October is already upon us, and it seems the fall chill might be sticking around for good this time. There's always plenty to do to wrap up for the season, and UMN Extension has a bounty of resources on food preservation, fall lawn care, prepping your garden for winter, soil testing, cover crops, planting garlic, and more. There are some exciting fall events coming up in the county, so keep reading for more information. As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or ideas, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Take care,

Olivia Olson

olso7655@umn.edu

office: (218) 998-8308

cell: (218) 282-5963

Updated (now functional!) feedback survey

What's been happening with my plants?

Planting fall bulbs for a spring garden

Lilacs - diseases this year and cleaning up for winter

Goat/sheep grazing survey

Parkers Prairie Farmers Market final market day

Seed Saving 101 workshop

This survey is now functional, my apologies for the issues in last month's edition. Take a 1 minute survey at the link below to provide your feedback on the topics you'd like to learn about through this newsletter and in workshops within the county.

Follow the OTC Extension page for more regular agriculture and horticulture event updates and resources.

Lilacs usually bloom in spring, but many people are seeing them bloom again now. Why? Like so much in Minnesota, the weather has a lot to do with this phenomenon.

Environmental stress such as heat and drought may cause plants to respond in a variety of ways. For example, plants may flower and produce a great deal of seed, called “masting," due to stressful environmental conditions. Plant hormones that promote dormancy and prevent the buds from opening are broken down during the cold period, releasing the flower buds to open. And, voila! Lilacs in autumn.

Click here to read further about this phenomenon.

It has been a hot summer in Minnesota, and people are reporting disappointing yields in their vegetable gardens. Bushy cucumber plants with no fruit, tomatoes not ripening, and beans with no flowers are being reported.The causes behind many of these phenomena are related to persistent high temperatures. The high temperatures are affecting Minnesota’s vegetables in many different ways.

Click here to read about different causes for a lack of ripening.

Before putting away your gardening tools and embracing the cozy fall season, there’s one last important garden task: planting bulbs. Late September and early October are ideal times to plant for a colorful spring display.

Although you can plant as late as October 20, earlier is better. Bulbs need time to root before the ground freezes, ensuring vibrant spring blooms. You’ll get a head start on a beautiful garden to enjoy as

soon as the snow melts.

Click here to read more.

With summer comes lilac leaf spots; at the UMN Plant Disease Clinic this year, we have seen the usual fungal pathogen Pseudocercospora causing leaf spots and blight (rapid death). Due to the unusually wet summer, many lilacs across the state are experiencing issues with Lilac Pseudocercospora Leaf Spot. This pathogen can contribute to leaf drop. Environmental conditions, humidity, and stressors like drought or excessive moisture, shaded locations, or lack of proper pruning could be exacerbating these problems.

Recommended Management Practices

Fungal leaf spots alone rarely become severe enough to cause the decline or death of the plant. Removing and destroying leaf debris and pruning out dead branches may be the best strategy in reducing diseases in general for shrubs and trees.

Fungicide treatments should not be considered late into the summer. If repeated severe infections occur, preventative spring to early summer fungicide applications may help prevent diseases (but won't eradicate them). Because of this and the fact that lilacs tend to be large and difficult to effectively spray fungicide on, fungicide applications are rarely warranted.

These problems are good reminders that good care and pruning can help improve shrub health in general. Pruning Trees and Shrubs is a resource to help with that. Providing good, consistent care by making sure shrubs get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day and watering during drought periods can help lilacs thrive. Consider renovating your established lilacs. This will increase air circulation (reducing foliar fungal diseases), improve appearance, and as an added benefit, promote better flowering. See the article renovating lilacs and watch the video below for more renovation tips.

Do you raise or want to raise livestock for the purpose of achieving land management goals or for conservation? Please complete this needs assessment survey to help the Ecological Service Livestock Network coordinators learn how to best provide support and education. This survey will take about 5 minutes or less to complete. z.umn.edu/ESLNsurvey

The Ecological Service Livestock Network is a collaboration of the University of Minnesota Extension and Sustainable Farming Association. We seek to develop business models and facilitate research and pilot studies to advance profitable livestock-based, land management businesses. This group is tailored toward conservation professionals who promote service livestock as a way to combat invasive species, manage land, restore ecological functionality, reduce the use of pesticides and fossil fuels, and start a rewarding livestock-based business.

For more information, please visit Ecological Service Livestock Network’s webpage at https://sfa-mn.org/ecological-service-livestock-network/

Join your local Extension at the Pelican Rapids Community Garden for a workshop to learn the basics of seed saving in flowers and veggies from your garden. This workshop is free to attend, and Spanish interpretation will be available at the event. If you have seeds you want to share and swap with others, bring them along!

October 17

5:30-7 pm

Pelican Rapids Community Garden - corner of 1st St NW and 8th Ave NW

Free to attend, no registration required

Farm Aid Hotline: 1-800-FARM AID (1-800-327-6243)

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Iowa Concern Hotline: 1-800-447-1985

• (Financial, legal, and stress support available to residents in MN, not just IA)

Are you a beginning farmer looking to rent or purchase working farmland in the Midwest? Or are you an established farmer/landowner in the Midwest who is seeking a beginning farmer to purchase or rent your working farmland, or to work with in a partnership situation? The Land Stewardship Project's Farm Beginnings project has simple application forms available for people seeking farmland or farmers. More information and the forms can be found at this link.

Email: olso7655@umn.edu

Phone: office (218) 998-8303 cell (218) 282-5963
Website: extension.umn.edu
Location: 118 N Main Ave, New York Mills, MN 56567

Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ, Bdewakantuwan, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ land

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