Download Community Horticulture - Oregon State University Extension Service

4 • OSU Extension Newsletter • March/April 2015
)NTHE/35%XTENSION#OMMUNITY(ORTICULTURE
program, you will learn how to grow and care
for plants using sustainable and researchbased techniques, produce your own food and
MEETOTHERGARDENERS)FYOULIKETOTEACH
become a Master Gardener™ volunteer. Bring
your gardening questions to our office or to a
local Master Gardener Clinic.
Community
Horticulture
The deadline for the Marie Madison Scholarship application
is the second Monday of April. This is a $1000 scholarship for
plant science and horticulture majors at LBCC and OSU. The
scholarship is offered by the Benton County Master Gardeners
to further our mission of education in the science and art of
growing plants. To find out more go to: http://extension.
oregonstate.edu/benton/marie-madison-horticulture-scholarship
Give Peas a Chance!
PHOTO CREDIT PETER AND LYNDA TONER
PHOTO CREDIT JESSIE HIRSCH
Get a jump start on your vegetable garden by planting peas
this spring. Peas are easy to grow in the Willamette Valley
and thrive in our cool spring conditions. There are two main
types of peas that gardeners can grow: edible pod peas and
shelling peas. Edible pod
types of peas include snow
peas and sugar snap peas.
Snow peas have flat pods
with very small peas inside
while sugar snap peas
have juicy edible pods and
larger peas formed inside.
Shelling peas are best used
for cooking-just use the pea
as the pod may not have the
best flavor or texture for
Young pea shoots are
eating.
edible.
Peas can be planted
directly in prepared
soil, in raised beds or in
containers (make sure
there are adequate drainage
holes). Peas grow best in
well-drained, fertile soil
that has adequate levels
of organic material. Peas
are considered cool season
crops and grow best in
Some peas need a trellis to
spring. Seeds can be
support vines.
planted as soon as the soil
temperatures reach 50F (use
Pea varieties to try in
a soil thermometer available
your garden
at garden centers for the
best accuracy). Check
• Shelling peas: Novella
II, Oregon Trail, Oregon
the seed package to see if
Pioneer, Green Arrow,
soaking the seed in water
Maxigolt
overnight is recommended
• Snow peas: Oregon Sugar
to help increase germination
Pod II, Oregon Giant
success. Typically it is
• Sugar snap peas (bush
recommended to plant pea
variety-no trellising
seeds 2 inches apart and
required): Sugar Daddy,
about 1 inch deep. Leave
Super Snappy, Cascadia,
two feet or more between
Sugar Sprint, Sugar Ann
rows of peas to allow for
• Sugar snap pea: Sugar
good air circulation. Young
Snap
pea shoots are edible, so
plant some extra seeds to
have greens to tuck into a sandwich or toss on a salad. Some
pea varieties grow in a bush form, but others are vining and
will need a support structure. Grow along a fence or use a
short trellis (3 feet is usually adequate). As your pea pods
begin to develop, do a taste test and harvest as soon as they are
ready. Pods left on the plant will become tough and inedible if
left on the vine too long.
Problems growing peas? Generally, peas are an easy to
care for crop, but there are some common problems you
may encounter. Occasionally pea seeds won’t germinate.
This could be because the soil temperatures were too cold
or the moisture level was too high and the seed rotted. Wait
a few weeks for the soil to dry out and warm up and then
replant. Slugs are attracted to newly germinated peas, use bait
registered for use on vegetables and always read the label for
proper application.
Plant a Pollinator Friendly
Garden This Spring
Let basil flowers attract
bees and other pollinators.
Native bees and other
pollinators (like birds, bats,
butterflies, moths, flies and
beetles) are essential to help seeds
and fruits develop in natural areas
and home gardens. Gardeners can
protect and encourage pollinators
by creating a pollinator friendly
landscape. This can be as simple
as designating an area as a
pollinator patch or incorporating
pollinator friendly plants into your
existing landscape. Some keys
to the best success are to 1) offer
diverse types of plants, 2) have
flowers present over the entire
growing season and 3) try to plant
in groupings of multiple plants
(larger clumps of plants are most
attractive to pollinators).
Butterflies and moths are best
encouraged by providing the
required host plants and flowering
plants used as nectar sources. The
foliage of the host plants are eaten
by caterpillars and the flowering
plants are used as a food source
for the adult butterfly or moth.
Sometimes the host and nectar
plants are the same plant species,
but not always. A great resource
is the OSU Extension publication,
Create a Butterfly Garden
(EC1549). This publication
lists the host plants and nectar
plants for over twenty species of
butterflies common in the Pacific
Northwest!
Encourage native pollinators
in your garden by also providing
the other components of a healthy
PHOTO CREDIT KEN SLADE
Attention Horticulture and
Plant Science Majors
Pami Opfer
PHOTO CREDIT SUE REYNODS
Brooke Edmunds
PHOTO CREDIT ANDY CIORDIA
Master Gardeners
Sunflowers attract many
bee species.
Pollinator friendly
flowering plants
that do well in the
Willamette Valley
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Asters
Alyssum
Baby blue eyes
Basil
Cilantro
Cosmos
Crimson clover
Fuchsia
Impatiens
Single-petal marigolds
Nasturtiums
Stonecrop sedum
Sunflowers
habitat: water, shelter and space
to reproduce. Many species of
butterflies use puddles during the
dry summer months to drink and
obtain nutrients. Mix equal parts
of sand, manure, and soil in a
shallow dish. Place the dish on the
ground near flowering plants, add
water until saturated and place a
few rocks in the dish to serve as
perches for the butterflies. In early
spring, mason bees need moist
clay mud to use when building the
walls of their nests. Leave an area
of your yard bare or provide a tray
or pile of clay mud. Place near
your bee house and keep the mud
moist. Provide shelter and space
for all pollinators to reproduce
Crimson Clover attracts
many different pollinators.
by designing your garden with
layers of short, medium and
taller height plants. Leaving
some areas undisturbed in the
non-gardening months will help
pollinators overwinter. Be careful
when managing pests (insects,
weeds, vertebrates) in your
garden. Pesticides (insecticides
and herbicides) don’t discriminate
between beneficial insects like
pollinators and the harmful ones.
The best option is to properly
diagnose the problem and use
Integrated Pest Management to
choose least toxic management
methods first.
Want more information on
protecting pollinators in the
Willamette Valley? Register to
attend The Beevent: A Pollinator
Conference hosted by the OSU
Master Gardeners in Linn County.
This regional, full-day event is
on Saturday March 21st at the
Phoenix Inn and Suites in Albany.
Learn about the current state of
our pollinators in Oregon and
find out what home gardeners can
do to support pollinator health.
Topics include: Creating Healthy
Spaces for Bees, Current Bee
Health Issues, and Pollinator
Landscapes. There is also a vendor
fair with local honey, photographs
of pollinators, seeds, bee-related
jewelry, mason bee houses and
more! Pre-registration ($25) is
required: Visit http://extension.
oregonstate.edu/linn/horticulture to
sign up and for more information.
March/April 2015 • OSU Extension Newsletter • 5
March/April Garden Calendar
MARCH
Planning
• Plan your vegetable garden
carefully for spring, summer, and
fall vegetables that can be eaten
fresh or preserved. If you lack
in-ground gardening space, plan an
outdoor container garden.
• Use a soil thermometer to help you
know when to plant vegetables.
Some cool season crops (onions,
kale, lettuce, and spinach) can be
planted when the soil is consistently
at or above 40 degrees Farenheit.
Maintenance and Clean Up
• Lawn mowing: Set blade at 0.75
to 1 inch for bentgrass lawns; 1.5
to 2.5 inches for bluegrasses, fine
fescues, and ryegrasses.
• Compost grass clippings and
yard waste, except for clippings
from lawns where weed-and-feed
products or herbicides (weed
killers) have been used.
• Spread compost over garden and
landscape areas.
• Prune gooseberries and currants;
fertilize with manure or a complete
fertilizer.
• Fertilize evergreen shrubs and trees,
only if needed. If established and
healthy, their nutrient needs should
be minimal.
• If needed, fertilize rhododendrons,
camellias, and azaleas with acidtype fertilizer. If established and
healthy, their nutrient needs should
be minimal.
• Prune spring-flowering shrubs after
blossoms fade.
• Fertilize caneberries using band
fertilizer, broadcast fertilizer or a
complete fertilizer or manure.
Planting/Propagation
• Divide hosta, daylilies, and mums.
• Use stored scion wood to graft fruit
and ornamental trees.
• Plant insectary plants (e.g.
Alyssum, Phacelia, coriander,
candytuft, sunflower, yarrow, and
dill) to attract beneficial insects to
the garden. For more information,
see Encouraging Beneficial Insects
in Your Garden (PNW550).
• If soil is dry enough, prepare
vegetable garden and plant early
cool-season crops (carrots, beets,
broccoli, leeks, parsley, chives,
rhubarb, peas, and radishes). Plant
onions outdoors as soon as the soil
is dry enough to work.
• Plant berry crops (strawberries,
raspberries, blueberries,
blackberries, currants, gooseberries,
and other berry-producing crop
plants). See OSU Extension
publications for berry varieties.
Pest Monitoring and Management
• Spray trees and shrubs for
webworms and leafrollers, if
present.
• Protect new plant growth from
slugs. Least toxic management
options include barriers and traps.
Baits are also available for slug
control; use with caution around
pets. Read and follow all label
directions prior to using baits or
any other chemical control.
• Learn to identify the predatory
insects that can help keep aphids
and other pests under control.
• Spray to control leaf and twig
fungus diseases in dogwood,
sycamore, hawthorn, and willow
trees.
• Prune ornamentals for air
circulation and to help prevent
fungus diseases.
• Start rose blackspot control tactics
at budbreak. Control rose diseases
such as black spot. Remove
infected leaves. Spray as necessary
with registered fungicide.
• Monitor for European crane fly
and treat lawns if damage has been
verified.
• Monitor landscape plants for
problems. Don’t treat unless a
problem is identified.
HouseplantsandIndoorGardening
• Trim or shear heather when bloom
period is finished.
• Start tuberous begonias indoors.
• Take geraniums, begonias, and
fuchsias from storage. Water and
The Oregon Season Tracker program is a
collaboration between OSU Extension and
HJ Andrews Experimental Forest. Trained
volunteers collect precipitation data and
observe and report seasonal plant changes
as citizen scientists.
fertilize. Cut back if necessary.
Move outdoors next month.
APRIL
Planning
• Write in your garden journal
throughout the growing season.
• Prepare garden soil for spring
planting. Incorporate generous
amounts of organic materials and
other amendments, using the results
of a soil analysis as a guide.
• Prepare raised beds in areas where
cold soils and poor drainage are a
continuing problem. Incorporate
generous amounts (at least 2
inches) of organic materials.
• Use a soil thermometer to help you
know when to plant vegetables.
When the soil is consistently above
60 degrees Farenheit, some warm
season vegetables (beans, sweet
corn) can be planted.
Maintenance and Clean Up
• Allow foliage of spring-flowering
bulbs to brown and die down before
removing.
• Apply commercial fertilizers,
manure, or compost to cane,
bush (gooseberries, currants, and
blueberries), and trailing berries.
• Place compost or well decomposed
manure around perennial
vegetables, such as asparagus and
rhubarb.
• Cut back ornamental grasses to a
few inches above the ground, in
early spring.
• Cover transplants to protect against
late spring frosts.
• Optimum time to fertilize lawns.
Apply 1 pound nitrogen per 1,000
square feet of lawn. Reduce risks of
run-off into local waterways by not
fertilizing just prior to rain, and not
over-irrigating so that water runs
off of lawn and onto sidewalk or
street.
• Optimum time of year to dethatch
and renovate lawns. If moss was a
problem, scratch surface prior to
seeding with perennial ryegrass.
• Prune and shape or thin springblooming shrubs and trees after
Workshop participants
learn reporting protocols.
certified weather geeks, tracking
not only their own weather,
but watching the data maps to
compare their data with their
neighbors.
Thirty-three new OST
rain stations cropped up this
winter helping to fill in missing
microclimate data in eight
western Oregon counties. The
job of OST citizen scientists
Planting/Propagation
• Plant gladioli, hardy transplants of
alyssum, phlox, and marigolds, if
weather and soil conditions permit.
• It’s a great time to start a vegetable
garden. Among the vegetables
you can plant, consider: Broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots,
cauliflower, chard, chives, endive,
leeks, lettuce, peas, radishes,
rhubarb, rutabagas, spinach, and
turnips.
Pest Monitoring and Management
• Clean up hiding places for slugs,
sowbugs and millipedes. Least
toxic management options for slugs
include barriers and traps. Baits
are also available for slug control;
use caution around pets. Read and
follow all label directions prior to
using baits or any other chemical
control.
• Monitor strawberries for spittlebugs
and aphids; if present, wash off
with water or use insecticidal soap
as a contact spray. Follow label
directions.
• If necessary, spray apples and pears
when buds appear for scab. See
Managing Diseases and Insects in
Home Orchards (PDF - EC 631).
• Cut and remove weeds near the
garden to remove potential sources
of plant disease.
• Use floating row covers to keep
insects such as beet leaf miners,
cabbage maggot adult flies,
and carrot rust flies away from
susceptible crops.
• Help prevent damping off of
seedlings by providing adequate
ventilation.
• Manage weeds while they are small
and actively growing with light
cultivation or herbicides. Once the
weed has gone to bud, herbicides
are less effective.
• Spray stone fruits, such as cherries,
plums, peaches, and apricots
for brown rot blossom blight, if
necessary.
Oregon
Season
Trackers
Jody Einerson
Oregon Season Tracker
Program Off to a Great Start!
Workshop participants at
the fall Oregon Season Tracker
(OST) trainings asked a lot of
good questions: Do you report
moisture in your rain gauge the
same for fog, rain, or snow?
Must you mount your gauge on
a post with a beveled top? How
do you distinguish the difference
between swelling buds and bud
break? How do you measure
fruit drop? And so much more!
We have a great group of
volunteers that have jumped
on board to contribute as OST
citizen scientists. They have
put up official rain gauges and
marked key native plant species
to monitor for seasonal changes.
At events where OST Extension
volunteers tend to hang out I
hear conversations start with
“How much rain did you have
in your gauge this morning?”
They are becoming a group of
blossoms fade.
is to track precipitation data in
their backyards, on their farms
and woodlands, and in school
yards. Filling in data helps
researchers get a more complete
picture of our weather and the
long term effects on plants. This
spring they are tracking when
the first leaves, flowers, and
fruits appear on native plants.
Our goal is to spread the OST
program out over the landscape.
We have a special interest in
more rural sites and hillside
locations. If you like the idea of
contributing to science research,
enjoy the outdoors, and would
like to be an OST volunteer, we
have several new OST trainings
taking place. The timing will
fit well with watching plants
leaf out this spring. See our
website for details http://
oregonseasontracker.forestry.
oregonstate.edu/
Oregon Season Tracker
Website
We would like to announce
the new Oregon Season
Tracker website http://
oregonseasontracker.forestry.
oregonstate.edu/
Our website has information
about the program, how to
become involved, upcoming
trainings, and resources to help you in your observations.
In addition to the website, we have a newsletter (Oregon
Season Tracker Observer) and a Facebook page for our
OST volunteers. Watch the website for many changes in the
upcoming months.
Oregon Season Tracker
Trainings Spring 2015
See website for details
• HoytArboretumVisitor
Center, Portland
Wednesday, March 4
10:00 am - 2:30 pm
• ClackamasTreeSchool,
Oregon City
Saturday, March 21
Registration deadline Feb. 27
• Oregon Garden, Silverton
Thursday, April 2
Hood River
Monday, April 16