Happy gardening new year.
Happy beginning of a great new harvest
year for the commercial growers.

Time to start getting the catalogs and seeing
what is new on the vegetable, berry
and tree fruit horizon.

In Oregon, look for plants that are
DISEASE RESISTANT, especially with the
three wet summers that we have had so far.

Many land grant universities often have
plants and seeds that need testing for
disease resistance.

Lawn is still under control, the cool
weather has stopped the grass growing.
Lots of winter annual weeds growing and
NEED to be covered with mulch, being
hoed and/or controlled.

Continue to prune, berries and tree fruits.
A good time to bring the black berries back
under control......but remember that the blackberries
cause most people to bleed pretty bad  :)

Apples and sweet gum trees trees still fully leaved,
don't worry, they will drop their leaves.

Start using the winter squash.

A great week to rest, relax, and start
planning for next year on crops and/or
gardens for 2013.

Time to put plastic over the  raised beds
so worms can begin to compost leaves and
mulch, plus begin to dry out the raised bed mulch.

Do a light weeding as the inter annuals
are continuing to germinate.

 

Weather report – Lane County

Snow in the foot hills, many mud slides,

water in waterways very high.

Many fields flooded.
Snow on the valley floor for a short period of time.
Some broken tree branches due to wet snow.

Major crops done.

Hazelnuts – good crop for Lane County this year.
Few filbertworms caught but higher than normal
cullage due to filbertworm.
Pruning happening in many tree and nut orchards.

 

The good, it is a very good insulation
for ground pipes, any shallow rooted plants,
and it protects the lawn if the weather gets
 too cold, plus it protects potted plants if
covered in snow.

The bad, like last March, it breaks huge
branches if the snow accumulates on tree
branches;  it can wreaks havoc on arborvitae
bushes, which need to be tied loosely with
 rope to keep the branches from breaking
or bending way down.

Colder weather with 34 low, 41 high.
Still not damaging to cole crops.
Apples will be water coring with the
colder weather, great for making cider.

Raspberries, remove all dead canes,
thin out primicanes and then limmit
height to around 3 feet;  many time the
canes to a wire at 3.5-4 foot.  Do not mulch
raspberries, the mulch will cause winter root rot.

More rain and cool weather.
Time for a nice fire in the fire place, a
good book and the chores all being done.
Still good broccoli, chard, lettuce
around the county.
Leaves are mostly down; rake, mulch,
mow the leaves.  Looks like the leave
are done for now.
A few apples, pears, and Asian pears.

Observations:

Here it is December 9, and ready for
 winter, or are we.  Some plant say winter is
over or      we are going to get hit with some hard
winter freezes in January-February.

Roses - 1 inch of new growth.
Tulips - 1 inch of new fat, bud growth.
Apples - still full of leaves.

Hazelnut = many flower buds are small, but
some BLOOMING, the small purplish flower. 
Most catkins are very tight but also some catkins
which are almost ready with pollen.

Leaves are mostly down now.
If needed, order leaves from the city or
pick them up along the road side.

Lawn slowed down..... yeah.
It has been amazing how much the lawn will grow
from JUST  from re-mulching the lawn clippings
with a mulch lawn mower.

Time for pruning berries and tree fruits.

Rain, rain, rain.  Each time I talk about the
rain, it does go away, for a few minutes.
Apple tree leaves staying on the trees.
Some Jonagold still on trees.
Blackberries have  a lot of Septoria
leaf spot so spray copper this winter.

Last chance for anyone wanting to take part in
the 2013 Lane County Master Gardener class. 
Call 541 344-5859 as classes start in January.  The
Master Gardner class are held around the US. 
Learn about gardening and then volunteer back
by answering gardening questions, what a deal!
.

Still to many wild blackberries
Pruned MORE wayward blackberries that
were sneaking into the two greenhouses.
Cut them way back.
Many were 1 to 1 1/4 in diameter
 and at least 12 foot long.
ripening, yeah.