AYGQ: LIVE – February 2026 Session Links and Resources

Fruits & Vegetables

Grape Vine Pruning

Q-Old grapevines (≈30+ years) that haven’t been pruned; prune now and/or graft?  
A-Grapes can be cut back and retrained to a couple of cordons; weak regrowth may justify replanting from cuttings. Sanitize tools between trees

• Cleaning and Disinfecting Pruning Tools for Orchard Crops – missouri.edu
• Growing Grapes in Wisconsin – wisc.edu
• Pruning Grapevines Video – youtube.com

Pears

Q-Old pears (≈30+ years) that haven’t been pruned; prune now and/or graft? 
A-Prune fruit trees during dormancy and before green tip; spread corrective pruning over 3–4 years if long neglected. Remove suckers, watersprouts, crossing branches, and dead/diseased wood (cut 12–18 inches below visible symptoms).  Top-working/grafting is possible with correct cambial alignment and technique.  Sanitize tools between trees. 

• Cleaning and Disinfecting Pruning Tools for Orchard Crops – missouri.edu
• Growing Pears in Wisconsin – wisc.edu 
• Pruning Pear Trees – msu.edu 
• Grafting Fruit Trees – wisc.edu

Raised Vegetable Bed

Q- How to design a new raised vegetable bed? 
A-Keep bed width at ~4 ft maximum so you can reach plants without stepping in; minimum height ~10 inches for moisture stability and root space. 

• Raised Beds and Containers for Community Gardens – wisc.edu
• How to Construct a Raised Bed in the Garden – psu.edu
• Quick and Easy Raised Bed Design for Urban Growers – psu.edu

Raspberries

Q-Raspberries are producing poorly after winter—what’s the cause? 
A-Production depends on whether plants are Summer-bearing → fruit on second-year canes; Fall-bearing → fruit on first-year canes.  Correct pruning helps restore vigor.  Old raspberry patches (15–20+ years) naturally decline—consider replanting to a new site.  Winter injury and late spring freezes likely reduced cane survival and fruit buds in parts of the state.  Check for Phytophthora root rot if canes declined (dark, rotted roots).  Trellis summer‑bearing raspberries for airflow/support; watch for cane/crown borers.

• Growing Raspberries in Wisconsin – wisc.edu
• Growing Raspberries in the Home Garden-Pruning – umn.edu
• Root Rots in the Garden – wisc.edu
• Winter Injury in Fruit – wisc.edu
• Raspberry crown borer – usu.edu
• Raspberry cane borer – umn.edu

Strawberries

Q-How to grow day-neutral strawberries in containers? 
A-Treat day‑neutrals essentially as annuals in containers; use larger pots, maintain consistent moisture, and expect production from mid‑ to late summer; replant annually for yield.

• Growing Strawberries in Wisconsin – wisc.edu 
• Day-Neutral Strawberries – wisc.edu
• Small Fruit Crops for your Garden – wisc.edu

General Gardening

Echinacea (Coneflower)

Q-Can seeds be saved from PowWow Wild Berry Echinacea and produce the same plant? 
A-You can collect/germinate seed (often with cold stratification), but cultivar traits rarely come true from seed; divide/vegetatively propagate to maintain characteristics.

• Echinacea purpurea PowWow® Wild Berry ‘PAS702917’ – ncsu.edu
• Seed Saving – seedsavers.org

Hollyhocks

Q-Are Hollyhocks biennial or perennial? 
A-Hollyhocks behave as biennials/short‑lived perennials; self‑seeding can make them appear perennial. Hollyhock rust is common; ensure full sun, good airflow, and fall sanitation to reduce inoculum; build soil organic matter for vigor. 

• How to grow and care for hollyhocks – illinois.edu
• Hollyhock Rust – wisc.edu

Mulch

Q-When to mulch? What to mulch? Mulching materials? What about wood mulch-specifically twice cut cedar? 
A-Excess mulch (e.g., >6 inches) may cause water infiltration issues; reduced oxygen exchange; matting that repels rainfall. 

Vegetable beds: You may incorporate organic mulch but monitor nitrogen levels as decomposition temporarily ties up nitrogen.   

Landscape beds (not vegetable): Apply about 3–4 inches of shredded hardwood to suppress weeds and conserve moisture; shredded textures interlock and resist displacement.  Cedar mulch is fine (often pricier); it weathers slowly and can hold color longer. Wait to mulch until soils warm in spring—mulch’s primary summer role is to keep roots cool/moist and block light to annual weeds. 

Colored mulch: dye is less of an issue than source and texture. Recycled chip products can be chunky (less effective for moisture), may contain debris; generally, avoid around edibles. Black mulch absorbs heat, which can warm soils more than desired in summer. 

Best mulches for perennial gardens: Leaf mulch, Compost.  Avoid heavy use of wood chips directly around herbaceous perennials. 

Mulch for Raised Vegetable Beds

Q-Is wool mulch a good choice? 
A-Wool mulch shows promise for moisture retention and nutrients but can be pricey; limited firsthand data has been reported. Use organic mulches that break down within a season (clean straw, compost, leaf mold); avoid chunky wood chips mixed into vegetable soil. Rice hulls performed well for moisture conservation (can cost more). Newspaper/cardboard can provide short‑term suppression; verify print is soy‑based inks.

• Mulch for home and garden plantings – wisc.edu
• Mulching trees and shrubs – wisc.edu
• Wood Mulch and Tree Health – wisc.edu
• Making and Using Compost in the Garden – wisc.edu
• Leave the Leaves? – wisc.edu
• Verticillium Wilt – wisc.edu

Green Mulch in Landscape Beds

Q-Can sedges be used as green mulch in landscape beds? 
A-The panel members have limited direct experience with sedges as living mulch; concept aligns with perennial groundcovers in ornamentals. In vegetable systems, cover crops are used for smothering and organic‑matter building. 

• Using Cover Crops and Green Manures in the Home Vegetable Garden – wisc.edu
• Permaculture Principles – ncsu.edu

Rain Lilies (zephyranthes)

Q-What is the timing for planting outdoors? 
A-Treat as tender bulbs: keep indoors until frost risk has passed; they leaf out late and bloom in late summer. Harden off outdoors (bright shade to full sun) and fertilize lightly once growing. 

• Pink Rain Lily, Zephyranthes grandiflora – wisc.edu

Seed Starting: Perennials (Zone 3)

Q-How soon can perennial seeds be started (Zone 3)? What are deer resistant choices? 

A-Many perennials/natives need cold stratification: try winter sowing outdoors or chill seeds ~8 weeks at 35–45°F before starting indoors. No plant is deer‑proof; junipers/ornamental grasses are often less preferred; arborvitae is frequently browsed by deer. Fence for reliable protection.

• Seed Starting – wisc.edu
• Damping-Off: Tips on Seed Starting to Avoid Disease – wisc.edu
• Soil Temperature guide – wisc.edu

Seed Starting: Winter Sowing

Winter sowing works well, especially for native perennials that require cold stratification. Process: Use a milk jug or similar container; fill bottom with potting mix; Sprinkle seeds; add a light soil layer. Place outdoors in February.  Freeze–thaw cycles break dormancy; seeds sprout when conditions are right.

• Winter Sowing – missouri.edu

Soil Testing

Q-How to test the soil in deep raised beds; How to collect a representative sample?  
A-Take a composite sample: collect multiple subsamples from across the bed, mix well, and submit ~1 cup; remove surface debris first.  Raised beds are often uniform, so one composite sample is typically adequate. For yards, sample front/back separately if conditions differ. Request pH, phosphorus, potassium, organic matter (add lead, etc., as needed); sample when soils are thawed.

• Soil Testing for Successful Gardens – wisc.edu
• Sampling lawn and garden soils for analysis – wisc.edu

Spring clean-up and pruning (Fruit trees, spring-flowering shrubs, oak and elm trees)

Q-When can clean-up start? 
A-Prune apples/pears during dormancy before bud break; prioritize dead/diseased wood, then watersprouts/suckers, then crossing/crowded growth; sanitize tools to limit fire blight. 

• Training and Pruning Apple Trees – wisc.edu

Spring‑flowering shrubs (lilac, forsythia, viburnum): prune just after bloom; they set buds the prior fall. Avoid working wet/cold soils (compaction) and avoid pruning near/below freezing temps. 

• Pruning Deciduous Shrubs – wisc.edu

Oaks/elms: complete pruning before early April; avoid growing season cuts due to oak wilt/Dutch elm disease. (Josie Dillon, Vijai Pandian, Tim Ripp) 

• Oak Trees 101 – wisc.edu
• Pruning Deciduous Trees – wisc.edu
• Oak Wilt – wisc.edu
• Dutch Elm Disease – wisc.edu

Watering

Q-Is chlorinated city water safe for soil health? 
A-Outdoors: chlorinated municipal water is not a concern for soil microbes where rainfall dilutes salts. Containers/houseplants: problems arise with poor drainage (salt build‑up) and chlorine‑sensitive species (leaf‑tip burn). Use liners/double‑potting to fully flush media when watering.

• Houseplant Care – wisc.edu
• Impact of Watering Lawns and Gardens with Chlorinated Water – colostate.edu
• Terraced planting beds – umaine.edu

Houseplants

There were no questions on houseplants this month.

Insects

There were no questions on insects this month.

Lawns

There were no questions on lawns this month.

Plant Diseases

There were no questions on plant diseases this month.

Trees & Shrubs

Junipers

Q-Are Junipers resistant to animal browsing (rabbits and deer)? 
A-Junipers are generally less browsed by deer/rabbits (texture/taste), while arborvitae is commonly eaten. High pressure for food can force browsing on ‘resistant’ plants; fencing remains most reliable.

• Evergreen Shrubs in the Landscape – wisc.edu
• Plants Not Favored by Deer – wisc.edu

Lilacs

Q-Renewal pruning for lilacs-Is it OK to do heavy pruning after spring bloom or is winter better?  
A-It’s better to do renewal pruning after late spring bloom. Follow 1/3rd principles in pruning old canes. 

• Pruning Deciduous Shrubs – wisc.edu
• Fundamentals of Shrub Pruning (webinar) – youtube.com
• Pruning Lilacs – umn.edu

Tree trunk wildlife damage

Q-Rabbits/voles gnawing on tree trunks; can the tree be saved? 
A-More than 50% girdling often leads to decline despite leaf‑out; less than 50% may survive—give it time, perhaps mid-summer, and avoid wound paints. Bridge grafting is sometimes used on certain fruit trees, less practical on ornamentals. Prevent future damage with metal hardware cloth guards (bury ~6 inches; 3 ft tall). 

• Winter Damage Concerns for Trees – wisc.edu
• Rabbit Ecology and Damage Management – wisc.edu
• Voles – wisc.edu

Oak tree pruning

Prune oaks during dormancy and no later than April 15.  Never prune in June or July—risk of oak wilt is highest.  If storm damage occurs during highrisk months, make a clean corrective cut.  Immediately apply wound dressing to prevent sap beetles from transmitting oak wilt.  For significant tree damage, contact a certified arborist.

• Oak Wilt – wisc.edu
• Pruning Deciduous Trees – wisc.edu
• Find a Certified Arborist – isa-arbor.com

Weeds & Invasive Species

There were no questions on weeds or invasive species this month.

Wildlife

Cats

Q-How to keep cats out of flower beds? 
A-Repellent sprays can help temporarily (reapply after rain). Physical exclusion (fencing/cages) is the most reliable approach.  Some anecdotal success with citrus peels; remove waste promptly to reduce repeat visits.

• Protecting your garden from cats – oregonstate.edu

Rabbits and Squirrels

Q-How to deter rabbits and squirrels from raised vegetable beds?  
A–Rabbits: surround beds with ~3 ft fencing; use sturdy hardware cloth, bury ~6 inches to deter tunneling (also helps against voles).  Squirrels: complete exclusion is difficult; physical barriers are most reliable. Heavier mulches can reduce digging. 

• Rabbit Ecology and Damage Management – wisc.edu
• Chipmunk & Ground Squirrel Ecology and Damage Management – wisc.edu

Deer Control

Q-What strategies actually work? 
A-Only foolproof solution: fencing (physical barriers). Repellents work inconsistently and wash off easily.  Motion-activated sprinklers sometimes help.  Native shrubs often tolerate browsing better.  PlantSkydd is an effective repellent but should be used only on nonedible plants. 

• Controlling Deer Damage in Wisconsin – wisc.edu
• Plants not Favored by Deer – wisc.edu
• UW Wildlife Ecology factsheets – wisc.edu