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SHOW ARCHIVE

Episode 159 • April 10, 2010

VIDEO ARCHIVE


Thank You! That phrase doesn't seem like quite enough for the thousands of people that came out to the Gardenpalooza event at Fir Point Farms (503-678-2455). We had a great time and there were lots of plants that found new homes last weekend! Check out William's Blog about the event. He has also blogged about a recent purchase that he has just planted in his garden. Remember to check out the coupons on the Gardenpalooza website. A lot of the vendors have coupons that you can use at their businesses for the next few weeks.

This week we featured...

Newberg Camellia Festival

We made the short drive out to Newberg to learn about one of the newest of festivals in the Northwest. Newberg, the camellia city, is hosting their 2nd Annual Camellia Festival this Saturday, April 10th from 9:30 to 5:30 at their new Chehalem Cultural Center. They are partnering with the Oregon Camellia Society who is having their 69th annual show. If you love camellias this is the place to be. We were first joined by Denis Dooley from the Oregon Camellia Society and he told us how easy it is to grow these beauties. They really only need well drained soil, a little fertilization with a rhododendron fertilizer (they like a little acidic soil) and some sun to help promote lots of blooms. They also take to pruning really easily, so you can shape them to any size and style you want. There were 2 varieties that they had on display. The 'Kumasaka', and the 'Swan Lake', which were both loaded with blooms. We then spent a few minutes with Bryan Stewart from the City of Newberg and he told us a little history of the naming of the camellia as the city flower. We also heard about the brand new Camellia Trail in the city. You can download a map here or pick one up at the festival and tour the neighborhoods and look at the camellias in gardens and city parks. During the festival you can also check out the plant sale, see local art and photography and visit the library for children's arts and crafts. We also learned that they will be giving away free camellia plants while they last! If you are in the Newberg area you really need to stop by and check them out!

Spring Hydrangea Care

The blooms are still a couple of months away and you may think that it is too late to do some pruning on your blooming hydrangeas, but Kristin from Hydrangeas Plus (866-433-7896) said not to worry. You can still do some light pruning and not ruin your blooms for this coming season.  The key is the word 'light'. You don't want to just buzz-cut your plants. You may be removing blooming wood. If you need to prune, look at leaving a couple of leaf nodes (branching areas on a stem where new growth occurs). Most hydrangeas bloom on old wood, the stem that is at least one-year old and you don't want to cut that wood too severely. This is also a good time to fertilize your plants in preparation of the spring growth. A good basic, balanced (10-10-8) will work great. You can also add 2 ingredients to the soil to help maintain bloom color or to try and change the color from pink to blue or back. Aluminum Sulfate (acid) will change the soil chemistry and promote blue colored blooms. To get a pink color in your bloom you will want to add garden lime (alkaline) to the soil at the base of the plant. If you have questions you can give them a call or check out their website for more growing tips.

Sharpening Tools

As you start pulling out your garden tools for the coming season, it is a good time to give them a good cleaning and sharpening. Clean and sharp tools will make your garden chores much easier. Some tips to follow include using alcohol and steel wool to scrub them clean and disinfect them. Then you want to use a sharpening stone to give a good sharp edge to them to make the cutting easier. Remember to only sharpen the beveled edges of the blades! Also, if you have a pruning saw, take it to a professional or buy a new one. They are just too dangerous to attempt on your own. Your local garden center has all the tools you need and they can even demonstrate how to do it correctly. Do a little sharpening now and all your spring garden clean-up will be a breeze! We found all the tools that we needed for cleaning and sharpening at the Portland Nursery (503-788-9000) on Division, but you can find these same tools at most of your local independent garden centers.

Strawberry Pots

With the push for edibles in the garden the last few years we had the idea of bringing those edibles to your doorstep. We stopped by Little Baja (503-236-8834) to get some ideas from Wayne about planting strawberries and how to choose a pot to bring your fruit and vegetables to your deck or patio. First we pulled a strawberry pot out of his inventory, which was no problem with all the pots he has on the lot. We learned that you need to plant in layers. You don't just fill the pot full of Black Gold soil and shove plants in! You fill your pot with soil up to the first holes and then place your plants in and then move to the next layer. We also learned a little bit about strawberries. 'June-bearing' gives you one crop. 'Ever-bearing' and 'Day Neutral' gives you 2 or more good crops of berries through-out the summer if you treat them well. There are a couple of other things that growers do to get a good crop... plant new berries every 3-4 years. For a list of varieties and recipes, check out www.oregon-strawberries.org. Finally we talked about planting trees and other fruits and vegetables in pots. Smaller varieties of fruit trees are very popular right now and you can even find single trees with multiple varieties on one trunk. These are great in containers. Wayne even told us about people who plant tomatoes in pots on their deck! Sounds like a winner to me! The reason for choosing a clay terra cotta container is in the clay. Clay breathes and allows air and water to move freely through the sides of the container. This makes for a healthier and happier plant. If you are looking to bring your gardening 'up close and personal' check out the selection of containers at Little Baja's 2 locations.

Planting Asparagus

Some people have tried asparagus in the past and have not had too much luck. Jack Bigej from Al's Garden Center (503-981-1245) loves asparagus and gave us some tips for planting success. He uses a variety called Jersey Knight which is made up of all male plants that will not go to seed, plus it yields a bigger crop. First, you dig a well drained hole that is about a foot deep. That is the key... good drainage! Asparagus doesn't like standing water. Then, lightly cover the root. When the plants get to be about a foot tall you fill in the rest of the hole. Don't harvest the first year. Lightly harvest the second year and cut all you want the 3rd
year. The plant will produce a good crop for up to 20 years after that.

 
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