People and plants need care to make it through the coming heatwave – 111 on Sunday some forecasts say – without wilting. Erica Chernoh, Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturist, offers some ideas to help keep yourself and your garden as comfortable as possible. Keep hydrated. Carry a water bottle – and use it! You […]
Author: Kym Pokorny
Kym Pokorny is a garden writer with more than 20 years of experience writing for The Oregonian and other publications. She is currently a communications specialist with Oregon State University Extension Service. Kym can be reached at kym.pokorny@oregonstate.edu.
Growing vigorous kiwi takes care and a strong trellis
If you have a good strong trellis, are a bit of a gambler and have a love of kiwifruit, there’s no reason not to grow your own crop. As vigorous as they are, though, don’t expect to plop these vines into the ground and stand back. Kiwifruit need some attention to yield the large amount […]
Save money and help the planet with sustainable garden practices
In a world of increasing climate change and the invasion of more exotic insects and pests, sustainable gardening is more important than ever. We can all do our part to help by changing our practices – often just by a bit, depending on the methods you’ve already put in place. And if it all seems […]
With a few tips and patience, gardeners can grow melons
Growing melons takes some effort in western Oregon, but with the right methods it can end in sweet success. With a warmer, drier climate, eastern Oregon is well set up for cultivating melons. Western Oregon isn’t as hospitable, but you can accomplish a crop by choosing the right variety and following tips from Heidi Noordijk, […]
Choose a lawn mower to fit your needs
Considering the 80 million home lawns in the country, there are a lot of people buying lawn mowers. How you choose between rotary, reel and electric models has to do with your situation and preferences, said Alec Kowalewski, Oregon State University Extension turfgrass specialist. All three have their pros and cons. Rotary and electric mowers, […]
OSU releases new, antioxidant-rich purple tomato
The new Oregon State University-developed tomato Midnight Roma follows in the steps of 10-year-old Indigo Rose, the first antioxidant-rich purple tomato available on the market. Indigo Rose was bred by Jim Myers, vegetable breeder and professor in the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences. Midnight Roma is the result of crossing Oregon Star, a big, fleshy […]
Plant veggies at the right time to avoid disappointment
Spring is here and you’re raring to get your vegetable garden going. Well, hold on just a minute. Sowing seed 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 horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. […]
Picking up baby birds can do more harm than good
After hatching in spring, baby birds sometimes end up on the ground, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they need help. It depends on how old they are, how long they’ve been on the ground and whether they are injured, said Dana Sanchez, Oregon State University Extension Service wildlife specialist. Identifying the age of a bird […]
Fall in love with colorful, dazzling dahlias
Dahlias are addictive, at least for Julie Huynh Moore, an Oregon State University Master Gardener, who plans to grow 2,000 by the end of May. That’s quite an accomplishment for anyone, but considerably more for Moore, who lost her home and all 1,200 of her dahlias in the Labor Day wildfires. When she was allowed […]
‘Trees to Know in Oregon and Washington’ turns 70 with new edition
“Trees to Know in Oregon and Washington,” the most popular publication in the Oregon State University Extension Service catalog, celebrates 70 years with a new edition. Author and Professor Emeritus Edward Jensen, who taught thousands of students about tree identification in his tenure from 1976 to 2014 in the OSU College of Forestry, added several […]