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Episode 123 • May 2, 2009

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The spring showers are here! The good news, it is now warm enough that we can sneak out into the garden between cloud bursts. The clean-up continues as we get the garden ready for the season. Our veggies are starting to get in to the ground, in fact we continue our planting tips in this week’s show. The flower show continues around the area too. The tulip festival is still looking good, the lilacs are hitting their peak and rhododendrons are coming in a week or so. Get out and enjoy the flowers and help support these local events.

This week we featured...

The Hulda Klager Lilac Festival '09

We took the short trip up I-5 to Woodland Washington to check out the lilacs at the Hulda Klager Lilac Days (360-225-8996). The 2009 Lilac Days is a real winner this year. Due to the cold weather this past winter, the blooms are more prolific and smell better than ever! They will be hitting their peak this weekend and next. Ruth met us once again to fill us in on what was new for this season. The gardens look so full now. It is a great time to see some of the different varieties and what they might look like in your yard. She also gave us the simple tips for success in growing these beauties: Alkaline soil, good drainage and sun! We also saw the new Memory Garden with some varieties that were given to the garden as gifts from other lilac societies. Ruth also showed us some of her favorites this year, including the ‘Maiden’s Blush’, ‘Pink Elizabeth’, ‘Frank Klager’ and the 2 Russian varieties, ‘Nadezhda’ and ‘Krasavitsa Moskvy’. Hulda hybridized many lilacs and became known as the ‘Lilac Lady’ in the Woodland area. She opened her garden to the public for an open house in the spring during the 20’s. She passed away in 1960. The Hulda Klager Lilac Society now runs the garden and opens it every year for this festival. They charge a small $2 fee during the festival. That, and the proceeds from the gift shop, keeps this garden going all year long. Take the time and visit it when you get a chance, it is spectacular!

Planting Tomatoes

Now is the time to plant your tomatoes and there are a few things you can do to ensure a bountiful fall crop. William and Judy gave us some tips for success. One thing you can do is to plant your tomato deep! Tomatoes will grow roots along their main stem as long as you leave a portion of the leaves above ground (one of the few plants you can do this to). If you don’t have enough soil to plant deep you can also lay the tomato on its side, with just the top sticking out. Also, by adding a small amount of garden lime to the soil you can avoid ‘blossom end rot’, a condition that causes a brown spot at the end of your tomato. A little transplant fertilizer helps too. It is still a little early in some areas of the state so you may want to protect your new plants with a cover, like a cloche, or use a product like a Wall-o-Water. Don’t forget to set your tomato cages up as well. It is easier to do it now than to wait until they have grown up and you have to wrestle the cages on! We also had some tips about watering. Tomatoes are from Mexico and they don’t need a lot of water when they are setting fruit. So water them well until they start to show some blooms or small fruit, then start cutting back on watering a little. The extra water promotes leaf growth and not fruit production. They will produce better once you cut back on the watering. If you have your tomato in a pot you may need to monitor the water a little more closely. One final tip; this year choose a favorite or two, but also pick out a new variety to try. You won’t be disappointed.

Raised Beds

With the emphasis on veggies gardening this year, raised garden beds are pretty hot. If you are looking to add a raised bed to your garden we found a couple of kits you may want to try. First we found a very decorative one from Garden Gallery Iron Works (1-800-423-0158) at the Woodburn Company Stores. This one has beautiful metal corners with decorative finials. The boards on the side easily slip into the corners and are secured by screws. The beauty of this kit is that you can replace the boards in a couple of years when they are starting to rot and you are good to go again. The next kit was one that is found at some of the other local independent garden centers like Al’s Garden Center (503-726-1162) and Portland Nursery (503-788-9000). This one is a pre-cut model that comes in various sizes and shape. It goes together like a very easy puzzle and is deeper than the first kit. This one is perfect for those root crops like carrots, beet and radishes that need a little more soil. Speaking of soil, we also recommend not filling your bed with regular soil from your garden. Go ahead and purchase a bagged soil, like a Black Gold product if you have a small bed or get a load of Garden Mulch delivered from Grimm’s Fuel for a larger bed. There are also raised beds made of recycled plastic. To see more choices check out your local independent garden center.

Tulip Pots

Tulips are beautiful and a symbol of early spring but some people have problems getting their tulips to come back year after year. We stopped by the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm (1-800-711-2006) to learn from the experts what you can do to ensure your success for next year. Karen joined us to tell us about the number one problem, wet feet! Not for you, but for your tulips. They don’t like to be setting in water or very moist ground. Karen told us her secret was to plant them in containers! In containers you can bring them right up to your doorstep to enjoy. Also, you can plant the container in the ground in your flower beds. Once they are done blooming you can pull the containers out of the ground and move them to a dryer area during the summer when your beds may be too moist from your regular watering. Not a bad idea! Now is the time to head out to the tulip fields to pick out some varieties for your spring garden next year. The Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest wraps up this weekend at the farm with a ton of activities. You can check out all the varieties in bloom and have a really good time!

Jan’s May Tips

It is time for the tips of the month with Jan McNeilan. This month Jan was in her greenhouse talking about seed starting. It is not too late to start your garden from seed. In fact last year Jan was still planting her garden into June. Jan has also told us in the past about her succession planting, which is where you stagger the planting of your crops so you have the same variety of vegetable maturing at different times. We also talked about the planting of old seed. Some seeds will stay viable for many years. You should plant them in small trays and see what comes up. Once the plants mature you can transplant them into your garden. Next we moved to the garden to talk about flower seeds. Jan had a bunch of different leftover flower seeds in packets, so she just mixed them together in one bowl and took them to her garden to plant. She shook the bowl to get the smaller seed to the bottom. She spread the larger seed out into the bed and worked them lightly into the soil. Next she just spread the smaller seeds on top of the soil and hardly covered them at all. This is a good rule to remember. The smaller the seed the less likely it needs to be buried. To learn more about planting a garden, varieties to try, and tips for success check out the OSU extension website.

Spring Equipment Maintenance

Now is the time to take care of those lawn equipment service problems so you can head into spring with ‘working’ equipment. Tim from Stark Street Lawn and Garden (503-625-2967) walked us through some of the issues you may be dealing with and how to fix them. If your mower is acting up you can take care of the problem by changing the fuel and oil filters, changing the oil, spark plug and sharpening the blade. We recommend you get a professional to sharpen and balance your blade though. The same is true for all your lawn and garden equipment. Filters and fuel can be the two leading causes of problems when you fire stuff up in the spring. Old fuel is weak and will cause your equipment to sputter and not start and filters may become clogged after setting all winter. If you have a job you don’t think you can handle, give the guys at Stark Street a call or find a reputable repair shop. Always remember to have your model number and brand written down for the technician when you call so they can have the parts you need available. Stark Street is also starting to carry a full line of electric powered lawn and garden equipment so you can cut down the amount of exhaust you create in the garden. Check out the new equipment at any of their five locations!

 
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