Master Gardener Recruitment Underway
The Carlton County Master Gardeners are actively seeking new members for the 2023 gardening season! If you love nature and green spaces, like learning new things, and want to give back to your community, why not become a Master Gardener volunteer? All you need is a passion for volunteering in your community to promote healthy landscapes, healthy people, and a healthy planet. The University of Minnesota has trained thousand of Master Gardeners, who each year contribute more than 140,000 hours of service in Minnesota communities.
The Master Gardener group in Carlton County consists of 32 members and offer a wide variety of services to the community such as: Community education programs, on-site lawn and garden clinics, community and pollinator garden consultations, garden tours, questions and answer booths, plants sales, and horticulture judging at county fairs and more.
New applicants have until October 31st to apply. For more information please contact Ann Rust at 218-384-3511 ext. 1 or rustx048@umn.edu.
Storing your Vegetable Harvest
- Cool and dry (50-60°F and 60% relative humidity)
- Cold and dry (32-40°F and 65% relative humidity)
- Cold and moist (32-40°F and 95% relative humidity)
For cold conditions, 32°F is the ideal temperature. This temperature is not easy to attain in most homes. Expect shortened shelf-lives for your vegetables as storage conditions deviate from the ideal temperature. This shortening of their life span can be up to 25 percent for every 10°F increase in temperature.
- Basements are generally cool and dry. If storing vegetables in basements, provide your vegetables with some ventilation. Harvested vegetables are not dead; they still breathe and require oxygen to maintain their high quality. Protect them from rodents.
- Home refrigerators are generally cold and dry (40°F and 50-60% relative humidity). This is fine for long-term storage of garlic and onions, but not much else. Putting vegetables in perforated plastic bags in the refrigerator will provide cold and moist conditions, but only for a moderate amount of time. Unperforated plastic bags often create too much humidity, which leads to condensation and the growth of mold or bacteria.
- Root cellars provide cold and moist conditions. As with basements, provide ventilation and protection from rodents when storing vegetables in cellars. You can use materials such as straw, hay or wood shavings for insulation. If using such insulation, make sure that it is clean and not contaminated with pesticides.
- Some vegetables, such as cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes, require cool (55°F) and moist storage. These conditions are difficult to maintain in a typical home. Expect to keep vegetables requiring cool and moist storage conditions for only a short period.
To determine the temperature storage, shelf life, and location to best store each variety of vegetable, please check out the extension website: https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/harvesting-and-storing-home-garden-vegetables#asparagus-876910
When to pick your apples
Instead of waiting until a frost, use a few simple, smart guidelines to decide when to harvest your apples.
By: Annie Klodd, Extension educator - fruit production, and Matt Clark, associate professor of horticulture
Click on the following link for the complete article. https://z.umn.edu/836x
MN Beef Expo October 20-23, 2022
Soil Test Data Update
Around the County Reveal
Carlton County Extension Staff
Tracey Hartung, Administrative Specialist thartung@umn.edu
Katie Siltanen, 4-H Educator silta006@umn.edu
Mercedes Moffett, Agriculture Educator, moffe029@umn.edu
Ann Rust, Vol Coord & Horticulture Assist rustx048@umn.edu
Email: mnext-Carlton@umn.edu
Website: https://local.extension.umn.edu/local/carlton
Location: 317 Chestnut Avenue, Carlton, MN, USA
Phone: 218-384-3511
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UofMNExt