Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
Sorted by date Results 276 - 300 of 335
Purple coneflower By Denise Ruttan Photo by Linda McMahan Purple coneflower, or Echincea purpurea, is a popular water-efficient plant. Choose drought-tolerant plants for your landscape to conserve water. In a dry year, use water wisely, the Oregon State University Extension Service advises. "We're in the midpoint of one of the driest years from January to this point that we've had in 50 to 60 years," said Steve Renquist, a horticulturist with the OSU Extension Service who is based in Roseburg. An average of seven inches of rain has fallen so...
Learn from a post-mortem analysis Surgeon By Judy Scott Often we discover in the spring that a tree or shrub just didn't make it through the winter. There are many reasons for a woody plant to succumb and a "post-mortem" analysis can point out clues. The weather is the first possible culprit, said Barb Fick, home horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. A stressful winter, with heavy snow and ice, can break a lot of limbs. "Rapid temperature fluctuations from warm to cold also can stress a woody perennial enough to...
Mason bee By Denise Ruttan Photo by George Hoffman A blue orchard mason bee perches atop a blossoming meadowfoam flower. The native pollinators are active during wet and cold conditions in early spring. Concerned about the decline of honeybees, one of the hardest-working food crop pollinators? Don't overlook the importance of a native pollinator of your fruit trees – the blue orchard mason bee. "The diversity of flowers requires a diversity of pollinators," said George Hoffman, entomology researcher in Oregon State University's...
Soil texture determines how much and how often to water Soil porosity By Judy Scott Water infiltration is affected by soil porosity and texture, as illustrated in the Willamette Valley Soil Quality Card Guide. In the summer, homeowners whose lawn and garden soil is sandy often lament that their gardens and lawn require more watering than those growing in finer soil. Actually it's a myth that lawns and gardens in sandy soil need more water than other soils, said Don Horneck, agronomist at Oregon State University's Hermiston Agricultural Research...
By Denise Ruttan Spotted wing drosophila Photo by Lynn Ketchum Spotted wing drosophila is studied at OSU's Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research Center. The latest research-based guidelines for managing insect pests, plant diseases and weeds in the Pacific Northwest are available through three newly updated, comprehensive guides, which were developed by the Extension Services of Oregon State University, the University of Idaho and Washington State University. New in 2013 The PNW Insect Management Handbook features a revamped companion website...
Red-breasted Sapsucker Red-breasted Sapsucker Sphyrapicus ruber Photo By Kevin Cole/CCS These Zip Guides from eNature.com can tell you what's in your backyard - creatures with stories just as fascinating as that of any Endangered Species. eNature’s ZipGuides are comprehensive local field guides to the animals and plants of your own backyard — or any other place you might visit. So take some time now to get to know the birds, mammals, reptiles, butterflies and other living things that share your environment. You can also use ZipGuides t...
Measuring thatch By Denise Ruttan Photo by Alec Kowalewski Thatch is a common problem in Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass lawns. May is an optimum time to aerate and dethatch your lawn. If your lawn is made up of perennial ryegrass or tall fescue, you likely don't have to worry about thatch, said Alec Kowalewski, a turfgrass expert for the Oregon State University Extension Service. But if it's Kentucky bluegrass or creeping bentgrass, Kowalewski advised dethatching or aerating your lawn once or twice a year in the spring and fall....
By Tiffany Woods Cabbages Photo by Lynn Ketchum Too much water can cause cabbage heads to crack. Are the vegetables in your garden so freakishly crooked that they need a chiropractor? Or maybe they're so immature that they would make a teenager look like a centenarian? Jim Myers, a vegetable breeder at Oregon State University, might be able to diagnose your problem. He offers troubleshooting tips for growing carrots, cabbages and tomatoes – and he recommends how to grow them better next time. Carrots Are your carrots more crooked than San...
Compost pile By Denise Ruttan Compost organic matter such as animal manure to feed your garden. Photo courtesy Tufts University Don't get rid of the manure that chickens, horses or llamas leave behind. Animal manure is rich in nutrients that make it a great organic fertilizer for your garden, said Melissa Fery, an instructor with the Oregon State University Extension Service's small farms program. "Manure is a low-cost fertilizer and a wonderful way to utilize nutrients instead of creating a pile that is not getting used and could be harmful...
By Denise Ruttan Cloche Photo by Sam Anigma A cloche can be built to protect raised beds in winter. Afraid gardening and your soil are not compatible? Raised beds can come to the rescue. "By building raised beds, you instantaneously can have good garden loam," said Ross Penhallegon, a horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. "Raised beds answer the question of how we garden in inhospitable areas that are too sandy, too wet or have too much clay." Raised beds should be built in March and April. First select the plants...
Be on the lookout for azalea-damaging pest this spring By Denise Ruttan Adult Azalea lace bug An adult Azalea lace bug. Photo by Robin Rosetta Gardeners and nurseries should be on the lookout this spring for a relatively new pest in Oregon that damages azaleas and rhododendrons, according to experts with the Oregon State University Extension Service. The azalea lace bug was first confirmed in Oregon in 2009 by OSU researchers after it was found in Washington in 2008. "On the East Coast, it's caused significant damage and since it's been here,...
Life's a picnic for yellow jackets yellow jackets By Judy Scott Yellow jackets eating meat Yellow jackets are mostly meat eaters. Photo by Flickr:randysonofrobert Yellow jackets buzzing around pop cans, hamburgers and fruit salad can ruin barbecues. And, because their sting can be life-threatening, it might be necessary to destroy nests found near human activity. It's easier to deal with these aggressive wasps if you know how they live, said Ross Penhallegon, horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Yellow jackets are...
By Judy Scott Seeds Seeds. Photo by Lynn Ketchum. If you saved seeds from the last growing season and wonder if they will germinate when planted this spring, you can discover the average rate of germination before the planting season begins. "It's easy to check vegetable and flower seed viability, and it can save you time later when the gardening season begins," said Ross Penhallegon, horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. "Some seeds remain viable for a year and others for three or more years." To find out whether...
By Denise Ruttan Image of a rose Photo by Lynn Ketchum March is a good time to plant roses in western Oregon. Roses have such fanciful names and alluring colors, so how do you choose which ones to plant? "If I'm going to grow roses I tend to grow roses that have fragrance," said Barb Fick, a horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. “Some people go for color. I also go for disease-resistance.” Fick advises buying roses that are immune to the fungal threats of rust, powdery mildew and black spot. The Pacific Nor...
Honeybee Dear EarthTalk: I’d like to have a garden that encourages bees and butterflies. What’s the best approach? --Robert Miller, Bakersfield, CA Attracting bees and butterflies to a garden is a noble pursuit indeed, given that we all depend on these species and others (beetles, wasps, flies, hummingbirds, etc.) to pollinate the plants that provide us with so much of our food, shelter and other necessities of life. In fact, increased awareness of the essential role pollinators play in ecosystem maintenance—along with news about rapid de...
By Judy Scott pH meter Photo by Michael Allen Smith Some meters and methods are more accurate than others. Soil pH can make a big difference to the plants in your garden. To understand how, you must "think" like a plant. "Think of yourself in a swimming pool," said Sam Angima, a soil scientist for the Oregon State University Extension Service. "If the water is too cold, or the chlorine makes your eyes hurt, you don't want to be there for long." Roots in the soil are just like you in the pool, Angima said. If the soil pH is too high or too low,...
By Denise Ruttan Lettuce Photo by OSU's EESC Lettuce is a cool-season crop that can be planted in March in western Oregon. Is this dry winter making you anxious to dig in the dirt again? There's some good news if you garden in western Oregon and are an optimist. Cool-season plants can be directly seeded into the ground in March in the Willamette Valley and southern Oregon, said Bob Reynolds, the Master Gardener coordinator for the Oregon State University Extension Service in Jackson and Josephine counties. Cool-season crops include peas,...
By Denise Ruttan Hood River Japenese garden Tucked away in a corner of a public garden in Hood River, the Japanese Heritage Garden offers an unexpected place of quiet reflection. The site, maintained by Master Gardeners who were trained by the Oregon State University Extension Service, incorporates the scenic vistas of hills and orchards, which were worked by the first generation of Japanese immigrants to the Hood River Valley in the early 1900s. An old Norway spruce tree surrounded by raked gravel forms a centerpiece. A six-foot...
For mole control, go underground By Denise Ruttan Mole emerging Have moles or gophers attacked your yard or garden? Maybe you sympathize with Bill Murray’s travails in the movie, "Caddyshack." But Chip Bubl, a horticulturist with the OSU Extension Service, has a soft spot for moles. "I've caught a few moles by the tail [with traps]," Bubl said. "Because I admire them, I put them in a bucket and take them to a canyon area on my property and release them." Moles leave a trail of destruction in the Willamette Valley, the coast and the St. H...
Oregon tree names keep people guessing By Judy Scott Douglas fir cone Douglas-fir cones have pitchfork-shaped bracts that are longer than the scales. Many people are aware that despite its name, Douglas-fir is not a true fir. It's also not a pine, not a spruce and not a hemlock. Outside of the United States, it is often called Oregon pine, also a misnomer. What is a Douglas-fir, then? It's a unique species, in a class by itself, according to the newly revised Oregon State University publication, "Understanding Names of Oregon Trees," (EC...
No space for vegetables? Try vertical gardening. By Denise Ruttan Hankering for fresh tomatoes this summer but don’t have space for a vegetable garden? Save room by training your veggies to grow up. Literally. Just grab some containers, and you're ready for "vertical gardening." Steve Renquist, a horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, recommends big containers with good drainage. Whiskey or wine barrels that are cut in half are suitable sizes for most vegetables, he says. You'll need to water and fertilize them more...
Leaves in compost By Denise Ruttan Photo by Tamara Hill-Tanquist Leaves are one material that can be used in the "brown layer" of a lasagna garden. Unlike its name suggests, "lasagna gardening" is not about pasta. Also known as sheet mulching, it's a no-till, no-dig gardening method that turns materials like kitchen waste, straw and newspapers into rich, healthy compost. "It uses up stuff that you would normally put out at the curb to say goodbye to and makes it valuable to grow on," said Larry Steele, a master gardener with the Oregon State...
Asparagus berries By Judy Scott Growing asparagus requires patience – from planting to harvest takes two to three years, but the wait is well worth the reward. Homegrown asparagus is one of the earliest vegetables of the spring. Its quality is much better than store-bought spears, and it is less expensive. Once established, it is easy to grow and in a well-prepared garden patch can last for decades. And asparagus is beautiful. A member of the lily family, its fern-like foliage turns from green to gold in fall, and can be a backdrop to...
Compost in a wheelbarrow Compost pile from student organic club Photo credit: Tiffany Woods Q: What process is used in the winter to enable composting to continue outside and in very low temperatures, some below freezing? - Josephine County, Oregon A: In weather such as we are having right now, (sustained temperatures below freezing), you will have to exert more effort to keep your compost active. I was outside checking compost at home about an hour ago - the outer 2-3 inches are frozen solid. Probably not much active composting going on at...
By Denise Ruttan Growing hops at OSU Photo by Lynn Ketchum Oregon State University's hops breeder, Shaun Townsend, prepares hops for drying at OSU's hop yard in Corvallis. With craft beer and home brewing becoming more popular, interest is fermenting among gardeners in backyard hops. Oregon State University's hops breeder, Shaun Townsend, said he regularly fields questions from the public about growing hops. He also teaches workshops on "hops growing 101" to prospective hops farmers and gardeners. "Typical questions are: 'How do I fertilize, wa...
