Extension Master Gardeners - Renville County
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Visit us on Facebook at: Extension Master Gardeners - Renville County This is our last issue for 2020 It is time for the newsletter to end for 2020, just like our gardens. We will be back February 2021 to start anew. We Thank You for reading our newsletter and hope you enjoyed reading through the issues! See you in 2021!!! A newsletter by the Renville County Master Inside this Issue: Gardeners containing USDA Zone 4 appropriate information October Garden Tips – Page 2 Volume 142 October 2020 Become a Master Gardener – Page 2 Cacti - Page 2 Meet the Renville County Wildflower of the Month: Milkweed – Page 3 Master Gardeners Louise Schweiss Betsy Hennen – Fall Turf Problem -Page 4 Anderson–Fairfax; Olivia; Beetles on your Asparagus – Page 7 Joy Clobes - Fairfax Jan Howell – Olivia; Teide Erickson - Pam McColley - Orange Beetles killing my flowers, or are they? - Franklin; Winthrop Page-9 Sandy Feldman – Linda McGraw – Renville, Buffalo Lake; Storing tender bulbs - 10 Cathi Fesenmaier – Beth O'Keefe – What’s Happening – Page 11 Olivia; Morton; Erin Grams – Hector; Marie O'Keefe – . Susan Haubrich – Morton Danube; Barbara Stone- “My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece” Renville Claude Monet The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation This Photo by Unknown Author 1 October Garden Tips • October marks the peak of fall bulb planting. Soil preparation is the important first step. Work the soil when it is dry or only slightly moist. Bulbs need well- drained soil for best results and to prevent rotting. Planting earlier than October increases the risk of bulbs sprouting prematurely during a warm fall. Keep planting bulbs until the ground freezes. • Keep frost protection nearby to keep your annuals going. Cover plants in late afternoon when there is a danger of frost. Remove the coverings when temperatures warm. • Harvest squashes and pumpkins before the first frosts. They will quickly turn mushy if left outside. They should be harvested when they have a bright color and a thick, hard skin. • Keep watering trees, shrubs and evergreens until the ground is frozen. Trees and shrubs need sufficient water to survive our dry winters. • Fall cleanup is an important key to pest control. Remove diseased or pest-infected foliage. This reduces the source of insects and disease for next season. • Tune Up Your Tools - Clean dirt off tools and sharpen blades before storing them for the winter. Push tools into a bucket of sand treated with old motor oil to help protect from rust. Source: “Month-By-Month Gardening Minnesota & Wisconsin” by Melinda Myers If you or you know someone who would love to join us as Master Gardeners, please contact the http://z.umn.edu/mg2021app and one of our Master Gardeners will contact you. And NO, you do not have to be an expert already, none of us were or are at the present time. We just have places to go to get the information people need. So, if you just garden via pots, or have a small plot garden, or just love houseplants, you can become a Master Gardener. Because of all of us that belong have different interest and different knowledge levels. But we have one thing in common, we love plants. Anyone can do this; our group will help you the first year to get you what you need to get your official Master Gardener certificate. Application deadline is October 1st. All you need to do now is Call US! Thank You! Renville County Master Gardeners 2 Cacti By: Joy Clobes, Renville County Master Gardener Cacti belong to a group of plants called succulents. Cacti have round cushion like areas called areoles which are where spines develop. Like the plants we call succulents cacti can store water in their fleshy leaves and stems. They can survive hot arid environments with limited rainfall. When looking for a cactus to purchase try to find one that has been properly cared for. Look for potting soil that is dry to the touch. A cactus with soggy soil may have been overwatered and could develop root rot. Also look for a cactus that is growing straight- not leggy or leaning toward light. Make sure the plant has a healthy color and try to avoid those that have been painted or have flowers glued on. When you purchase a cactus, it will probably come in a plastic pot. Plastic is ok for a cactus, but it is not porous, so plants could become waterlogged easier. Terra-cotta pots are heavier than plastic and will be more stable for the tall or top-heavy plants. Terra-cotta is also porous which helps improve drainage. Most cacti need a bright sunny location, a south facing is ideal. If cacti are moved outside for the summer put them where they can have some shade during the hottest part of the day. Cacti do not like big temperature changes. Keep them away from very cold windows in the winter. Cacti grow in the spring and summer and like temperatures of 80-85 degrees. In the winter when resting they like cool nighttime temperatures but not lower than 50 degrees. Water at the proper time is probably the most important part of caring for cacti. They want frequent watering during their growth period from April until early September. In September and October gradually reduce watering. During cacti winter rest period from early November until the end of February cacti needs no water. Gradually increase watering in March. Watering cacti during their rest period will lead to rotten dead cacti. Winter flowering cacti like Christmas Cactus will need water every two weeks or so until they finish flowering. Cacti, like all plants need fertilizer. Add a balanced plant fertilizer to water and fertilize two or three times during the active growth period. Since cacti are slow growers, they will need repotting every two to four years. The best time to repot cacti is at the end of the winter rest period, this would be in March or April. Cacti and succulents prefer a snug fit so choose a pot only slightly larger than the present one. You can purchase a ready-made cacti and succulent mix or make your own. Gently remove the cactus from its pot, gently loosen the roots and place in a new container no deeper than it was in its old pot. Wait a few weeks after repotting to resume watering your cactus. About four years ago I purchased my first cacti. They are the perfect houseplants for me, I am not particularly good at watering and cacti do not like water in winter. I like to move my plants outside for the summer and let nature water them. 3 Fall turf grass problems? Grubs might be the culprit If you are noticing ugly, dead patches in your lawn, you might have an active population of white grubs. White grubs can cause serious damage to turfgrass. Their feeding injures plant roots, causing the turf to wilt and die. This Photo by Unknown Author is Symptoms of grub damage include: • Patchylicensed areas under of CCwilting BY-ND discolored or stressed turf that does not respond to irrigation. • Large irregular patches of dead turf that can be rolled back like a loose carpet. • Raccoons, skunks, and crows tearing up the lawn (looking for grubs to eat). Lawn damage caused by May-June beetle white grubs Japanese beetle grub damage White grubs, what are they? White grubs are the immature phase, or larvae, of beetles in the scarab family. In Minnesota, white grubs are typically the larvae of May-June beetles and Japanese beetles. Like all beetles, white grubs undergo complete metamorphosis. Adult beetles lay their eggs in the ground, where the eggs hatch and the beetle larvae live. The beetles progress through the egg stage, several immature (larval) stages, and a non-feeding intermediate (pupa) stage to the adult stage. The bodies of white grubs grow considerably throughout their life cycle and they move within the soil. White grubs cannot tolerate freezing temperatures; when temperatures cool in the fall, larvae move lower in the soil, below the normal frost line, to survive winter. When the weather warms, they move up to feed on roots. Different species of white grubs look like one another but can be distinguished by the arrangement of hairs and bristles on the underside of their abdomen at the tip called a raster pattern. Raster patterns are challenging to see and recognize; an expert should identify any pest grubs. Management will differ based on what species of white grub is present in your yard because they have different timing for their life cycles, which means different timing for management. 4 May-June beetle grub raster pattern Japanese beetle grub raster pattern May-June beetles May-June beetle white grub May-June beetles have a three-year life cycle. The best time to treat them is during their second year, although damage to turf is usually not noticed then. Year 1 • Adult beetles emerge in the spring or early summer, in May or June, and lay eggs in the soil. • Larvae hatch the same summer. • During the first summer, the larvae feed and grow from the first immature stage to the second. • Typically, this first year of feeding does not cause noticeable injury Year 2 • The following spring, larvae move upward to feed on roots within the first few inches of soil.