C oncerned about the decline of honeybees, one of the hardest-working food crop pollinators? Don't

overlook the importance of a native pollinator of your fruit trees – the blue orchard mason bee. Gardens need a diversity of pollinators so one disease or parasite won't wipe out all its pollinators. Blue orchard mason bees are early-season native pollinators, actively pollinating fruit trees in the wet and cold months of March and April. The mason bee, which has one generation a year, is slightly larger than a honeybee and shiny dark blue in color.

Research done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that blue orchard mason bees are superior to

honeybees when it comes to pollinating apples, cherries and other native fruit trees in wet, cold conditions. But if conditions are warm and favorable, mason bees and honeybees are equally effective. Marking another difference between the two species, honeybees organize into colonies of worker bees led by a queen, whereas each mason bee female collects her own pollen and nectar and produces eggs. "Each female is an independent operator," Hoffman said. "They don't have the luxury of waiting for better weather, or another year to reproduce." Once mason bees emerge from their nests in March, they mate and consume pollen and nectar. For their

FALL 2013

Add Mason Bees to Your Garden

1  

HORTICULTURAL NEWSLETTER FOR TILLAMOOK COUNTY

O r e g o n S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y E x t e n s i o n S e r v i c e

nest, they find cavities in wood, such as beetle exit holes or artificial nests. Within the cavities they build five to eight cells separated by mud. They fill each cell with food on which they lay a single egg. The food source is a mixture of pollen and nectar formed into a little ball. In late May and June, larvae develop inside the cells and metamorphose into pupae in the summer. They emerge from the pupal stage as adults in the fall and overwinter inside their cocoons. George Hoffman, entomology researcher in Oregon State University's Department of Crop and Soil Science advises people to order live mason bees in cocoons online from commercial suppliers in October and November so they can arrive before Christmas. Start with 10-20 mason bee females, which means buying 30-60 cocoons. Mason bee females produce about two males for every female. It is the females who do the work of gathering nectar and pollen and pollinating flowers. Leave the cocoons in the original packaging and store them in the refrigerator until it's time to release them next spring. One decision you need to make is what type of nest to provide. The choices generally are Phragmite reeds, tubes with straw liners or wooden blocks with drilled holes. Drill holes into a solid or laminated wood, five-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, six inches deep and three-fourths of an inch apart. In the spring the nests need to be protected from wind and rain by a nest box. When fruit trees start to bloom next spring, mount the nest box on a fence about 10-15 feet away from the fruit trees and watch brand-new adults emerge.

Source: George Hoffman

TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER FALL 2013

President’s Corner

T he Tillamook County Fair for 2013 has now come to an end. It was a great

year for all involved. Our Learning Garden volunteers “outdid” themselves in preparing the garden for the hundreds of fair visitors that stopped by to enjoy the garden. Our Oregon Youth Authority project was presented first prize for the “Search For Excellence” Award at the gardening mini-college conference in Corvallis in August. TCMGA is very proud of this volunteer effort, teaching the young people the “art of gardening” and helping the community in general. Congratulations to all that helped with this project. Reminder - that TCMGA is still selling our “Gardening Gourmet” cookbooks. You can

get one at the OSU Extension Service on Fourth Street. Stop by and pick one up for just $15.00. Mark Your Calendars - TCMGA’s annual Gardener’s TEA is just around the corner; the date being November 9. Watch the local media for the details. Enjoy our great weather we have been having; hopefully it will last until the end of October. Happy Gardening!

_tâÜt bãxÇá TCMGA President 2013

Tillamook County

2204 Fourth St. Tillamook, OR

97141 (503) 842-3433

Gardening web page Tillamook.MasterGardeners

@oregonstate.edu

Joy Jones, 4-H & Agriculture Extension Agent

Tillamook County Master Gardener

Association

Contributors

Laura Swanson Editor

Diane Griffin

Assistant Editor

Louise Bogard

Evelynn VonFeldt

Margaret Tweelinckx

Layout & Design

Pat Penney

Agriculture, Family and Community

Development, 4-H Youth, Forestry, and Extension Sea Grant

programs. Oregon State University, United

States Department of Agriculture, and Oregon

counties cooperating. The Extension Service offers its programs and

materials equally to all people. 

Tillamook County Master Gardener Association

Tillamook County

2204 Fourth St. Tillamook, OR

97141 (503) 842-3433

Gardening web page Tillamook.MasterGardeners

@oregonstate.edu

Joy Jones, 4-H & Agriculture Extension Agent

Tillamook County Master Gardener

Association

Contributors

Laura Swanson Editor

Barbara Casteel

Evelynn VonFeldt

Layout & Design

Pat Penney

Agriculture, Family and Community

Development, 4-H Youth, Forestry, and Extension Sea Grant

programs. Oregon State University, United

States Department of Agriculture, and Oregon

counties cooperating. The Extension Service offers its programs and

materials equally to all people. 

Tillamook County Master Gardener Association

W hen you’re considering new plants, take a look at common plants such

as black-eyed Susan, sunflowers, blanket flower, California poppy and coneflower; once established these plants require mini-mal irrigation; group waterwise plants together for maximum water savings. If you like colorful bedding annuals such as zinnias, marigolds, impatiens and petunias, consider putting them in pots or hanging baskets where you can provide water direct-ly, rather than watering the entire garden. Hand water if possible. Research shows that hand watering can be the most efficient way to irrigate because you often can see when the soil is moist and provide water only when the plants need it. Weeds won’t be watered if you fill a milk type jug and put it upside down beside a

plant, burying the spout in the soil; or bury a coffee can, used gallon pot or milk jug right beside the plant after poking holes in the bottom or sides; fill the container with water and let it drain out slowly. Soaker hoses on an automatic timer are an alternative for both vegetable and ornamen-tal gardens. Drip irrigation is another possi-bility and works well for shrubs. If you water gardens with overhead sprinklers, make sure to measure the amount and supply no more than one inch at a time (measure with a wide-mouthed plastic or metal container with a one-inch mark on the side); note that overhead watering is not recommended for vegetable gardens because it increases the risk of disease.

Water Saving Tips

Source: Chip Bubl

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TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER FALL 2013

S eptember through November is the best time to plant garlic. Its roots develop in the fall and

winter, and by early spring they can support the rapid leaf growth that is necessary to form large bulbs. What type of garlic should you plant? Some garden-ers like to grow top-setting garlic, also called hard-neck. Common hardneck types include Korean, Siberian, Music, Chesnock Red, German Red and Spanish Roja. These varieties produce tiny bulblets at the end of a tall flowering stalk in addition to a fat underground bulb of cloves. Softneck garlic rarely produces floral stems and tends to grow bigger bulbs because energy isn’t diverted to top-set bulblets. Softneck varieties include Silverskin, Inchelium Red, California Early and California Late. Some enthusiasts say top-setting garlic has a richer, more pungent flavor than non-flowering types. Both can be harvested in early spring like green onions and sautéed as a side dish. Or you can allow them to mature until mid-July when they become a bulb with cloves. Another type, elephant garlic, is actually a type of leek that produces large, mild-tasting cloves – usual-ly fewer per bulb than the true garlics. Tips for growing garlic: Lime the soil prior to final bed shaping if you haven’t done so recently. Before planting cloves, work a couple tablespoons of 5-10-10 complete fertilizer, bone meal or fish meal into the soil several inches below where the base of the garlic will rest. Select healthy large cloves, free of disease. The larger the clove, the bigger the bulb you will get the following summer. Plant the garlic in full sun in well-drained soil. A sandy, clay loam is best. In heavier soil, plant it in raised beds that are 2 to 3 feet wide and at least 10 to 12 inches tall. Garlic has well-developed root systems that may grow more than 3 feet deep in well-drained soil. Plant cloves root side down, 2 inches

3

deep and 2 to 4 inches apart in rows spaced 10 to 14 inches apart. Space elephant garlic cloves about 6 inches apart. Garlic can be lightly mulched to im-prove soil structure and reduce weeds. A single 10-foot row should yield about five pounds of the fra-grant bulbs. Garlic is rarely damaged by insects. Fertilize garlic in the early spring by side dressing or broadcasting with blood meal, pelleted chicken manure or a synthetic source of nitrogen. Just before the bulbs begin to swell in response to lengthening daylight (usually early May), fertilize lightly one more time. Weed garlic well, as it cannot stand much competition. Most years, you won’t need to water garlic unless your soil is very sandy. If we have a very dry May and June, water garlic to a depth of 2 feet every eight to 10 days. As mid-June approaches, taper off the watering. Don't wait for the leaves to start dying to check for maturity. Sometimes garlic bulbs will be ready to harvest when the leaves are still green. The best way to know is to pull one up and cut it open crosswise. Start checking for mature cloves about late June. Harvest garlic when the head is divided into plump cloves and the skin covering the outside of the bulbs is thick, dry and papery. If left in the ground too long, the bulbs sometimes split apart. The skin may also split, exposing the cloves and causing them not to store well. Dig, then dry the mature bulbs in a shady, warm, dry and well-ventilated area for a few days. Then remove the tops and roots. Brush dirt off the bulbs. To braid garlic together, harvest it a bit earlier while leaves are green and supple. Avoid bruising the garlic, as it will not store well. Store bulbs in a dark, dry and well-ventilated place. Protect from high humidity and freezing. Do not store garlic in the refrigerator because cool tempera-tures combined with moisture stimulate sprouting. Properly stored garlic should last until the next crop is harvested the following summer. FS 138, "Garlic for the Home Garden" is available to download at: http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/16950/fs138.pdf

Time to Plant Garlic

Source: Chip Bubl

TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER FALL 2013

D igging up sod to start a garden can be difficult. There is an easier way to turn lawn into

garden, given more time. Gardeners call it "lasagna" mulching. Famous for its layering technique, it's also called sheet composting. Patience is the key. There are several advantages to sheet composting and it's an easy way to start or expand a garden with a minimum amount of equip-ment, material and time, but it is a slow process that can take six months or longer to decompose enough to allow planting. In other words, plan ahead. Fall is an excellent time to start, use organic materials from the yard, instead of trashing them. The method's alternating layers of nitrogen and carbon materials also can be used to improve soil or add to existing beds and borders. Common nitrogen sources are coffee grounds, kitchen scraps, composted manures, alfalfa pellets, vegetable scraps, fresh grass clippings and cotton-seed, soybean and blood meal. Carbon sources are sawdust, leaves, corn stalks, pine needles, peat moss, newspaper, cardboard, straw and hay. Begin by mowing or scalping as low as possible grass or other vegetation in the area you choose and loosen the soil with a spading fork to improve drain-age. Remove persistent weeds such as blackberry, bindweed, morning glory or quackgrass that com-posting might not smother. Cover the ground with four to six overlapping layers of cardboard or newspaper (black ink on newsprint

An Easier Way to Create a Vegetable Bed

only) to keep out light and eliminate vegetation un-derneath. Wet the newspaper or cardboard thoroughly and cover with a thin, one-inch layer of a nitrogen source such as manure. Top the nitrogen layer with an inch of leaves, straw, bark or other carbon material. Add another inch of nitrogen, then another of carbon, another of nitrogen and a top layer of carbon. The final layer can also be covered with an overlapping layer of burlap coffee sacks to keep the materials in place. The burlap will decompose over time. If the pile gets too wet, loosely cover it with a sheet of black plastic, weighted down at the sides. This also will help warm the pile, encourage faster decompos-ing and prevent losing nutrients during heavy rains. Continue to add layers as materials become available, and always end with a carbon layer on top. This is the blanket that discourages flies from laying eggs on exposed nitrogen such as kitchen scraps. A bed is "finished" and ready for planting when the layers have decomposed to the point that the original materials are no longer recognizable and look and smell like fresh earth. You can dig down through the layers to plant seeds or seedlings, or turn over the new bed, although it's not necessary. You also can screen a two-to-three-inch layer of good compost over the top of the bed and plant seeds in it. The composted material will need to be replen-ished as it is "consumed" by your plants. Leave six inches open around plants so they won't come in contact with fresh, decay-ing organic matter. For more information on sheet and other composting, contact the Tillamook OSU Extension Service.

Source: Cindy Wise

The beginnings of a lasagna mulch

Photo by Cindy Wise

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TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER FALL 2013

Clean Up and Cut Back

I t's time to clean your yard and garden to protect them from winter weather. The following tasks are

best done in October and November. Mulch your empty garden beds with fallen leaves and grass cuttings if they don't have a cover crop on them yet. Mulch will help prevent erosion and rainwater compaction. Mulching also adds organic matter and encourages earthworm activity. Plus it will keep weed germination down. Control the weeds that have recently germinated from early fall rains. The damp soil makes it easy to hoe or pull weeds, big or little. This is not a good time of year to use herbicides. Apply a small amount of slow-release nitrogen fertiliz-er to lawns, if needed--just enough to keep the lawn green, but not enough to cause need for additional mowing. Don’t apply fertilizer to trees, flowers or shrubs this time of year, as it may reduce their cold tolerance.

Other pre-winter advice: • Cut back late-flowering perennials such as asters and chrysanthemums to a few inches. Peonies can be cut all the way to the ground. Mulch the crowns with compost to protect them from hard freezes. • Prune late-summer and fall-flowering shrubs like clethra and hydrangea several weeks before icy win-ter weather or hold off until mid-February to do your pruning. Trim back roses to knee height so winter winds won’t cause damage. • Keep your perennial gardens free of wind-blown plant refuse. • Pull up spent summer annuals such as snapdragons, marigolds, zinnias, cosmos and nasturtiums that have died back. • Dig and store summer flowering bulbs and tubers including dahlias, calla lilies, canna lilies, gladiolus and tuberoses because of potential very cold winter weather that freezes the ground. Store them in a dark, dry and cool (above freezing) place, safe from rodents. Source: Ross Penhallegon

H ere are some research-based hints how to best harvest and store potatoes:

Toughen up potatoes for storage before harvest by not watering them much after they flower. Let the vines die all the way back before you harvest them. Clean potatoes before storing them. You need only brush the soil off potatoes grown in coarse, sandy soil. But if you grow potatoes in fine, sticky clay soil, your potatoes may need washing. If so, be sure the potatoes are completely dry before placing them in storage. Cure newly dug and cleaned potatoes for a week to 10 days in moderate temperatures and high humidity and they will last longer. Store newly harvested potatoes where the temperature is about 65 degrees and the relative humidity ranges from 85 to 95 percent for a week to 10 days to harden off and heal any injuries caused during harvest.

5

Sort out and cull injured and diseased spuds before storing them long-term. Put the best ones in well-ventilated containers. Eat the ones hit by your shovel and the ones with bad spots or disease in the first month or so after harvest. They may spread spoilage or disease microorganisms to uninjured potatoes. Store your tubers in a cold, dark environment with moderate humidity and a constant temperature of 35 to 40 degrees. Make sure to keep them dark, as light will turn them green and make them unfit for table use. Discard potatoes with an excessive amount of greening. Grow potatoes that keep well. Red potatoes don't keep as long as yellow or white varieties. Thin-skinned potatoes don't last as long in storage as those with thick skins, such as Russets.  

 

How to Harvest & Store Potatoes

Source: Alvin Mosley

Preserving All Things Apple Safely

TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER FALL 2013

the immune system are going to drink the apple juice or cider. For long-term storage, apple juice may be canned in a boiling water canner. Heat the liquid to boiling, put into pint or quart jars and process in the canner for five minutes. (Longer times are needed at altitudes over 1,000 feet.) The juice also can be frozen. Be sure to leave adequate headspace if the juice is frozen in jars. The OSU Extension publication "Preserving Fruit Juices and Apple Cider" (SP50-455) is available online. Many varieties of apples are grown in Oregon. Good varieties for sauce and pies include Gravenstein, Golden Delicious, Rome Beauty, Yellow Newton, Ruby, Lodi, Mutsu, Granny Smith, Spartan, Honey Crisp, and Melrose. Whatever variety you choose, select juicy, crisp apples which are neither too green nor too ripe. It takes about 2½ -3 pounds of apples to fill a quart jar. A bushel of apples weighs about 48 pounds and yields about 16-20 quarts of sliced fruit or 15-18 quarts of sauce. Apples may be canned, frozen, dried, and made into jelly and butter. For more information about safe canning and preserv-ing other foods from apples, such as applesauce, dried apples, pie filling or apple butter, download OSU Extension's fact sheet on preserving apple products.

Source: Carolyn Raab

A pples ready to harvest in the fall make for tasty juice and robust cider, popular treats this time

of year. Sweet apple cider is made from fresh crushed apples. It is not cooked or chemically pre-served. When fermented, “hard” cider (an alcoholic beverage) is produced. Selecting the Apples Select apples that are just ripe for eating. Most ciders are made from a blend of different varieties. Delicious, McIntosh, Rome, and Gravensteins are commonly used. Tart apples should be used in small proportions; they are a good source of tannic acid that keeps the cider sweet longer, but they also affect the flavor. If you plan to squeeze your own apples, however, precautions might be in order. Windfall apples could be contaminated with bacteria. Raw juice or cider has been linked with E.coli O157:H7. Outbreaks usually happen when fallen fruit comes in contact with domestic or wild animals that frequent an orchard. An easy way to minimize the risk of illness is to pasteurize raw apple juice before drinking it by heating the juice to a safe 160 degrees. This is a wise precaution for both home-squeezed juice and unpasteurized juice purchased from fruit stands. If you don't have a thermometer, heat the juice to simmering (just below the boiling point when bubbles appear). Pasteurization is particularly important if pregnant women, young children, older adults and people with cancer, AIDS and other illnesses that affect

Oregon State University Publications are available at: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/

If you do not have internet, you may request a copy of most of the publications cited in this newsletter from the OSU Extension Service at

2204 4th Street, Tillamook, OR 97141. Phone: 503-842-3433

6

TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER FALL 2013

W rinkled and colorful, dehydrated foods are a fun, fairly simple and safe companion to

canning and freezing. Garden produce dries down and becomes a lunch-bag treat, lightweight fare for backpacks and a tasty addition to muffins. A publication produced by the Extension Services of the University of Idaho, Oregon State University and Washington State University gives details on how to make them. "Drying Fruits and Vegetables" (PNW 397) can be picked up at the Tillamook OSU Extension Service. It also is available online. Drying kills microorganisms and enzymes that spoil fruits and vegetables simply because it deprives them of what they need to survive – water. Recent research, however, reveals that if harmful bacteria are present on fruits and vegetables before drying, the pathogens can survive the drying process. The publication explains that pretreatment methods such as ascorbic acid or citric acid dips can more thoroughly destroy harmful bacteria during drying. This is important if the foods will be eaten by children, pregnant women, the immune-compromised or the elderly. Dehydrators are the most popular drying method because they produce the best-quality dried food. A favored alternative – oven drying – results in a safe, generally tasty product, but one that is more brittle and usually darker and less favorable than food dried in a dehydrator. It often takes two to three times longer than a dehydrator. The research-based publication also describes how to select and prepare foods for drying, packaging, storage and making fruit leathers. Recipes illustrate how to use dried foods in vegetable soup, quick breads, berry cobbler and rice pudding.

Dehydrating Food

I s your garden produce piling up? Freezing is one of the simplest and least time-consuming methods of

preservation. To help you maintain top quality when freezing home produce, the Oregon State University Extension Service offers the publication "Freezing Fruits and Vegetables," (PNW 214) online. You may pick up a free copy at the Tillamook OSU Extension Service. Keep in mind that freezing can affect the texture of some fruits and vegetables. Water makes up much of the weight of most fruits and vegetables and is held within cell walls that give structure and texture to the produce. When the water freezes, it expands and ruptures the cell walls. Consequently, the texture of frozen produce softens when thawed. Produce that is higher in water softens more. Frozen tomatoes or strawberries, for example, become mushy and watery when thawed. Use them in cooked foods such as stews or jams. Textural changes are not as apparent in high-starch vegetables, such as peas, corn and lima beans. Blue-berries are an example of a fruit that freezes well with little textural change. If fruits and vegetables are frozen quickly, they maintain better texture. The OSU publication offers guidelines for freezing many different kinds of fruits, vegetables and juices. It includes information on: freezing fruits with or without sugar or syrup; freezing vegetables, including blanching methods; correct packing and loading into the freezer. Several other OSU Extension food preservation and storage publications are available online. Topics include picking and storing apples and pears, storing pumpkin and winter squash, making dried fruit leather, pickling fish, and canning and freezing fruits, vegetables and seafood.

Source: Carolyn Raab

Freezing Home Produce

Source: Carolyn Raab

7

TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER FALL 2013

carotene and higher in vitamin C than almost any other salad green. Some eastern Mediterranean people consider it an aphrodisiac. Endive is in the same family as lettuce. With smooth pale elongated heads, endive has more flavor than many types of lettuce. Curly endive, sometimes called chicory, has curly edged green leaves. Escarole, a relative of chicory, has broad, wavy green leaves with a pleasant slightly bitter flavor. Radicchio, or red chicory, adds wonderful red color and zesty, mildly bitter flavor to salads. It often grows in small heads. Mache, also called corn salad, has velvety leaves and a mild taste and is one of the most cold-hardy of the salad greens. Watercress has pungent sprigs that resemble parsley. Cresses have a peppery flavor, while mustards "bite" the tongue. Plant salad green seeds a quarter-inch deep in rows four to six inches apart. Harvest the greens when young, with scissors. Cut the young leaves about a half-inch above the soil line and the leaves may re-grow for a second harvest. Or the greens may be cut at ground level for a single harvest.

T he end of summer is a perfect time to sow salad greens for harvest throughout the fall and winter

months. If you live in the warmer, wetter regions of the state, you can plant lettuce and other greens now. In the colder areas of the state, a cold frame or cloche can help lengthen the harvest season into winter. If you harvest through the winter, protect your greens from late fall and winter downpours. Leafy greens tend to rot. For salad lovers, plant a row of about five feet of salad greens per week in successive plantings. Seeds of salad greens are sold as mixtures (as "mesclun") or separately as varieties. The mixtures may contain any combination of lettuces, chicories, dandelion greens, cresses, arugulas, chervil, endive, fennel, parsley, oriental greens, mustards, purslane, orach and mache (corn salad). Some are tangy; others are mild or bitter. When the flavors, colors and textures are combined with a zesty dressing, salad becomes a nutritious eating adventure. Arugula, also called rocket or roquette, is a hardy member of the mustard family. With a toasty, pungent flavor, arugula can be sown as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring and periodically thereafter. Resembling dandelion greens, arugula is rich in beta-

Salad Greens for Winter Harvest

Source: Jim Myers

8 Source: Barb Fick

I nstead of planting flowers every spring, you can let some of your annuals go to seed each fall. Self-

sown seedlings will come up in the fall or early spring, when and where they are best suited to grow. You can thin these annual flower seedlings to allow survival of the fittest and to sculpt the lines of color in your gar-den. Plant where you want flowers, and thin out where you don't. Sweet peas, sunflowers, calendula, nasturtiums and annual delphiniums appear perennially. Bread seed, Shirley poppies, Clarkia, alyssum, even petunias will come back year-to-year, depending on winter's severity.

Herbs and greens such as lettuce also are willing self-sowers. Dill, fennel and cilantro may come back every year from seed heads left to overwinter. Annual plants are programmed by nature to set seed in one year. Most of the summer we deadhead and fertilize annuals to keep them blooming and to post-pone seed development. Come September, let meticu-lous care go. Allow a few of your annuals to go to seed. Let the flower heads dry and droop. The wind, the birds and the plants themselves will scatter ripe seeds. Some cultivars will not come back the follow-ing year "true to type" because hybrids do not produce uniform offspring.

Let Your Annuals Seed Themselves

TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER FALL 2013

Source: Linda McMahan

Native Groundcovers for Home Landscapes

G roundcovers that spread across open areas and subdue weeds are even more effective if they

are native to the area. Those that grow naturally west of the Cascade Mountains work great in local home landscapes. Groundcovers are well known as weed suppressors, said Linda McMahan, native plant specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. But they also help the soil retain water and protect against soil compaction by keeping foot traffic away. As long as you locate them in your garden according to their taste for sun or shade, you shouldn't have to pamper them. Since native plants have co-evolved with deer and other wildlife, they are less likely to be wiped out by a marauding neighborhood doe. Suggestions for northwest gardeners looking for natives to plant: For sunny areas, try coastal strawberry (Fragaria chilioensis) which has dark-green leathery leaves with white flowers in the spring and tiny fruit in the fall. Also recommended is F. virginiana, a Willamette Valley native, for sun and part sun. F. vesca is shade-loving and also good for partial shade. Western bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa) likes shade, dies back to the ground in the winter and by mid-spring grows about 18 inches with hanging clusters of pink flowers. Another shade-loving native is the inside-out flower (Vancouveria hexandra). About a foot high, it has small light-green leaflets and looks similar to ivy. It's a great groundcover. It turns a beautiful yellow in late November and December and re-emerges the next year. Although native to coastal forests, it's also partially drought-resistant. It spreads slowly and its roots form a dense mat. Wood sorrel (Oxalis oregana) spreads by rhizomes and grows to about 10 inches high. It has light-green,

three-lobed foliage and white-to-pink flowers in the spring. It grows well in shade and in colder areas dies back in the winter. If it doesn't, you may want to mow it to force new growth. It spreads fast and once estab-lished, is very difficult to stop. Kinnikinick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), a low-growing favorite evergreen, has tiny glossy leaves and reddish woody stems. Most of the kinnikinick on the market is labeled "Massachusetts," and is not native here. The northwest native kinnikinick can sometimes be found at a native plant nursery.

Another, taller groundcover is a form of Oregon grape called the long-leaf Oregon grape (Berberis nervosa). It grows several feet tall but can be sheared back every three to five years for an even stand. It forms spikes of bright yellow flowers in the spring followed by dark blue berries in summer. Birds love the fruit. It is best to plant natives in the spring or fall after summer's heat has subsided. Additional irrigation may be needed until the groundcover becomes established.

Kinnikinick 

9

by Evelynn VonFeldt

OSU Master Gardener 

TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER FALL 2013

Aphids

What’s “Bugging” My Garden?

A phids belong to the insect order Hemipitera with several species of aphids in that family. They are

between .625” to .125” long, oval to pear shaped. They can be black, green, pink, mottled or striped but most match the coloration of their host plant. They usually do not do great damage to the host plant, even in large numbers.

Reproduction: They over winter as eggs, pupating and emerging when condi-tions are right. During the warmer weather of summer they can appear “overnight” in large numbers because at that time they have asexual

reproduction--meaning they are all females, born pregnant, and have live birth. So they are born ready to eat without having to go through the full metamor-phosis stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult. Feeding: They have piercing sucking mouthparts and tend to live on the new most succu-lent plant parts, foliage, stems, flowers or buds. Honeydew: Their waste ex-udes from twin “tail-pipes” on their hind ends, it is called honeydew and is made of plant sugars. This honeydew can accumulate on leaves or drop to sidewalks, decks, cars, etc. making a sticky mess. On leaves it can it can develop a black sooty mold covering the top sides of the leaves. Diseases: Since they have piercing sucking mouths the can pass viruses from plant to plant. One of the ones we get here in Tillamook County is Pea Enation Mosaic Virus (PEMV) it can show up when the weather warms. It causes the plant to be stunted, the pods develop chlorotic flecking (looks like transparent

10

windows) and/or blister-like growths. The peas inside are tough and bitter. If planting peas after April 1st some resistant varieties developed by OSU include Oregon Trail, Oregon Pioneer and Maestro. Snow peas Oregon Giant and Oregon Sugar Pod II and sugar snap variety Cascadia are excellent options to avoid PEMV. Controls: Scout for thresholds--how much damage can you live with? Cultural controls include spraying the affected plant area with a strong stream of water or hand wiping off the soft bodied aphids. Biological controls include encouraging lady bird beetles, syrphid flies, green lace wings and parasitoid wasps (note the picture at right showing aphid mummies with “hatch” cut out where parasitoid wasp emerged). Chemical control: HOME USE Dormant to delayed-dormant spray - horticultural oil. Some conifers, ferns and deciduous plants do not tolerate oil sprays, refer to product label. In-season sprays acephate (do not use acephate on American elm) acetamiprid azadirachtin (neem extract) bifenthrin cyfluthrin horticultural oil-Some conifers, ferns and deciduous plants do not tolerate oil sprays, refer to product label. imidacloprid insecti-cidal soap lambda-cyhalothrin malathion permethrin pyrethrins. As always read and follow all label directions.

Sources: Hollingsworth, Craig, Neil Bell, Michael R. Bush, Joe DeFrancesco, Jeff Olsen, Gene Pirelli (Eds.) (2013) Pacific Northwest Insect Manage-ment Handbook

h p://www.entomology.cornell.edu/cals/entomology/extension/idl/idlfactsheetlist.cfm  

    h p://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/lso/aphids.htm    

TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER FALL 2013

G a r d e n h i n t s f r o m y o u r O S U E x t e n s i o n A g e n t

SEPTEMBER Maintenance and Clean Up • Harvest winter squash when the “ground spot” changes from white to a cream or gold color. Keep in a dry area at 55° to 60°F. • Mulch carrot, parsnip, and beets for winter harvesting. • Harvest potatoes when the tops die down. Store them in a dark location. • Protect tomatoes and/or pick green tomatoes and ripen indoors if frost threatens. • Stake tall flowers to keep them from blowing over in fall winds. • Dig, clean, and store tuberous begonias if frost threatens. • Optimal time for establishing a new lawn-August through Mid-September. • Aerate lawns. • (Early-September): Apply 1 lb. nitrogen per 1,000 sq.ft. to lawns. Planting/Propagation • Divide peonies and iris. • Plant or transplant woody ornamen-tals and mature herbaceous perenni-als. Fall planting of trees, shrubs and perennials can encourage healthy root growth over the winter. • Plant daffodils, tulips, and crocus for spring bloom. Work calcium and phosphorus into the soil below the bulbs at planting time. Remember when purchasing bulbs, the size of the bulb is directly correlated to the size of the flower yet to come in. Pest Monitoring and Management • Continue monitoring late-season soft fruits and berries for Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD). • • Control slugs as necessary. • Monitor trailing berries for leaf and cane spot. Treat if necessary. • Apply copper spray for peach and cherry trees, as necessary. • Spray susceptible varieties of pota-toes and tomatoes for early and late blight.

Maintenance and Clean Up • Drain or blow out your irrigation system, insulate valve mechanisms, in preparation of winter. • Harvest sunflower heads; use seed for birdseed or roast for personal use. • Dig and store potatoes; keep in darkness, moderate humidity, temper-ature about 40°F. Discard unused potatoes if they sprout. Don’t use as seed potatoes for next year. • Harvest and immediately dry filberts and walnuts; dry at 95° to 100°F. • Ripen green tomatoes indoors. Check often and discard rotting fruit. • Harvest and store apples; keep at about 40°F, moderate humidity. • Place mulch over roots of roses, azaleas, rhododendrons and berries for winter protection. • Trim or stake bushy herbaceous perennials to prevent wind damage. • Cover asparagus and rhubarb beds with a mulch of manure or compost. • Prune out dead fruiting canes in raspberries. Planting/Propagation • Dig and divide rhubarb. (Should be done about every 4 years.) • Plant garlic for harvesting next summer. • Propagate chrysanthemums, fuchsias, geraniums by stem cuttings. • Dig and store geraniums, tuberous begonias, dahlias, gladiolas. Pest Monitoring and Management • Remove and dispose of windfall apples that might be harboring apple maggot or codling moth larvae. • Rake and destroy diseased leaves (apple, cherry, rose, etc. • Spray apple and stone fruit trees at leaf fall to prevent various fungal and bacterial diseases. • Place hanging pots of fuchsias where they won’t freeze. Don’t cut back until spring.

Maintenance and Clean Up • Check potatoes in storage and remove any going bad. • Place a portable cold frame over rows of winter vegetables. • Place mulch around berries for winter protection. • Cover rhubarb and asparagus beds with composted manure and straw. • Rake and compost leaves that are free of diseases and insects. Use mulches to prevent erosion and compaction from rain. • Clean and oil tools before winter. Drain and store hoses carefully to avoid damage from freezing. Renew mulch around perennial flower beds after re-moving weeds. • Protect tender evergreens from drying wind. • Tie limbs of upright evergreens to prevent breakage by snow or ice. • Trim chrysanthemums to 4 to 6 inches after they finish blooming. • Last chance to plant cover crops. • Take cuttings of rhododendrons and camellias for propagation; propagate begonias from leaf cuttings. • Prune roses (tea and floribunda, but NOT climbers and ramblers) to around 3 feet in height . Planting/Propagation • Plant window garden of lettuce, chives, parsley. • Still time to plant spring-flowering bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses. • Good time to plant garlic for harvest next summer, and to transplant land-scape trees and shrubs. Pest Monitoring and Management • Rake and destroy leaves from fruit trees that were diseased this year. Remove and discard mummified fruit. • Bait garden, flower beds for slugs during rainy periods. Use traps or new phosphate baits, which are pet-safe.

Oregon State University Extension Service encourages sustainable gardening practices. Always identify and monitor problems before acting. First consider cultural controls; then physical, biological, and chemical controls (which include insecticidal soaps,

horticultural oils, botanical insecticides, organic and synthetic pesticides). Always consider the least toxic approach first. 

OCTOBER NOVEMBER

11

 TILLAMOOK COUNTY TILLER

In This Issue

Pg 1 Add Mason Bees to Your Garden Pg 2 TCMGA President's Corner Water Saving Tips Pg 3 Time to Plant Garlic Pg 4 An Easier Way to Create a Vegetable Bed Pg 5 Clean Up and Cut Back How to Harvest & Store Potatoes Pg 6 Preserving All Things Apple Safely Pg 7 Dehydrating Food Freezing Home Produce Pg 8 Salad Greens for Winter Harvest Let Your Annuals Seed Themselves Pg 9 Native Groundcovers / Home Landscapes Pg 10 What’s Bugging My Garden? - Aphids Pg 11 Garden Hints - Sept., October, November

FALL 2013

Coming Events

September 7 MG Plant Clinic - Farmer’s Market

Sept. 13 Manzanita Farmer’s Market Clinic

September 21 MG Plant Clinic - Farmer’s Market October 5 MG Plant Clinic - Farmer’s Market October 19 MG Plant Clinic - Farmer’s Market November 9 TCMGA Gardener’s Tea January to March 2014 -- Master Gardener Classes

3rd Wed. of the month Bonsai Club - Tillamook PUD Meeting Room 7 p.m.

Oregon State University Extension Service offers educa onal programs, ac vi es, and materials without discrimina on based on age, color, disability, gender iden ty or expression, marital status, na onal origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orienta on, or veteran’s status. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This publica on will be made available in accessible formats upon request.  Please call 503‐842‐3433 for informa on. Se puede obtener esta publicación en forma alterna va. Por favor llame al 503‐842‐3433 para más información. 

 

TCMGA Gardener's Tea November 9th, 2013

1 PM to 3 PM

Become an OSU MASTER GARDENER™

Tillamook Classes January through March 2014

Master Gardener Volunteers Available to answer your Gardening Questions

Mondays and Thursdays - 12:30 to 4:30 pm Through November

At the OSU Extension Service 2204 4th St., Tillamook

503-842-3433 or Tillamook.MasterGardeners@oregonstate.edu

LOCATION:

Tillamook Church of the Nazarene

2611 Third Street

Tillamook, Oregon

Tickets :

Available at the Door

Follow local news media for details