Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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Gardeners increasingly look to drought-tolerant varieties that beat the heat The summer of 2015 was a turning point in the Northwest, which suffered the longest heat wave in 75 years. Portland had more days above 90 F than any other year in recorded history up to that time. That year marked a noticeable shift in gardeners seeking low-water plants to include in their yards. But 2015 had nothing on 2021, the year of the heat dome, with some of the most extreme weather events globally and...
In 2011 Jim Myers did something no one had done before. The Oregon State University vegetable breeder released the first purple tomato containing the same healthy compound found in blueberries. The Indigo Rose tomato, which took Myers, a professor in the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences, and his team 10 years to develop, took the market – and other breeders – by storm. People liked the tomato’s novelty but the benefits from the anthocyanins in the skin were the draw. Interest in antho...
When starting a garden, the first step is often deciding what will be in the garden. Will it be a vegetable garden? Will flowers and fruits be included too? These are important questions to answer ahead of time. Another important question is whether to use seeds or plant starts in the garden. Though both have their pros and cons, they are both valuable in gardens for their unique qualities. Seeds are typically more affordable, though require more effort. Plant starts are more durable but can...
Ezequiel Lopez-Reyes will never forget the taste of fresh fruit and vegetables brought straight from his father’s farm field when he was a child in Mexico. In honor of that memory, he established a plot of his own in Oregon. Lopez-Reyes, Oregon State University Extension Service Open Campus and Juntos student success coordinator, has been growing his home garden for five years. It’s full of peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, epazote and cilantro. He grows so many pepper plants, they often overflow i...
There are worthwhile reasons to grow your own foods in a raised bed garden No matter how often we resolve to eat healthfully, it can be a challenge. From waking early to shop at the farmers' market to managing the grocery budget as droughts and supply chain issues cause food prices to soar, finding fresh, affordable produce seems exhausting. Don't give up. Instead, enjoy the pleasure and convenience of growing your own food and flowers in a raised bed garden. With a sunny space, a bit of...
Weeks of cold temperatures and rain have unsettled the gardening season. You may be raring to get your garden – but hold. Sowing seeds or planting seedlings at the wrong time will bring nothing but heartache. “One of the biggest mistakes people make is to plant too early,” said Weston Miller, a former horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. “They get excited when it’s sunny for a few days, put plants in the ground, and think they will grow. But the seeds either ro...
The expansive lawns in Europe and the invention of golf in the late 1900s launched America's obsession with a perfect plot of grass. The invention of the rotary mower and the development of climate-adapted grass varieties made a landscape of turfgrass more accessible for homeowners. As time went by, homeowners relegated the vegetables and herbs typically grown in the front of the house to the backyard, and monocultures of grass were installed in the front. A healthy green lawn - the bigger the...
Spring arrives in March, and that’s when the gardening season really takes off! You might not be at a loss for what to do. But if you are, our friends at Oregon State University Extension Service have their March garden calendar, which is full of ideas. Here are some: * Plan your vegetable garden. * Check soil temperature to know when you can plant veggies. Some cool-season crops can be planted now, provided the soil is consistently above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. * It’s time to start mowing the...
Learning to recognize 400,000 species of plants is more than daunting; it’s impossible. But making a start by learning how to identify family characteristics can help you manage a healthier garden. “It’s important for gardeners to be aware of how to ID plants,” said Karen Pleasant, Oregon State University Extension Service master gardener coordinator in Josephine County. “It will tell you what the correct cultural needs are, and what kind of problems they may have. Knowing which plants yo...
Gardeners hear it often enough: right plant, right place. It’s a fundamental rule of gardening, said Heather Stoven, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service, and one that applies to houseplants just as much as outdoor ones. “Make sure you buy for location,” she said. “That will help solve many problems that can come down the road.” Plants can go downhill in a hurry when placed in unsuitable sites. Environmental stress sets a plant up for aggravation from pests and disease...
If conifer tree planting is on your late winter or early spring to-do list, there are some things you can do to improve your success. When it comes to planting conifers, timing is everything, according to John Punches, Oregon State University Extension Service forester and associate professor in the OSU College of Forestry. Punches recommends planting when the upper 10 inches of soil is moist, the soil is not frozen more than a half-inch deep, the snow cover is less than two inches and the air...
The calendar doesn’t say spring, but gardeners are ready to go. Turning vegetable seeds into plants helps satisfy the urge to put your hands in the soil. It’s best to seed cool-season crops such as lettuce, cabbage, kale, and broccoli in flats in late February to early March in western Oregon, said Weston Miller, a horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Warm-season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant should be sown in late March to early April. Eastern Ore...
Reality can get skewed when there are so many sources of information – books, magazines, newspapers, nurseries, and, most of all, the internet and social media open up lots of room for contradiction. So, how do you find the right answer to gardening questions? Nine experts from Oregon State University Extension Service stepped up to bust some common gardening myths. Read on to get some research-based answers to 10 common misconceptions. For additional questions, call the OSU Extension master g...
Struggling with rose diseases often converts affection to frustration for the millions of gardeners who grow the beloved shrubs. Instead of cursing the big three – black spot, powdery mildew, and rust – take the advice of Jay Pscheidt, a plant pathologist with Oregon State University Extension Service, who steers people to roses that enjoy immunity to the threats of these diseases. “Save yourself a lot of hassle and plant disease-resistant roses this spring for trouble-free bouquets in the s...
Once grape vines lose their leaves, the plants fade into the background of the winter landscape. That's the time to take action and get out the clippers. January through the first of March is the season to prune your vines, said Bernadine Strik, a berry specialist with Oregon State University Extension Service. First, though, you've got to know how to do it properly. "Home grape growers don't prune their vines enough," said Strik, who is the author of Extension's Growing Table Grapes...
Bees and other pollinators out and about during the dark days of winter look to gardeners for the nourishment that keeps them going until the more abundant seasons of the year arrive. “Black-tailed bumblebees are out as early as January,” said Andony Melathopoulos, a bee specialist with Oregon State University Extension Service. “Native bees are just starting and will be seen more often later in February when the wild willow starts blooming.” Though there are winter-flowering plants growing...
Any time of year is a good time to start a budget, but the new year when resolutions are in the air seems especially suitable. Since the gardening season is still a few months away, there's a good stretch to set priorities. "Gardening is like any other hobby," said Brooke Edmunds, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service. "It takes some level of investment. But it doesn't have to be that expensive. There are shortcuts." Some of them are easy. Buying smaller plants is a...
In January and February the flowers of winter arrive, blooming as cheerfully as the showoffs of spring. "One of the coolest things about gardening in the Pacific Northwest is winter gardens," said Neil Bell, a horticulturist with Oregon State University's Extension Service. "Spring is overwhelming with flowers, but in winter it's surprising. It's nice to see something that's so unexpected. And then there's the scent; such an enjoyable thing." One of the showiest of the cold-weather shrubs is...
The harvesting of peat moss used by gardeners and the nursery industry to improve drainage and retain water in soil contributes to climate change, according to an Oregon State University Extension Service soil scientist. Peat moss is harvested from bogs and fens around the world, but primarily in Canada and Russia. These water-logged bogs have taken carbon from the atmosphere and sequestered it for 10,000 to 12,000 years, according to Linda Brewer, soil scientist in the Department of...
Many homeowners struggle with moss that invades lawns as winter rains provide just the right conditions for its growth. “The most frequent wintertime question I receive regarding lawn maintenance is, ‘How do I get rid of moss?’” said Alec Kowalewski, turf grass specialist for Oregon State University Extension Service. To answer that question, Kowalewski and Brooke Edmunds, a horticulturist with Extension, developed a publication and video on Managing Moss in the Landscape in Western Oregon....
Lane County Master Gardeners are offering public pruning classes in the winter and spring of 2023. Class participants will learn about pruning tools and equipment, tool care, as well as techniques to prune specific types of trees and ornamentals. Master Gardeners are eager to share their knowledge and experience with participants and want their class experience to be interactive, fun, and educational. Pre-registration is required. A suggested donation of $10 is appreciated, but not required to...
As freezing weather moves in, gardeners may be worrying about how to protect their plants from the cold. Experts with Oregon State University Extension Service, recommend several ways to guard your landscape from frigid conditions. * Though snow can act as excellent mulch on the ground, it can also weigh down the branches of shrubs with frail structures such as arborvitae, boxwoods, young rhododendrons and azaleas. Every two to three days, knock the snow off branches and wrap rope around the...
As cities get bigger, gardens get smaller and large trees no longer make the cut. No worries. The plant world teems with appropriately sized trees. The best place to start a search is in your own backyard. As the saying goes: "Right plant, right place." Decide where you want a tree first and then find one that fits the site, said Chris Rusch, president of the Douglas County chapter of the Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener program. "You can't just go buy a tree and then...
Care for chickens correctly and they’ll reward you with cartons full of fresh eggs. Get it wrong and the eggs stop coming. The good news is that getting it right isn’t difficult, said Jim Hermes, a poultry specialist for Oregon State University Extension Service. Give them appropriate feed, water and shelter from the worst weather of winter and you’ve covered the bases. Make bagged feed from feed stores the food of choice. It’s formulated for each stage of life – baby, adolescent, and adult – w...
It's a lucky gardener who digs into great soil right off the bat. Most often, it takes years of adding organic material to bring it up to snuff. There is a shortcut, however. For areas of the garden where you need the best soil, filling a raised bed is a quick solution. "Raised beds are great, especially in western Oregon where gardeners deal with mud and rain," said Brooke Edmunds, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service. "In urban areas, we typically have soils of poor...
