Monday, May 23, 2016

Get Outdoors Day


Master Gardeners' Booth at Get Outdoors (GO) Day

We had a great time helping kids and parents learn a few new things about the forest with a fun riddle game. It was great to see so many families outside appreciating McDonald Forest and having good clean (well wholesome, at least) fun!  It sure feels good to encourage such a healthy activity.  We also helped them identify poison oak, so they'd want to come back.  Great job Kathi for setting it all up!  Kudos also to Nancy Tovar for helping out.

There was fishing, crafts, games, and even several beautiful horses to see.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Garden Activities for June

~ What to do in the Garden in June ~
Planning
   Construct trellises for tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, and vining ornamentals.

  This can be as simple as stapling a scrap of welded wire fence to an existing post as in this case.

Maintenance and Clean Up
   Prune lilacs, forsythia, rhododendrons, and azaleas after blooming.


   Fertilize vegetable garden 1 month after plants emerge by side dressing alongside rows.


   Harvest thinnings from new plantings of lettuce, onion, and chard.


   Pick ripe strawberries regularly to avoid fruit-rotting diseases.


   Use organic mulches to conserve soil moisture in ornamental beds. An inch or two of sawdust, barkdust, or composted leaves will minimize loss of water through evaporation.
   After normal fruit drop of apples, pears and peaches in June, consider thinning the remainder to produce a larger crop of fruit.


   Make sure raised beds receive enough water for plants to avoid drought stress.


   Mid-June: If green lawns are being maintained through the summer, apply 1 pound nitrogen per 1,000 square feet to lawns.


   Measure your water use by placing an empty tuna can where your irrigation water lands and prevent wasted water.


Planting/Propagation
   Plant dahlias and gladioli.
   Most plants that are put in the ground during summer will need extra water and possibly shade.  Potting media dries out faster than soil and necessitates more frequent watering until roots have time to spread into native soil.



Pest Monitoring and Management
   First week: Spray cherry trees for cherry fruit fly, as necessary, if fruit is ripening.


   First week: Spray for codling moth in apple and pear trees, as necessary. Continue use of pheromone traps for insect pest detection.


   Learn to identify beneficial insects and plant some insectary plants (e.g. Alyssum, Phacelia, coriander, candytuft, sunflower, yarrow, dill) to attract them to your garden. Check with local nurseries for best selections. For more information, see Encouraging Beneficial Insects in Your Garden (PNW 550).


   Blossoms on squash and cucumbers begin to drop; this is nothing to worry about. Cherries may also drop fruit; this is not a major concern.


   Monitor azaleas, primroses and other broadleaf ornamentals for adult root weevils. Look for fresh evidence of feeding (notching at leaf edges). Try sticky trap products on plant trunks to trap adult weevils. Protect against damaging the bark by applying the sticky material on a 4-inch wide band of poly sheeting or burlap wrapped around the trunk. Mark plants now and manage root weevils with beneficial nematodes when soil temperatures are above 55 degrees Farenheit. If root weevils are a consistent problem, consider removing plants and choosing resistant varieties.


   Control garden weeds by pulling, hoeing, or mulching.  Laying down cardboard first and then a more attractive mulch can eliminate most established weeds.  Always plan to do some follow up weeding though.


   Control aphids on vegetables as needed by hosing off with water or by using insecticidal soap.


   Watch for 12-spotted beetles on beans and lettuce and cabbage worms or flea beetles in cole crops (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts). Remove the pests by hand or treat with registered pesticides.


   Spray peas as first pods form, if necessary, to control weevils.


   Birch trees dripping a sticky fluid from their leaves means that aphids are present.
   Use yellow sticky traps to monitor for cherry fruit fly. About 1 week after the first fly is caught, spray cherries at appropriate intervals.


   Last week: Second spray for codling moth in apple and pear trees, as necessary.



Continue monitoring blueberry, strawberry, cherry and other plants that produce soft fruits and berries for Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD). If SWD are present, use an integrated and least toxic approach to manage the pests. To learn how to monitor and manage SWD

Garden Activities for May

~ What to do in the Garden in May ~
Planning
   Prepare and prime irrigation system for summer. Flush drip irrigation and test sprinkler systems.


   Use a soil thermometer or planting chart to help you know when to plant vegetables. Wait until the soil is consistently above 70 degrees Farenheit to plant tomatoes, squash, melons, peppers and eggplant. 
   Place pheromone traps in apple trees to detect presence of codling moth. Plan a control program of sprays, baits, or predators when moths are found.


Maintenance and Clean Up
   If needed, fertilize rhododendrons and azaleas with acid-type fertilizer. If established and healthy, their nutrient needs should be minimal. Remove spent blossoms.


   When selecting new roses, choose plants labeled for resistance to diseases. Now is a good time to fertilize.
Planting/Propagation
   Plant dahlias, gladioli, and tuberous begonias in mid-May.


   Plant chrysanthemums for fall color.


   Plant these vegetables:  snap and lima beans, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupes, slicing and pickling cucumbers, dill, eggplant, kale, peppers, pumpkins, summer and winter squash, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and watermelon.
Pest Monitoring and Management
   If an unknown plant problem occurs, contact the Master Gardener hotline for identification and future management options.


   Manage weeds while they are small and actively growing with light cultivation.  Mulch to prevent weeds.  Put down cardboard under mulch where there is a large patch of weeds.
   Leafrolling worms may affect apples and blueberries. Prune off and destroy affected leaves.


   Monitor aphids on strawberries and ornamentals. If present, control options include washing off with water, hand removal, or use insecticidal soap. Follow all label directions prior to using insecticides. Promoting natural enemies (predators and parasitoids that eat or kill insects) is a longer-term solution for insect control in gardens.

 See this article for more information.
   Spittle bugs may appear on ornamental plants as foam on stems. In most cases, they don't require management. If desired, wash off with water or use insecticidal soap as a contact spray. Read and follow label directions when using insecticides, including insecticidal soap.


   Control cabbage worms in cabbage and cauliflower, 12-spotted cucumber beetles in beans and lettuce, and maggots in radishes. Control can involve hand removal, placing barrier screen over newly planted rows, or spraying or dusting with registered pesticides, labeled for use on the problem plant. Read and follow label directions when using insecticides.

 See this article for more information.
   Tiny holes in foliage and shiny, black beetles on tomato, beets, radishes, and potato indicate flea beetle attack. Treat with Neem, Bt-s, or use nematodes for larvae. Read and follow label directions when using insecticides.

  See this article for more information.
   Prevent root maggots when planting cole crops (cabbage, broccoli, collards and kale) by covering with row covers or screens, or by applying appropriate insecticides.

  
   Monitor rhododendrons, azaleas, primroses and other broadleaf ornamentals for adult root weevils. Look for fresh evidence of feeding (notching at leaf edges). Try sticky trap products on plant trunks to trap adult weevils. Protect against damaging the bark by applying the sticky material on a 4-inch wide band of poly sheeting or burlap wrapped around the trunk. Mark plants now and manage with beneficial nematodes when soil temperatures are above 55 degrees Farenheit. If root weevils are a consistent problem, consider removing plants and choosing resistant varieties (PDF).

  
   Control slugs with bait or traps and by removing or mowing vegetation near garden plots.

   Monitor blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and other plants that produce soft fruits and berries for Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD).  Learn how to monitor for SWD flies and larval infestations in fruit.