HOLIDAY GREENS FOR CENTERPIECES
November 24, 2007
Fresh cut greens are a staple of the holidays and you can find lots of choices of cut greens at your local garden center. We found a huge selection at Portland Nursery on Stark (503-231-5050). They even have all the tools and trimmings to create a wonderful centerpiece for your holiday table. Unfortunately they can dry out quickly once we get them indoors. William gave us some tips for preserving them throughout the holiday season. First, give your greens a fresh cut and put them in water for a short time before using them for decorating. If you can keep them in water, you can add a preservative to the water to keep them fresh longer. If they can’t be in water you can use a product like ‘Wilt-proof’. It is a spray that seals in the moisture and helps keep them fresh.
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COVER CROP
November 10, 2007
If your garden has been kind of weak the last few years it may need the refreshing boost of a cover crop. Over time the soil can lose a lot of the nutrients and that means smaller plants and less yield from your best vegetables and flowers. Cover crops help rejuvenate your soil by fixing nitrogen and putting nutrients back into the ground. By planting these plants (vetch, clover, and peas) we are providing ‘green’ manure to the soil. Cover crops also help prevent soil compaction caused by the rough winter weather. Planting a cover crop now will help your garden be healthier this coming season!
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MOVING YOUR POTS
October 13, 2007
With colder days on the way it is time to start thinking about moving some of your tender plants to protected areas. Judy and William moved a couple pots up under the eaves of a house. The eaves will help keep the frost from forming on the plants and it will keep the plants warmer as well, with the radiating heat from the siding. If you have plants that are ‘touchy’, now is the time to move them. One thing to remember; you will need to water them. The eaves that protect them from the cold will also prevent water from reaching the plant.
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RIPE SQUASH
October 13, 2007
The
number one question that Bauman Farms receives this
time of year is ‘How can I tell when my squash is
ripe?’ Brian Bauman from
Bauman Farms (503-792-3524) joined us to share the
answer for our ‘tip of the week’. There are 2 things
you should look for if you are wondering if your
squash is ripe. First, look to see if the foliage is
dying back. If the foliage is brown and crispy, then
check the spot where the squash is in contact with the
ground. The spot should not be white. If it has
changed color to a cream or orange color then it is
ready to harvest.
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SEALING POTS
September 22, 2007
Our
tip of the week is about wooden containers. Wooden
containers can add a different look to any deck or
patio. Unfortunately, when the wood has long term
contact with the water and soil it can break down
quickly. We found pruning sealer can solve that
problem! Pruning sealer is used by some for covering
fresh cuts when you prune your trees. We found that
if you use a pruning sealer on the inside of the
container you can extend the life of your pot quite a
bit. Give it a try!
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DOG SPOTS
September 8, 2007
If
you have seen big green spots in your lawn it means
you have a pet (or a frequent visitor). These green
circles are from your pet’s urine and it is caused by
the salts that occur in the urine. You may also
notice that there is a dead spot in the center of the
green; this is the grass dying from too much salt.
You are seeing it more now because of the summer
stress that the grass is under from all the heat and
the lack of water. To get rid of the spots you have
to flush them with water as soon as the animal is
done. This will dilute the salts and reduce the
problem areas. You can also train your dog to use a
specific area of the lawn or set up a dog run to limit
their movement. If you can’t flush the area, try to
keep your lawn is good shape. That will minimize the
stress and help the spots blend in.
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STEAMING DAHLIAS
September 1, 2007
The
dahlia festival at
Swan
Island Dahlias, (800-410-6540) in Canby, is in its
final week and we stopped by to get our tip from Nick
Gitts. He showed us how to make your cut dahlias last
longer. They do it at the dahlia farm by ‘steaming’
the stems of the dahlias. They immerse the cut stems
in 160 degree water and leave them there. By doing
this it opens the vascular system of the plant and
they don’t seal back up. That means the plant
continues to take up water longer and stays fresher
longer. There is one thing to remember. Make sure
the flowers are above the edge of the container when
you steam them, you don’t want the flowers steamed as
well!
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POOL PLANTS
August 25, 2007
The
heat makes us all thirsty! Our garden tip of the week
helps quench the thirst of your hanging baskets and
small container gardens. We found a small ‘kiddie’
pool, filled it ˝ full of water and set our driest
plants in the water. During those days that have
excessive heat, the plants really like the extra water
and we don’t have to worry about constant watering.
There are a couple of precautions you have to
follow. Don’t leave them in there for more than a day
or two; they can get too much of a good thing and that
may create mold, fungus or disease problems. And
don’t over fill the pool. Allowing the plant to take
what it needs from the pool is good, drowning it is
not!
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DEADHEADING ROSES
July 21, 2007
By
now most of your roses have seen their first flush of
blooms. That means it is time to give them a
haircut! By pruning your roses now you will ensure a
quicker and more prolific second bloom. Christine
Williams from
Heirloom Roses (503-538-1576)
gave
us some pointers for getting the job done. After the
rose has finished blooming, follow the stem down past
the second 5-leaf set. At the base of that set, make
a 45 degree cut. This will force the plant to send up
a new flower stalk and within 6-8 weeks you should
have second flush of blooms. At that time you can
choose to make the cut again and see if you get a
THIRD flush. If you have any questions, feel free to
call or visit Heirloom Roses for more tips.
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LAWN WATERING
July 7, 2007
The heat is here and
you may be thinking that your lawn could use a drink
everyday. Hold on! James Schneider from
JB Instant Lawn (800-527-1439) told us how to get
a lush healthy lawn without pouring a bunch of water
on it. If you have an established lawn you want to
deep water it only once or twice a week. Over
watering promotes lawn diseases and weed growth. By
watering less the turf becomes stronger. It has to
develop a stronger, deeper root structure to get
moisture from the soil.
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BAD GAS
June 23, 2007
Our
tip of the week comes to us from our friends at
Stihl Tools. Wayne Sutton from Stihl told us
about the importance of keeping fresh gas in our power
tools and equipment. He recommended 89 or higher
octane rated fuels that are not more than 30 days
old. Gas gets weaker as it ages and weak gas creates
most of the problems a homeowner will encounter in
their power equipment. For other power tool tips
check out the Stihl website.
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DEADHEADING FUCHSIAS
June 16, 2007
If
you have a hanging fuchsia basket you may notice that
as the summer goes on the flowers don’t seem as
prolific as they were when you bought it. The problem
may be the fruit. Like most other plants, once the
fuchsia is done blooming it starts to create a seed or
fruit. This takes energy away from new flowers and
sends it to those seeds. To keep your fuchsia
blooming longer just remove the seeds and give it a
shot of fertilizer. Then you can enjoy those
wonderful blooms all summer long!
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DEADHEADING RHODIES
June 9, 2007
So
your early blooming rhododendrons are starting to lose
their bloom. Here is a tip to help you get more bloom
out of them next year. Take the spent bloom at the
base and snap it off. Be careful not to damage the
new growth coming out at the base of the bloom. By
removing the old bloom you are telling the plant to
not produce seed heads and to spend its energy on the
bloom for next year. We got our tip from Dick
Cavender to
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens
(503-771-8386) in SE Portland. He knows what he is
talking about!
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CLEANING YOUR BIRDBATH
May 26, 2007
With
the recent hot weather your bird bath may be starting
to attract more wildlife than birds. Bacteria and
algae may be starting to build up and that can cause
health problems for the local bird populations. Judy
walked us through the steps for keeping your bird bath
nice and clean. It starts with a good scrubbing with
a 10-1, water to bleach, solution. Once you have
scrubbed out the bird bath, rinse it a couple of times
to remove all the bleach, and then add about a
teaspoon of ProTec water treatment. That will keep it
nice and clean and your local birds healthy!
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WASHING PEONIES
May 19, 2007
If
you grow peonies in your garden you probably have seen
the ants that accompany them. Ants are attracted to
the sugary sap that forms on the buds. Even though
they make great cut flowers, you may be hesitant to
bring a bouquet inside your home because of these
little critters. The problem is easily solved by
washing them in a bucket of water. Just swish the
blooms in the water for a couple of seconds and then
take them inside and enjoy the wonderful color for a
week or more!
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MEASURING SPOONS
May 12, 2007
Our
tip of the week is one designed to keep you healthy.
When you are mixing any garden product or chemical
always use a separate set of measuring spoons. No
matter how hard you wash a set, it may contain
residue. Keep that separate set around and mark it
well. It is better to be safe than sorry.
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DOUBLE GLOVES
May 5, 2007
A
painful blister on the hand of Producer Jeff brings us
the tip of the week. If you ever get blisters
from working with your garden tools you may want to
try this tip. We recommend that you wear double
gloves when you are working. First put on a pair of
rubber surgical gloves and then put your garden gloves
over the top. The friction that causes the blister
between your glove and your skin now happens between
the 2 sets of gloves. This will prevent blisters and
will make your gardening much less painful.
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WOODY STEMS
April 28, 2007
The spring is the best time to bring in cut flowers
for display in your home. The problem is that the
blooms don’t last long enough, especially the woody
stemmed ones. William showed us how to extend the
bloom time on your woody stemmed cut flowers by
smashing the stems with a hammer. You want to crush
the stems about 1-2 inches up the stem before you put
them in water. The smashed stem allows the flower to
draw more water and thus it will last longer.
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MAILBOX STORAGE
April 21, 2007
Our
tip of the week is a little bit about recycling as
well. We recently replaced an old mailbox and while
we could have thrown it away, we decided it could
serve a more useful purpose in the garden. We
installed it in the garden and now it holds all our
small hand tools and gloves. When we have to head
inside for a quick break the mailbox holds our garden
gadgets until we are ready to work again. No more
lost tools in the garden!
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SMALL VEGGIES FOR SMALL
CONTAINERS
April 7, 2007
A
lot of people think that you can’t grow vegetables if
you don’t have a huge garden. William was joined by
Sue Berg from
New Dimension Seed to check out a couple of new
varieties of tomato that stay small and make great
container plants. These tomatoes are just a couple of
the varieties that you will find in your local garden
center that can handle deck planters and containers,
and reward you with a bounty of veggies for your
table. Try some of these smaller varieties this
summer.
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REMOVING LEAVES
March 31, 2007
A couple of weeks ago we told you not to remove the
leaves and dead stems from your winter damaged plants.
Sometimes, in a few cases, you need to remove the leaves
to appreciate the beauty within. William showed us how
to trim the leaves off a ginger to show off the freaky
blooms at the base of the plant. Another plant that
needs a haircut is the epimedium. These plants have
small, showy blooms that can get lost in the foliage.
One other one is the hellebore. In all cases, these
plants go new leaves with in weeks and are not damaged
by this. If you would like to learn more about trimming
these plants you can check with our friends at
Extra Perennial Nursery (503-628-1492)
in Scholls.
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CHEMICAL
LABELS
March
24, 2007
As
pesticides and herbicides get older they tend to lose
their effectiveness. The spring is a good time to
check your garden chemicals to make sure they are not
too old. It is also a good time to review their
safe use. If you buy a new chemical product, use a
marker to date it so you can easily see when you bought
it. If you need to dispose of an old bottle, check
with your local garbage hauler to learn how to dispose
of it safely.
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CONIFER
FERTILIZING
March
17, 2007
If
you have wandered through the tree and shrub section
of your garden center you may have noticed that they
all have fertilizer in their pots. That reminded us
that now is a good time to do the same at your home.
Put down a good tree and shrub fertilizer and work it
in around the drip-line of the plant. That is the
area below the outside edge of the plant. The rain
drips from the end of these branches on to the
fertilizer and helps it dissolve into the soil.
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