Spring Home & Garden 2012

Big growth in town In-town garden shows no city limits Story and photos by Matt Peterson • matt.peterson@austindailyherald.com

Living in the middle of town doesn’t have to be a burden to gardeners.

A family in Rose Creek is proving that. The Conradts, who also own and operate Rose Creek Locker, are pushing the envelope of gardening in town. Ironically, they even have plant sprouts strewn about the inside of their meat locker.

And they don’t just specialize in one plant. In fact, one would never catch them buying produce at the grocery store.

“There are so many things I never purchase there because I always have them,” said Patty Conradt, wife of Mark and mother of Carter, 13, and Ashley, 11. “It’s not so much the savings, it’s that I know what I’m getting.”

See GARDEN, Page 6

Patty Conradt and her son, Carter, 13, stand in their lot — in the middle of Rose Creek along Main Street — which contains several gardens.

Black gold for gardens

Jr. gardeners

Going green made easy

Woman says compost has helped keep her garden producing excellent yields, not diseases.

Young gardeners growing by leaps and bounds in Mower County.

EcoAdvisor shares easy tips for replacing toxins found in cleaners and around your home.

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Big gains from black gold Composting keeps gardens going strong

By Adam Harringa

Therese Manggaard jokes that she decided to get into gardening after trying unsuccessfully to play the piano. On a farm outside of Sargeant, the six-year master gardener has excellent yields and doesn't have problems with disease in her garden. A main reason for that, she says, is a secret she calls black gold: compost.

Gardening is one of Therese's joys, and she's a firm believer in composting. When it comes to the organic fertilizer, Therese keeps it simple; rather than using a container for compost, she keeps her material in a pile in her backyard.

"I have a really simple pile at home," she said. "If I want fresh compost, I just take off the top layer that hasn't composted yet and I dig out ready compost."

Almost any organic waste can be used to create compost; from potato and orange peelings to egg shells

and coffee grounds, to yard waste such as leaves and grass clippings. To start, you need storage bins — which range from $20 to $200 — or you can simply clear a small space in the yard.

Dave Hillier, owner of Hillier Composting in

Moving the material aerates it and speeds up the process, but Hillier says if you stir it on nearly a weekly basis starting in the spring, you can have fullydeveloped compost by August or September.

You can then apply the finished product directly to a garden, by spreading a quarter-inch layer on top, or by spreading two inches on top and tilling it in, or you can use it as a one-third mixture with soil for potted plants.

"It's letting nature do the work decomposing yard waste," Hillier said. "It's definitely a recycling process."

Hillier said six to eight wheelbarrows full of yard waste, which ends up as roughly two to three wheelbarrows full of compost, can go a long way for a home gardener.

"It's not rocket science," Therese said.

“People think that compost piles are unattractive and smelly and they don't have a need for compost, but I think none of those statements are true. If a compost bin is maintained properly, it won’t smell. As far as being unattractive, making a structure is up to you. As far as I'm concerned, it's the circle of life.”

“It’s letting nature do the work decomposing yard waste.”

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-Dave Hillier Austin, recommends using two or three bins roughly three feet by three feet. Hillier suggests filling one container, then shoveling the material into the next bin.

When the first bin is full again, empty the second bin into the third and the first bin into the second, and so on. By the time the third bin is full, you’ll have a finished product.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - SPRING HOME & GARDEN

Four easy steps to jump-start outdoor spring cleaning

M

ake outdoor spring cleaning a breeze with these four simple tips to ensure that you're ready for warm weather fun: 1. Get the grill ready — Barbecues and picnics are as much a part of summer as baseball and trips to the beach. Your grill is central to the fun when you're cooking and dining outdoors, so get it ready with a good cleaning. If you were diligent about cleaning the grill after every use last year, a good cleaning with a wire brush may be all the cooking grates need. If your grates have a lot of build-up and burnt-on food, remove and soak them in warm soapy water to loosen the debris. Use a wire brush and a little soapy water to clean out the inside surfaces of your grill, including the inside of the lid.

2. Clean outdoor surfaces without scrubbing — Over time, wood and composite decks,

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - SPRING HOME & GARDEN

concrete, railings, awnings and outdoor furniture can accumulate mold, moss, mildew and algae. An environmentally-sensitive mold and mildew cleaner like Wet & Forget works over time to gently remove outdoor stains on virtually any exterior surface without scrubbing. Perfect for mildew and mold removal, the non-caustic, non-acidic and bleach-free, biodegradable formula can be applied with a pump garden sprayer instead of a power washer.

3. Spruce up your view — Clean windows not only brighten the interior of your home, they can make the exterior look fresher, too. Spring is a great time to remove screens (if you haven't stored them for the winter) and give them a good cleaning. Hosing them off should do the trick, but if they're very dirty try cleaning with a little soapy water and a soft scrub brush. Before you

replace the screens, give the windows a good cleaning.

4. Taking care of your tools — Yard work and gardening are realities of warm weather. All your landscaping maintenance chores will be easier if your tools are clean and in good repair.

Unload the tool shed or garage of all the equipment you'll use this summer — from rakes and hoes to lawn mowers and trimmers. While you probably cleaned your garden tools before you stored them for winter, they'll still have accumulated dust — and possibly rust — from sitting idle for so many months. Clean rust spots and dirt from metal tools, and use a coating of mineral oil to ensure the rust doesn't return. Clean lawn mower and trimmer blades, and replace the line on string trimmers.

—ARA Content

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012

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Making a breeze of going green

By Michelle Haacke

Quick and easy tips to help make your home more environmentally fr iendl y an d cost ef fici ent: • Common household items, like vinegar, baking soda, Borax and lemon can be used to clean nearly everything in your home — from sinks, tubs and toilets to ovens and glass.

• Sodium hydroxide or lye, which is in most oven cleaners, is a corrosive poison and hazardous waste. Use baking soda, vinegar and lemon as a healthier alternative to clean your oven. Pour baking soda into the bottom of the oven, onto the charred food. Pour a bit of vinegar over the baking soda and watch it fizzle. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes and use a lemon half as a scouring pad to scrub your oven to a “sparkling” clean.

• Hang clothes, blankets and towels to line dry. If using a dryer, avoid dryer sheets, which can be fire hazards and create a chemical buildup on clothes,

and opt for dryer balls.

• Air dry dishes cleaned in a dishwasher instead of wasting electric heat to dry them. Run the dishwasher at night before bed or before you leave for work in the morning to allow time for the dishes to air dry.

• Use soy candles instead of paraffin candles. One of the benefits to soy candles is that they are clean burning.

Unlike paraffin, soy wax is nontoxic, with no petrol-carbon soot that can blacken walls, ceilings and furniture.

Paraffin wax can also add toxic carcinogens into the air you breathe. Soy candles burn much slower and cooler than paraffin wax, creating a longer burning candle. This makes them a much more cost-effective choice for consumers.

Visit us at the home show Next to Power 96

Stitt took to the Internet for tips about less toxic products, and she Jillian Hoium Stitt’s admitted ran across Only Green, an educator misconceptions about “going and supplier of eco-friendly prodgreen” left her overwhelmed when ucts and services. She was immedishe decided to make her New ately hooked and attended her first EcoWorkshop in Brighton her hometown of h o m e “Out of all Albert Lea that Ocmore enconsumer tober. By Christmas vironmengoods we 2009, she was an Int a l l y dependent Only friendly. bring into Green EcoAdvisor.

Stitt, our home, While Only fo r m e rly household Green offers enviof Albert cleaners take ronmentally L e a , friendly health and began her the lead in beauty, home, baby quest for being most and pet products, living a toxic.”

Stitt said there are greener -Jillian Hoium Stitt alternatives — allifestyle ready found in when she most households — to make the became pregnant with her first son in 2009. Using all-natural household transition to a greener lifestyle cleaners to reduce the amount of seamless. in-home toxins with a baby on the way was her top priority, and cloth diapers were a close second.

“There are so many products out there and conflicting information, a lot of people don’t even know where to start,” said Stitt. “Out of all consumer goods we bring into our home, household cleaners take the lead in being most toxic.”

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AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - SPRING HOME & GARDEN

OTHER TIPS FOR GOING GREEN:

• Replace energy-wasting incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFL) and light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.

• Reduce your plastic bag pile-up problem by taking sturdy, reusable cloth bags to grocery stores — some stores will even give you a five-cent refund!

• Keep your air conditioning temp 72 or higher, or donʼt use it at all.

• Shut your blinds during the day to keep your home naturally cool.

• Ensure outlets, windows and porches are sealed in winter to avoid drafts.

• Use reusable water Klean Kanteens and coffee mugs.

• Reuse paper in your office or at home for crafts or scratch paper.

Trey Mewes

Reporter Friday, March 23 5pm - 7pm

Matt Peterson Reporter Friday, March 23 5pm - 7pm

Eric Johnson

Photographer Saturday, March 24 9am - 11am

Jason Schoonover

Layout Editor Saturday, March 24 3pm - 4pm

Adam Harringa

Managing Editor Sunday, March 25 11am - 1pm

Kevin Coss

Reporter Sunday, March 25 11am - 1pm AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - SPRING HOME & GARDEN

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012

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Garden: ’We’re in it already, full speed’ Continued from Page 1

The Conradts have five dirt plots next to their business — the result of a lot they purchased several years ago. The largest plot is roughly 30 by 20 feet, and four others are smaller, raised beds for asparagus, cucumbers and strawberries.

Yet successful gardening requires many hours of work, along with the passion to keep gardening. “(There is) something about it that just keeps us going,” Patty said. “I guess it’s that challenge of doing better the next year. We’re never really satisfied with the way it looks, so we’re always trying to improve.”

And Patty took on that challenge to improve. A while back, she began the process of becoming a Master Gardener, a national program and status that requires educational credits to obtain. Now she is happy to be a resource for others, whether grandmas and grandpas simply need something from the garden or if other gardeners have difficult time getting something to grow.

Among classes, operating the meat locker, the Master Gardeners program, Junior Master Gardeners program and school, the Conradts still dedicate a lot of time to their hobby.

“In the summer time, we’ll work for three, four hours a night out in the yard ...

Until our fingernails are packed with mud,” Patty said.

Though gardening can come to a halt in the winter, the Conradts stay involved.

They purchased a seed starting station from a catalog from which they also buy their seeds. Now they have seedling peppers awaiting transplanting for later this spring.

“We’re in it already, full speed,” Patty said.

The only thing more Patty wishes for is a greenhouse.

“I’m terribly jealous of the people who have greenhouses,” she said.

But she’s still doing just fine without one.

The Conradts are growing dozens of petunias and geraniums indoors, and they’re even starting to master the art of growing fruit trees, such raspberries, cherry trees and apple trees.

One can expect their lot on Main Street to continue to transform into a larger, more flourishing garden each year.

“It’s always been this way around our house,” Patty said.

Above: Patty Conradt shows a tray of budding flowers she has ready for transplanting this spring. Right: Dozens of pepper plants line the inside of the Conradts’ seed starting station.

“We’re never really satisfied with the way it looks, so we’re always trying to improve.”

-Patty Conradt 6

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - SPRING HOME & GARDEN

Junior Master Gardeners sprouting in Mower Co.

By Matt Peterson

ust like the plants they learn about, budding horticulturists in Mower County are a growing crop.

The Junior Master Gardeners — a program started by Melissa Koch and others at the University of Minnesota-Mower County Extension Office — is teaching youth how to become responsible, smart and dedicated gardeners.

Now the program has roughly 40 to 50 members since it started.

“We started just with an idea about five years ago,” Koch said. “And the leadership just jumped on board and we started digging up the ground and everything fell into place.”

Local members of the national Master Gardeners have been teaching youngsters about all sorts of plants and helping them complete projects.

For example, Patty Conradt of Rose Creek has two kids, Carter and Ashley, who are in the Junior Master Gardeners program. Carter was last year’s grand champion for a project he completed about his family’s garden and how it transformed the scenery on Main Street in Rose Creek.

Now gardening is growing on Carter.

“It gives me something to do — keeps me out of the house,” he said.

Patty said Master Gardener Deb Schammel, who passed away in 2010, was a big influence on her. Now she and other Master Gardeners help Junior Master Gardeners each Thursday during the summer at the Mower County Fairgrounds. Junior Master Gardeners tend to gardens, attend classes and make meals from vegetables, every week. Though regular summer sessions don’t begin until June 7, there are a few other upcoming events, including a seed start on April 14 and a JMG open house from 5 to 7 p.m. on May 21.

Those interested in JMG may contact the Mower County Extension Office at 437-9552.

SEED START

.. April 14: Start to the gardening season

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - SPRING HOME & GARDEN

.. 5 to 7 p.m., May 21

The Conradts, who own Rose Creek Locker, purchased this seed starting station so they can grow healthier peppers, and more varieties.

JMG OPEN HOUSE

Matt Peterson/matt.peterson@austindailyherald.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012

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G

mind every time you head out to trim the grass: Mow your grass at the highest setting, keep grass clippings on the lawn and water only when needed.

Seed Fill in bare or thin spots with grass seed to encourage a thick lawn, helping prevent weeds from invading your lawn by blocking access to sunlight. Use a highquality seed appropriate for your region, like Scotts EZ Seed to fill in thin spots and thicken the lawn. To repair larger areas, use Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed with WaterSmart coating.

Water Grass that is fed and kept at a taller height develops deep roots which are better able to conserve water and withstand periods of heat and drought. Rely on rainfall as the primary source of water. During periods of drought, the lawn can go without water for an extended time. Even though the lawn may look brown and wilted, it will recuperate after the rain returns. If you do choose to irrigate the lawn, water less frequently for a longer period of time rather than short frequent waterings.

These tips for a great lawn will provide a foundation for a fun-filled summer in your own backyard. For more information on seeding and feeding this spring, visit www.scotts.com. —ARA Content

rass is an extraordinary plant, the unsung hero of backyards everywhere. With proper care and feeding, grass can help clean the air, cool the ground, reduce erosion and provide one of the softest outdoor play surfaces. With all of these amazing benefits, it pays to start the spring season off right by giving grass a boost.

Feed Grass needs nutrients to grow strong, deep roots that can endure harsh conditions and grow in thick to help block ac-

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cess to sunlight for weeds. If the lawn does not need reseeding, use a high-quality lawn food like Scotts Turf Builder. This lawn food can be used in any season on any grass type, and delivers balanced nutrients for strong, thick grass. Use a starter fertilizer when planting new grass to promote root growth and seedling development.

When seeding or feeding, use Scotts DLX EdgeGuard Broadcast Spreader for larger areas to direct lawn food only where desired - on the lawn and off hard surfaces - and out of storm sewers. This spreader combines the accuracy of a drop

spreader with the speed of a rotary spreader.

Mow Set your mower at the highest setting and leave grass clippings on the lawn. Mow frequently to avoid removing more than one third of the grass height, and do so when grass is dry to avoid damp clumps that could smother grass. Leaving clippings on the lawn recycles nutrients stored in the clippings keeping the soil cooler, encouraging deeper root growth and enriching the soil with organic material.

Keep these simple mowing tips in

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - SPRING HOME & GARDEN