New Seeds in Seed Library

Hello Gardeners!

 

I added over 50 packets of new native plants seeds to the Seed Library:

White Snakeroot

Rough Blazing Star

Cardinal Flower

Great Blue Lobelia

Mountain Mint

Black-eyed Susan

Zig-Zag Goldenrod

Showy Goldenrod

Stiff Goldenrod

Sky Blue aster

Culver’s Root

 

Check the online list for updates.     

 

I expect to have more varieties in the next few weeks as seed heads become ripe. Seed heads must be dry and brown before harvesting to have viable seeds. I expect more Goldenrods, Asters, Mountain Mint, Shrubby St. John’s Wort, and others coming soon.

 

You can access the seed list at the White Bear Lake Seed Library Website as well. The links to the seed lists are on the right side of the webpage.

 

Many native plants need a period of stratification (cold-moist period of time) before they will germinate. One way to do this is to direct sow the seeds outside late in the fall. They will hopefully germinate next spring. Or you can use the Winter Sowing method. At the next Seed Talk I’ll show you how to do this.

 

Seeds Talk – How to do the Winter Sowing Method

This seed talk is about how to start seeds in the winter in containers you put outdoors for an easy way to start seedlings of native plants. This will be an in-person meeting.

Held at the White Bear Lake library, Tuesday November 15^th, 6:30-7:30 pm.

 

So why are the vegetable, herb and flower seed drawers almost empty?

This is the time of year to collect native plant seeds and so I am concentrating on getting those seeds stocked in the seed library. Also, starting in November will be a great time to either direct sow native plant seeds or start them using the winter sowing method. I do have some vegetable, herb and flowers seeds ready for packaging, but most people don’t need them yet, so they are a lower priority now.  

 

If you are interested in helping to package either native plant seeds or other seeds, please send me an email at wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

If you are willing to ‘clean’ the native plant seeds (meaning remove the seeds from the seed heads or pods) I could really use that help too. Teasing the seeds from their heads or pods is a very time-consuming activity, so more volunteers helping with this would be appreciated.

 

There is still a real need for all types of open-pollinated seeds, so please consider donating seeds to the seed library!!!

 

Winter Farmer’s Market

The White Bear Farmer’s market is over for 2022, but the Winter Farmer’s Market will be open soon.  The second Saturdays in Nov, Dec and Jan local food vendors will be sharing locally grown and crafted items including meats, cheese, eggs, micro greens, and maple syrup. Many locally preserved options, like jams, jellies, sauces, sauerkraut, and kombucha will be available. Great gifting options such as soaps and specialty hand crafted goods as well.

*NEW LOCATION* Outdoors at Normandy Park Education Center

2482 County Road F East, White Bear Lake, MN 55110

 

 

Please keep watering your trees! We only received less than a ¼” of rain all of October!

 

Pam

 

 

 

 

 

Hug Your Trees

 

Hello Gardeners!

 

Hug a Tree

 

Many of you have heard this phrase which if taken literally means to embrace a tree. Though that act will probably make you feel good, what will definitely do the tree good is water.

 

This is the second year in a row our area has experienced a drought. You can obviously see the effects in the browning of your grass or the drooping leaves on your flowers and vegetables. What you may not see is how it affects your trees.

 

Yes, they may have deep roots, but most of their water intake is from the just below the surface roots. Right now the Twin Cities is about 10” below the average amount rainfall. The ground is bone dry 6-8+ inches.

 

What to do

 

Water.

 

There are many ways to water trees, some better than others. You can stand with a hose at the base of a tree and sprinkle for 5-10 minutes while you catch up on your emails on your phone. This may make you feel good—“I’ve helped my thirsty tree!” you think with a smug grin. But your tree will not be impressed.

 

How to Water a Tree

 

Put the hose under the drip line of your tree. This is the area right below the outermost branches. Turn on the hose to a small trickle. Set the kitchen timer for 60 minutes. Slow and long is better than fast and short. When the timer goes off, move the hose a quarter of the way around the tree and repeat three more times. If your tree is small, less than 10 feet tall, probably 30 minutes watering at each quarter would suffice.

 

The most vulnerable trees are conifers, oaks and birches, but any tree in your yard that you want to grow well needs water now. Continue this once a week (unless there is significant rain) until the ground freezes. Trees going into winter stressed are more prone to disease, insects and cold damage.

 

Do a proper watering and you can brag “I’m helping my tree survive!”

And your tree will agree. J

 

Pam

 

 

Saving Seeds

 

If you picked up a packet of seeds for the Grow-a-Row project, some of your bean or pea pods may be close to harvesting. Please wait until the pods are brown and dry before picking as the seeds need to stay on the vines until they are dry to be viable.

 

Even if you didn’t pick up a packet of pea or bean seeds specifically for the Grow-a-Row project, you can still save seeds for yourself or the Seed Library. In fact, the Seed Library needs lots and lots of seeds this fall in order to stock the drawers for next season.

 

Other Events and Information

 

Seeds Talk – How to do the Winter Sowing Method

 

This seed talk is about how to start seeds in the winter in containers you put outdoors for an easy way to start seedlings of native plants. This will be an in-person meeting.

Held at the White Bear Lake library, Tuesday November 15^th, 6:30-7:30 pm

 

 

Farm at the Arb

https://arb.umn.edu/content/sustainable-horticulture-training-program

This program provides hands-on technical training in local food production for sale and community health. It is offered in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Department of Horticultural Science and Extension. Trainees receive a combination of classroom, lab and field experience at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and partnering farm sites. This includes a 14-week paid work experience in vegetable production at the Arboretum and local farms.

 

Webinar Series: Nurturing City Soils for Healthy Organic Vegetables Join eOrganic  in Fall 2022 for an urban agriculture webinar series: Nurturing City Soils for Healthy Organic Vegetables! Urban farming can bring lots of benefits, but soils in cities can be degraded and, in some cases, contaminated. This can make vegetable crops more susceptible to pests and put farmers and consumers at risk. During this webinar series, participants will learn how to determine if their soils are contaminated and what they can do to minimize risks while producing healthy and nutritious organic vegetable crops. They will also learn how to restore degraded soils in cities and quantify whether their efforts are paying off. All webinars are free, take place at 11AM Pacific, 12 Mountain, 1 Central, 2 Eastern Time, and advance registration is required. Please register for as many of these free webinars as you like at the links below! October 19, 2022: Testing Soils for Heavy Metals and Developing Effective Remediation Strategies.  Dr. Anna Paltseva, Endowed Assistant Professor in Environmental Science School of Geosciences, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Chair-Elect of the Urban & Anthropogenic Soils, Soil Science Society of America. Register now at https://oregonstate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZjFG1adDQFyAWIgaM_7A-w October 26, 2022: Exploring Behaviors and Interventions to Reduce Soil Contaminant Exposure Among Community Gardeners and Farmers.  Dr. Candis M. Hunter, PhD, MSPH, REH, Environmental Health Specialist. Register now at https://oregonstate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6QTUCKm2SMyTWwOadq7SaA November 2: Design And Management Strategies for Regenerating Healthy Soils Through Urban Agriculture.  Dr. John Taylor, Associate Professor of Agroecology at the University of Rhode Island. Register now at https://oregonstate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wMp6injxQbqeQi_nMnB0MA November 9: Combining Soil Amendments and Varietal Development to Prevent Pathogens and Heavy Metal Uptake.  Dr. Lori Hoagland, Professor of Soil Microbial Ecology in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue University. Register now at https://oregonstate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NakrvB9hR8WXo9rhlfemWw November 16: Understanding Laboratory Soil Health Tests: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?  Dr. Roland Wilhelm, Assistant Professor of Soil Microbiology in the Department of Agronomy at Purdue University. Register now at https://oregonstate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zEsQ4xw1TBOuTXeymJgugg

 

 

 

 

How to Save Seeds

Hello Gardeners!

September always feels like fall to me as kids are back in school, the days tend to be cooler and the sun sets much later. But perhaps why it feels so much like fall is that plants are busy making seeds! Certainly there are still many, many plants growing tasty fruits or roots and displaying glorious flowers, but if you look closely there are seed heads and pods ripening too.

 

This is the busy time for those who save seeds and this is the perfect time to learn how to save seeds (it’s very easy). Consider tuning into to the next Seed Talk for information on how to save seeds.

 

Saving Seeds

If you picked up a packet of seeds for the Grow-a-Row project, some of your bean or pea pods may be close to harvesting. Please wait until the pods are brown and dry before picking as the seeds need to stay on the vines until they are dry to be viable.

 

Even if you didn’t pick up a packet of pea or bean seeds specifically for the Grow-a-Row project, you can still save seeds for yourself or the Seed Library. In fact, the Seed Library needs lots and lots of seeds this fall in order to stock the drawers for next season.

 

If you are new to saving seeds or want to learn more about this easy way to get free seeds, attend the next Seed Talk on September 13 at 6:30 pm.

Register for this event at: Saving Seeds Event

 

Other events and resources of interest to gardeners:

The Twin Cities Metro Growers Network will meet in Minneapolis and St. Paul this month to host two water quality events with a long list of wonderful partners and speakers. Both are free to attend and will offer time to socialize and connect with fellow growers and environmental stewards! We hope you can join us. Registration is requested.

 

Stewards of Towerside Park  |  September 13  |  3:30-5 PM

click here for information

 

A conversation about the connections of community gardening, our wonderful public parks, and water quality. Let's explore the ways we can all learn about and get involved in taking care of the places where we live and grow food for ourselves and our neighbors!

Speakers: 

• Rebecca Gross, Community Garden Coordinator from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
• Abby Moore, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization
• Britt Howell, BF50 Indigenous Health, Certified Indigenous Seed Saver and a Garden Lead
• Jean Emmons, Luxton Learners, East Side Neighborhood Services

Join us after the event at The Market at Malcolm Yards to keep the conversation going.

 

 

 Frogtown Farm Fall Tour  |  September 28  |  3-5 PM

Click for more information

 

Frogtown Park and Farm is an urban demonstration farm - a destination for those who seek learning, innovation, reflection, celebration, and authentic community. Founded in 2013, Frogtown Farm is a community-led initiative with 13 acres of green space in the vibrant and diverse Frogtown Neighborhood situated northeast of downtown St. Paul.

Cohosted with Conservation Minnesota, the event will feature a farm tour focused on Frogtown's efforts to protect water quality in an urban agricultural setting and an opportunity to learn about the historical context for the unique collaboration that created and sustains Frogtown Farm and the land they grow on. We invite all interested in hearing about the water conservation efforts and climate challenges facing urban agriculture to gather to learn about this innovative farming model and to celebrate the end of the growing season!

Frogtown is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and there will be an opportunity during the afternoon to donate directly to support the farm.

 

 

Minnesota Arboretum Fall Classes

Classes range from Chinese Garden Design, Climate Ready Gardening, Minnesota Plants, Stone Sculptures for your Garden, and more.

Register here.

 

November Seed Talk

The November seed talk is on Tuesday November 15^th and will be an in-person event at the White Bear Lake library in the large conference room. I’ll demonstrate how to do the winter sowing method which is an easy way to stratify native plant seeds to virtually get effortless seedlings come next spring.

More information will follow or check the Ramsey County Library web page here.

 

Contact info for the Seed Library:

Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com

Blog site: WBL Seed Library

 

Pam