IN THIS ISSUE

Carlton County Page 2

Cook County Page 3, 9


Lake County Page 4, 6


St Louis County Page 5, 7


Calendar of Events Page 7

Recipes Page 8
Northeast Minnesota
Master Gardener
N O V E MB E R 2 0 1 3
What Kind of a Growing Season Did
You Have? by Eleanor Hoffman

South St. Louis County farm to market producers agree
2013 has been a challenging season. The problem was the
wet, cold May.
Weeds were an
issue because
soils were too
wet and too cold
to be worked in
May. The early
May corn plant-
ing largely rotted
in the ground.
The mid-May
planting yielded
about 5060%
while the early
June planting
came in at 100%.
Having to reseed
these crops and
others was
costly.
Cole crops
generally did
well, especially
cabbages. Broccoli and cauliflower, while profitable,
were beset by flea beetles according to one farmer.
Beets seeded in May yielded about 50%; carrots seeded at
the same time produced normally. Cole crops ripened
early in the warm August weather.
Tender crops such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers were
delayed by the late May-early June cool, wet weather.
One farmer noted that his peppers were smaller than usual;
others saw their peppers grow to normal size. Flower set-
ting was sparse for these crops in the cool days of late
July. However, a warmer August encouraged flower set
(Continued on page 7)


State Master Gardener Program Updates
COMMUNICATING & EDUCATING WITHIN OUR REGION
SERVING CARLTON, COOK, LAKE AND ST. LOUIS COUNTIES
Reminders for Master Gardeners
This Fall by Julie Weisenhorn

If you have hours to report for this year, please go to
the web site www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/master-
gardener/ and report your volunteer hours by December
31, 2013. There are no exceptions.
The 2014 Master Gardener Core Course will be held
on line this year beginning January 13. One module is
presented weekly. The cost to new interns for the course
is $275. If an intern does not finish the class, they will
need to pay the additional $300 charged to pro-hort stu-
dents.
Registration deadline for the 2014 core course is set
for December 1, 2013 and is firm.

Thank you Julie & Welcome Tim!
by Kit Sitter

The big news, which youve probably heard by now,
is that our current state director, Julie Weisenhorn, is
leaving her position for one in Extension education de-
velopment. Julie will be creating horticulture education
for master gardeners. Her replacement will be Tim
Kenny, Landscape Arboretum Education Director, who
will take over January 1, 2014.
Comments and concerns about the master gardener
program may be directed to Kit Sitter, the northeast
representative.
Which squash do you think was grown in the
straw bale garden this past summer?
Carlton County Master Gardeners
Page 2
Straw Bale Gardening Experience
by Laurene Longsyo

Straw bale gardening involves conditioning the straw
bales and after conditioning using them as a gardening me-
dium. The method of conditioning was developed by Joel
Karsten who details the method in his book, Straw Bale
Gardening. Because I did not have the book, I tried the
formula below which is virtually the same as the method rec-
ommended in the book.
Preparing the bales:
The preparation of the bales gets them past the initial heat
of decomposing. With the proper fertilizers and water your
straw bale should warm up to a temperature of about 100 de-
grees. As in many gardening techniques, there are proponents
of several different methods. You can prepare your bales by
just keeping them wet for three to four weeks prior to plant-
ing. If you prefer a more proactive approach, heres one
widely recommended method. This is the method I used.

Days 1-3: Water the bales thoroughly and keep them damp.
Days 4-6: Sprinkle each bale with a 1/2 cup of a high
nitrogen fertilizer like ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) or ammo-
nium sulfate per day, and water it well into the bales. If youd
like you can substitute blood meal for the nitrate.
Days 7-9: Cut back to 1/4 cup of fertilizer per bale per day,
and continue to water it in well.
Day 10: No more fertilizer, but continue to keep the bales
damp.
Day 11: Stick your hand into the bale. If it has cooled down
to less than your body heat, you may safely begin planting as
soon as all danger of frost has passed.

Originally I planned to make a square foot garden at my
grandson's home as a way to teach him where food came
from, but another master gardener said he had a source for the
bales at $5.00 each. Considering that four bales would
probably be enough for my needs, I abandoned the notion of
a raised bed. We purchased deer fencing and stakes and set
up the bales next to the deck so that one side abutted the deck
and the other three sides were protected by the deer fencing.
The garden was an amazing success, but there are some
things I would do differently next year. My four bales were
placed side by side up against each other. In this arrangement
the plants encroached upon on another. Next time I will keep
the bales in a line. Since my original plan was to do square
foot gardening, I tried to intensively plant in the bales. There
was a zucchini plant, two pepper plants, one grape tomato
plant, one pear tomato plant and a heritage tomato plant that
was orange when ripe. Before adding seeds to the bales,

I added soil to the top of the bail. Then, I planted rad-
ish seeds, two lines of peas and two lines of beans. The
peas and beans were not very productive. I even added
carrot, cucumber and watermelon seeds. These seeds
didnt do much either. They had no chance once the
tomatoes took over the south side of the bales. The two
pepper plants were so crowded out by the tomatoes that
we removed them and planted them in a container.
Of course, the radishes were ready first. Then every-
thing exploded into life. The grape tomato and the pear
tomato were so filled with fruit, there must have been
300 on each plant. The zucchini did pretty well, but
something that another straw bale gardener and I dis-
covered was that there was a profusion of green leaves.
We attribute this to the excessive nitrogen fertilizer that
was infused into the bales. Next year, I will use a more
balanced fertilizer. In fact, the master gardener who got
the bales for me used no nitrogen at all, instead spread-
ing Miracle Grow potting soil on top of the bales. He
says that was very successful. I also had a brief bout
with what I believe was a slime mold. The recommen-
dation is to water the bales every day. As a result, my
zucchini looked like there was a furry collar on one of
the stems. I stripped it off and washed the stems until
no mold remained and it recovered.
I can recommend the straw bale garden to anyone
with limited space, physical limitations or anyone who
wants to grow some of their own food or a lot of their
own food. Straw Bale gardening can be done on any
scale. One bale, four bales, eight bales, etc. My master
gardener friend made his garden with 36 bales. There is
virtu-
ally
no
weed-
ing,
even
if you
use
hay
bales
in-
stead
of
straw
bales.
Now that the gardening season is over, the bales will
serve as a base in the raised bed my son made for my
daughter-in-law to raise perennial plants in. They're
nearly soil already.
N O V E MB E R 2 0 1 3
Cook County Master Gardeners
Are You Considering Grafting
Tomatoes Next Year?
by Diane Booth

Grafting vegetables for better production is not new
but actually started in Asia in the 1920s. Japan grafts
90% of all watermelons, greenhouse cucumbers, tomato
and eggplant crops that are grown in the field or in the
greenhouse. Many of us older gardeners who are set in
our ways are finally coming around to thinking this is
not just a fad but could become a best practice to
increase our production of heirloom tomatoes.

Mark and Melinda Spinler, owners of Maple Hill
Farm & sugarbush, started grafting heirloom tomatoes
several years ago and have determined their production
has nearly doubled by grafting their tomatoes. Tomato
growers in Cook County have trialed a number of non-
grafted heirloom tomatoes over the years. We have
often found that inconsistent weather conditions of wet
rainy springs or super hot summers make these finicky
plants more susceptible to blight, Septoria leaf spot or
lower fruit production than F1 hybrids. The value of
heirloom tomatoes, especially in a greenhouse setting
where every square foot counts, increases dramatically if
you can produce more heirloom tomatoes in the same
space. Grafting tomatoes allows you to do this.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers or
Farmers Market attendees are often looking for
vegetable items they cannot find in a traditional grocery
store. Prices for your heirloom produce can be higher.
Melinda was kind enough to offer a free community
workshop on grafting tomatoes for Cook County
homeowners. We will go step by step through the
process here in case you are interested in trying this
technique next spring. Grafting tomatoes and growing
them for fruit can be completed in one season.
What are Scions and Rootstocks? The scions are the
upper part of the plant that will produce a tomato you
actually want like a Black Prince, Anna Russian or
Caspian Pink. The rootstocks are used for the lower part
of the plant and will provide the roots for the plant to
grow on.
Choosing the Right Rootstock There are two types
of rootstocks. One is a generative rootstock that is less
vigorous but puts more energy into the flowers and fruit
of the plant. The other rootstock is vegetative. A
vegetative rootstock is more vigorous and allows more
energy into leaves and stems. You want to find a
balance between the putting energy into growing the
You want to find a balance between putting energy into
growing the plant and fruit development. You can
purchase rootstock seeds from several seed companies but
it is fairly expensive.
Vegetative rootstocks are most appropriate for large-
fruited crops that will be in cultivation for over 6 months or
with crops that are growing in hot areas. Greenhouse
tomato growing might be a good application for these
rootstocks.
Generative rootstocks are more appropriate for crops
that will be growing for under six months. Growing in
fields or in unheated hoophouses might be more
appropriate for these rootstocks.
Young tomato plants start with vegetative growth at
the beginning of the season but when flowering and fruit
begins that will slow down the vegetative growth and put
more energy into flowering and fruiting.

Rootstocks are available from different sources but may
include some of the following:
a. Maxifort (F1) disease resistant rootstock quite
vigorous resulting in more vegetative growth
b. Colosus (F1) extremely vigorous & disease resistant
rootstock
c. DRO138TX (F1) strong generative rootstock
d. Estamino (F1) organic generative rootstock
e. Beaufort (F1) less vigorous rootstock than Maxifort

Preliminary results show that both Maxifort and
DRO138TX have done well in high tunnels or greenhouses
in Cook County. We have not trialed all the rootstocks in
the greenhouse or outside in the field. We hope to trail
more rootstocks outdoors for the 2014 summer.
Starting the Plants You may want to do a germination test
on both the scion and rootstock to see how long it takes
them to germinate. You want to grow the plants for 14
21 days so the size of the stems are less than 1/4 in
diameter and you have 2 4 true leaves above the
cotyledons. For a successful graft union to form, the
cambium layer of the rootstock and the scion need to be
aligned.
Splice or Top Grafting Water both the scion and rootstock
plants 12 24 hours before grafting. Graft early in the
morning when plant transpiration is the lowest. Try to find
a rootstock and scion that have the same diameter stem.
Remove the first set of leaves on the scion and leave only
the uppermost leaves. Cut the scion from its roots just
below the cotyledons at a 60 degree angle.
(Continued on page 9)
Page 3
N O V E MB E R 2 0 1 3
Lake County Master Gardeners Page 4
Evolution of a Community Garden Plot
by Kit Sitter
The trend
toward of-
fering com-
munity gar-
den plots is
a healthy
one for the
public and
an excellent
opportunity
for Master
Gardeners to
promote
sound gar-
dening prac-
tices. When
the opportu-
nity arose in
fall 2012 to
support a
local community garden at the AEOA Food Shelf in Two
Harbors our Lake County *EMGs stepped up to the plate,
along with other sponsors such as local Scouts and churches.
The vision for the gardens was to engage people to grow food
for themselves and to share a small portion of their produce
with the food shelf. Participants applied and were chosen
based on need and commitment. Although food shelf users
were given preference, anyone could apply. Registrants var-
ied in their level of gardening experience, with many being
first time gardeners.
With donated time and materials from the City, a private
landscaping company, and several volunteers from the food
shelf, wood frames for the raised beds were constructed last
fall and filled with soil. Then the entire area was fenced to
detain deer, rabbits, and bears. The 39 beds (4 x 16) were
oriented lengthwise east/west with walking paths between the
beds. Working with the Food Shelf director and the County
Extension nutritionist, we agreed that our group of six active
EMGs and three new interns would use two of the plots to
demonstrate growing techniques and seed varieties appropri-
ate to our region. We asked that our beds be located near the
entrance to the garden so gardeners would walk past our plots
and learn passively from viewing our plants. The last thing
we did before the ground froze was to take a soil sample to
determine the need for nutrients and organic matter.
*Extension Master Gardener (EMG)
At our January 2013 meeting, seed catalogs and
graph paper appeared and the garden plot planning
process began. We were aware of a grant through the
local power company so one of our members com-
pleted the application asking for soil amendments, a
rain barrel, a compost bin, trellising and protection ma-
terials. When we decided to plant a wide variety of
vegetables, each member signed up for one or two va-
rieties and supplied the seeds or plants required for the
allotted space. Vegetables included beans, peas, cu-
cumbers, radish, peppers, beets, carrots, chives, basil,
cilantro, lettuce, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and onions.
The food shelf staff requested that we not grow toma-
toes because they usually receive an overabundance.
We wanted to demonstrate several growing tech-
niques in the garden. On the north side of both plots
we constructed some pipes with netting to support peas,
beans, and cucumbers. At one end, teepee poles
were put up for the pole beans, and in one plot low row
covers were placed over pepper plants. By March we
received grant money allowing us to purchase the rain
barrel and compost bin. The composter was placed
near our plots but outside the fencing to further dis-
courage animals. Due to some issues with water col-
lection and dispersal, the rain barrel was placed inside
the fence by our plots. Although this did not allow a
fast collection of rain water from roof runoff, it at least
got people noticing the possibility of the barrel. Water
for the gardens was supplied from the AEOA building.
Our system consisted of a big water tank and a couple
open drums that were filled from a building spigot and
open rainfall. Water was transferred with watering cans
by gardeners leading to a lot more time and work than
expected. The watering system will need revision for
next year!
A late, cold, wet start to the growing season delayed
our planting until early June. The donated soil in the
beds contained numerous rocks which we sifted out.
We then worked in composted manure, bunny manure
and peat moss. Seeds were planted and the trellises and
row covers were installed. Plant markers were made to
identify the seedlings as another way of educating our
fellow plot growers. Over the winter, we had designed
a series of eight Garden Talks which we presented
throughout the season at the plots. A sign listing the
dates and topics was (Continued on page 6)
N O V E MB E R 2 0 1 3
While the produce from this first year was less
than desirable, we did have good crops from
cool weather crops like these peas.
Peppers, tomatoes and root vegetables hope-
fully will be better next year with better weather.
St Louis County Master Gardeners
Northern Minnesota Beekeeping
Groups Help Beekeepers, Bees and
Gardeners by Catherine Winter
I had no idea I was harboring illegal bees.
Before I put a beehive in my Duluth back yard in the
spring of 2012, I had a look at the citys code, and I
thought bees were legal.
The city attorney had a different interpretation. That
meant that a lot of people in Duluth whod been quietly
keeping bees for years were on the wrong side of the law.
So last year we began lobbying the city council for
change.
Members of two local groups, the Lake Superior
Beekeepers and the Northern Minnesota Beekeepers,
helped draft an ordinance permitting beekeeping. We told
the city councilors about how bees are in decline, and
how much we need them to pollinate the food we eat. We
pointed out that many major cities now allow beekeeping.
A few councilors were skeptical at first. I hate
bees! one of them told me. But in the end they passed
the ordinance unanimously, and our bees were no longer
fugitives from justice.
Working with these two beekeeping groups has been
a highlight of my first year with bees. Before I got bees, I
had no idea these organizations existed. It turns out they
do lots of work to help beekeepers and bees.
Beekeepers from these groups speak at public events.
They work with 4-H kids, they help each other solve
problems, and they mentor newbies like me.
I dont know what I would have done without them to
get me out of jams this summer - like when my bees
swarmed.
Swarming happens when some of the bees in a colony
leave to start a new one. Its how honeybees in the wild
create new colonies. Its natural. But you dont want to
lose all those bees if you dont have to. Bees are
expensive. And these days, bees that leave the hive and
try to make it on their own usually dont survive because
of the many threats they face habitat loss, lack of food
sources, disease and pesticides. (Colony collapse disorder
is only one of many threats to bees; bees were declining
before CCD was identified.)
Bee experts say you can reduce swarming by dividing
your hive into two hives in the spring, so I did that. But
the bees hadnt read the guidebooks. One afternoon, tens
Page 5
of thousands of them left the hive and made a humming
cloud in the back yard.
Bees arent aggressive while theyre swarming. But
I was worried about scaring the neighbors, and about
where the swarm would go.
Swarming bees typically leave the hive in a cloud
and then form a cluster somewhere. Sometimes they
pick weird places to cluster, like the bumper of a car,
and people freak out and call pest control or spray them
with hoses. If theyre left alone, the bees in cluster will
eventually fly off on their own, after scout bees have
found a new home, such as a hollow tree.
My bees formed their cluster high on a branch of the
spruce tree next to their hive. I was relieved that they
werent bothering the neighbors, but the swarm was way
too high for me to reach it.
Lake Superior Beekeepers came to the rescue. One
of the guys in the group is a mason. He came over and
set up scaffolding. He and another member of the club
climbed up 15 feet and cut off the branch the bees were
on. They put the swarm in a can, and the mason drove
the bees away and put
them in a new hive,
where they still live. He
was glad to get more
bees, free. I was glad
they had a safe place to
live. I hope they make
him some honey.
Some members of
our local beekeeping
groups keep bees for
the honey and beeswax. Some just think bees are
fascinating. Many are hoping to help do something to
stop the decline of pollinators that are crucial to our food
system.
The Lake Superior Beekeepers have two new
projects this year. One is an attempt to raise queens that
can withstand our northern winters better. The other is
an attempt to help gardeners find and buy plants that
have not been pre-treated with insecticide.
Some members of the group were dismayed this
summer when they realized that the flowers they had put
in to provide food for bees came from greenhouses that
sold plants treated with systemic insecticides. Some of
these insecticides are long lasting and get into all parts
of the plant, including the nectar and pollen. Bees that
feed on these plants can get sick or die. (Cont. on page 7)
N O V E MB E R 2 0 1 3
N O V E MB E R 2 0 1 3
Evolution of a Community Garden
Plot (Continued from page 4)
posted at the garden gate. Topics included soil amend-
ments, garden myths, insects, diseases, worm farms, etc.
To help our interns earn their hours, we assigned a leader
each month. This leader coordinated the help needed for
weeding, watering, and harvesting.
Our first season was very challenging. We found the
dismal weather, difficult water dispersal, harvesting, and
educating an audience to be more difficult that we thought.
Obviously controlling the weather is not possible but we
used row covers to help our peppers get a head start during
the cold, wet spring. The weather also affected our crop
failure of beets and cucumbers. Difficulties in hooking up
the rain barrel to the building gutter required us to disperse
water by hand. The food shelf asked for food donations
only once a week, leaving us with extra produce. There
was not a good way to store produce for later dispersal.
Lastly, we had poor attendance at our information presen-
tations and we are evaluating whether it was due to the
dates, time of day, location, or lack of interest.
Although there are things to learn and to improve, it
was still a productive and valuable first season. We will
continue this demonstration site and perhaps help with a
second site identified at the local high school. Gardening
lives on!


Straw Bale Gardens by Joel Karsten
by Eleanor Hoffman

Straw Bale Gardens (SBG) seems designed to draw
urban or reluctant gardeners into gardening. Karsten's
method also lends itself to extending any garden space
where ground space is unavailable or of poor quality.
His long experience with trial SBG affords credibility.
The book is organized according to the traditional
steps of the growing season, which provide a familiar
frame for the new ideas. SBG are not no-care gardens.
Karsten makes this abundantly clear chapter by chapter.
They do provide some advantages over in-ground and
raised-bed gardens. Properly prepared, SBG provide a
warmer, cleaner, weed-free growing bed that is easy to
work in because it is up off the ground like a raised-bed.
Karsten gives clear instructions about how to set up the
bales and secure them with end stakes and trellis wires.
He explains how and why to set up secure trellis wires
for vining crops. He also gives layouts and plans for
sample gardens and an extensive list of vegetables,
including how many to grow in a single bale. These lists
and instructions help to insure success.
Extending the season with SBG is a function of the
bale's internal combustion enginethe composting
going on inside each bale. Thus, clear plastic and/or row
covers fitted onto the trellis and secured around the bales
provides a heated greenhouse useful early and late in the
growing season. Karsten's instructions are clear and
simple, provided the trellis frame has been built. He also
often remarks what not to do, explaining that he tried it
that way with a poor result.
Karsten notes that his method does not need crop
rotation to ward off disease; the bales are disease free.
The method does however allow interplanting of crops,
allowing early crops to mature and be harvested while
later crops are gaining their size. He also discusses
succession planting of lettuces, peas and other quick-
maturing crops. He encourages frequent harvesting and
cooking/serving within minutes or hours for both
nutrition and taste.
SBG is an eminently readable book. The story is told
conversationally, spiked with humor, examples and light
tongue-in-cheek remarks. Yet Karsten does not talk
down to the reader. The material is thoroughly
presented and abundantly illustrated. Anyone who reads
this book will emerge with a good understanding of
straw bale gardening.
BOOK REVIEW BOOK REVIEW BOOK REVIEW
Page 6
2013 Calendar of Events
Page 7
Cook County: Northern Gardening WTIP radio show 90.7 FM discusses pertinent gardening topics the 2nd Thurs-
day every month from 78 p.m.

Educational Opportunities
Glorious Gardens of New Zealand: February 26March 11, 2014 with a cost of $5,495 + airfare to New Zea-
land. This is an exclusive, 14 day tour for Master Gardeners and other garden enthusiasts. There will be a minimum
of 10 people and a maximum of 24 tour participants. Final payment and registration must be made by November 25,
2013. If you are interested, please contact Mary Kroening, Hidden Treasures Botanical Tours, 302 Reedsport Ridge,
Columbia MO 65203 573-881-6316 or E-mail: mary@hiddentreasuresbotanicaltours.com

Beekeeping in Northern Climates Year 1: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., $80 without lunch / $93 with box lunch,
MacMillan Auditorium, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Learn about the first year of beekeeping with Dr. Marla Spivak and Gary Reuter from the U of M. Topics include pur-
chasing equipment and bees, hiving packages, keeping bees in urban and rural settings, honey production, successful
wintering strategies and keeping bees healthy.

Minnesota Organic Conference: January 10-11, 2014 St. Cloud, MN www.mda.state.mn.us/organic
*Winter workshops the day before January 9th: Organic High Tunnel Production, Life in the Soil, Grant Writing for
Farmers, Multi Species & Advanced Grazing, Financial Planning, Beekeeping.

Beginning Grower Workshop: January 15, 2014St. Cloud Rivers Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud, MN
Upper Midwest Regional Fruit & Vegetable Growers Conference & Trade Show: January 16 & 17, 2014, St.
Cloud Rivers Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud, MN
N O V E MB E R 2 0 1 3
Northern Beekeeping Groups,
Beekeepers, Bees... (Continued from page 5)

Of particular concern are a class of insecticides
called neonicotinoids. Theyre widely used in green-
houses, and a standard dose can be enough to kill bees.
Research just released this fall shows that these insecti-
cides also harm other beneficial insects. The European
Union has suspended the use of some neonicotinoids
because of concerns about their effects on bees. Ontario
bans the use of neonicotinoids on ornamental plants.
Oregon recently put a temporary ban on them after a
mass poisoning of bumblebees. But neonicotinoids are
still legal in most of the US.
Lake Superior Beekeepers recently sent a survey to
greenhouses in and around Duluth asking whether their
plants are treated with insecticides. It turns out that
there are a number of nurseries that dont use pesticides
or buy pre-treated plants. The results of the survey will
be posted on the groups web site, so gardeners who
want to help bees can find out where to buy insecticide-
free flowers.
Growing Season ... (Continued from page 1)
and tomatoes ripened well into a warm September.
Another St. Louis county farmer noted that winter
squash and pumpkins looked good in mid-late Septem-
ber and he expected, perhaps, to have the best season in
5 years.
While early crops began yielding almost a month
later than normal, the hot August seems to have nar-
rowed the gap, making it seem as if everything ripened
at once.
Lake county farmers did not fare much differently.
However, some of the vegetable varieties that did do
well for them this season included the following:
Emerite pole bean (filet), Bolero nantes carrot, Rouge
Vif dEtampes pumpkin Dwarf Blue curled kale.

Sources: Bob Olen, Doug Hoffbauer, Kit Sitter and 2
anonymous farmers

What did you see in your garden this year? Please e-mail Diane at
diane.booth@co.cook.mn.us to comment on your growing season
and what varieties did best for you this past year.

By the way, the largest squash was grown in the straw bale on p.1!
Wanted: Wild American Hazelnut Seeds Research is being done on hybridizing American hazelnuts. We need
people to send us ripe seeds from wild American hazelnuts. Label with information about location and mail 1050
nuts per sample to: Lois Braun, U of M Dept. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, 1991 Upper Buford Circle,
411 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108
NOVEMBER HARVEST RECIPES
Page 8

CABBAGE WITH SAUSAGE AND CARAWAY
recipe from Fine Cooking Oct.2013 issue
(The recipe did not indicate specific amounts for
ingredients. Use your discretion especially with the vine-
gar and seasonings. This is great served with a hearty arti-
san bread and for dessert, apple pie!)
Brown chicken sausages in a little oil in a large skillet,
then cut diagonally into 1 inch slices and set aside.
Soften some sliced onion and caraway seeds in the oil,
add shredded cabbage, cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and
pepper.
Cover and cook gently until the cabbage is tender.
Season to taste, add the sausages, and cook until
heated through, about 5 minutes more.
N O V E MB E R 2 0 1 3

AUNT ELSIES COLE SLAW
Sprinkle one medium to large head of shredded cab-
bage with 3/4 cup sugar and one half of a chopped
onion.
Let this stand while you make the dressing.
Use a large non-reactive bowl with a tightly fitted lid.
Do not put the lid on the bowl while the mixture above
is standing.
In a small non-reactive pan, bring the following ingre-
dients to boil: 1 cup cider vinegar, 2/3 cup vegetable
oil, 1 tsp. dry mustard or regular mustard, 1/4 cup
sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. celery seed ( or more if you
like).
Pour the boiling mixture over the cabbage. seal the
bowl with the lid. Turn the bowl up, down, all around
to distribute the dressing, onions and sugar.
Let stand on the counter for 4 hours. Refrigerate and
serve cold or at room temperature.
CREAMY CABBAGE SOUP W/GRUYERE
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 russet potato, peeled and grated
3/4 lb. cabbage, cored and shredded
salt to taste
5 cups water, chicken or vegetable stock
1 parmesan rind
fresh ground pepper to taste
2 cups low-fat milk
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Garnish with croutons and fresh chives.

Heat the oil over medium heat in large, heavy soup
pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring until tender.
Add the grated potato, shredded cabbage and 1/2 tsp.
salt. Stir together for a minute, taking care the pota-
toes dont stick to pan. Add the water or stock, the
Parmesan rind and salt & pepper to taste. Bring to a
simmer, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 min-
utes, until the vegetables are tender.
Add the milk to the soup. Stir, combine well, heat
without boiling. Add the cheese until melted. Re-
move Parmesan rind. Serve with garnish.
SAUTEED RED CABBAGE
recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

2 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 red cabbage, shredded
1/3 cup white or apple cider vinegar
2 rounded Tbsps. sugar
1 tsp. mustard seed
salt & pepper

Directions: Heat a skillet over medium high heat.
Add oil and onions and saut 2 minutes. Add cab-
bage and turn in pan, sauting it until it wilts. 3 5
minutes. Add vinegar to the pan and turn the cab-
bage in it. Sprinkle sugar over the cabbage and turn
again. Season with mustard seed, salt and pepper.
Reduce heat a bit. Let cabbage continue to cook 10
minutes or until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.
You can substitute applesauce for sugar and increase
the amount of cabbage for that amount of vinegar.
Page 9
Grafting Tomatoes (continue from page 3)
Take the rootstock, cut off the top just below the cotyle-
dons at a 60 degree angle. Match up the two stems and clip
together with a silicone grafting clip. Promptly water the
transplant.
Healing Grafted Plants Put transplants into a healing
chamber, 80 85 degrees F and at least 95% humidity.
Make sure they are in a heavily shaded area and misted to
maintain the humidity. Keep the leaves dry to discourage-
disease. It takes 4- 5 days for the graft to heal. Placing
plastic domes over the trays of top-grafted plants will en-
hance your success.
Gradually increase the grafted plants exposure to light and
lower humidity on days 6, 7, and 8. The time may vary
depending upon the transplants. It will take at least 14 days
for the graft to totally heal.
Managing Plants If they are placed in a greenhouse or
eventually outdoors, you want to make sure you control the
plant vigor. You can allow two leaders, rather than a single
stem to grow, by allowing a low sucker to grow. This sup-
presses vegetative growth and allows more fruit production.
Remove all leaves below the lowest cluster with maturing
fruit. You will need more space for the plant if you have a
double leader. Maxifort has been found to work well with
double leaders, while Beaufort is less vigorous and works
well with a single leader.
When planting the grafted tomato, the graft needs to
remain above the soil line and the tomato needs good sup-
port.
Items you will need to graft tomatoes: Very thin single
edge razor blades, plastic domes for your seedling trays
with or without an air intake dial on the dome, grafting
clips, rootstock seeds.
Some possible places for supplies: Johnnys Seeds http://
www.johnnyseed.com, Harris Seeds http://harrisseeds.com,
Territorial Seed Company www.territorialseed.com
Resources:
Vegetable Grafting, Washington State University Extension Fact Sheet
FS052E
Grafting Tomatoes for Increased Vigor and Disease Resistance,
Johnnys Selected Seeds.
Vegetable Grafting: The Healing Chamber, Washington State Univer-
sity Extension Fact Sheet FS051E
Grafting Vegetables: Is it worth the trouble? Many growers say yes.
Amy Garrett, Small Farms Program, Oregon State University Summer
2011
St. Johns wort: Have You Seen It?
St. Johns wort is
native to Europe,
northern Africa, and
Asia, but can also be
found along Highway
61 between Cascade
River and Grand
Marais. It is gaining
a pretty strong foot-
hold in Cook County
and should be
watched for in Lake,
St. Louis, and Carlton
counties as well.
It is still being
sold in the nursery
trade under common
names like: Tiptons
weed, rosin rose,
goatweed, chase-devil or Klamath weed. Its scientific
name is Hypericum perforatum.
Generally the plant prefers well-drained, coarse-
textured soils and open areas, but it will also grow in
heavy clay in a meadow situation.
It is recognizable by its clusters of yellow star-
shaped flowers and its 1-2 long opposite leaves that
are dotted with tiny dots. It also has a long taproot and
many shallow rhizomes.
St. Johns wort can grow new root crowns from the
many rhizomes while also reproducing via seeds. One
plant can produce between 15,000 and 34,000 seeds,
each of which may remain viable in the soil for up to
50 years, making eradication difficult in established
patches.
Eradication via hand pulling and digging can be
effective if you have small patches. Mowing and cut-
ting are not effective, as the plant will re-grow from the
root crown to continue blooming. The primary means
of successfully eradicating populations is to use herbi-
cides making sure you read and follow all label instruc-
tions.
You do not want to have this plant in your pasture or
roadside area as it can quickly take over, establishing
large colonies, eliminating native plants or grasses.
N O V E MB E R 2 0 1 3
Cook County Master Gardeners

NE Master Gardener Newsletter
317 W. 5th Street
Grand Marais, MN 55604
The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment with-
out regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual
orientation.






STATE CONTACTS:

Julie Weisenhorn
State Master Gardener Director
612-625-1925
weise019@umn.edu
Blog: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/efans/mgdirector/

David E. Moen
State Master Gardener Program Manager
763-767-3874/888-241-0719
moenx010@umn.edu
Extension Regional Office, Andover
550 Bunker Lake Boulevard NW, Suite L-1
Andover, MN 55304

NEWSLETTER TEAM & COUNTY OFFICES:
Carlton County Office 218-384-3511
Laurene Longsyo 218-879-1988 laurenel@netzero.net
Sarah VanderMeiden 218-879-3352 scandihoo@yahoo.com
Cook County Office 218-387-3015
Diane Booth 218-387-3015 booth010@umn.edu
Lake County Office 218-834-8377
Kit Sitter 218-525-4138 kitsgardens@gmail.com
St Louis County Office 218-733-2870
Eleanor Hoffman 218-590-9162 ehoffman@hughes.net
We are looking for more people to help with the newsletter. If you
are interested, please contact the above folks from your county.

Would you like to receive a printed newsletter in the mail?
The cost for us to mail out 4 colored issues a year is $10.
Please make a check out to: Cook County Extension and mail
with your name and address to:
NE Master Gardener Newsletter
317 W. 5th Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604
Kit Sitter, MG with Lake County
has been accepted as one of the northern
representatives on the State MG Advisory Board. She
has been a Master Gardener since 2007 and her 3 year
term began June 2012 She will bring you news from the
Board in future NE Regional Newsletters.