ground space is unavailable or of poor quality.

His long experience with trial SBG affords credibility.

The book is organized according to the traditional

steps of the growing season, which provide a familiar

frame for the new ideas. SBG are not no-care gardens.

Karsten makes this abundantly clear chapter by chapter.

They do provide some advantages over in-ground and

raised-bed gardens. Properly prepared, SBG provide a

warmer, cleaner, weed-free growing bed that is easy to

work in because it is up off the ground like a raised-bed.

Karsten gives clear instructions about how to set up the

bales and secure them with end stakes and trellis wires.

He explains how and why to set up secure trellis wires

for vining crops. He also gives layouts and plans for

sample gardens and an extensive list of vegetables,

including how many to grow in a single bale. These lists

and instructions help to insure success.

Extending the season with SBG is a function of the

bale's internal combustion engine—the composting

going on inside each bale. Thus, clear plastic and/or row

covers fitted onto the trellis and secured around the bales

provides a heated greenhouse useful early and late in the

growing season. Karsten's instructions are clear and

simple, provided the trellis frame has been built. He also

often remarks what not to do, explaining that he tried it

that way with a poor result.

Karsten notes that his method does not need crop

rotation to ward off disease; the bales are disease free.

The method does however allow interplanting of crops,

allowing early crops to mature and be harvested while

later crops are gaining their size. He also discusses

succession planting of lettuces, peas and other quick-

maturing crops. He encourages frequent harvesting and

cooking/serving within minutes or hours for both

nutrition and taste.

SBG is an eminently readable book. The story is told

conversationally, spiked with humor, examples and light

tongue-in-cheek remarks. Yet Karsten does not talk

down to the reader. The material is thoroughly

presented and abundantly illustrated. Anyone who reads

this book will emerge with a good understanding of

straw bale gardening.

BOOK REVIEWBOOK REVIEWBOOK REVIEW Page 6

Page 7: Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County

2013 Calendar of Events Page 7

Cook County: Northern Gardening WTIP radio show 90.7 FM discusses pertinent gardening topics the 2nd Thurs-

day every month from 7—8 p.m.

Educational Opportunities Glorious Gardens of New Zealand: February 26—March 11, 2014 with a cost of $5,495 + airfare to New Zea-

land. This is an exclusive, 14 day tour for Master Gardeners and other garden enthusiasts. There will be a minimum

of 10 people and a maximum of 24 tour participants. Final payment and registration must be made by November 25,

2013. If you are interested, please contact Mary Kroening, Hidden Treasures Botanical Tours, 302 Reedsport Ridge,

Columbia MO 65203 573-881-6316 or E-mail: [email protected]

Beekeeping in Northern Climates Year 1: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., $80 without lunch / $93 with box lunch,

MacMillan Auditorium, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Learn about the first year of beekeeping with Dr. Marla Spivak and Gary Reuter from the U of M. Topics include pur-

chasing equipment and bees, hiving packages, keeping bees in urban and rural settings, honey production, successful

wintering strategies and keeping bees healthy.

Minnesota Organic Conference: January 10-11, 2014 St. Cloud, MN www.mda.state.mn.us/organic

*Winter workshops the day before– January 9th: Organic High Tunnel Production, Life in the Soil, Grant Writing for

Farmers, Multi Species & Advanced Grazing, Financial Planning, Beekeeping.

Beginning Grower Workshop: January 15, 2014—St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud, MN

Upper Midwest Regional Fruit & Vegetable Growers Conference & Trade Show: January 16 & 17, 2014, St.

Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud, MN

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Northern Beekeeping Groups,

Beekeepers, Bees... (Continued from page 5)

Of particular concern are a class of insecticides

called neonicotinoids. They’re widely used in green-

houses, and a standard dose can be enough to kill bees.

Research just released this fall shows that these insecti-

cides also harm other beneficial insects. The European

Union has suspended the use of some neonicotinoids

because of concerns about their effects on bees. Ontario

bans the use of neonicotinoids on ornamental plants.

Oregon recently put a temporary ban on them after a

mass poisoning of bumblebees. But neonicotinoids are

still legal in most of the US.

Lake Superior Beekeepers recently sent a survey to

greenhouses in and around Duluth asking whether their

plants are treated with insecticides. It turns out that

there are a number of nurseries that don’t use pesticides

or buy pre-treated plants. The results of the survey will

be posted on the group’s web site, so gardeners who

want to help bees can find out where to buy insecticide-

free flowers.

Growing Season ... (Continued from page 1)

and tomatoes ripened well into a warm September.

Another St. Louis county farmer noted that winter

squash and pumpkins looked good in mid-late Septem-

ber and he expected, perhaps, to have the best season in

5 years.

While early crops began yielding almost a month

later than normal, the hot August seems to have nar-

rowed the gap, making it seem as if everything ripened

at once.

Lake county farmers did not fare much differently.

However, some of the vegetable varieties that did do

well for them this season included the following:

Emerite pole bean (filet), Bolero nantes carrot, Rouge

Vif d’Etampes pumpkin Dwarf Blue curled kale.

Sources: Bob Olen, Doug Hoffbauer, Kit Sitter and 2

anonymous farmers

What did you see in your garden this year? Please e-mail Diane at

[email protected] to comment on your growing season

and what varieties did best for you this past year.

By the way, the largest squash was grown in the straw bale on p.1!

Wanted: Wild American Hazelnut Seeds Research is being done on hybridizing American hazelnuts. We need

people to send us ripe seeds from wild American hazelnuts. Label with information about location and mail 10—50

nuts per sample to: Lois Braun, U of M Dept. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, 1991 Upper Buford Circle,

411 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108

Page 8: Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County

NOVEMBER HARVEST RECIPES Page 8

CABBAGE WITH SAUSAGE AND CARAWAY

recipe from Fine Cooking Oct.2013 issue

(The recipe did not indicate specific amounts for

ingredients. Use your discretion especially with the vine-

gar and seasonings. This is great served with a hearty arti-

san bread and for dessert, apple pie!)

Brown chicken sausages in a little oil in a large skillet,

then cut diagonally into 1 inch slices and set aside.

Soften some sliced onion and caraway seeds in the oil,

add shredded cabbage, cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and

pepper.

Cover and cook gently until the cabbage is tender.

Season to taste, add the sausages, and cook until

heated through, about 5 minutes more.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

AUNT ELSIE’S COLE SLAW

Sprinkle one medium to large head of shredded cab-

bage with 3/4 cup sugar and one half of a chopped

onion.

Let this stand while you make the dressing.

Use a large non-reactive bowl with a tightly fitted lid.

Do not put the lid on the bowl while the mixture above

is standing.

In a small non-reactive pan, bring the following ingre-

dients to boil: 1 cup cider vinegar, 2/3 cup vegetable

oil, 1 tsp. dry mustard or regular mustard, 1/4 cup

sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. celery seed ( or more if you

like).

Pour the boiling mixture over the cabbage. seal the

bowl with the lid. Turn the bowl up, down, all around

to distribute the dressing, onions and sugar.

Let stand on the counter for 4 hours. Refrigerate and

serve cold or at room temperature.

CREAMY CABBAGE SOUP W/GRUYERE

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 russet potato, peeled and grated

3/4 lb. cabbage, cored and shredded

salt to taste

5 cups water, chicken or vegetable stock

1 parmesan rind

fresh ground pepper to taste

2 cups low-fat milk

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Garnish with croutons and fresh chives.

Heat the oil over medium heat in large, heavy soup

pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring until tender.

Add the grated potato, shredded cabbage and 1/2 tsp.

salt. Stir together for a minute, taking care the pota-

toes don’t stick to pan. Add the water or stock, the

Parmesan rind and salt & pepper to taste. Bring to a

simmer, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 min-

utes, until the vegetables are tender.

Add the milk to the soup. Stir, combine well, heat

without boiling. Add the cheese until melted. Re-

move Parmesan rind. Serve with garnish.

SAUTEED RED CABBAGE

recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

2 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, sliced

1/2 red cabbage, shredded

1/3 cup white or apple cider vinegar

2 rounded Tbsps. sugar

1 tsp. mustard seed

salt & pepper

Directions: Heat a skillet over medium high heat.

Add oil and onions and sauté 2 minutes. Add cab-

bage and turn in pan, sautéing it until it wilts. 3 –5

minutes. Add vinegar to the pan and turn the cab-

bage in it. Sprinkle sugar over the cabbage and turn

again. Season with mustard seed, salt and pepper.

Reduce heat a bit. Let cabbage continue to cook 10

minutes or until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.

You can substitute applesauce for sugar and increase

the amount of cabbage for that amount of vinegar.

Page 9: Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County

Page 9

Grafting Tomatoes… (continue from page 3)

Take the rootstock, cut off the top just below the cotyle-

dons at a 60 degree angle. Match up the two stems and clip

together with a silicone grafting clip. Promptly water the

transplant.

Healing Grafted Plants Put transplants into a healing

chamber, 80 – 85 degrees F and at least 95% humidity.

Make sure they are in a heavily shaded area and misted to

maintain the humidity. Keep the leaves dry to discourage-

disease. It takes 4- 5 days for the graft to heal. Placing

plastic domes over the trays of top-grafted plants will en-

hance your success.

Gradually increase the grafted plants exposure to light and

lower humidity on days 6, 7, and 8. The time may vary

depending upon the transplants. It will take at least 14 days

for the graft to totally heal.

Managing Plants If they are placed in a greenhouse or

eventually outdoors, you want to make sure you control the

plant vigor. You can allow two leaders, rather than a single

stem to grow, by allowing a low sucker to grow. This sup-

presses vegetative growth and allows more fruit production.

Remove all leaves below the lowest cluster with maturing

fruit. You will need more space for the plant if you have a

double leader. Maxifort has been found to work well with

double leaders, while Beaufort is less vigorous and works

well with a single leader.

When planting the grafted tomato, the graft needs to

remain above the soil line and the tomato needs good sup-

port.

Items you will need to graft tomatoes: Very thin single

edge razor blades, plastic domes for your seedling trays

with or without an air intake dial on the dome, grafting

clips, rootstock seeds.

Some possible places for supplies: Johnny’s Seeds http://

www.johnnyseed.com, Harris Seeds http://harrisseeds.com,

Territorial Seed Company www.territorialseed.com

Resources:

Vegetable Grafting, Washington State University Extension Fact Sheet

FS052E

Grafting Tomatoes for Increased Vigor and Disease Resistance,

Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Vegetable Grafting: The Healing Chamber, Washington State Univer-

sity Extension Fact Sheet FS051E

Grafting Vegetables: Is it worth the trouble? Many growers say yes.

Amy Garrett, Small Farms Program, Oregon State University Summer

2011

St. John’s wort: Have You Seen It?

St. John’s wort is

native to Europe,

northern Africa, and

Asia, but can also be

found along Highway

61 between Cascade

River and Grand

Marais. It is gaining

a pretty strong foot-

hold in Cook County

and should be

watched for in Lake,

St. Louis, and Carlton

counties as well.

It is still being

sold in the nursery

trade under common

names like: Tipton’s

weed, rosin rose,

goatweed, chase-devil or Klamath weed. It’s scientific

name is Hypericum perforatum.

Generally the plant prefers well-drained, coarse-

textured soils and open areas, but it will also grow in

heavy clay in a meadow situation.

It is recognizable by its clusters of yellow star-

shaped flowers and its 1-2” long opposite leaves that

are dotted with tiny dots. It also has a long taproot and

many shallow rhizomes.

St. John’s wort can grow new root crowns from the

many rhizomes while also reproducing via seeds. One

plant can produce between 15,000 and 34,000 seeds,

each of which may remain viable in the soil for up to

50 years, making eradication difficult in established

patches.

Eradication via hand pulling and digging can be

effective if you have small patches. Mowing and cut-

ting are not effective, as the plant will re-grow from the

root crown to continue blooming. The primary means

of successfully eradicating populations is to use herbi-

cides making sure you read and follow all label instruc-

tions.

You do not want to have this plant in your pasture or

roadside area as it can quickly take over, establishing

large colonies, eliminating native plants or grasses.

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3

Cook County Master Gardeners

Page 10: Straw Bale Gardening Experience ~ Minnesota, Carlton County

NE Master Gardener Newsletter

317 W. 5th Street

Grand Marais, MN 55604

The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment with-

out regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual

orientation.

STATE CONTACTS:

Julie Weisenhorn

State Master Gardener Director

612-625-1925

[email protected] Blog: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/efans/mgdirector/

David E. Moen State Master Gardener Program Manager

763-767-3874/888-241-0719

[email protected] Extension Regional Office, Andover

550 Bunker Lake Boulevard NW, Suite L-1

Andover, MN 55304

NEWSLETTER TEAM & COUNTY OFFICES:

Carlton County Office 218-384-3511

Laurene Longsyo 218-879-1988 [email protected]

Sarah VanderMeiden 218-879-3352 [email protected]

Cook County Office 218-387-3015

Diane Booth 218-387-3015 [email protected]

Lake County Office 218-834-8377

Kit Sitter 218-525-4138 [email protected]

St Louis County Office 218-733-2870

Eleanor Hoffman 218-590-9162 [email protected]

We are looking for more people to help with the newsletter. If you

are interested, please contact the above folks from your county.

Would you like to receive a printed newsletter in the mail?

The cost for us to mail out 4 colored issues a year is $10.

Please make a check out to: Cook County Extension and mail

with your name and address to:

NE Master Gardener Newsletter

317 W. 5th Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604

Kit Sitter, MG with Lake County

has been accepted as one of the northern

representatives on the State MG Advisory Board. She

has been a Master Gardener since 2007 and her 3 year

term began June 2012 She will bring you news from the

Board in future NE Regional Newsletters.