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. […]
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.
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 […]
No room for vegetables? Pot up your plants
Many vegetables grow well in containers located on a patio, porch, balcony or windowsill, so don’t let lack of yard space keep you from gardening this spring and summer. Limited garden space precludes being able to grow some of the larger vegetables, according to Brooke Edmunds, Oregon State University Extension Service horticulturist. For instance, growing […]
Adding compost improves soil’s texture and adds nutrients
Adding organic matter is the best way to improve nearly all kinds of soils. If you’re unsure if your soil needs amendments, take note if it dries and cracks in summer, drains slowly or is difficult to dig whether wet or dry. Adding organic materials improves the ability of sandy soils to hold nutrients and […]
Offer robins what they need and they’ll stick around
American robins are a favorite harbinger of spring, but most people take this ubiquitous Oregon native for granted. Though still abundant, robins are on the decline in urban settings and could use some help from homeowners. Oregon State University Extension Service wildlife experts encourage Oregonians to learn more about these underappreciated native birds. They’ve developed […]
OSU Extension gives away free seeds for Grow This! Garden Challenge
Almost 38,000 free seed packets will be distributed by Oregon State University Extension Service to Oregonians who show no signs of losing the enthusiasm for gardening generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge kicks off March 1 when people can sign up and start preparing to collect their seed kits at the […]
With the right care, asparagus beds will last decades
Growing asparagus requires patience – from planting to harvest takes two to three years, but the wait is well worth the reward. Homegrown asparagus is one of the earliest vegetables of spring. Its quality is much better than store-bought spears, and it’s less expensive. Once established, this vegetable easy to grow. And asparagus is beautiful. […]
Free virtual Master Gardener education series open to the public
As more and more people discover the joys of gardening during the pandemic, the Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener program has introduced a new series of free virtual monthly classes. The Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series will be broadcast via Zoom webinar at 3 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month […]