It’s discouraging when your lettuce bolts or you can’t get your mum to bloom. There’s a reason for that, and it’s all about day length, which determines or how much light the plant gets. To understand plant flowering, you need to get a handle on “photoperiodism,” or amount of light and darkness a plant is […]
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.
Love them or leave them: Fruit trees take plenty of work
People tend to have a love-hate relationship with their fruit trees. The fruit they love; the work they hate. The regimen of spraying turns off home gardeners, said Steve Renquist, recently retired horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. But times have changed. Research has resulted in easier methods of dealing with pests and diseases, […]
Stay on top of moisture and insect damage or pay the price
Ignoring moisture and insect damage in the home leads to serious problems down the line. Annual inspection is essential to head them off. Whether you do it yourself or hire someone, start your inspection by checking out this article from the Oregon State University Extension Service on home moisture problems to help solve many problems […]
‘Trees to Know’ guidebook helps identify Christmas trees
The holiday season is upon us and for many that means choosing a Christmas tree. Whether you’re cutting your own, heading to the lot or choosing a live tree, there’s a lot to be learned by a hike in one of Oregon’s many natural areas. Hit the trail – ask friends for a good hike […]
Arborvitae stands tall as easy-care hedge
For a hedge, arborvitae has a place. It’s tall, skinny, evergreen, low maintenance and cheap. “Some people look down on arborvitae, but it fits in places that other things can’t,” said Neil Bell, a retired horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service. “And it’s about as low maintenance a plant as anything you can buy, […]
Dodge the raindrops and finish fall garden tasks
The rains may have started, but there’s still plenty that needs attention in the garden – if you’re up for it. Layer up and dodge the raindrops and you’ve got plenty of time to plant, transplant, evaluate and plan for next year. Gardeners tend to think of fall as the time to put bulbs in […]
Sweep wood ash from the fireplace to the garden
With last year’s storms, particularly the substantial ice event, there’s plenty of firewood around. Many homeowners wonder what to do with all the ashes left behind after the flames in the fireplace die down. As you clean the fireplace, do your plants a favor and sprinkle the ashes in the garden instead of throwing them […]
Start now to get color from last year’s poinsettias in time for the holidays
Holding onto poinsettias after the holidays is good for the pocketbook but hard on the ego when you can’t get them to color up the next year. Experts at Oregon State University Extension Service say now’s the time to start coaxing poinsettias back into color and bloom for December. Sensitive to day length, the poinsettia […]
Seize some seeds from the garden for planting next year
As the gardening season winds down and you pick the season’s last vegetables, you can let some plants go to seed and harvest them for planting next year. “Saving seed can be really fun and is a great way to learn about plants,” said Weston Miller, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension Service. “If […]
Get your garlic on: A primer on planting, growing and harvesting
Fall is a time to enjoy the harvest of summer, but don’t hang up your trowel and pull off your gloves just yet – September through November is the best time to plant garlic. Garlic roots develop in the fall and winter, and by early spring they can support the rapid leaf growth that is […]