Being able to pluck a crisp and tasty apple directly from a tree is one of life’s little pleasures. Apples just seem to taste better when they go right from the tree to your mouth. The great thing is that if you have the room on your Minnesota property, you can have your very own apple tree. There are just a few things you should know, however. Here are some tips to help you grow your own apple trees.
Sunshine and Cooling
Like all trees, apple trees need a certain amount of sunlight to thrive and survive. During the summer months, they should be in a spot where they get at least six hours of sunlight every day. A cooling down period during the winter is important to help encourage growth in the coming season. This need for cooling is why apple trees tend to thrive in the northern hemisphere.
Give Them Their Space
It is important to have a plan for how you will space out your trees. It takes around a decade for an apple tree to reach its largest size, so you do not want to underestimate the space needed around the spot you plant the tree. You can have them around a garden that needs shade in summer and light in winter, because they lose their leaves during the cold months. You should try to use a spot that has good drainage, although apple trees are very tolerant to different soil types and conditions.
When to Plant
The best time to plant an apple tree is November, but you can wait all the way until March if you would like. If you buy a sapling, make sure that it looks healthy and strong. You should plant it in moist soil as soon as possible. If the root dries out it may hamper the tree’s development.
How to Plant
The hole you dig should be deep and wide enough to place the entirety of the roots inside without being tangled. You may have to detangle them yourself. Fill the hole, and compress the soil to make sure that its the roots are always touching the soil. The graft should be above the soil line. If you need a stake, then by all means us one, at least until the tree is better established. Give it a good watering, and you are good to go!
When the two-lined chestnut borer is around, oak trees in Minnesota are in danger. Otherwise known as Agrilus Bilineatus, the two-lined chestnut borer will attack any oak species, although red oak is its favorite. It like trees that are already weakened. If conditions like stress, construction, or drought have affected trees in a certain area, then there is a good chance that the TLCB will try to make a home and infest them.
Management
Once an infestation has started, it is difficult to fix the problem. The best way to manage TLCB is through prevention. That means keeping trees as healthy as possible. The more vigorous they are, the better equipped they will be to defend against borers. This means keeping the trees properly watered, maintaining the soil, and not damaging the bark. Anything that causes stress or damage to the tree or might weaken it will encourage the borers to strike.
How Do They Infest Trees?
A TLBC, once it is found a weak enough oak tree, will lay eggs usually in May or June. Over the summer, the larvae suck the nutrients and water from the branches as they feed. This causes leaves to turn brown. You can only see the trails the larvae cause if you cut away a piece of bark to see underneath. The larvae have enlarged heads, and are completely white. They can get up to ¼ inch in length. After a year, they develop into adult beetles and head off to infect more trees.
How to Tell if a Tree is Infected
The first thing you might notice is that the foliage has become sparse, and the leaves have gotten smaller. This usually happens within 1-2 months of larvae being hatched. As the tree gets more damaged, branches will pull back, and the infested leaves will turn red-brown. The trees will often have a pattern of live, damaged and dead leaves. Upper branches will have no leaves, as they will have died. The middle section will have the red-brown leaves, and the lower section leaves will be green. By the end of the summer, the damage stops progressing, only to pick up again the following spring. Once the tree is fully dead, the TLCB will start attacking other trees nearby.
If you suspect an infestation of two-lined chestnut borers, make sure to keep your oak trees strong and healthy to keep the bugs at bay.
It is important when you are getting a new lawn to get the best type for your region. That can be a difficult thing to decide, but hopefully this guide will help you make the right choice. There are certainly better types of grass to plant in Minnesota. Here is what you need to know.
If you have lived in Minnesota for more than six months, you know full well how cold it can get. For that reason, you absolutely must have a cool-season grass type for your lawn. These types of grass will hold up in cooler weather, and will survive the cold winters. They grow best in temperatures between 65 and 80 Fahrenheit, which is the range in the spring and autumn. Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and fescue are all cool-season grasses that can work in Minnesota. They all have their specific benefits as well.
Things to Consider
There are a few factors to consider when choosing between appropriate cool-season grass types. For one, is your lawn shady? If so, then try to find seed mixtures that combine Kentucky bluegrass with fine fescues. This will make your lawn better able to tolerate shade and grow well despite this condition. Also, if your lawn has a greater exposure to the sun, then you may want about half and half of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. If you want a lawn that is relatively easy to maintain, then a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescues should do the trick quite nicely.
Grasses to Avoid
There are some grass types that are definitely not appropriate for Minnesota. For instance, Zoysia is a great grass for warmer climates, but it will not grow quick enough in cooler climates. Annual ryegrass, as opposed to the perennial ryegrass mentioned above, is very low quality and will not regrow after the winter. You will often find bentgrass on golf courses, but it is not great for home use. It requires a lot of maintenance, looks ugly when it grows out, and is prone to diseases.
Planting the right grass is very important to have a great looking lawn. Hopefully this guide will help you make the right choice for your new lawn in Minnesota.
This article is about ways you can make your garden care both easier and also more eco-friendly. The following examples and guidelines will give you more information into eco-friendly landscaping approaches. The methods you use to keep your yard maintained and looking good are directly tied to the local environment. You are just as responsible as anyone else about its condition. That said, follow these green gardening guidelines to do your part for the environment this year.
Green Gardening Guidelines for Minnesota
Why It’s Important
To really understand why green gardening is important, you need to first understand the situation. The production and transportation of pesticides and fertilizers uses a lot of energy. Avoid using these chemicals to be truly eco-friendly. The commercial products used today contain chemicals that pollute the environment. Instead, replace them with safer options. The shortage of vital water in many areas can be a problem if you employ reckless waste of water. There are sustainable green practices and techniques you can use to lower your water consumption. These also lower the need of hazardous pesticides and the use of synthetic fertilizers. This will provide sustainability to your landscape and a nice patch of delicious organic foods.
Growing Local Plants.
Choose plants that are native to your local area. This ensures your landscape can grow in optimal conditions. Local plants will require far less care and maintenance. One disadvantage of using native plants is that they can attract local pests. You will need to take the full range of countermeasures to eliminate the threat. On the other hand having some local greenery will help fit with the ecosystem with out wasting resources.
Using Natural Measures.
There are different gardening methods you can use to work on sustainability. Some involve digging and others do not. You will, however, need to use mulch with every method. Mulch has many benefits, such as protection from cold weather conditions and preserving moisture. It also enriches your soil with the right nutrients. The best thing about using mulch is that you will have a lot less problems with weeds you would otherwise have to deal with. This means gardening with far fewer pesticides, instead using the biomass coming from your garden, such as grass clippings, leaves and more.
Making compost.
The time to replace your fertilizers with natural compost is now. Just use any leftovers from the kitchen that include vegetable scraps and egg shells for example. These will really help you improve your soil without making it too difficult for you to handle while reducing your waste.
Dealing with the issues.
The insects around any garden can be a real problem especially since pesticides are not entirely effective in what they do or if they are there are side effects you will need to consider as well. Irritants can be fought by introducing their natural predators in their environment such as using ladybugs for aphids.
If you follow these green gardening guidelines for your summer landscape project, you will be well on your way to an eco-friendly landscape design. Why wait? Start doing some research today and discover what plants and designs you can incorporate in your landscape today!
➤ Click here to learn about the green landscaping services offered by Dean Bjorkstrand
Not everything that grows green is good for your outdoor space. Most people try to surround their family homes with plants, trees and bushes. Those who have bigger areas around their houses tend to use it to their advantage. People build gardens and courtyards to spend time with family and friends. Children can play with each other and guests can pay a visit on a festive occasion. Grass that grows around the house sometimes needs more care than plants. Lawn mowing is normally enough to maintain grass in your garden. You should, however, practice caution. Moss can grow in grassy areas and threaten yours and your family’s health. To avoid moss growth, follow these tips on killing garden moss this year.
Killing Garden Moss
Garden Moss
Noticing moss growing in your garden is such sad news for any family or gardener. Because you realize that soon it will kill all grass and make your lawn look like a swamp. If this happens at the end of the summer, you might reckon that winter will cure it, but if it is spring when moss starts settling down in your garden then the whole blossoming season is going to be ruined and your lawn will only be available for pets. But do not rush to shut your garden down until the next season. Just like moss makes your lawn an unsuitable place for grass to grow you can create the conditions in which moss itself will not be able to exist in your garden. Before you start getting rid of moss from your garden try to understand the reasons it appeared there.
Where it Grows
Most of the times moss starts to grow in the places where nothing is growing and then simply spreads around. It also gives you a hint that something is wrong with your lawn. The problem is not that moss kills your grass like a weed. Simply grass does not want to grow on your lawn and you need to find out why. Dying grass creates an ideal environment for moss. To prevent the appearance of the latter you need to eliminate the reasons for the absence of the first.
If you have compacted soil in your garden, you would probably have problems with dying grass and excess of moss. Grass roots are turned into soil compaction and a smooth area is created for moss to hold onto.
If the soil in your garden is constantly damp, the roots of the grass will likely suffocate in it and provide an ideal environment for moss bloom.
Low pH and acid kill the grass as well, and moss easily thrives in high acid soil.
Lack of sun does not help your grass to grow while shade is the perfect amount of light for moss to kill it.
Once you have established the problem with your lawn you can start preparing for the extermination of moss. First, get a moss killer that contains ferrous sulphate. The dead moss needs to be raked off from the area which is reserved for the green lawn. Then spread the grass seeds all over and keep them moist until the grass shows symptoms of growing. And remember that if you do not exercise sufficient lawn care, moss is likely to appear again. So follow these tips on killing garden moss and you will have a beautiful landscape that lasts all season long!
A flower garden can enhance your landscape. They should be prepared during spring, after the snow has melted. You can decide on what kind of flowers to plant in your garden. Choose from a wide variety of perennials, annuals, or both for your garden. Try to select an array of colorful flowers that will attract local wildlife. Once you have your selection, follow these tips on how to plant a flower garden.
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Choosing flowers for Minnesota gardening can be challenging. The extreme differences in temperature and weather that occur throughout the gardening season make it planning a difficult task. If you’re planning a garden with long-term use in mind, you’ll definitely want to include perennials. Perennials guarantee beauty year after year and can be planted to bloom throughout the gardening season in Minnesota. Annual flowers only grow for one season. They can be added each year to your garden to brighten it up or for use in visually appealing flower baskets or window boxes.
What Are The Best Perennials for Minnesota Gardening?
Planting perennials in Minnesota means you need to purchase flowers that will grow in Zone 4. Zone 4 plants and vegetation can make it through minimum temperatures of -20 to -30 degrees. This is ideal for the Minnesota climate. Even though perennials return year after year, you still want to make sure you provide proper protection from the winter and summer elements. Remember to mulch your garden and take into consideration whether your plants need a certain amount of shade or sun to thrive.
Here Are The Best Perennials for Minnesota:
Asters: Asters are long-blooming flowers. They are vibrant in shade and very hardy. Asters make wonderful flowers for placing in a vase and provide strong growth. They bloom from mid-summer through the fall.
Chrysanthemums: Chrysanthemums flowers offer a beautiful variety of colors for your garden. In addition, they stand up well against extreme temperatures that tend to blossom all summer.
Coneflowers: Coneflowers provide your garden with gorgeous purple and lavender hues, as well as white. They are popular flowers for attracting butterflies and continue working long into the winter.
Day Lily: Ask nearly any gardener and they will likely list the day lily as one of their favorite perennial plants. Lilies are well-known for requiring minimal maintenance and for their ability to blossom in the sunniest or shadiest spots. Furthermore, these popular flowers also come in a vast array of colors. They make gorgeous additions to any sort of garden.
Hosta: Hosta’s are known for being a reliable flower that grows in shady areas. They also grow in direct sunlight. They are extremely hardy and require little maintenance.
Peonies: Peonies are possibly the most reliable flower for your garden. They provide incredibly fragrant blooms, as well as a visual appeal to your garden. They blossom in a host of colors in the spring for about a month.
Some popular annual flowers for Minnesota gardening:
Begonia: Begonia flowers thrive in the shade and provide a colorful boost to any garden. They blossom in white, red, pink, and varying shades or oranges and yellows. Consequently, Begonia are very popular among Minnesota gardens.
Dahlia: Dahlia flowers thrive in full sunlight and do require regular watering. In addition, they offer wonderful colorful options that are sure to make any flower pot or window box pop.
Geranium: These flowers blossom throughout the gardening season and are available in a wide range of colors. Furthermore, they thrive in the sun and do require that regular upkeep like deadheading and watering.
Marigold: These yellow or orange flowers tend to do well in both dry or moist soil and provide blooms throughout the gardening season, no matter what type of sunlight they are exposed to.
Petunia: The petunia is another annual flower that blooms from spring to fall. This colorful and fragrant flower attracts hummingbirds as well as butterflies and grows best in full sun.
➤ Dean Bjorkstrand offers garden design services. Click to learn more.
Gardening can be hard work. Arranging flowers for your garden is no easy task. If you want to make your garden look great, however, you should certainly consider the importance of flower beds. Flower beds can make all of the difference to your garden. In addition, they bring life and vibrancy to your garden. So what are some good flower arrangement ideas for your garden?
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We have discussed ways to keep your landscape healthy, but this time we are going to discuss proper landscape design strategies that are seldom thought about.
Many people have lawns with flowers and trees. For some reason, however, the landscape never seems to look as good as it could. If you want to create your dream landscape or garden, there are a few things you should think about. For example, your flowers. If it is summer, consider planting some summer flowers. They will thrive instantly and leave you with a beautiful garden for the next few months. When winter comes however, your flowers will die and come summer, they will need to be replanted all over again. Gardens aren’t just about summer, so it helps to have a mixture of summer and winter flowers in your garden so when the next season passes, you don’t have to do as much replanting. (more…)