Rain most of the week.
Didn't have to irrigate as soil WAS
getting very dry on the top 1-2 inches.

Strawberry season started 6 days ago.  Strawberries
have been ripe in the home garden areas for a week. 
Blueberries sizing a head of schedule.  Raspberry,
blackberries all blooming at almost the same time, and early.

Anticipate huge spotted wing drosophila (SWD)
with the early spring.  Please call your local
 Extension office IF you find SWD.  Go to: 
OSU SWD for more information and
latest developments.

Coastal cedar rust hammering apples, pears, quince,
service berries, Mt. Ash plants, even more than
last year.  There are some commercial sprays that
will help keep the fungus under control.  Nothing
for the home gardener other than pick off fruit and leaves.

Most fruit crop yields - look OK.    Most look like
 a reduced yield, except for some areas.

Warm season veggies, still slow at growing.

Patience,as it is ONLY May 24 but panic as it
 is May 23 and strawberries are ripe and other
berries are developing ahead of normal.

Strawberries ripe - May 20. 
Typically 10-15 days early.

Lots of leaf rollers in hazelnuts
and apples - use Bt.

Some warm season seeds
slow at emerging.

Continue to thin apples, peaches
and pears.

Good weekend for planting.
Lots of plant sales gong on.
Plant away.

Observations:
Gravenstein apple - full crop
Red delicious - full crop
Jonagold - good crop

Pears - coastal cedar rust so about 50%.

Prunes - very few.

Berries - coming on strong.
Strawberries - first ripe ones.
Blueberries - medium size and green.

Brasscicas - going to seed and bolting
from last year.
More reports of grape powdery mildew
and the erinium mite which causes
the leaves to crinkle.

Soil moisture still low.

Voles - field ice gaining in numbers.
Seeing drought stress on many
trees already.

Rain, rain, rain.
We had a big apple and scab infection
yesterday and today. 

Protect apples as soon as possible.

Rain will slow the codling moth emergence.

Lawn still growing very quickly.

Lesser celandine very prolific this year.ts.
Reports of leaf minor from Cottage Grove,
Springfield, Eugene,Corvallis and affecting
a lot of the leafy plants.

Chard and leafy plants are getting leaf
miners ALREADY.

Cover with Remay or other row covers.

Lawn grass is still growing crazy.  don't
wait tooo long to get it mowed.
Use a mulching mower to pulverize the lawn
particles, which are great for fertilizing the lawn.

Many Brassica plants are going to seed
already, especially cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi
from last year.

Valley  pollen and dirt in the air is high with
 the grass seed pollinating and the field hay
crop being harvested.

Continue to plant the garden.  It is the 12th, so
to just be safe, wait until May 15 to plant the
warm season veggies  (even tho I am sure many
people have already planted many warm
season plants

Great weather.
Need for irrigation will be
upon us soon us.
Tree fruits still looking good,
apples slow to grow.

June drop will be in about two more
weeks, but most apples, peaches and
pear will need thinning in a week. 
Thin Gravenstein apples soon as their
stems seem to be really short this year.

Garlic developing well.
Warm season crops - weather looks good but
watch the weather for freezing weather.