1. HELPFUL HINTS FOR A HEALTHY GARDEN
Prepared by
Jackie Smith
University of Minnesota Extension
Master Gardener, Carver/Scott Counties
2017
© Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved..

2. Extension Master Gardeners are accredited by the University of Minnesota Extension to provide free, unbiased horticultural and environmental best practices. Our goal is to enhance local quality of life through informed decision making.

3. Helpful Hints for a Healthy Garden: Beyond the Basics
Soil
Plant Care
Pest Prevention

4. Soil: one basic you can’t skip
Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants

5. Healthy Soil HINT - Add Organic Matter
Cover crops
Compost

6. Cover Crops spring & fall

7. Cover Crops in November

8. Compost

9. Direct Composting (not just for vegetables)

10. Trench Composting

11. Incorporate Healthy Crops Early and Often

12. Plant Selection
Right Plant for Right Place
Look for pest resistance

13. HINT: Select appropriate plants using your Zone, soil type, sun exposure, wind, and water availability.

14. HINT: Before planting Look for Resistant Varieties

15. MONARDA, PHLOX
Look for
mildew
resistant varieties

16. ROSES
Look for
blackspot
resistant varieties

17. CUCUMBER ‘COUNTY FAIR’
Resists
Cucumber
Beetles,
Bacterial
Wilt

18. BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Resists
Squash
vine borers

19. SWEET CORN tight husks at tip resist corn earworm

20. MALABAR SPINACH (BASELLA) laughs at heat

21. CHINESE CABBAGE highly resistant to imported cabbage worms (grow for fall crop)

22. VF1,2NSTA only helpful if you have that problem

23. HINT: Do your own variety trials

24. BASIC: Provide Great Plant Care
Light
Temperature
Moisture
Season
Air Circulation
Sanitation

25. HINT: Bright Light! – required for seedlings

26. HINT: Harden off transplants, including purchased plants

27. HINT: Protect at Planting

28. Growing HINTS Vegetables

29. HINT: You can transplant corn

30. HINT: get a head start on the season with transplant protection

31. HINT: Straw bales/shade cloth cool the soil & air at the other end of the season

32. HINT: Plant for a fall crop of cool season vegetables

33. No Insects on this spinach!

34. HINT: without proper moisture most plants will fail
______________
HINT: without proper moisture most plants will fail

35. HINT: Provide support and thin plants for good air circulation!!!

36. HINT: Grow double pepper plants and provide support

37. HINT: Hilling and mulching potatoes conserves water, prevents greening

38. HINT: No mulch on Squash –
Less attractive to squash bugs

39. Growing HINTS Ornamentals

40. HINT: MULCH (see handout)
Control Weeds
Regulates Soil Moisture
Some mulches add to Soil
Structure

41. HINT: Mulch may not be a good idea if you have slugs

42. HINT: Support Perennials early

43. Perennials that like support:
Peonies
Smooth Hydrangea
Delphinium
Some lilies
Plants in lower light conditions

44. Perennials that do well with pinching:
Chrysanthemums
Asters
Perovskia
Tall sedums
Eupatorium
Veronica
Phlox

45. HINT: Pinch blooms on new plantings
Fruit Trees – first year
Strawberries – first month

46. Perennials that bloom longer with deadheading
Platycodon
Campanula
Gaillardia
Coreopsis
Delphinium

47. More that bloom longer with deadheading
Digitalis
Phlox
Lupine
Achillea
Rose

48. Perennials with increased plant vigor if deadheaded
Most bulbs
True lilies (ovaries only)

49. Deadhead to prevent rampant seeding
Aquilegia
Dicentra
Centaurea
Lamium

50. Perennials that reseed nicely (leave just a few seed stalks)
Hosta
Daylilies
Scilla
Puschkinia

51. Surprise Results

52. Deadhead for improved appearance (cut back to crown of plant)
Hemerocallis
Hosta
Iris
Astilbe

53. Deadhead for improved appearance (cut back to crown of plant)
Aruncus
Ligularia
Oriental Poppy

54. HINT: Remove bloom stalks as they appear (personal preference)
Hosta
Stachys
Penstemon Husker’s Red

55. Perennials to shear back for fresh leaf growth
Aegopodium
Geranium

56. More Perennials to shear for fresh leaf growth
Artemesia
Alchemilla
Lamium

57. More perennials to shear back for fresh leaf growth
Euphorbia (spring blooming spurge)
Phlox subulata
Nepeta
Phalaris

58. HINT: Some Perennials benefit from thinning
Phlox
Boltonia
Monarda
Raspberries

59. HINT: Divide perennials when they show these symptoms
Fewer blooms
Smaller blooms
Stunted or
slow growth
Empty center
in plant clump

60. Perennials to divide in summer/fall
Peonies
Iris (every 3 years)
Lilies
Oriental poppies
Strawberries
Rhubarb

61. Perennials to divide in spring:
Most perennials that bloom after mid-June
Ornamental grasses

62. Winter protection for perennials
Remove any diseased tops after they turn brown
Allow healthy plants to stand to catch snow
Mulch after top inch of soil is frozen

63. IPM HINTS All plants

64. IPM = Integrated Pest Management
Start with basic good gardening practices
Add knowledge of pests & problems
Prevent whenever possible

65. IPM = Integrated Pest Management
4. Use chemical treatment only if no other solution is available, and the alternative is not acceptable!

66. IPM = Integrated Pest Management
Hints are not meant to be an all inclusive class in IPM – just a few ideas to get you started

67. Vegetables: Rotate your crops

68. HINT: Look closely. Aphids everywhere, but help is on the way!

69. HINT: Encourage natural predators Protect our amphibians & reptiles

70. HINT: Plant a Trap Crop (Eggplant and Nicotiana preferred by Colorado potato beetles)

71. HINT: You may need to avoid roses if Japanese beetles become a problem

72. HINT: Physical Barriers - nylons on squash

73. Traditional Cutworm Barrier

74. HINT: Prevent insect damage with row covers – remove at bloom

75. HINT: Row Cover as Rabbit Fence

76. HINT: Handpick insects in all of their life stages

77. HINT: Keep peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers off the soil
HINT: Keep peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers off the soil. Prevent soil contact with simple pea brush

78. HINT: Mulch, Elevate, and Space Widely

79. HINT: Water, soap, and oil can work wonders

80. HINT: Bt (Bacillus thurengiensis) for Brassicas var
HINT: Bt (Bacillus thurengiensis) for Brassicas var. san diego for Potatoes – spray early and often

81. HINT: ….try a container if all else fails

82. HINT: Pull and destroy plants with virus

83. Tonight’s Class – Beyond the Basics
Soil
Plant Care
Plant Selection
Pest Prevention

84. HELPFUL HINTS FOR A HEALTHY GARDEN
Jackie Smith
Carver Scott ExtensionMaster Gardener
Carver Scott Help Line: