Author Archives: Ashland Garden Club

Gardening Tips

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February:  Preparing to plant in the Rogue Valley

wet-soil

Soil: too wet

Grab a handful of your soil, if you can form it into a ball, the soil is too wet for planting and chances are the seeds will rot in the ground. Plant only when the soil crumbles and falls apart after you squeeze it.

Soil pH: Use a pH soil test kit to test your soil. Kits are available at most garden centers. If you soil is too alkaline, above ph7, then incorporate lime into your soil. Lime is best added in the fall, but you can still do this in early spring. Apply Lime early in February, then a week later add in fertilizer.  Both materials should be incorporated into the soil 6 to 8 inches. Wait at least a week after applying fertilizer before planting seeds.

More about modifying soil pH here…
http://www.sunset.com/garden/garden-basics/acid-alkaline-soil-modifying-ph

You can direct sow the following seeds in your garden mid-to-late February, if the soil is no too wet and temperatures are staying above 20 degrees!
Peas, non-enation resistant varieties
Early varieties radish
Spring Spinach
Fave beans
Mustard
Spanish Onions (the most common onion is the USA),

Sow the seeds listed below, indoors or in a greenhouse in February for transplanting into the garden in 6-8 weeks:
Lettuce
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Bok Choy
Pac Choi
Mustard
Cabbage
Kale
Leeks

Article by Carlotta Lucas
Reference: Gardening Year ‘Round, Month by Month in the Rogue Valley and environs, A guide for Family Food Production by the Jackson County Master Gardeners Association
Wet soil photo courtesy of The Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardeners’ Demonstration Garden, Wichita KS

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Madrona Trees

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‘Tis tmadrone-drawinghe Season for Madrona

Stand in a clump of Pacific madrone or madrona trees during a winter storm, the trunks wet and luscious, creamy green and burnished red, and feast on the beauty. Children pull off the beckoning curly bark strips and stroke the underlying pale green bark, smooth and soothing. Mature trees can support many bark colors and textures: the older rough brown-gray squares, dark weathered curlicues, strips of fresh reds, and the young green underbark. The Klamath Indians tell a beautiful story about Madrone Girl, who lured her lover the North Wind back from the embraces of another native tree girl, Chinquapin, by scrubbing her skin pure and new in the Klamath River. She sang a love song while standing proud and gorgeous from a mountaintop; North Wind immediately returned. It has since become a tradition, this sloughing off of flecks and puzzle pieces of bark during the summer, decorating the forest floor.

The first Euro-American explorer and naturalist to describe madrone was Dr. Archibald Menzies who explored the Puget Sound with Captain Vancouver in 1792. The scientific name, Arbutus menziesii, commemorates Dr. Menzies.  In his journal he aptly described the species:

“a peculiar ornament to the Forest by its large clusters of whitish flowers & ever green leaves but its peculiar smooth bark of a reddish brown colour will at times attract the Notice of the most superficial observer”.

While a common understory tree in lower-elevation forests in Southwest Oregon, each mardone-berriesmadrone tree sports a different wondrous shape from multi-stem octopus trees that have re-sprouted after a fire to grand “girthy” older beauties.  The leaves are sclerophyllous – thick and sturdy broadleaf leaves that conserve water during hot summers. Second year leaves drop off during the summer, adding yellows to the bark chip forest floor, while younger leaves provide a canopy of green light all year-round. The leaves also provide a holiday-style contrast to the red pitted berries that droop from branches in the fall.

Local indigenous people, like the Takelma, harvest the berries. Band-tailed Pigeons, American Robins, and many other critters eat them, dispersing the seeds to feed future generations. Little kids and crafters make necklaces of dried madrone berries. Like other plants in the heath family, such as manazanita, the sweet urn-shaped flowers bloom in the spring and are visited by bumble bees.

Madrona feeds all of us – poets, dreamers, explorers, birds, and bees.

Author: Kristi Mergenthaller, Stewardship Directory Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
Article from Southern Oregon Land Conservancy Newsletter- Winter 2016

 

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas – Ashland Garden Club

Butterfly Gardens

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256px-danaus_plexippus-monarch

Monarch Butterfly

Robin McKenzie, Master Gardener and principal designer for Rockbird Gardens, gave an outstanding presentation on Monday at the Ashland Garden Club meeting. Robin specializes in creating sustainable backyard ecosystems for wildlife, and for people. Monday she talked about “Planning and Growing a Butterfly Garden”,  her talking points were:

• Research the items you need to attract butterflies
• Find a sunny garden location. ( 6-8 hrs of sun)
• Create a garden plan for your yard: flowerbeds, raised beds, and/or containers
• Know the timeline needed to create a garden
• Prepare the soil for your plants, add amendments, make sure you have good drainage
• Install borders and hardscape before you plant (*see mud-puddle below)
• Decide your plant choices: purchase and/or grow your plants, then plant according to their specific directions, don’t crowd your plants!

mud-puddle-for-butterflies

Butterfly Puddle

*Butterflies need water, so make them a mud puddle!
Use a shallow dish such as a plastic or terracotta plant saucer in a sunny area of your garden that is protected from the wind. Fill the bottom of the pan with sand, gravel, and a few small stones, add water to the dampen sand.

Host plants:
Attract more butterflies by having plants for larval food in your yard, for instance:

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Milkweed

Milkweed for Monarchs
Tarragon for Swallowtails
Angelica for Anise Swallowtails
Violas for Great Spangled Great Spangled Fritillary
Note: Be prepared for heavy munching on these host plants, these plants are  caterpillar food!

See list of host plants here:
http://nababutterfly.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/southwestern-Oregon-butterfly-garden-guide.pdf

And here….http://extension.oregonstate.edu/4hwildlifestewards/pdfs/butterfly.pdf

How to become a Certified monarch Butterfly Station:  www.monarchwatch.org

Lecture was by Robin McKenzie www.rockbirdgardens.com
Monarch Butterfly image by Simon Koopmann‎ on Wikimedia Commons
Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas

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Reuse-Reduce-Recycle: Kitchen Scraps

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Waste Not! Here are some helpful hints on how to reduce kitchen waste. Even if you are composting you’ll want to try these healthy kitchen tips, to help stretch your grocery budget.  Remember, organic is always the best choice.  

carrot-top

Carrot Top

Vegetable Stock:   Take  vegetable trimmings, such as, celery root ends, zucchini ends, carrot peels, onion ends, potato peels, garlic husk,  turnip peels,  cabbage core, carrot tops, etc.  Place trimmings  in a large stockpot, cover with water and simmer for 4–6 hours. Strain out veggies. Freeze vegetable stock in ice cubes. Use to flavor soups, pasta, & casseroles.

NOTE: You can collect and freeze trimmings by placing them in large freezer bag. You can add more trimmings as you generate them, then process stock when you have a full bag.

Apple peels: Freeze peels, blend what you need and add blended apple peels to your morning oatmeal.
 Make Apple Peel Jelly: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=275484.0
 Make Apple Peel Tea: http://joyinmykitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/apple-honey-tea.html#.WIJbMbmweYw
Apple Peel Chips:  Toss with a little sugar & cinnamon.  Spread on parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 400˚ oven for 10 minutes.

Citrus peels: Peel the outer skin of citrus, avoid as much white pith as possible.  Dry in a 200˚ oven for 2–3 hours,  or  place peels on dehydrator trays and dry at 135˚ until completely dry. Add peels to herbal teas, black teas or just steep them in water to make an infused citrus drink. Add to baked goods.

Candied Orange/Citrus  peel:  http://www.brighteyedbaker.com/confessions101/diy-candied-orange-peel/

Bananas: For slightly aging bananas, you can make banana bread,  freeze them for smoothies and milkshakes, make ice cream or blend them with avocado and nut better for a satisfying pudding .      http://minimalistbaker.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-avocado-pudding/

Stems:  Parsley, Basil or Kale: Use stems with the leaves in batches of pesto. http://www.theintentionalminimalist.com/2016/10/kale-stem-pesto.html

Kale Stems:  Chopped stems fine and cook with kale leaves.
Broccoli Stems: Peel stems, chop and cook.
Cauliflower: Cook stems and all.
Romaine lettuce: Sliver stems, sauté in olive oil with garlic and salt.
 
Potato peels: Buy organic potatoes and cook with skins on for more nutrition. If you must peel your potatoes, then you can make chips by tossing organic potato peels with a bit of olive oil and salt. Bake for 10 minutes in a  400˚  oven. (preheat oven)

Parmesan rinds: Collect and freeze Parmesan rinds, then add a rind or two into soups, sauces, and broth to enhance flavor.

Stale bread: Stale bread has lots of uses. Do it yourself breadcrumbs are super easy to make and useful to have on hand. Toast bread and crumble, or toss toasted bread into food processor. Use bread crumbs right away or store them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Other uses: make croutons, use in Panzanella Salad, French Onion Soup, Fondue, Bread Pudding, French Toast, Panade (bread soup). http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/bread_soup_panade_with_onions_chard_and_mushrooms/

Carrot tops:  They are not poisonous! You can substitute these leafy greens for basil in a favorite pesto recipe.  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/velvety-carrot-soup-pesto
5 ways to eat Carrot Tops: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-ways-to-eat-carrot-tops-183415

Vanilla beans: Cover scraped vanilla beans completely in sugar in an airtight container. Store for 1–2 weeks; then use vanilla-scented sugar in baked goods or stirred into tea.

Bones:  Make stock
Bone Broth:  http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/common-mistakes/article/common-mistakes-bone-broth

Chicken Broth: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_chicken_stock/

Dormant Sprays

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Source:
Ross Penhallegon,Horticulturistdsc03426
OSU Extension Service

Recommendations for the least toxic sprays and treatments for fruit trees. These products are usually available at garden centers. Always follow label directions.

Dormant Oil: Apply when trees are dormant, November through March, after all the leaves have fallen. Mix with water as directed and spray to all surfaces of the trunk, branches and twigs. Apply when the temperature is expected to rise during the day; temperatures below 35 degrees can damage the bark. Dormant oil controls aphids, scale, spider mites, and many other insects by desiccating or smothering eggs and larvae.

Fixed Copper: Spray on apples, pears, cherries, peaches, and plums to control canker. Allow two weeks between applications of copper and any sprays containing sulfur. Add a spreader-sticker product to help copper adhere to the tree surface.

Latex paint: Coat the trunks of young trees with white latex paint mixed half-and-half with water. The paint reflects strong sunlight that, once the leaves fall, can cause cracking, a favorite place for pests to overwinter and can cause substantial winter damage.

Here are some tips for specific fruit trees:

Apples: Spray copper before fall rains; dormant oil once or twice from January through March; wettable sulfur just after petal fall.

Apricots: Spray copper before the fall rains and dormant oil in February.

Cherries: Use wettable sulfur applied weekly during blooming for brown rot. Information on synthetic sprays to control cherry fruit fly is available at your local county office of the OSU Extension Service.

Pears: Spray copper before the fall rains; spray dormant oil in early spring before buds open and wettable sulfur just after petal fall.

Peaches: Spray copper or a good dormant fungicide three to four times between December and bud break. Spray copper before fall rains and in spring just before bud break; apply sulfur weekly during blooming and again after all petals have fallen.

Author:Kym Pokorny

Read full article on the Oregon State University Extension Service Website:http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/use-prevention-methods-fight-fruit-tree-diseases-2

Photo by: Carlotta Lucas AGC Member

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