Seed Pickup Thursday April 1st

 The next seed pickup is Thursday, April 1st, 4:45pm - 5:15 pm at the White Bear Lake library's parking lot.

Seed lists are to the right.

Send your seed request to wblseedlibrary@gmail.com by Thursday April 1st at 1 pm.

Pam

Watch Kiss the Ground Movie!

Hello Gardeners

I just watched a great film called Kiss the Ground. It is streaming on Netflix now. It is about regenerative farming and how it can help our planet.

 But it’s not just for farmers!

The same principals can be used in your garden and yard. Someone referred this wonderful film to me, but at first I was hesitant as I thought maybe it was another doom and gloom environmental documentary, but it isn’t doom and gloom. You will be inspired in a good way after watching this film. If you don’t have Netflix at least watch the trailer on the website and check out the other resources.

 

You know what one very, very easy thing you can do to help the planet and your own yard?

Compost! Yep, by composting your food scrapes and yard debris you can create what I call Black Gold. To me Black Gold aka compost is as valuable as real gold. Every shovel full of compost contains millions of microorganism that help not only your garden to grow but helps draw down the carbon in our atmosphere. A two for one deal!

For less than $20 you can make your own. You need a roll of poultry fencing and a handful of cheap metal stakes. Form a ¾ circle with the poultry wire whatever size you want. Use the stakes to hold it in place. Dump in your food waste (not meat, bones or fat) and yard debris. Stir and add water occasionally and in a few months you will have wonderful compost to add to your garden.

I admit I’m a lazy gardener. One of my compost bins is made with wire fencing and a couple metal stakes. I dump food and yard waste in it. Because I only turn it once or twice a season it takes a whole season to make my black gold, but then like I said, I’m a lazy gardener.

 

Here’s a nice timeline of when to start your seeds indoors and when to plant outside:

Planting Chart

 

Check the new events below for some great classes and webinars.

 

The next seed pickup will be in a couple weeks or so. Stay tuned for further information.

There are some new seed varieties just added as well as Sugar Ann Snap peas, Avalanche pea pods and Maxi Filet Bush beans.

Seeds lists are posted on the blogsite. Check the right hand side for the seed lists.

Send your request to wblseedlibrary@gmail.com  at any time. I will hold your seeds until the next seed pick up.

 

How to Donate Seeds to the Seed Library

Place dry seeds in a paper envelope with the name of seed, year and location on the envelope. Drop off at a seed pickup or drop off at the curbside pickup area of the White Bear Lake library during open hours.

 

How to Grow Tomatoes

Seed Talk, April 13, 2021 6:30 pm on Zoom

Learn how to grow tomatoes! This Seed Talk will have two Ramsey County Master Gardeners and tomato enthusiasts to answer all your questions.

As always, seed talks are community get-togethers! Please share you experiences and questions at the seed talk. You must register in advance for this Zoom seed talk.

April Seed Talk

You must sign up 2 hours in advance so there is time for the facilitator to send you the email to join the meeting.

 

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

 

New Bluethumb Events

Learn about creating a bee lawn, how to make your yard more resilient and how to help pollinators in these relevant classes.  See the Bluethumb site for more information and to register.

Various dates in March thru May, Cost $5-$15.

Bee Lawns: The Most Popular Turf Alternative

Your “how-to” guide on creating a bee lawn. James Wolfin, an entomologist and Metro Blooms’ sustainable landcare manager, teaches the steps for converting a traditional turf grass monoculture lawn into a beautiful, flowering bee lawn that promotes pollinator health, water quality and natural resource conservation.

 

Resilient Yards

Join Metro Blooms landscape professionals to develop a framework for understanding resilience. Learn how to create resilience in your yard using site planning, raingardens, alternatives to conventional turf lawns, trees, native plantings and more. Includes one-on-one design assistance for your yard from Metro Blooms landscape designers, Hennepin County Master Gardeners and Master Water Stewards.

 

Planting for Pollinators

This workshop offers planting practices that benefit pollinators and the environment. Learn about the current health status of pollinators in Minnesota, and how you can help them by installing pocket plantings, trees and shrubs, bee lawns, pollinator meadows, and more! The content is based on the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources’ Lawns to Legumes program supporting residents to create more pollinator-friendly landscapes.

 

Grow Native! and the Missouri Prairie Foundation

Every Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., participants can learn from a variety of speakers on topics. Speakers include prairie and native plant experts from across the Midwest.

I’ve attended a few of these webinars and they are well done and informative!

Webinars are free, 30-minute programs, with time for questions after the presentations. Master classes are more specialized, with presenters sharing 50-minutes of material, with time for questions after the presentations. Master classes are free to MPF members and Grow Native! professional members, and $15 for non-members. Not a member? Join at moprairie.org/membership/ and attend all master class programming as a benefit of membership. Landscape architect continuing education credits are available for master classes and most webinars. 

 

2021 Webinars and Master Classes: 

Mar. 24 - Grow Native! Master Class: Native Shrubs of the Lower Midwest, with Alan Branhagen

Mar. 25 - SWIL’s Nature by Design: Digging in to Your Garden Panel - Part 2

Mar. 31 - Grow Native! Webinar: Reflections on Urban Native Gardening, with Cody Hayo

April 7 - Grow Native! Master Class: Gardening on the Rocks: Scott Woodbury

April 14 - Grow Native! Webinar: Monarch Population Trends, Conservation & Climate Change: Dr. Chip Taylor

Thursday, April 22 - Special Earth Day Webinar: Keeping our Water Healthy: Native Plants and Watersheds Panel

April 28 - MPF Webinar: Bicycling with Butterflies: Sara Dykman

 Twin Cities Metro Growers Network

All the 2020 virtual meetings and notes are on TC Metro Growers website.

Even if you are not a farmer, these recording are interesting.

 

Ramsey County Master Gardener Classes

Many online classes throughout the winter and spring. See classes.

 

Friends School Plant sale, May 6-9, 2021

YES! There will be a 2021 Friends School Plant Sale, a fund-raiser for the Friends School of Minnesota, a small Quaker K – 8 school in Saint Paul. This is a REAL event not virtual, but it will work differently than previous years.

Details https://www.friendsschoolplantsale.com/

All plants at the sale are neonic free which means they are safe for pollinators.

See their policy.

 

 

Future Seed Talks via Zoom, all at 6:30pm

Apr 13, 2021 Tues   How to Grow Tomatoes w/Ramsey master gardeners

May 11, 2021 Tues Garden Design

 

 

Contact info for the Seed Library:

Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

Blog site: WBL Seed Library

 

Pam

 

Next Seed Pickup on Friday, March 19th, 4:30 pm

 Hello Gardeners

 

The next seed pickup is on Friday, March 19th from 4:30-5pm at the White Bear Lake library's parking lot.

To order seeds look at the 3 lists to the right: Vegetable & herb seeds, Flower seeds and Native plant seeds for the available seeds.

Send an email to wblseedlibrary@gmail.com with a specific list of seeds you want by 1pm Friday March 19th. I will place your seeds in a bag and send you a reply email. You meet me at the library's parking lot on the pickup date to pick up your seeds.

If the pickup date doesn't work for you, please let me know when is a better time and we can work something out. Any questions send me an email.

Pam

Notes from How to Start Seeds

 

 

•   People Need Plants, Plants Don’t Need People

Every day, as more and more people move to the cities, and as rapid advances in technology become ever more central in every aspect of our daily lives, it is easy to forget one of the few fundamentals that unites us all: the basic human requirement for food. No one can opt out of this seemingly simple human need. It is non-negotiable, and as a result everyone is dependent on the world of plants. It is the magic molecular trickery of plants that transforms the sun’s energy into the chemical energy on which we, and other animals ultimately depend.

 

    - Professor Sir Peter Crane

From the Forward of Seeds on Ice by Cary Fowler, known as the father of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

•   What is a Seed

A potential baby plant with a bit of food inside a protective capsule.

 

A seed has everything a plant needs to get started except water and (maybe) light.

•   How Seeds are Made

A plant produces seeds in order to reproduce itself. For a plant to create a seed it needs to be pollinated.

Self-pollinated – the male and female parts are contained within a single flower that fertilizes itself.

Open-pollinated – the male and female parts are contained in separate flowers. Pollen has to get from one flower to another flower. The transfer of pollen is accomplished by wind, insects, birds, mammals or humans.

 

•   Starting Seeds

Why do we need instructions to start seeds as obviously seeds have been sprouting for millions of years (actually 430 million years)?

 

 

•   Fruits Originating in North America

•   Blackberry

•   Blueberry

•   Cranberry

•   Dewberry

•   Gooseberry

•   Grape

•   Raspberry

•   Strawberry

•   Crabapples

- apples originated in Europe

 

•   When
      Where
             How

 

•   Germination Testing

 

•   A way to determine the approximate number of seeds that will germinate

 

 

•   If you just have few seeds, skip test and  plant all the seeds.

•   What you need:

•   Paper towel, plastic bag, marker, seeds

 

How to:

•   Lay out 5-20 seeds in a row on top half of damp paper towel, fold over bottom half.

•   Place in labelled plastic bag, store in warm location

•   Check the towel moisture each day

•   Count and remove healthy seedlings.  Throw out moldy seeds and count them as dead.

•    The test is over when all the seeds have germinated or the normal number of days to germinate is over.

•   (Healthy seedlings / Total seeds) x 100 = Germination %

    Ex. 20 out of 25 seeds sprouted= 80%

 

 

•   March, April, May or June?
 Indoors, Outdoors, Pretreatment?
It’s all confusing to me!

Solution:

    Seed packet

    Seed catalog

    Internet

    Book

 

•   Warm vs. Cool Season Crops

 

Warm Season Crops include: tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, eggplant, corn, basil

Grow when weather is hot

 

Cool Season Crops include: lettuce, greens, kale, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions

Mature before hot weather arrives

Some crops you can plant late summer for a fall harvest

•   Outdoor Seed Starting

Direct sow as soon as soil can be worked (lettuce, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts and onions).

Direct sow as soon as soil warms (carrots, parsnip).

Direct sow after all danger of frost (beans, corn, squash, melons)

Direct sow in late fall for spring germination (some native plants).

 

•   Start Indoors

Start indoors nn weeks before last frost.

Examples: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil

 

Need to know average date of last frost:

                    Zone 4 it is May 10

On calendar count backwards from May 10^th appropriate number of weeks.

•   Pretreatment Needed
Makes the seed coat easier for the radical and sprout to emerge or changes the internal chemistry inside seed so it will germinate

•   Fire – seed needs to go through fire  (jack pines).

 

•   Scarification – seed coat needs to be nicked or roughed up  or it needs to pass through an animal’s digestive tract  (nasturtium, morning glory, sweet pea).

 

•   Soaking – seed needs to be soaked  a specified length of time (nasturtium, Baptisia), but almost all seeds benefit from soaking right before planting.

 

•   Stratification  - seeds needs to be exposed to moist cold temperatures for a specified length of time (native plants, perennials).

 

                   

•   Stratification

Is a method to simulate the typical late fall to winter to early spring conditions. Afterwards, plant seeds indoors which will germinate in the spring.

There are several methods to do this.

Outdoor Methods of Stratification

•         In fall, direct seed where you want plants to grow

•         Winter sowing in container – Cut large container (water jug) around middle, punch drainage and air holes, fill with soil, plant seeds, and water. Replace top portion of container, but leave off cap so rain and snow can get in. Place outside in sunny protective location in fall.  By spring your seeds will have sprouted.

 

•  Indoor Methods of Stratification

•         Moist sand – mix seeds with fine sand in plastic bag, moisten and store in refrigerator for specified number of days. Afterwards, spread sand on filled seed tray and germinate.

 

•         Coffee filter – moisten coffee filter, spread seeds on ½ of filter, fold filter in half. Cover with moist paper towel and place in plastic bag. Label! Store in refrigerator for specified number of days. Afterwards spread seeds on filled seed trays and germinate.

 

•   How to Start Seeds Indoors

1. Gather supplies:

•   Seeds

•   Soil: either potting or seed starting mix

•   Containers: such as peat pots, paper pots, cups, trays, etc. with drainage

•   Water

•   Source of light

•   Plastic wrap or other clear cover

•   Labels or marker

Optional supplies: grow light, timer, heat mat, mister, fan

2. Fill container with damp soil and plant seeds no more than twice the  diameter of the seed. If seeds need light to germinate, do not cover with soil or very lightly dust soil over seeds (dill, lettuce).

3. Water

4. Cover with plastic wrap or other clear cover to keep humid

5. Place in light at least 14 hours a day

6. Keep moist. Misting is a good method when seeds are very small. If too moist remove cover a bit.

7. Check every day, remove cover when seeds start sprouting

 

Optionally use a heat mat to speed germination. Grow lights provide needed light, at least 14-16 hours a day. A fan helps seedlings grow strong and helps prevent disease.

•   Transplant to Larger Containers

Some seedlings need to be transplanted to larger containers before they are transplanted outside. This done so each plant has more room to grow. Start fertilizing if growing medium does not contain fertilizer.

 

Transplant into larger containers after seedling has at least 1 set of true leaves (seed leaves or cotyledons do not count).

 

Do NOT throw out soil from seed starting trays—compost!

 

 

•   Hardening Off

Gradually exposing seeds to the wild so they adjust to the sunlight, wind, rain, etc. conditions of living outdoors.

 

About a week before transplanting outdoors, bring your plants outside in a sheltered location, gradually increasing the amount of time each day they are outside until they are outside all day. Check plants often as they will dry out quickly and can be toppled over if windy.

•   Or use a cold frame

•   Transplant Outside

•   Check the seed package, but most seedlings are ready to transplant outside after they have been hardened off for at least a week and temperatures remain above freezing. Some plants, such as tomatoes and peppers must have nights above 55º F before transplanting outside.

 

•   Pick an overcast day to transplant seedlings. Carefully remove plant from container and plant in garden. Give plants a nice soaking. Keep evenly moist for at least the first couple of weeks until well established.

•   Upcoming Events

 

•  Seed Pickups at the White Bear Lake library’s parking lot will continue throughout the spring, summer and fall until the library is open to patrons. See the WBL Seed Library’s website for more info:

      https://wblseedlibrary.blogspot.com/

 

 Seed Talks the 2^nd Tuesday of the month, 6:30 pm via Zoom.

 April 13 – Growing Tomatoes, May 11 – Garden Design

 

•  May 6-9, 2021 - Friends School Plant sale at State Fair grounds

    http://www.friendsschoolplantsale.com/

 Veggie, fruit, annuals, perennials, native, trees, shrubs, rare    plants for sale—ALL Neonic FREE!

 

 

•   Resources

 

How to plant a vegetable garden - http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetables/planting-the-vegetable-garden/

 

Native plant growing from Prairie Moon Nursery - https://www.prairiemoon.com/

 

Seed Savers Exchange – http://www.seedsavers.org/

 

White Bear Lake Seed Library -  https://wblseedlibrary.blogspot.com/

Questions - email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

 

Seed Sowing and Saving by Carole B. Turner

March 2021