Good weather continues.
Mornings cool, but day time temps
still good.
Apples - looking very good.  Apples - great
crop with little insect damage
even for those who didn't spray.
Berries - blueberries nearly done.
Blackberries - going crazy.
Raspberries - some fall raspberries.
Veggies - most doing very well. 
Tomatoes turning color nicely.
Nuts - huge hazelnut crop this year.
Pears - Bartletts in full harvest, nice crop.

More good weather but cooler nights and warm days.
Great for pears and apples.
Not so good with temps dropping below
50 at night for the warm season plants.
Insects still on the low number.
Tomatoes, corn, zuchinii going crazy.
Tomatoes getting a lot of blossom end
rot due to too wet, too dry and lack of calcium.
Better watering technique and add calcium next year.
Tomatoes still getting early blight but
watch for late blight.

Last night 50's, and Saturday morning, high 40's.
Put water jugs back out near the
warm season plants.
Veggies - all are ripening nicely.
Squash doing well.
Artichoke - almost ready.
Peppers - doing good.
Celery - almost ready.
Zuchinni - going crazy.
Cabbage - perfect.

Mornings are getting cooler, like September pre fall.
Time to think about putting jugs of water back out
 into the garden for the tomato, pepper, eggplant
 and other warm season plants.
Apples ripening, pears near ripe, especially bartletts.
Blossom end rot or the black rough end on tomatoes -
mainly due to to hot, not too cold, to dry and too wet
Peppers coming on, hold off fall for just a few more weeks.

Apples are falling due to them pushing
themselves off if they have short stems. 
If gravenstein or Lodi, just ripe.
Prunes - half way developed, I cut one
open and there was no seed, so lack of pollination.

The OSU Lane County Master Gardener class is now
accepting application for the 2013 class. 
The training includes intensive classes on insects, diseases,
weeds, tree fruits, berries, plant diagnostics, plant biology,
and much more.

Got to:  http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/gardens

- for an application or drop our office at 783 Grant Street,
Eugene, M-Th 10-1 and 2-5.

The web site is full of information about the MG
program or call 541 344-5859.

 Insect Numbers from Dan McGrath, OSU

INSECT             5 YR AV       2012
Black cutworm      0.5             0.36
Corn earworm        1.3            0.41
12 Spot                  1.2             1.03
Cabb looper           5.99          0.71
Cabb butterflies     3.6            8.13 - some risk

Another good article on Gardens.  Note for item 6,
typically we don't fertilize during hot periods.

 http://www.changeofaddress.org/

10 Ways to Care for Your Garden in a Hot, Dry Summer

During the summer it’s not unusual for the temperature to reach above 100 degrees in many parts of the country, even in the shade, which is a cause of concern for anyone who is trying to nurture a garden. Trying to combat an untimely death to plants and flowers that you have lovingly cultivated and nurtured can be like fighting an uphill battle in the never-ending heat waves that plague summer months. However your plants don’t have to disappear once the summertime hits and, armed with a few helpful tips and tricks, your garden can thrive despite record-breaking temperatures and the relentless rays of the sun.

1. Choosing plants that thrive in your normal weather pattern and the area of the country you live in is the first step to having a healthy garden.
2. You can’t always forecast when the summer will be unseasonably hot and dry, however keeping up with the weather forecasts from your weather stations will help in making decisions to keep your garden growing during a dry spell.
3. One water-saving method is to use mulch.  How much mulch you need will depend on the size of your garden, but mulch is known to help retain the moisture from rain or from your own watering system.
4. Never water during the heat of the day.  The sun has a way of evaporating the water faster than the plants can receive nourishment from the water. Try to water early in the morning or later at night when the sun isn’t out to ensure your plants get the most water possible.
5. Use a watering spike – this is simply a sprinkler nozzle on a large plastic reticulation sprinklerextension with a connector to the hose
6. In times of heat shock, a seaweed extract based liquid fertilizer treatment often reduces heat stress and it may help protect the plant in future. You can read more about that here.
7. Using a water wand will aid in watering plants without force.  Spraying too hard may harm the plants during drought.
8. Conserving water should be a way of life, and knowing to use our supply correctly will also aid in keeping plants healthy.  For instance, use the wand on the hose to water the roots.  The roots actually give the growth above it a drink from its supply.
9. A soaker hose laid around the plant on the ground will also soak the plants and use less water
10. Understanding that there is no life form that can live without water, we must plan our gardens knowing we have a good water supply close by.  Some plants we can over water, while others need more TLC where a drink of water is concerned.

Hopefully, despite the long, hot summer days, by using these tips you have success when harvest time comes. By carefully paying attention the temperatures and providing your plants with plenty of water and love, your garden should survive the hottest part of the year.

Good weather continues.
Great zucchini, broccolil,
cauliflower, peas, green bean,
corn, 
.Basil- still very slow growing.
Tomatoes - both types ripening.
Apples, peaches, figs ripened very
quickly this weekend.
Blackberries -fully ripe but there
are ripe, semi ripe, red and
very immature berries.
Grapes getting big, spray with sulfur.

IpmccauleyAugust 1, 2012 2:07 PM

I just got into gardening this summer. I had planted some Dill about a month ago after my first attempt had failed (i know its probably too late anyway to even plant), but my question is, they seem to not be growing very much except for say 2 out of 15. Is this because I planted them too late? They were from seed. The 3 that are surviving well are only about 5 inches tall. Any help would be great!

ReplyDelete

Ross PenhallegonAugust 9, 2012 8:32 PM

Sorry, just found the comment: our dill just
came up 10 days ago. Still plenty of time.
5 inches is just right for this year.

Corn doing well here.
Green bean harvest - looks
very good so far for Linn,
Benton and Lane County area.
Peach crop- very nice but some
cat-facing across the valley,
still trying to find out why.
Blue and black berry crops -
progressing well.    Good yields.
Lots of zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower.
Filbertworm - still in low numbers. 
No walnut husk flies found yet.

As we look at the weather and growing
warm season veggies; the few days FINALLY
have had an evening temperature of 61 degrees.
Just a few days ago the early AM temps were
around 40 degrees which shuts down the
growth of the warm veggies.   
Most warm season veggies like temps above
60 degrees, so that is the reason many of the
warm veggies, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers,
melons have been so slooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooow at growing this year.

Commercial green bean harvest continues.

Good strawberry harvest.
Raspberry - good harvest, little light.
Blueberry harvest has begun - huge crop
in most areas.
Marion berry - moderate crop.
Wild blackberry crop - huge.
Cherries - good year.
Lodi and transparent apples - picking.
Early gravenstein apples - ready.
Spotted wing drosophila - hammering
strawberries, raspberries, blueberries,
jostaberries, cherries -- expecting it to
continue to hit the mid to late blueberries,
the wild blackberries, prunes, and peaches.
So far we have not seen the SWD in tomatoes,
but if it is going to happen, this is
the year, so watch out. Call your
local Extension office if found in tomatoes.
This next weeks warm weather should
bring on a lot of the garden crops.
Watch of a second round of bolting on cole crops.