We'll remind you of the stories that appear on this page and offer gardening tips throughout the season. We send to your email once a month — and maybe twice when the season is in full swing!
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Take care of plants, take care of yourself
During hot temperatures like those we’ve endured this week, we are all about the safety of our plants: shade, water, protection. But gardeners need to care for themselves as well.
- Wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Shopping for sunscreen: What you need to know
- Garden before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m. to avoid the most intense sun.
- Stretch your muscles before heading outside to the garden where you will bend, crouch, step, reach and lift.
- Hydrate by drinking plain water.The importance of hydration
- Wear a hat that shades your scalp, ears, neck and face.
- Use insect repellent to reduce bites from mosquitoes and ticks. Mosquito Diseases, Tickborne Diseases

Herbicide from neighboring yards may drift onto your garden plants, making leaves grow in strange shapes, curl inward, and grow smaller than normal.

The team chooses two pumpkins that will be grown for the MN State Fair.
The heat is on and gardening season is in full swing.

Beyond the satisfaction of capturing hundreds of beetles in a trap, does your yard or garden actually benefit? The answer is, most likely, no.

Gardeners who want to use their garden spaces as efficiently as possible can grow plants we can eat that provide color, flavor, and fragrance, and also support pollinators.

Whether for survival or fun, foraging can be a great way to supplement your diet with plants that are not only delicious but can also be healthy.

Extension's horticulture team is growing giant pumpkins at the Arboretum! Track our pumpkins' progress throughout the season in Yard and Garden News.
Now is the time to trellis and prune your tomatoes. We'll show you three different ways to support your plants.

Marissa Schuh brings an appreciation for insects to her University of Minnesota Extension work with gardeners and farmers.

If you have patches of dead grass in your lawn from last year’s drought, early June is a great time to focus on getting your lawn thicker and healthier.
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Permission is granted to news media to republish our news articles with credit to University of Minnesota Extension. Images also may be republished; please check for specific photographer credits or limited use restrictions in the photo title.