Lawns languish in the heat of summer unless showered with the water they require to thrive. But not to worry, the grass isn’t dead. Come fall when the rains start again, grass greens up quickly, said Alec Kowalewski, turf specialist for Oregon State University’s Extension Service. While letting your lawn go dormant in summer isn’t […]
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Simple Ways to Extend the Autumn Harvest
Just because summer comes to a close doesn’t mean the homegrown harvest has to end. Written by Niki Jabbour Savvy Gardening In my large vegetable garden, I plant new seeds and seedlings from mid-summer through early fall so that we have plenty of vegetables to harvest in autumn and even winter. And I live in Canada! […]
Plan ahead for winter storage of pumpkins and squash
Halloween is still a faint dot on the calendar, but it’s not too early to plan a strategy for harvesting and storing pumpkins and winter squash. First frost won’t hit for several more weeks, so there’s no hurry to harvest. But it’s good to have a plan once below 50-degree temperatures arrive. Tried-and-true storing techniques […]
Start a Foodscape Revolution This Fall!
Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau This fall get inspired to start a foodscape revolution of your own! The idea is simple, just plant a few of your favorite veggies right in your landscape. Fill up the open space and cultivate FOOD! While you are at it, inspire your neighbors to do the same and suddenly […]
Sign up now for Small Farm School
The Clackamas SWCD annual Small Farm School program has moved online this year and will provide Zoom classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from September 17 to November 19. A total of 18 unique sessions will help both seasoned and beginner small-acre landowners understand a wide variety of topics, including livestock production, environmental conservation, marketing, soil […]
Roll up your sleeves: Use multiple strategies to control invasive weeds
They float in the wind, get shaken off pets and wildlife, travel the world stuck to luggage or clothes and hitch rides by plane, ship, train, truck and car. Invasive weeds enter backyards in multiple ways and once there can cause havoc. “With some of these weeds, you have to fight them forever,” said […]
Slime mold looks ugly in the garden but does no harm
It appears overnight and looks like a horror-show blob that’s slithered its way into your garden. The gross-looking substance known as slime mold shows up on mulch and lawns, but is harmless to plants. Instead it feeds on decaying matter, fungi or bacteria, according to Neil Bell, a horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service. […]
Secrets to Growing Great Squash
Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau From seed to harvest, learn the secrets to growing a bumper crop of delicious summer and winter squash. Summer and winter squash are crops that offer huge payback. They’re both easy to grow, fairly low maintenance, and there are so many delicious varieties to try. Summer squash plants yield tender […]
Butterflies wing their way into the garden with the proper room and board
Fragile, beautiful and fascinating, butterflies flutter their way into our gardens and seem to just as quickly wing their way out. It isn’t because they necessarily want to leave, said Heather Stoven, an entomologist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Rather they don’t find what they need to park themselves permanently. As detailed in […]
Take Time Now for a Hydrangea Check Up
Originally appeared at National Gardening Bureau Are Your Hydrangeas Blooming? Every gardener I talk to, especially in the northeast and New England, is doing a happy dance this season: their hydrangeas are in full bloom. Despite temperature fluctuations, the sudden freezing temperatures of November 2019, and the wacky late spring weather we had (hailstorms, sub-freezing […]