Senior Connections Senior Connections May 2019

Volunteers cleaning highways beneﬁ t MnDot Volunteers helping with the Adopt a Highway program picked up nearly 36,000 bags of litter and cleaned up almost 9,000 miles of state roadways in 2018, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). More than 3,500 volunteer groups, ranging from four to 25 people, spent an estimated 282,000 hours cleaning roadway ditches across Minnesota last year, which translated into an estimated $7 million beneﬁ t for the state. “When our volunteers are picking up litter along the roadways, it shows that Minnesotans care about their state, and it is a win-win for all involved,” ex- plained Ann McLellan, statewide Adopt a Highway manager. The program has been part of MnDOT’s mainte- nance operations since 1990. More than 4,400 seg- ments of state roadways are currently adopted in Min- nesota by volunteers representing schools, businesses, faith-based groups, families, and individuals. “We still have at least 700 segments available for adoption, most of them in Greater Minnesota. In the Twin Cities area, there are 28 segments available,” said McLellan. Roads with segments available for adoption in cen- tral Minnesota include: • Highway 4 between Greenwald and Lake Henry; • Highway 47 between Cambridge/east of Princ- eton; • Highway 107 between Mora and Grasston; • Highway 55 near South Haven. Individuals and groups who want to volunteer should go to www.mndot.gov/adopt/ to ﬁ nd their lo- cal area program coordinator. MnDOT provides safety training, trash bags, and safety vests, and picks up the ﬁ lled bags that volun- teers leave at the side of the road. MnDOT also posts signs along the adopted seg- ments of roads with the names of the volunteer groups. Volunteers are asked to commit to the program for at least two years, and pick up litter on both sides of the roadway at least twice a year. The average length of an adopted roadway is two miles. Growing plants that vine CHRISTE SCHLUETER Vining plants can be fun to grow, they will take a lot of space but the results are very tasty. The University of Minnesota offers you valuable tips when growing these plants. Cucumbers, muskmelons, watermelons, pump- kins, and squash are among the most popular vine crops in the garden. Many of the vine crops, or cucurbits, are eaten as vegetables, but they are bo- tanically fruits. They thrive best in hot weather, and all have similar cultural requirements. Vine crops lie on the ground and take up a lot of space. In small gardens they may be trained to a trellis, or bush-type varieties may be used. Preparing the Soil and Fertilizing Muskmelons and watermelons prefer a sandy loam soil that warms up early in the spring. Other vine crops do well in heavier soils, although more fruit belly rot may occur. The soil should be well drained and moisture retentive. Have your soil tested before adding fertilizer. Without a test, it is impossible to know how much or which type of fertilizer to apply. Excessive amounts of nutri- ents, especially phosphorus, can pollute our lakes, streams, and rivers. Continuous use of high phosphorus fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 15-30-15 results in phosphorus buildup in the soil. If your soil tests high in phos- phorus, use a low phosphorus (such as 32-3-10, 27- 3-3, or 25-3-12) or no phosphorus (such as 30-0-10 or 24-0-15) fertilizer at the rate of 1⁄2 pound (1 cup) per 100 square feet. You can also improve both heavy clay soils and lighter sandy soils by adding organic matter. Addition of manure or compost is beneﬁ cial for vine crops and improves soil struc- ture. Plow or till well-rotted manure and fertilizer, into the soil before planting. In midseason you should apply a side dressing of nitrogen fertilizer such as 1⁄2 cup 46-0-0 or 1 cup 27-3-3 for each 25 feet of row. If you use manure or compost, additional fertilizer applications may be reduced or eliminated, depending on how much organic matter you apply. Do not use “Weed and Feed” type fertilizers on vegetables. They contain weed killers that will kill vegetable plants. The optimum pH range for vine crops is between 6 and 6.5. Liming will raise the pH of acid soils. Use a soil test to determine if any special fertiliza- tion or liming is required. Refer to publication BU- 1731 for more speciﬁ c information. Vine crops can be seeded directly in the garden. Plant cucumbers around May 10. Space them at least 12 inches apart. Plant the other vine crops around May 20. Space muskmelon and water- melon plants 24 inches apart. Space pumpkin and squash 24-36 inches apart; use the closer spacing if the variety is a “bush” type. Spacing between rows should be 5-6 feet apart. If you wish you may start the vine crops indoors in peat pots and transplant them to the garden on the above dates. Use a separate container (or cell in a seedling tray) for each seed to prevent damage to the roots when transplanting. Do not start the seeds too early. Tall, overgrown plants will not do well after they are transplanted. Many seed companies More PLANTS on Pg 9 Do you know a senior that should be in the spotlight? Please send your information to us by calling 320.485.2535 or by emailing [email protected]. 8 Senior Connections May 2019 Senior Connections HJ.COM

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