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Happy New Year!
We trust that everyone had a wonderful holiday season. As we say goodbye to the festive rush of Christmas, our focus now shifts eagerly towards the upcoming 2024 growing season. We are happy to announce that our 2nd Annual Seed Library Launch will be happening at the Central Library on March 2, 2024! More details coming soon. We will be restocking our seeds and introducing several new ones, including all of the seeds in the Botanical Garden Series. We will also be holding our first ever Seed Swap, where gardeners can exchange their homegrown seeds.
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Sharing Local Seeds
This year the Brown County Seed Library will hold its first seed swap. It will be held on Saturday, March 2 at the Central Brown County Library. If you have seeds to share, or would like to get locally grown seeds, this is the place for you. This event is free and open to the public. Bring your seeds to the library either in advance or on the day of the event. More information will be coming on times and directions for seed swap participation.
We continue to accept home grown seeds, cleaned or still in the pods. To donate your seeds, please complete a donation form. These forms are on line at the bottom of this website page: https://newmastergardeners.org/seedsaving/, or hard copies are located at the Central Brown County Library, or at the Brown County Extension Office located in the STEM Center.
What is a seed swap? It is an event in which gardeners bring their saved seeds to share with others. These events can be organized by a community group or held informally among friends. Participants can exchange seeds, learn about different plant varieties and gardening techniques, and connect with like-minded people.
Seed swaps are important for several reasons. First, they promote biodiversity by encouraging the preservation and sharing of heirloom and rare plant varieties. This helps to maintain genetic diversity in our food supply, which is crucial for food security and resilience in the face of climate change. Second, seed swaps can help to build stronger and more resilient communities by fostering connections between people who share a passion for gardening and sustainable food production. Finally, seed swaps can be a fun and educational way to learn about different plants and gardening techniques, and to experiment with new varieties in your own garden. We hope you look forward to joining in this fun at our first Brown County Library Seed Swap.
Submitted by Peggy, N.E.W. Master Gardener,
with assistance from Canva AI
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Composting to Help Reduce
Carbon in the Atmosphere
Composting is a natural process that converts organic materials into a nutrient-rich soil amendment. It is a sustainable practice that can help reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and also has a positive impact on the environment. One of the benefits of composting is that it can help sequester carbon.
When organic materials such as food scraps and yard waste are composted, they break down into a stable form of organic matter called humus. Humus is a dark, crumbly material that is rich in carbon. It’s the stuff gardeners love for their gardens. As the carbon in the organic materials is broken down, it is converted into a form that is stable. This means that the carbon is stored in the soil for long periods of time, which helps to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.
Composting also has other environmental benefits. It can help reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, improve soil health, and promote the growth of healthy plants. Overall, composting is a simple and effective way to sequester carbon and reduce the impact of human activities on the environment. Keep and compost your organic materials to help keep carbon out of the atmosphere.
Submitted by Peggy, N.E.W. Master Gardener,
with assistance from Canva AI
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Green Bay Botanical Garden
Plant Series: Little Bluestem
The next plant in our Green Bay Botanical Garden series is Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), a native grass renowned for its beauty, ecological significance, and adaptability within various landscapes. This resilient grass species is indigenous to a vast expanse of North America, including Northeast Wisconsin, where it thrives as an essential component of the local ecosystem. Also referred to as beardgrass or sage grass, Little Bluestem is well-suited to various soil types, including clay, loam, and sandy soils. It flourishes in prairies, open woodlands, and even along roadsides. Little Bluestem thrives in full sun but can tolerate partial shade. It is drought-tolerant once established, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance landscaping.
Little Bluestem plays a crucial role in supporting local pollinators, including butterflies, bees, and other insects. The foliage is eaten by mammals and insects, including butterflies such as the common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) and the Leonard's Skipper (Hesperia leonardus), who rely on this grass as a host plant for their larvae. The plant's seeds also provide a food source for birds like sparrows, finches, and quails, while its dense clumping foliage offers shelter and nesting sites for overwintering bumble bee queens and small mammals like rabbits and voles.
To start from seed, choose a sunny or partially shaded location with well-draining soil. Remove weeds and debris from the area to create a clean planting space. Broadcast the seeds evenly over the prepared soil surface. Lightly rake the seeds into the soil or cover them with a thin layer of mulch to protect them from birds. Keep the soil consistently moist until the seeds germinate, which can take several weeks. Seeds germinate best in warmer weather, so while this grass can be winter sown it will likely not germinate until the weather warms. Once established, Little Bluestem requires minimal watering and maintenance. As the grass grows, provide occasional watering during dry spells in the first year to help it establish a strong root system.
Cultivating Little Bluestem from seed allows you to contribute to the preservation of native species while creating a stunning and ecologically beneficial landscape. Thank you, again, to the Green Bay Botanical Gardens and the NEW Master Gardeners for providing local, native seeds to our library! All plants in the Botanical Garden Plant Series can be viewed in their Grand garden. Check the Botanical Garden website to plan your visit.
Submitted by Melissa, N.E.W. Master Gardener
OpenAI. (2023)
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Calendar of Local Garden Related Events:
Jan 6, 9:30am - 12pm & 12:30pm - 3pm (free)
Seed Packing Event
Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St
Jan 9, 6:30pm – 7:45pm ($)
Gardening for MN Future
Virtual, Minnesota State Horticultural Society
Jan 9, 7:00pm – 8:30pm (free)
Multi-Level Pollinator Gardens
Virtual, University of Minnesota
Jan 16, 6:30pm – 7:45pm ($)
“It’s Sow Easy” : Sowing Outdoors in Winter, Part 1
Virtual, Minnesota State Horticultural Society
Jan 16, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm (free)
Companion Planting
Virtual, University of Minnesota
Jan 17, 6:30pm - 7pm (free)
Why Native Plants are Important
Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Rd
Jan 20, 9:30am - 12pm & 12:30pm - 3pm (free)
Seed Packing Event
Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Rd
Jan 22, 1pm – 2pm (free)
Ask the Experts: A Monthly Garden and Landscape Q&A Series
Virtual, UW Extension
January 23, 6:30pm - 7:30pm ($)
Growing Microgreens at Home
Virtual, Minnesota State Horticultural Society
Jan 24, 6:30pm - 8:30pm (free)
Top 10 Plant Diseases of 2023
Virtual, UW Extension
Jan 25, 6pm - 7pm (free)
Cultivating Change Webinar
Virtual, Wild Ones
Jan 27, 8:30am - 12pm ($)
Garden Visions 2024
Virtual, NorthCentral WI Master Gardeners
Jan 27, 10am - 12pm (free)
Community Seed Swap
M3 Building, 142 S. 3rd Ave., Sturgeon Bay, WI
Jan 27, 1pm - 3pm (free)
Winter Seed Sowing Workshop: Jumpstart Your Garden
Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St.
Feb 1 - April 30 ($)
Plant Diagnostics: The Step-by-Step Approach to
Identifying Plant Problems online course
Virtual, UW Extension
Feb 3, 9:30am - 12pm & 12:30pm - 3pm (free)
Seed Packing Event
Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St
Feb 18, 9am - 11:30am & 12:00pm - 2:30pm (free)
Seed Packing Event
STEM Center, 2019 Technology Way
Feb 19, 1pm - 2pm (free)
Ask the Experts: A Monthly Garden and Landscape Q&A Series
Virtual, UW Extension
Feb 19 - Feb23, 1pm - 2:30pm daily (free)
Gardening from the Ground Up
Virtual, University of Minnesota
February 20, 7:00pm - 8:30pm (free)
Growing Blueberries in Your Backyard
Virtual, University of Minnesota
Feb 21, 6:30pm - 7:30pm (free)
The ABC’s of Starting a New Native Garden
Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Rd
February 27, 7:00pm - 8:30pm (free)
Battle of the Weeds
Virtual, University of Minnesota
Feb 28, 6:30pm – 8:30pm (free)
Fun and Games at the PDDC!
Virtual, Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic, UW Ext
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A Frustrated Seed Saver
The first plant I ever grew was a radish. I pulled it out of the ground, washed it, wrapped it in aluminum foil and gave it to my 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Dubrow. The radish was the only thing that grew in the garden planted with my father that year. Our harvest was followed by many years of small green tomatoes that never had enough time to ripen before the cold weather set in. Had I understood the time needed to grow a ripe tomato and the variety I wanted, my gardening success may have come earlier. We dreamed of big ripe red sandwich tomatoes, instead what we got was a windowsill full of small green paste tomatoes.
Over time, my gardening skills have improved. Through years of practice, learning from friends and family, and joining my husband at the Community Garden, we've cultivated a bountiful harvest. The produce we grow is preserved through canning, drying, freezing, baking, boiling, and featuring prominently in fresh salads.
But what's the next step in my garden learning? Seed saving. Embarking on this journey has sometimes felt overwhelming, particularly when learning the terminology—species, variety, perfect and imperfect flowers, self-pollination, cross-pollination, hybrids, heirlooms, annuals, biennials, inbreeding, outbreeding, isolation time, and distance. I have to consider things that I do not normally think about, such as how far away are any other cucumber varieties (mine or neighbors), and do I have 2 different vegetables that are actually the same species and could cross-pollinate each other (like broccoli and cabbage)? The 2023 garden provided an initial opportunity for me to begin seed saving. For some seeds it requires little effort on the part of the gardener to get true to type seeds. I know that my tomatoes are likely to be true to type since tomatoes usually self pollinate. However, for some seed varieties, I’m learning you have to plan ahead.
As I set my sights on my 2024 gardening endeavors, my New Year's resolution is centered around cultivating true-to-type seeds. Understanding the pollination process of my plants and taking proactive steps such as using blossom bags or maintaining isolation distances to guarantee that only the desired variety pollinates my plants, is my aim. Growing these true-to-type seeds promises the consistency of desired plant traits year after year.
Submitted by Kate, N.E.W. Master Gardener
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Featured Recipe
Spiced Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 med sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped (about 1.5 lbs)
- 2 large cooking apples, cored and roughly chopped (about ⅔ lb)
- 1.5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 3 TBSP creamy almond butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 2 TBSP maple syrup
- 2 TBSP toasted slivered almonds (optional)
Instructions
- Stir all the ingredients except coconut milk and syrup together in your slow cooker. Cover and cook until the potatoes and apples are tender, about 3 hrs on high or 6 hours on low.
- Either transfer to a blender to puree in batches or use immersion blender to puree in the cooker. Add in coconut milk and syrup. Taste and add salt or other seasonings as desired.
- Serve topped with slivered almonds.
Submitted by Melissa, N.E.W. Master Gardener
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