1. Is there a difference between lima beans and butter beans? Published: May 15, 2008
2. What kind of sweet onion grows well in Minnesota (Zone 4a), and what are the soil and cultivation requirements? Where can I purchase sets? Can we grow Vidalia onions here? Published: May 15, 2008
3. We have lived in our house for three years. The previous homeowner had a fenced-in area for a large dog, which we've cleaned up and hope to use as a vegetable garden. Is it safe to grow food in an area that was previously home to a large dog? Published: May 15, 2008
4. I have cutworms. Every day I lose plants - beans, squash, cukes, and tomatoes. Is there anything I can do? We live where the soil is sandy, and I tilled a lot of leaves into my garden. Is that a problem? Published: May 15, 2008
5. Ants are taking over my garden and killing some of my plants. Is there a way I can kill them without putting chemicals on my vegetables that could harm my family? Published: May 15, 2008
6. We have had a lot of rain this spring, and some of our small kohlrabi are deformed and have yellow or tan scabs on one side. Also, some leaves are yellowing. What is causing this? Published: May 15, 2008
7. For the past couple of years my beans have not been growing properly. The bean plant is stringy, and it just keeps getting stringier all over my other plants and won't grow any beans. Published: May 15, 2008
8. What causes ears of corn not to fill out completely? Published: May 15, 2008
9. When does rhubarb die back for the year? Published: May 15, 2008
10. Can you harvest more than one head of cauliflower from a cauliflower plant? Published: May 15, 2008
11. I live in Colorado, and my tomato plants are getting very tall. They are putting out a lot of green tomatoes but seem to be slow to ripen. What should I do? Published: May 15, 2008
12. How do I get rid of horseradish? It is coming up in my flower garden and is completely unwanted. Published: May 15, 2008
13. We had powdery mildew on both our acorn squash and cucumber plants this season. Does powdery mildew overwinter, and do we need to treat the soil for next year's garden? Published: May 15, 2008
14. I am planning to start a vegetable garden for the first time this year. We need to pull up sod/grass to do it. Can we just till it under with a garden tiller, or do we need to pull up the sod before we till and start planting. Published: May 15, 2008
15. I built a large raised bed garden and had good results the first year. The second year, I found that my pecan trees had invaded the bed with spiderweb-like roots. Can I remove these without killing my trees, and will the soil support a vegetable crop when it is so full of tree roots? The bed can't be moved. Published: April 22, 2008
16. I am planning my veggie garden and have read about intercropping. I want to plant corn with squash, lettuce with tomatoes, and beans with potatoes. I want cauliflower but need a match. Will this work? Published: April 22, 2008
17. How do I determine when my spaghetti squash are ready to be picked, and will they continue to ripen once picked? Published: April 22, 2008
18. Last year's carrots are still growing but look very "rooty." Are they good to eat? Published: April 22, 2008
19. Why are my home garden cantaloupes not very sweet? Published: April 09, 2008
20. Why should I rotate my crops from one year to the next? Published: April 09, 2008
21. In intensive gardening, what is succession planting? Published: April 09, 2008
22. Eggs or insect excrement? There's a substance similar to coffee grounds on my lettuce. What is it and what should I do? Published: April 03, 2008
23. My asparagus is coming up, and because of freezing temperatures, the stalks were frozen. Do I need to trim those spears or just let them die and rot away? Published: April 03, 2008
24. What ground temperature is best for planting tomatoes, beans, and marigolds? Published: April 03, 2008
25. I want to plant my tomato plants as early as possible. When is the expected last frost date in Minnesota? Published: April 03, 2008
26. Why do sweet potato roots show black staining on the skin surface? Published: April 01, 2008
27. I plan to construct raised beds around some unused clothesline poles in hopes that the beans will climb the poles and along the wires in between. Do you think this is a practical idea? Published: April 01, 2008
28. Our acorn squash and pumpkin vines have gotten out of hand in our small garden. If we cut off some of the vines, will it harm the plants? Will they still produce fruit? Published: March 19, 2008
29. My tomatoes are huge and have much vegetation, lots of blossoms, and immature fruit. Is there something I can do to stop the growth and hasten maturing? This is also true of my melons and squash. Published: March 07, 2008
30. I planted Brandywine tomatoes, and the plants are strong and enormous. They have produced many flowers but no fruit. Any suggestions? Published: March 07, 2008

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