MUNISING -- In the U.P., there are some adverse conditions working against all gardeners.

The Hoop House in Munising is powered almost exclusively by solar energy.  Plants are grown in a moderated climate, nine months out of the year.  That's what sets it apart from other outdoor gardens in the Upper Peninsula.

Grace Prisk wrote on our Facebook page that people "start planting too early."  And she's right.

The two biggest problems U.P. gardeners deal with are the cold climate and poor natural soils.

"The Upper Peninsula's soils are not very fertile, they're not very rich; some are better than others for sure, but by and large we have a lot of low fertility soils," says Jim Isleib, a crop production educator for the MSU Extension Service.

So since we can't change the cool temperatures and the overnight freezes, the single most important thing any gardener can do is improve their soil.  This can be done by applying lime to naturally acidic soils or adding fertilizers to correct plant nutrient deficiencies.

Mary Cruickshank-Peed asked us... "If there's a place to get soil tested that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, so you know what to put in your soil."

The M.S.U. Extension Service does offer laboratory soil testing.

"Our gardens, especially in these low fertility, low organic matter soils, they need adequate fertilizer, and they really can benefit from a constant supply through the season," Isleib adds.

Other tips?  Don't let weeds in the garden go to seed, and make sure you're watering your plants enough, especially during the dry season.

As far as the best vegetables to grow here in the U.P., the easiest include green/yellow beans, peas, radishes, green onions, spinach, kale, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, Swiss chard, and other summer squash.  Others that take a little more work include potatoes, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, kohlrahbi, sweet corn, storage onions, garlic, turnips, rutabagas, or rhubarb.

And if you're really looking for a challenge, you can try your thumb at tomatoes, celery, peppers, eggplant, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, asparagus, pumpkins or winter squash.

There's also a variety of fruits, flowers, and shrubs that can be grown here.

FRUITS:
- strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, apples, pears, plums

FLOWERS:
- dahlia, gladiolus, roses

SHRUBS:
- rhododendrons, magnolias, azaleas, false indigo, primroses, hostas, myrtle

Some of the biggest misconceptions about gardening here?

* It's not possible to grow a high-producing vegetable garden or beautiful ornamentals here. (There are many highly productive gardens in our area.)

* It's possible to grow anything here. (Many plants simply won't thrive in our environment.)

* Organic gardening is simpler. (It requires much more work and attention to detail.)

* You can fix infertile soils by adding nutrients only once. (It takes years to build up our local soils to reach maximum productivity.)

* You can cut corners. (Our challenging gardening environment means you need to stay on top of everything to give your plants their best chance to succeed.)

* Fruit trees (mostly apples) will do fine if left to their own devices. (If you want better quality fruit, then you must prune, fertilize, water, and spray your fruit trees for insect and disease control.)