Friday, September 30, 2011

Fall

Tough year for tomatoes - the rain
is causing ripe tomatoes to split,
like cherries due to the moisture.
Tomatoes just really ripening now.
Early apples - good; later apples
like red delicious - still green.
Bartlett pears still hanging on.
A long harvest and many dropping
pre maturely due to weather. Spotted
wing drosophila showing up - in small
numbers but more wide spread in late
raspberries and blackberries; few SWD
made it to strawberries or blueberries
this year. Squash and pumpkins -
slowly ripening, not quite ready yet.
Hazelnuts falling nicely.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

More sun

Tomatoes are really ripening, but
the rain has split many. Keep the
tomatoes up off the ground.
Broccoli - still growing but small heads.
Kohlrabi - excellent.
Weeds starting to grow again -
mulch or keep under control.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Corn ear worms

This week there there has been a large emergence of corn ear worms - be aware.

Fall Festival,Springfield, OR.

Attend the Master Gardener Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 1 from 10am-3 pm, at the Willamalane Adult Center. Classes: 11 Plant bulbs; 12 - gifts from the garden; 1 - garlic; 2 lasagna gardening. For sale: bulbs, shallots, great garden books, craft booths, bake/food sale, plants, tomato and apple tasting and kids activities. Don't miss this great event.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

More rain, sun soon

Gardening on hold.
More spotted wing drosophila
found in raspberries.
Cole crops growing very well.
Peas - explosive growth.
Apples and pears - ripening slowed.
Watch grapes and tomatoes - rain
can cause splitting and spread
powdery mildew - use more
bicarbonate of soda.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Rain

Rain is happening.
Protect grape and tomatoes
with coverings. The water
will cause these to split or
spread the powdery mildew
even more.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Great Saturday

More sunshine.
More good growing weather.
Tomatoes - really ripening fast,
but are splitting due to the foggy
mornings. Plastic cloche would be
good to get extra heat and protect
from AM fog.
Hazelnuts falling. Walnut crop -
not sure yet. Black walnut - good crop.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Extension Celebration today

Thanks to everyone for a great
Extension celebration today.
We had around 200 people show
up, viewed 12 booths, and learn
about the different partner programs
from Extension, Rainbow Valley
Design and Const., and LCC.
Thanks to everyone who helped
set up, take down and the mass of
volunteers who helped out.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Sept. 22

Extension Open House tomorrow, 2:30-6:30; 783 Grant Street, Eugene. Lots of booths, information, food. Come support the Extension programs.

Fall

Fall is creeping upon us.
Our experiment with controlling
powdery mildew - watch out. Too
much baking soda can burn leaves.
The use of baking soda should NOT
cause the leaves to turn brown.
Apples are ripe when the "under color"
turns from green to yellow to red
or true yellow.

Monday, September 19, 2011

What is next

Apples and pears ripening - very slowly.
Many apples dropping prior to true ripeness,
just due to the cold AM's and warm days.
Same with pears - smaller this year due
to the lack of rain. Plums really late
and small crop.
Blackberries - still picking. Some fall
raspberries.
Peas, zucchini, beans,corn, and tomatoes
doing very wel.. Tomatoes turning red,
slowly. Stink bugs and fleas beetles
showing up in big numbers. Waiting for
a late insect emergence.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Saturday

Same 'ol in the world of hort.
A great Natural Resource classes
up in Corvallis today.
If interested, sign up for the Lane
Master Gardener classes ASAP. For anyone
interested in learning more about
gardening. 66 hours of training and
66 hours of volunteer pay
back. Sept 22, 2:30-6:30 pm, visit the
Lane Ext office for our BIG celebration!
Be a supporter.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Thursday

Tomatoes continue to ripen.
Keep the tomatoes dry if possible.
Protect from late blight.
Grapes - muscats splitting
from powdery mildew.
Fall peas - good crop.
Apples - still ripening.
Watch out for the rain - can
split the grapes and spread PM.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

More weather

With the weather change be aware
of powdery mildew on squash, grapes
and late blight on tomatoes. Insects
still in low numbers. Watch increase
in other diseases.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Test

Let's do a test.
For an experiment. Lets try to
control powdery mildew:
1- try using milk and water,50%
once a week.
2- try baking soda (sodium bicarbonate),
2 tablespoons per quart of water once a week.

-and see if this works.

More hot weather

More hot weather for a few more days.
Lawns going dormant.
Gardens are suffering.
Apples and pears are starting drop.
Prunes actually getting ripe.
Sept. - l5 plant garlic.
Reseed lawns when the weather
stays below 78 degrees, OK, 75 degrees.
Line lawns, gardens, berries and
tree fruits anytime now.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Time off

Sit back.
Read a good book.
Relax.
Sit outside and enjoy
the weather.
Imagine a great Indian summer.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

More hot weather

Cedar and sequoia trees hurting and need water.
Gardens and lawn need more water.
Mulch all ornamentals and berries.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Apples

Apples ripening nicely.
Asian pears - about ready.
Peaches - nice but nearing end.
Plums - near ripe but small crop.
Veggies - very good.
Tomatoes - coming on full scale.
Few insects still.
Enjoy the weather.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Weeds

Control the weeds as they are dry
and pulverize with the lawn mower
and provide a great mulch. Control
blackberries, they areal vigorous
this year.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Fall?

Great weather.
However, the leaves from maple
and madrone trees have started
to fall already.All veggies are
doing good.
Apples - coming on very well.
Peaches - very good this year.
Corn - good.
Plant fall garden. What is your
guess as to when fall will start?

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Be Aware

There was a massive hatch of flea
beetles this past Friday.
Br sure to control these pests.
I am leaving some veggies uncontrolled
so will report back.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Job

Friends, Our Farms & Gardens programs are going strong in Lane County. Ross and Linda need some help! We pulled together some creative funding, and I’m pleased to announce the office will be hiring a part-time program assistant to help organize and support our programs. We hope to fill the position by the end of September. If interested, please see the announcement below. Note that applications must be done through the OSU Jobs website. The announcement provides a link to that site, and complete position description. John Punches, Extension Regional Administrator for Lane. John.punches@oregonstate.edu
Education Program Assistant 1. The Oregon State University Extension Service in Lane County seeks a Part-Time (19 hours per week) Education Program Assistant 1 to help organize and deliver education programs to adult audiences. Duties include coordination of programs, scheduling, event support, working with volunteers and general office support. To review posting and apply, go to http://oregonstate.edu/jobs/. Posting 0007899 Closing date: 09/09/2011. OSU is an AA/EOE.