Dakota Master Gardeners

Welcome To The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners in Dakota County

Spring Plant Sale this Saturday – Come Rain or Shine!

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For great deals on beautiful, hardy Minnesota garden grown perennials plus vegetable and herb plants head out to the Dakota County Fairgrounds in Farmington this Saturday from 9 – Noon. Bring your friends and a box or wagon to carry all you will find at our sale.  Master Gardeners will be available throughout the sale to answer your plant and garden questions.

Our sale is stocked with 100s of hardy perennials and tons of vegetable plants like peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant and more plus herbs too!  Visit our plant sale page for more information on perennials that will be available or see a complete list of vegetables and herbs.

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Show your support for the Dakota County Master Gardeners and all the amazing projects we help with throughout communities in Dakota County.  See you Saturday!

Spring Lawn Care

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May is the doing month in the garden.  It may seem overwhelming but by accomplishing these tasks now will make the rest of your summer more enjoyable!  Spring lawn care is no exception.  Here is a quick summary of what you can tackle to have a healthy and sustainable lawn.

Seed

Although fall is the ideal time to seed May is the second best time to overseed areas or start a new lawn area.  Many people have lawn damage from voles or our long winter of snow cover.  Spring rain and cooler temps make seeding a bit easier than later in the season.  If you are applying a pre-emergent crabgrass control be sure to not apply it where you are seeding new grass.  The same product that prevents crabgrass seeds from growing will do the same for your desirable grass seed.

Mow

Usually May is the first time we all need to get out the mower.  Make sure your blades are sharp and keep your grass at a height of 2-2.5″ to help shade the soil which prevents weeds and helps with moisture retention.  Mulch your clippings and return them to the lawn and get the equivilant of one application of nitrogen fertilizer

Aerate

If your lawn is lumpy-bumpy or hard and compacted a good core aeration will help even out the lawn and allow for better penetration of water into the soil.  Fall is the ideal time for this task, but spring is a close second.

Fertilize & Weed Control

Control weeds that grow from seed like crabgrass and dandelions with a pre-emergent weed treatment.  These products are often a combination weed control and fertilizer, but can also be purchased separately if you choose.  Just one application of fertilizer a year can help your grass thrive and reduce soil erosion.

For more information visit the Extension’s Lawn Care site.

Grab Your Pruners

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As the temperatures rise many people are anxious to get outside to tackle yard and garden projects.  Although it is too early for many tasks, pruning is something that you can be doing now.  Late winter is great time to prune.  The branches of trees and shrubs are easy to see without the leaves and pruning cuts will heal quickly when plants begin to come out of dormancy.   Broken branches and diseases like cankers and black knot are easily seen to be removed.

Avoid pruning any spring and early summer flowering shrubs like forsythia and lilacs otherwise you will be snipping off some of this years blossoms.  It best to wait until after bloom to trim these.  Other shrubs and trees can be pruned now without affecting flowering.  Now is also a good time to prune fruit trees, but be sure to finish any oak trimming by the end of March to reduce the risk of oak wilt.

Photo credit: Tori Clark

Visit us at the Expos

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Visit the Dakota County Master Gardeners at one of the upcoming community spring home and garden expos.  You will find our booth filled with information on our upcoming events and  classes along with knowledgeable Master Gardeners to answer your questions as we all start to think spring.  Master Gardeners will also be teaching seminars during the Eagan show. Be sure to stop by and say hi!

Lakeville Landscape & Home Show – March 10, Lakeville North High School

Eagan Home & Leisure Show – March 16 – 17 , Eagan Civic Arena
    • Friday, March 16 @ 6PM, Building a Backyard Greenhouse on a Budget by Barb Webb
    • Saturday, March 17 @ 12:30, Growing Blueberreies by Tori Clark
    • Saturday, March 17 @ 1:30, Gardening 101 by Michelle Scullard

Intro to Seed Saving

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Let’s Get Growing 2018 is full of fun, educational sessions this year.  If you are interested in learning the ins and outs of seed saving then the Intro to Seed Saving class is just right for you.

Dakota County Master Gardener Barb Webb will introduce you to the wonderful world of seed saving. She will discuss some of the easier seeds to save and you will learn about the differences between saving seeds from heirloom, open pollinated and hybrid plants. Barb will talk about self-pollinating vs. cross-pollinating flowers, and best practices for selecting, identifying and ensuring that the seeds you harvest and save will produce true plants the following year. You will leave with a better understanding on how to harvest, dry and store some of your favorite seeds.

Event details and registration information are located at Let’s Get Growing.  Space is filling up fast so register today!

Project Highlights: Dakota County Fairgrounds Children’s Garden

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Each year during the Dakota County Fair, both children and adults get a chance to explore the Dakota County Master Gardener’s Children’s Garden. A different theme is chosen each year and a variety of fun activities and plantings are selected to highlight the theme.  The 2017 Children’ s Garden
featured a Dr. Seuss theme – “Oh the Gardens You’ll Grow!” based on the Seuss classic, “Oh the Places You’ll Go!”  The Garden was filled with Seussian accents and brightly colored stepping stones leading a self-guided, short walking tour.
Highlights included a sensory area, complete with a Seuss- themed bench to sit and rest a while, areas with bright and sunny plants and dark and black plants, (to name just a few),  and a covered bridge too.
“Bingo Cards” were available for kids to fill out by locating certain plants with sticker rewards handed out as prizes.  As always, the Children’s Garden, sponsored by the Dakota County Master Gardeners, and it’s activities are entirely free and fun for all. Can’t wait to see what amazing theme the creative and talented gardeners in this group come up with for the 2018 garden!