Category Archives: Horticulture Reports

May flowers in a rock garden

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Photos & flowers by Lynn McDonald, AGC Member

Today in the Garden

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AGC member, Carol Walker, provided photos of her front yard where red poppies (Papaver) and Bachelor buttons (Centaurea cyanus) are in full bloom.

Companion Planting

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The theory of companion planting is by placing beneficial plants together they help each other grow. Some ways companion plants help each other are:

  • Taller plants can provide shade for sun-sensitive shorter plants.
  • Vine plants cover the ground below taller plants for weed control, or to support vine plants.
  • Companion plants discourage pest, for instance onions repel some pests,
    while other companions, like marigolds, lure pest away from desirable plants.
  • Companion planting can attract beneficial insects to the garden, and improve flavor to some fruits and vegetables.

Below is a beginner’s guide to companion planting.  

Basil
Plant near: most garden crops
Keep away from: rue
Comments: improves the flavor and growth of garden crops, especially tomatoes and lettuce. Repels mosquitoes

Beans, Bush
Plant near: beets, cabbage, carrots, catnip, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, marigolds, potatoes, savory, strawberries.
Keep away from: fennel, garlic, leeks, onions, shallots.

Comments: potatoes and marigolds repel Mexican bean beetles. Catnip repels flea beetles.

Beans, Pole
Plant near: corn, marigolds, potatoes, radishes.
Keep away from: beets, garlic, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, shallots
Comments: same as for bush beans.

Beets
Plant near: broccoli, brussel sprouts, bush beans, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, kohlrabi, onions
Keep away from: mustard, pole beans

Borage
Plant near:  squash, strawberries, tomatoes
Keep away from:   Spreads by seed!!
Comments: repels tomato worms. Improves flavor and growth of companions.

Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts
Plant near: beets, buckwheat, calendula, carrots, chamomile, dill, hyssop, marigolds, mints, nasturtiums, onions, rosemary, sage, thyme, wormwood.
Keep away from: strawberries
Comments: marigolds repel cabbage moths. Nasturtiums repel aphids.

Cabbage and Cauliflower
Plant near: broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery, chard, spinach, tomatoes.
Keep away from: strawberries
Comments: tomatoes and celery repel cabbage worms.

Cantaloupe
Plant near: corn
Keep away from: )

Carrots
Plant near: cabbage, chives, early potatoes, leeks, lettuce, onions, peas, radishes, rosemary, sage, salsify, wormwood.
Keep away from: )
Comments: onions, leeks, and wormwood repel carrot flies

Chives
Plant near: apples, berries, carrots, grapes, peas, roses, tomatoes.
Keep away from: – )
Comments: Deters aphids and Japanese beetles. Improves flavor & growth of companions.

Corn
Plant near: beans, cucumbers, early potatoes, melons, peas, pumpkins, soybeans, squash.
Keep away from: -)
Comments: soybeans deter chinch bugs.

Cucumbers
Plant near: beans, cabbage, corn, early potatoes, radishes, sunflowers.
Keep away from: late potatoes
Comments: Radishes deter cucumber beetles. Cucumbers encourage blight in late potatoes.

Dill
Plant near: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, onions
Keep away from: carrots
Comments: Improves flavor and growth of cabbage family plants.

Eggplant
Plant near: green beans, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes
Keep away from: –
Comments: green beans deter Colorado potato beetles.

Garlic
Plant near: cabbage, cane fruits, fruit trees, roses, tomatoes
Keep away from: peas, beans
Comments: deters Japanese beetles and aphids. A garlic oil spray deters onion flies, aphids, and ermine moths. A garlic tea helps repel late potato blight.

Kale
Plant near: aromatic herbs, buckwheat, cabbage family, marigolds, nasturtiums
Keep away from: pole beans, strawberries

Kohlrabi
Plant near: cabbage/cauliflower companions (except tomatoes)
Keep away from: fennel, pole beans, tomatoes
Comments: kohlrabi stunts tomatoes

Lettuce
Plant near: beets, carrots, parsnips, radishes, strawberries
Keep away from: cabbage family
Comments: lettuce tenderizes summer radishes.

Marigolds
Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from: -)
Comments: stimulates vegetable growth and deters bean beetles, aphids, potato bugs, squash bugs, nematodes, and maggots.

Marjoram
Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from: -)
Comments: stimulates vegetable growth.

Mustard
Plant near: alfalfa cover crops, fruit trees, grapes, legumes
Keep away from: -)
Comments: stimulates growth of companion plants.

Nasturtiums
Plant near: apples, beans, cabbage family, greenhouse crops, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, squash
Keep away from: -)
Comments: repels aphids, potato bugs, squash bugs, striped pumpkin beetles, and Mexican bean beetles and destroys white flies in greenhouses.

Onions
Plant near: beets, cabbage family, carrots, chamomile, lettuce, parsnips
Keep away from: beans, peas
Comments: deters most pests, especially maggots.

Oregano
Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from: -)
Comments: deters many insect pests.

Parsley
Plant near: corn, roses, tomatoes
Keep away from: –

Parsnips
Plant near: onions, radishes, wormwood
Keep away from: -)
Comments: onions and wormwood help keep root maggots from parsnips.

Peas
Plant near: beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, early potatoes, radishes, turnips
Keep away from: garlic leeks, onions, shallots

Peppers
Plant near: basil, carrots, eggplant, onions, parsley, tomatoes
Keep away from: fennel, kohlrabi

Potatoes
Plant near: basil, beans, cabbage family, corn, eggplant, flax, hemp, marigolds, peas, squash
Keep away from: apples, birch, cherries, cucumbers, pumpkins, raspberries, sunflowers, tomatoes, walnuts
Comments: Basil deters potato beetles. Marigolds (dug into crop soil) deter nematodes, hemp deters phytophthora infestans (potato blight)

Radishes
Plant near: chervil, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, peas, nasturtiums, root crops
Keep away from: hyssop
Comments: radishes deter cucumber beetles. Chervil makes radishes hot. Lettuce helps make radishes tender. Nasturtiums improve radishes’ flavor.

Rosemary
Plant near: beans, cabbage, carrots
Keep away from: -)
Comments: repels bean beetles, cabbage moths, and carrot flies.

Sage
Plant near: cabbage family, carrots, tomatoes
Keep away from: cucumbers
Comments: deters cabbage moths and carrot flies. Invigorates tomato plants.

Soybeans
Plant near: corn, potatoes
Keep away from: -)
Comments: chokes weeds and enriches soil.

Spinach
Plant near: celery, cauliflower, eggplant, strawberries
Keep away from: -)

Strawberries
Plant near: borage, bush beans, lettuce, pyrethrum, spinach
Keep away from: cabbage family

Sunflowers
Plant near: cucumbers
Keep away from: potatoes
Comments: can provide a trellis and shelter for shade-loving cucumbers.

Swiss Chard
Plant near: bush beans, kohlrabi, onions
Keep away from: pole beans

Tarragon
Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from: –
Comments: improves vegetables’ flavor and growth.

Thyme
Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from: –
Comments: deters cabbage moths.

Tomatoes
Plant near: asparagus, basil, cabbage family, carrots, gooseberries, mustard, parsley, onions, rosemary, sage, stinging nettles.

Keep away from: fennel, kohlrabi, potatoes, walnuts

Turnips and Rutabagas
Plant near: peas
Keep away from: knotweed, mustard
Comments: mustard and knotweed inhibit the growth of turnips and rutabagas!

By Carlotta Lucas Ashland Garden Club

Planting for Drought Tolerance & Deer Resistance in the Rogue Valley

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 Article By: Christie Mackison, Shooting Star Nursery

Destructive deer and hot, dry summers are two very common issues in the Rogue Valley. Drought tolerant and deer resistant plants are a good combination to aim for because the qualities in plants that repel deer can often be found in drought tolerant species- such as heavy oil content, textured or hairy foliage, strong odors, and tough, less succulent leaves. The key to keeping drought tolerant plants happy and more unpalatable to deer is to give them the habitat they are used to- so don’t water them every day just because its 90 degrees!

Good drainage is usually essential- if you don’t have it, you’ll probably have to water even less

No heavy fertilizing: Use only organic or slow release fertilizer if called for at time of planting. Over fertilizing will attract deer. If the plants look yellow it is usually from too much water, not lack of fertilizer.

Dedicate an area to drought tolerant plants: Don’t mix plants that need regular water with drought tolerant plants. Do not put them on the same irrigation system & timer or one group will suffer.

Do not over water! It’s best to plant drought tolerant plants in early spring or early fall so they can get established with the rains.

  • Once established many plants do not need summer water.
  • They will only need an occasional deep soak.
  • Don’t plant them where they will get extra water from lawn areas or runoff from other irrigated areas.

 How to get good drainage:

Mound up soil when making new beds or planting a new plant. Create a berm. Plant drought tolerant plants on a hillside or slope

Mulch with at least a 1″ layer of 1/4″-io gravel to keep dirt from rotting the crown of plant, to retain moisture during heat and keep plant roots warmer in winter

For clay soil amend with 1/4″- io gravel (sharp edge, no fines) and compost will help break down clay over time.

 How to water drought tolerant plants

Observe- most plants need to dry out before the next watering- stick your finger a few inches into soil (well below mulch, which will feel dry), if it is cool and damp, don’t need to water yet.

Infrequent But Deep Soak: This trains plants to have deep roots, not shallow. Often a deep soak every 2 weeks in heat of summer is enough- easier to do with drip irrigation than sprinklers

Watering rule of thumb (depends on site and soil type)

  1. 1st year of planting water deeply once a week for first month of summer,
  2. Then water once every 2 weeks for 2nd and 3rd month of summer
  3. Water once a month the 2nd summer and don’t water again.

 How to find drought tolerant plants

Look to natives- can tolerate summer drought and winter wet

Look to Mediterranean plants- similar climate (also cold hardy Australian and northern California plants, hardy desert plants/succulents) get help from your local nursery!- we’ve talked to countless customers and worked in our own gardens and have seen what works

How to find deer resistant plants

  • Look around your neighborhood drive or walk around heavy deer areas- Jacksonville, hills of east Medford, wooded parts of Ashland- observe what has been chewed- deer can be very neighborhood specific
  • Read lists, but be ready to experiment
  • use Liquid Fence, Plantskydd, or similar product on all new plantings to discourage initial browsing
  • Use cages around most new trees- to prevent antler damage and new growth chewing
  • Deer damage can depend on time of year you plant- when deer are especially hungry in fall and winter they can graze on almost anything
  • Use poisonous, strongly scented or sharply textured plants (grasses, sometimes prickly/thorny textures, fuzzy/hairy leaves, pine needles, etc.)
  • Talk to your local nursery- we know from our experiences and those of our customers and landscapers what has worked and what hasn’t

Growing Tomatoes

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From the Jackson County (Oregon) Master Gardeners:

Some vocabulary to know:

Determinate: Spreads laterally with little or no staking required. Fruits ripen all at once, therefore good for canning.

Indeterminate: Grows vertically, produces until frost, best if staked or caged, fruit ripens until frost therefore good for fresh eating.

Semi-determinate: Semi-determinate tomatoes, especially beefsteak types, have a growth habit between that of indeterminate and determinate types. They produce vigorous lateral shoots that often terminate in a flowering truss (cluster). As a result, lateral shoots are not usually removed.

Parthenocarpic: Means “virgin fruit” flowers will form fruit without fertilization/pollination, tomato examples include: Oregon Spring, Siletz, Legend (able to set fruit earlier giving ripe seedless tomatoes 10-14 days earlier than other types)

Hardening off: Putting a plant outside for increasing amounts of time and sun exposure each day to get it accustomed to being out of the sheltered greenhouse. Start with a half hour in the shade, gradually working up to all day in full sun.

  1. Location: Tomatoes do best planted in full sun (at least 6-8 hrs./day of direct sunlight) and not in the same location as plants from the same family such as where  tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, potatoes, tobacco; have been planted during the last three years!
  2. Soil preparation: ESSENTIAL for good production. Adding a generous amount of compost and mixing well into the soil is crucial. DO NOT add additional nitrogen because it encourages leaf growth over root and Flower development; the results will be fewer tomatoes. Add water and let it soak in.  Some people like to put a mixture of ¼ cup bone meal, ¼ cup organic tomato-vegetable fertilizer, and 1 tsp. magnesium covered with 2-3″ of soil in the bottom of the hole.
  3. Transplanting and staking:
  4. Dig a deep hole, big enough to bury the whole plant except for the top two sets of leaves. Pinch off all but those top two sets of leaves.
  5. Roots will grow from all the little hairs along the stem, making the plant stronger more stable and the plant can absorb more nutrients. Put the stake in before filling the hole while you can still see the roots. Fill the hole and firm the soil around the roots.   In the garden, a     tomato cage can be used instead of, or with the stake. These supports are more important for both indeterminate and determinate tomatoes.
  6. Use a tomato tie to loosely tie the tomato to staking in a figure-8 formation.
  7. Water well. A good rule-of-thumb is to water when the top 1-inch of soil has dried.

This often averages to about l” of water a week in the heat of summer. Watering early in the day is considered a best practice, as the water won’t evaporate too quickly, and any splashs on the plants will dry off as the day warms. It’s better to soak the roots thoroughly once every several days than it is to water lightly every day, as soaking will encourage deeper root growth.

Note: If your plants are looking slightly wilted late in the heat of the day, that’s not necessarily a sign more water is needed. Check the soil first. However, if they are wilted in the morning, if they don’t have signs of a disease, they are in need of water.

  • Mulch to prevent drying and weeds, but keep mulch way from the stem.
  • Planting horizontally:
    • Soil is warmer at the surface and tomatoes need warm soil, so to take advantage of this, follow the directions above for transplanting except instead of digging a hole, dig a trench about 3″ deep and long enough to hold the tomato plant when laid on its ·side except for the  top two sets of leaves.  Bury the stem and roots in the trench, within 2-3 days, the top part of the plant that is not buried will become vertical.
  • Blossom-end Rot (BER) Is caused by a lack of calcium, but rarely due to a lack of calcium in the soil.  
    • Usually it’s not that the soil is deficient, but that the plant can’t take up enough calcium. If in · doubt, do a soil test.
    • Most common causes-
  • Drown and drought watering
  • Damaged roots
  • Planting tomatoes too early. The optimum soil temperature for planting tomatoes is 70° with nighttime air temperature over 50°.  Early varieties of tomatoes are less susceptible.
  • Not enough magnesium causing an inability of the plan to take up calcium.
  • BER can’t be cured, only prevented.