OSU Farm Forum

11/26/2023

Last night got cold and the next 4 nights also look cold down to 26-27 degress F. Be sure if you have any water sources, protected, AND let a faucet drip to keep the pipe water moving. Tree leaves make a good insulator.

10/17/2023

Gardening season is slowing down, kind off. Apples and grapes are still in their prime. I just harvest a 12 inch cauliflower and have a 6 inch one still growing. Strange - my winter peas I plant 3 months ago just came up. Kind of late for growing but will see.
I have a nice crop of basil in the cold frame due to warmer conditions. Tomatoes - slowing down with salad, roma and cherry tomatoes.
I have a noxious w**d called leafy spurge which is around Lane County and other places. It is perennial, growing May thru October. However, the leafy spurge just started to grow less than a month ago, so it suppose to be dying, not being in full swing and growing strong. A strange year this year.

10/02/2023

If you have ever wanted to become a Lane County Master Gardener:

Become a Master Gardener™ volunteer Share Print Apply online October 1 - November 15, 2023. The Master Gardener volunteer training classes begin in January 2024. Program details Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener volunteers are neighbors, friends, and family who you can go to for ga...

10/01/2023

The rain was a welcome event. The ground is still wet. Question is how long will the moisture last. My sprinklers are on hold for another 4 days to see if the soil dries out, especially in the orchard.
My late pumpkins are actually doing well, one is 12 inches. The watermelon made it to 3 inches then just quit, booo.
The wild blackberies continue to produce nice berries. I do a lot of pruning on the bush.
The prune tree had a huge crop, and we are just finishing up picking.
Red delicous apples are still a bit green before picking. The 2nd fig crop fell off, I think it was the wind we had a few weeks ago.
Onions - a medicore crop. In our covered cold frame - our basil plant just kicked in and is 15 inches tall with lots of eavs. Strange year. Lots of cherry tomatoes, lots of romas and salad tomatoes, but the cool wet weather is making the tomatoes crack.
Grapes still not quit ripe but time is running out for them.
My second crop of cauliflower came back very nice, where I cut the head, and regrow another head. There is a nice second head.

September - October - time to plant garlic again for next year.
Watch out for winter w**ds in the garden. The rain is causing tons of w**ds to grow.

09/02/2023

The rain last night in Springfield, Oregon was at 0.7 inches, not bad for the first rain storm. In kicking in the soil, it looks like the rain filled 6-7 inches of the soil. So, outside irrigation can be suspended for a few days. Just go out and dig in the soil. When the moiture drop to 6 inches, start irrigating again.

The rain was hard enough to drop half my pear crop, and strangely it knocked of 1/4 of my second fig crop, hummmmm.
Pumpkins and watermelons doing well. Hope they make it to mid Ocotber.
The cool evenings are ripening the fall apples. My Johnagold was really tasty.
White and red chards doing well now.
Table grapes look like 1-2 weeks beore they are ripe.
Corn has been fantastic.
Wild blackberrie comng on very strong with a continuing crop, ie - irrigation does help but they then need to be pruned a lot.
Onion crop - mediocre. New table beet crop is coming up very nicely. Spent two hours dugging up a nasty noxious w**d with a bright light green root. It has sped horribly. Thought it was a reseeded tomateo but nope, just a nasty w**d. Wonder thru your garden and remove unwanted vegetation - w**ds.
Time to plant a new crop of garlic in the next 2-3 weeks. Pick nice sized bulbs to replant.

08/27/2023

One of the OSU Lane Couty Master Gardeners mentioned a newish yellowjacket trap. So today I went and got one called Rescue - Yellowjacket trap. It is a clear bag with pheromone that activates with water. I walked outside, found a place 10 feet from the nest, tied it to a metal t-post and by the time I was done tying, there were 3 yellowjackets buzzing the trap. An hour later there was some 80+ inside the trap and another 15 buzzing the trap. I was impressed.

Prunes - oh they are slow to ripen this year but coloring up. Gravenstein apples - nearly done. Bartlett pears - ripe and falling.
Grapes - ripening and turning color, I expect 1-2 weeks and they are ready for picking.
Peppers - three kinds and all are ripening nicely. Planted a new crop of table beets and they are up and growing. Figs - about 3/4 inch long so a while to go for the second crop. The figs will need more irrigating. Toamotes - salad, roma and cherry ripening nicely. Onions- did not do very well this year. As the old time farmers say, there is next year :).

08/18/2023

Prunes are slowly ripening but really slowly. Peppers are starting to show signs of growing and new bloom. Corn - actually almost ripe. With a good 2nd fig crop, be sure to water the crop well. Tomatoes look good with most varieties ripenng all at the same time. I have a small wild blackberry patch. With the heat I placed water nearby, and I now have blackberries with good size and at least a months worth of new berries ripening. It is hard to say but it is time to think about the fall/winter garden planting time. Think about cole crops, similar to the April plants, I found a small bag of potatoes, so I planted them 2 weeks ago, time will tell, wrong timing but gardening is one big experient. My pumpkin and watermelon seeds finally germinated two weeks ago. The pumpkin plant is alread 3 foot tall. Maybe pumpkins in early November.

05/08/2023

I was out at one of Springfields local garden stores (BM), and noticed a good supply of ag lime, bags of compost, 16-16-16 (garden, berries and tree fruits) and 21-0-0-6 (for blueberries) fertilizers that can be used for the gardens.
Asparagus finally has arisen, even one year old plants.

Pears, pruners and early apple trees done with blooming. We will see in one month how much thinning or fruit removal will be necessary from the fruit trees
For higher elevations such as Bend or Oakridge or Blue River, just add another week to the calendar for scheduling gardening events..
May 8 - more rain. Kind of like last year. Old timers would say the weather is like what it USED to be. Cole or cold crops planted in May and warm season crops planted in June.
W**d control is critical right now. Control those pesky w**ds.

04/18/2023

Mostly good ideas here that can be followed.

A WAY TO GROW ENOUGH FOR YOUR FAMILY

It has become more important than ever for You to be able to grow at least part of what You and Your Family eat on a yearly basis. Big factors are the many chemicals and pesticides used on vegetables and fruits in the grocery stores, the rising food prices we are all seeing, and the instability we have seen throughout the world, and in our own Country. We are in a very uncertain time in our Countries history, and we need to be prepared.

Many Families, like yours, are now growing their own Home Gardens--much like our Grandparents and Great Grandparents did with their Victory Gardens years ago. They grew their own Food, Saved their Heirloom Seeds, and were very Self-Sufficient.

The chart below gives you a good idea of how much of each Seed variety or plant you will need to grow per person, based on picking and eating them fresh. If you plan on Canning or freezing your Veggies to get thru the year, you will need to plant more. I would suggest you multiply the amount listed by 3 - 4.

Seeds or plants per 100-ft. row is the recommended amount or number to use for proper spacing and growth. Estimated yield per 100-ft. row is based on optimum growth, so it could be different from Family to Family. If you don't plant in 100-ft rows, then you can divide the amounts down to the size you do plant. So if you have a 5' x 4' raised bed ( 20 sq ft ), you would just divide the 100' results by 5 .

FOR OPTIMUM YIELDS, YOU WILL WANT TO:
1) Start Off with fresh viable Heirloom Seeds
2) Use a good Compost/Soil mixture
3) Maintain Fertility
4) Provide enough water
4) Use Mulch
5) Control Pests ( insects, and the furry types) Companion Plants are a good way to control and deter pests, while staying Organic.

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03/28/2021

More good weather for the next 10 days. Highs around 53F, and lows 37F. Off and on again rain. Soil has risen to 46 degree F. So not good for warm plants yet. To cold of nights.
Soil is still very wet, and if clay, slimy.

Peach, prunes - blooming. Pears - 3-4 days from bloom. Apples took off this week and are pushing green leaves.

Peas up 6 inches. Broc., cauli and cabbage a bit slow and taking off but also 6 inches. Over wintered spinach and chard growing almost uncontrolled.

Garlic liking the sunny weather. I keep expecting the asparagus to show up but not yet.

April 1st - time to fertilize the fruit trees. The easy method is 6 inches of compost around the edge or drip line of the tree. Also apply 16N-16P-16K which has all the needed nutrients.

As the weather has been milder than normal, around April 15 may be a good time for warm season veggies. Keep a close watch on the early AM temps until May 15. Remember we are stilling wearing coats and sweat shirts in the AM's.

Control all of winter w**ds in raised beds and then add 4-6 inches of new compost.

New seedlings of parsnips, tomatoes and epazote. Testing out old seeds. the lettuce which is from 2008 is growing fine.

03/14/2021

According to what I have been reading/hearing everyone, almost - is going semi crazy getting ready for spring. The weather is hinting at being an early spring, but that could change very quckly.
Where should we be at growing plants ---mid March to April 1st - all of the cole or cold crops: peas, brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, lettuce all do well right now when placed outside. However, the AM temps this week go down to 28F with highs mosltly 47F with one day to 60F. Guess what the soil temp is....a chilly 46 degrees F. Slugs and snails are showing up and can make short work of young plants, so be aware.

Tree fruits - pear buds are pushing so if you have not sprayed copper, do it tomorrow. Prunus - are pushing but too late for copper, the spray will burn the young tissue. The wild prunes are in full bloom. Apples - just starting to push so graft ASAP and apply copper. Fig trees are still dormant. Grapes - just starting to grow. Prune ASAP. For warm season plants, start seeding them about three weeks before they go outside. In most cases, warm season plants go out mid April on a good-early year to May 1st on historical frost free date. Warm season plants can go out but need protetion, like old quilts, wall of water --if they are still around. Many people put 2 milk jugs around the warm season plants in the spring. Be patient, it is only Marvh 13, there is plaenty of time to get a garden in.