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Angel Garden at the Owatonna Art Center
The Memorial Garden at the Owatonna Senior Center
The Perrenial Garden at the Steele County U pof M Extension Office
Steele County Master Gardeners spend many hours at The Village of Yesteryear planting and tending the "Kitchen Garden" and Pioneer Gardeners featuring heirloom plants and perrenials. Each fall Steele County Master Gardeners "harvest" seed from these heirloom plants, many of which were carried by early pioneers as they came west to homestead this rich agricultual land.
]]>Why should you have your soil tested? Soil testing: takes the guesswork out of fertilizer recommendations;
makes good economic sense; and ensures fertile soil without excess fertilizer application or pollution of the environment. Our fertilizer recommendations are: based on laboratory results, soil characteristics, past crop history, and crop nutrient requirements; and specific to Minnesota locations and conditions.
Soil Testing Lab, Rm. 135 Crops Research Bldg., 1902 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108-6089
Email: soiltest@umn.edu, Phone: 612 625-3101, FAX: 612 624-3420
The Soil Testing Laboratory is part of
the Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Compost serves as a growing medium,or a porous, absorbent material that holds moisture and soluble minerals, providing the support and nutrients in which most plants will flourish. To maximize plant growth, it is sometimes necessary to dilute compost with soil or peat to reduce salinity or to add neutralisers to bring the pH closer to 7, or additional nutrients like fertilisers or manure, wetting agents, and materials to improve drainage and aeration, such as sand, grit, bark chips, vermiculite, perlite, or clay granules.
I am giving you a live link to our publication on making compost. It is important to remember that you NEVER add meat, milk products, grease, whole eggs or feces to a compost pile. Vegetable scraps and egg shells are perfectly acceptable.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG3899.html
]]>Master Gardener Helpline
507-444-7685
Leave message 24/7. A Steele County Master Gardener will return your call.
Call this number and listen to pre-recorded messages on common yard care and gardening questions, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Info-U also contains messages on food preservation, food nutrition, parenting and family issues, home maintenance, and small acreage agriculture. For a catalog of the 400+ titles, call the Info-U number, 612-624-2200, and enter topic number 100.
You can also get Info-U information at:
www.extension.umn.edu/info-u
Publications on the Internet
Many University of Minnesota Extension gardening publications are available for free on our website at: www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo.
Master Gardeners are University of Minnesota-trained volunteers who educate the public about a variety of horticulture subjects using readily-available, up-to-date research-based information. This educational effort is designed to enhance the public's quality of life and to promote good stewardship of the environment.
For more information or to request an application to become a Master Gardener, please contact:
University of Minnesota Extension Steele County Office 635 Florence Ave, Owatonna 507-444-7685
For gardening questions, please visit the "Have a Question?" page.
]]> Steele County Master GardenersIf combining your passion for people and plants sounds appealing, you may be a good Master Gardener candidate. A formal education in horticulture isn’t necessary—we will provide the training and resources to help you teach others. There are five steps to becoming a Master Gardener – each step is described in more detail below.
]]> ApplicationTo become a University of Minnesota Master Gardener in your county, you must first apply and be accepted into the program. The application process starts early – we begin sending out applications in August.
Commitment
You agree to volunteer service in exchange for training from the University of Minnesota. You also agree to participate in Master Gardener meetings in your County, where you receive continuing education and learn about new projects and other volunteer opportunities.
Training
Training is held once each year in the metropolitan area in January and February. Master Gardeners attend a 48-hour class at the University of Minnesota known as the "Core Course" or Horticulture 1003 if taken for U of M credit. The course is taught by Extension faculty, and a textbook and mini-reference library are provided to each participant. For more information about the Core Course training, including times, locations, fees, and specific course content, visit the Minnesota Master Gardener page.
Internship
Following completion of Core Course Training, Master Gardener interns are required to do 50 hours of volunteer work and 8 hours of continuing education during their internship year (which ends December 31). We make an effort to ensure that our new interns are placed with other, more seasoned volunteers and we assign a mentor to each new intern. So whether you volunteer at an “Ask a Master Gardener� event, the Diagnostic Clinic or another event, you’ll be with knowledgeable, helpful people who will make sure you’re not on your own. You’ll have fun—and you will learn a lot!
Certification
You’ll receive a certificate and name badge designating you as a Master Gardener once you have completed the Core Course and fulfilled your internship requirements.
Remaining Certified
Once certified, Master Gardeners must volunteer a minimum of 25 hours and receive at least 12 hours of approved continuing education each year in order to maintain their certification.
Advanced Training
After you are certified, you are eligible to attend other training programs and workshops. These courses offer more technical information. Advanced training opportunities include: