Coneflower (Echinacea) Coneflowers are a favorite among gardeners for their vibrant, daisy-like flowers and ability to attract pollinators. Leaving them standing in the fall provides a food source for birds, as the seed heads offer a natural snack during the winter months. Why Not to Cut Back: The seed heads feed birds, and the dried […]
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After the fall harvest is a great time to plant a cover crop. What is a cover crop? A cover crop is a plant or plants grown to cover the garden soil, and later may be incorporated into the soil as “green manure.” Cover crops have been used mainly by farmers, but home gardeners are
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Fall is an excellent time to grow many vegetable crops. During this season the gardener can take advantage of cooler temperatures and more plentiful moisture. Many spring-planted crops such as lettuce and spinach tend to bolt, or produce seed, and become bitterin response to the long, hot summer days. Fall gardening helps extend your gardening
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Fall is not only a time for pumpkins and mums, but it also time to plant those spring blooming flower bulbs for a much appreciated splash of color in the spring. The ideal time to plant bulbs, especially daffodils, are September to October as they need time for root growth ahead of winter freezes. These
Plant Spring Bulbs in Fall Read More »
Seeds are one of the most interesting parts of the plant world because packed into what is sometimes just the size of a dust speck is the potential for an entire plant. They are abundant this time of year on many of our garden and landscape plants – in fruits, faded flowers, or pods. There
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The Sunflower Fair takes place in downtown La Porte in September. MGs are on hand to answer gardening questions and educate the public on numerous types of sunflowers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkziFTwDRQ8 Gene editing is when a scientist makes a tiny, controlled change in the DNA of a living organism. The simplest way to envision this process is to imagine editing a giant manuscript. You flip through the hundreds of pages until you reach the once sentence you wish to alter, and then carefully change a
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Project Coordination – Tom Boesen Paladin Head Start Program, located at Niemann Elementary School, Michigan City Master Gardeners guided students, ages 3-5, in steps from starting seeds to planting and tending vegetable and flower gardens at the school. Students were introduced to seed starting and care of seedlings including indoor light and water requirements and
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m1sqaoA0NQ Back when GMOs were introduced into the market in the 1990s, the federal government didn’t require a label if a food product contained an ingredient that had been genetically modified. The United States regulating agencies determined that there were no notable differences in nutrition and food safety from other foods we eat that would
The Friendship Botanic Gardens project is a perfect match for the plant enthusiasts in the La Porte County Extension Master Gardeners Association.
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