Hello
Gardeners
So
what is the connection between the eclipse and the White Bear Lake seed
library?
They
both occur on April 8th this year!
The
White Bear Lake Seed Library received lots of new seeds! This means it’s time
for another seed packaging! Here’s the info:
Monday, April 8th,
2024 from 6-8 pm in the Lion’s Den conference room in the White Bear Lake
library.
No
experience is necessary. Come help the seed library and converse with your
fellow gardeners.
Here’s a few
interesting bits of information about what some plants do during an eclipse.
From
a 2017 study at the University of Missouri’s South Farm Research Center, by Tim
Reinbott and colleagues. Below is copied from https://www.crops.org/news/science-news/does-eclipse-equal-night-plant-life/.
The
team chose to observe four types of plants with different habits:
- Mimosa close
their leaves at night and when they are touched.
- Oxalis (purple
clover) close their leaves and fold their flowers at night.
- Drought-stressed
soybeans fold up their leaves during the day and open them at night.
- Drought-stressed
corn curls during the day and uncurls at night.
Reinbott
reported, “The regular mimosa responded to the eclipse by closing up its
leaves, just like at sundown. But when we first exposed the mimosa plants to 72
hours of light or dark, they did not respond to the eclipse.” Reinbott thinks
it may be because the light spectrum, some of which is undetectable to the
human eye, had changes the plants may have responded to. “We have data that
show slight differences in the light spectrum during totality and sundown.
Possibly those plants exposed to 72 hours of light or darkness lost some of
their photoreceptors for one of these wavelengths (blue and red/far-red).”
The
oxalis responded very differently. It was a hot day, so the oxalis leaves were
folded up to reduce sun exposure and retain water. As the eclipse started, the
oxalis leaves opened up. After totality passed, the leaves closed again. But
the oxalis did not fold its flowers as they do at dusk. “This shows that they
have a circadian rhythm and were not fooled by the change in light from the
eclipse. They only responded to the temperature change,” Reinbott concluded.
The
drought-stressed corn did not visibly change much in response to the eclipse.
Drought-stressed soybeans unfolded during the eclipse and then folded back up
afterward, but it was unclear whether this was due to the temperature change or
the light change. These soybeans behaved the same during totality as they do at
sundown, showing they did not have a circadian rhythm.
Locally Harvested
Seeds
Many
of the seeds, especially native plant seeds, are labelled ‘locally harvested’
or ‘locally grown’. These are great seeds as these seeds are more acclimated to
our environment. Commercial seeds could have come from anywhere in the United
States. For example; plants grown in Texas have significantly different growing
conditions than plants grown in Minnesota.
So you can understand why I encourage you to save seeds from the plants
you grow. There is a caveat though. I only want seeds that are ‘easy to save’.
What does that mean?
It
doesn’t mean the seeds are easy to
remove from the fruit or seed head of the plant. It dose means seeds from the
plant are less likely to have been cross-pollinated and therefore the seeds
from the plant will likely have the same traits (color of flower, hardiness,
height, etc.) as the original plant.
Easy to save seeds are those that are either self-pollinating or do not
cross-pollinate easily. This includes; tomatoes, beans, peas, lettuce and
native plants. As long as the original plant of these types was not a hybrid
variety, the seeds from them will be great to save.
Bring
any seeds (open-pollinated) you harvested to donate to the seed library! I’d
love to get some tomatoes, lettuce, beans and peas you grew in your garden!
Also,
those of you who grew haricot vert beans for the Grow a Row project, please
donate them now.
How Does This Weird
Winter Affect My Plants?
This
is a valid concern as this winter’s weather has been very different than
normal. The University of MN Extension service has an answer. Check it out here.
Plant Sales:
Big River, Big Woods
Wild Ones Plant Sale
Native
wildflowers, ferns, sedges and grasses are available as 3-packs, 1
gallon pots, 2 gallon pots and 4 inch pots. Trees and shrubs
are available in 1 gallon, 2 gallon, and 5 gallon pots.
This
year we also have pre-designed garden packs such as butterfly, monarch,
hummingbird and bee packs that help these pollinators.
Orders
taken now until May 15 online at plant sale. The pick-up location will be in
Arden Hills, close to the Mounds View High School. The address will be included
in the confirmation email. If it doesn't show up in your inbox, be sure to
check your spam or junk folders.
Plant
Sale deadlines:
Wednesday,
May 15
- Order deadline: last day to place your order.
Saturday, June 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Day to pick up your plant orders.
Sunday, June 9, noon to 3 p.m. - Day to pick up your plant orders.
Additional
plants will be available from the vendors on June 8 & 9.
Friends School Plant
Sale – May 10, 11, 12, 2024 at the State fair grounds.
They
have over 2,100 varieties of plants (vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruit, trees,
perennials, etc.) all grown neonics free. Neonicotinoids. are systemic
insecticides that harm pollinators. See info about this here. .
Anoka County Master
Gardener sale – May 14, 15, 2024.
More
information here.
Ramsey County Master
Gardener sale – May 18, 2024
Ramsey
County Master Gardeners will host their annual plant sale May 18, from 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. at Aldrich Arena, 1850 White Bear Ave N, Maplewood, MN. This new
location provides more room for more plants with more free parking!
Find
your favorite plants and new varieties, including:
- Vegetables and
herbs,
- Large selection
of tomatoes
- More than 1,500
native perennials, pollinator-friendly plants
- Annuals and
houseplants
- Garden
accessories
Plants
are responsibly sourced from local growers or grown by Master Gardeners. The
plants are free of systemic insecticides (neonicotinoids) and grown in sterile
potting soil to prevent the spread of jumping worms.
Master
Gardeners and representatives from Ramsey County Environmental Health, the
University of Minnesota Soil Testing Lab, and Tree Care Advisors will be on
hand to answer questions.
Proceeds
from the plant sale support Master Gardener community and youth programs in
Ramsey County. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted.
More
information here.
Pam
Contact
info for the Seed Library:
Email:
wblseedlibrary@gmail.com
Blog
site: WBL Seed Library