After our long Minnesota winter, many of us are itching to get outside and work on our gardens, or put some new plants in the ground. Set yourself up for success this gardening season with this episode of Smarty Plants, featuring tips and tricks from MDA staff Michelle Grabowski, Plant Disease Specialist and Allen Sommerfeld UMN Extension Master Gardener and MDA Communications Director. 

Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.

As one of the most aggressive and invasive plants threatening Minnesota, buckthorn is a major problem in urban and rural forest alike. Managing a buckthorn infestation can make many go from pulling plants to pulling out their own hair, as the plant appears never stops growing and popping up in new places. However, Mike Schuster and Lee Frelich, buckthorn experts, join this episode of the podcast to make the seemingly impossible, possible. Listen in to learn tips and tricks for successfully managing buckthorn, get details on the Cover It Up! Project, and find out where to start to manage buckthorn on your property. 

Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.

Having a perfectly manicured lawn in your front yard is often a goal for many homeowners. But all that freshly mowed grass doesn't make a great habitat for Minnesota’s pollinators. Dan Shaw and Erin Loeffler join us from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources to discuss pollinators and the Lawns to Legumes program. This program is helping the public rebuild pollinator habitats in Minnesota. Listen in to find out how you can Bee the Change.

Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.

Sitting down with a big bowl of salad or admiring the beauty of our plants, it isn't always in the forefront of our minds where those things came from, a tiny little seed. Lucky for us it is a priority for MDA staff members that work in our seed unit. 

Michael Merriman and Shane Blair from the MDA seed team join us today to describe the in-depth work that goes into seed sale in Minnesota and everything that is done to keep customers safe. Michael also recalls a seed conundrum of 2020 when thousands of people were receiving unsolicited mystery seed in the mail. 

Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.

The environment around us is changing. Invasive plants and pests affect native species, the climate is different, and major weather events are happening more frequently. Watching these rapid changes can seem create feelings of worry. 

On this episode of Smarty Plants, Host Jennifer Burington joins Angie Gupta from the University of Minnesota Extension office to put a name to those feelings: eco-anxiety, and walks us through important ways to cope.

Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.

Listen in to hear all the benefits for purchasing a real locally grown holiday tree. John Krueger, a Minnesota Christmas tree grower, and Rachel Wandrei of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Minnesota Grown program give tips and tricks to shopping local and caring for your holiday tree.

Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.

Spiders tend to elicit fear from people. Their eight legs, extra eyes, fast moves, and love for dark, hidden places can be startling. However, the wonderful world of spiders isn't as scary as it seems. Angie Ambourn with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Chad Hiens from Bethany Lutheran College join host Jennifer Burrington to discuss spiders in Minnesota and help calm our fears a bit on this episode of Smarty Plants. 

Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.

Shopping online is now easier then ever, making our favorite products often accessible and delivered to our homes with just a click or two. On this episode of Smarty Plants, Amy Morey from the University of Minnesota joins host Jennifer Burington to discuss her research into purchasing invasive plants online and what she could get delivered. Rachel Wandrei from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture joins to talk about our Minnesota Grown marketing program and easy ways to buy local. 

Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.

Emerald ash borer (EAB) has become widespread in Minnesota and is a major threat to our state's ash trees. Efforts to limit EAB populations using biocontrol in Minnesota are underway. Learn about these efforts with Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s EAB experts, Jonathan Osthus and Chris Mallet, on this episode of Smarty Plants. 

Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.

Not only do noxious and invasive weeds damage our natural resources, but they also can be harmful to people. Emilie Justen from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Roger Becker from the University of Minnesota join us to cover which weeds to watch out for and problems that can occur when we have contact with them, as we kick off the second season of Smarty Plants.

Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.