Tag Archives: gardening tips

Garden Tools

Posted on by

Gardening Tools used and recommended by Ashland Garden Club Members

Japanese Hori Hori Knife: For weeding, digging, cutting roots, dividing perennials, removing plants from pots.  Unbelievably versatile!

Nejiri Gama Garden Hoe (Japanese garden hand tool):  Narrow end pushes deep into the soil helps with weeding, planting seedlings, aerating the soil, making seed trenches, and breaking up clods & soil.

Hand Plow Ho-Mi Digger (short-handled):  A Korean tool that’s an all-around hand-digging tool, useful for planting, weeding, rock-removal and finding irrigation lines.

Kneelon Knee Pads – Flexible, Waterproof, durable, machine washable.

Sheep Shearing Tool: Large long blades are useful for clipping & trimming small shrubs .

Garden Bucket Caddy:  Slips into a plastic bucket and holds garden tools.

Long Handle Spading Fork (48″ Handle):  Dividing perennials, digging out trees, shrubs & perennials – Easier on the back when using long handle as leverage.

Flexible Buckets: Great for  hauling weeds, plants, hand tools around the garden.

Felco Pruners, 2 sizes: Pruning, quality pruner, replaceable blades & parts, easy to sharpen. Right or Left handed offered.  

Felco Pruner 7: Ergonomic heavy duty pruner with spinning handle – great for arthritic thumb joint issues.

Florian Ratchet Pruner: Ratchet-cut mechanism increases hand strength, prunes branches up to ¾ Inches in diameter, has a Lifetime Warranty.  Right or Left handed offered.

CircleHoe  –  For weeding & cultivating close to plants. 

Hoop Hoe, Stirrup Hoe, Action Hoe  – All Similar hoes for weeding around plants.

Winged Weeder, Scuffle Hoe, Triangle Hoe: For weeding, cultivating, edging, aerating and making furrows.  

Balling Spade: Ideal for cutting deep and slicing through roots. 

Potlifter: Lifts 200 lb – Saves your back when lift pots or rocks. 

Pro Potlifter lifts 350 lbs

Leaf Luster Digital Soil Thermometer: to measure Soil temperature for germination and transplanting.

Leaf Luster Soil Tester: Contains tests for ph, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels.

Rapitest PH Meter: Easily checks the pH level of your garden soil and potted plants.

Mico-tip Pruners, aka Floral Pruners: For deadheading & pruning smaller plants & flowers. Fiskar Softough Mico-Tip Pruners: Recommended by Arthritis Foundation – Easy-to-use for people with arthritis or limited hand strength.

Roto Digger Auger: For planting bulbs, bedding plants, seedlings, deep water aeration, fertilizing trees & shrubs.

Corona AC 8300 Sharpening Tool: 5-Inch super carbide file for sharpening straight edge tools.

Fiskars Softouch Weeder (7060) – Ergonomic weeder with forked tip cuts deep to remove weeds by the root.

Yard Butler RKT-1000 Rocket Weeder or Grandpa’s Weeder: Pull weeds from the roots, organic weed control, ergonomic handle,  ejector button pops off the weed-keeping your hands clean.

Leaf Rake with longer “York-style” bent tines: Good for scooping leaves, great for cleaning leaves out of ponds.

Tru Temper Narrow Garden Fork D-handle: For digging and mulching.

Tru Temper  Miniature Shovel: [Size 27 x 6 x 8.5 inches] For planting bulbs and weeding.

Leaf Scoops: Multi-purpose hand-held leaf scoops.

Corona Clipper Folding Pruning Saw: Sturdy, easy to use, easy to store. Lifetime warranty.  

Companion Planting

Posted on by

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 and Deer Resistance

Posted on by

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!

Drought Tolerant Plants:

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

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.

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

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-inch gravel to keep dirt from rotting the crown of plant, it helps retain moisture during heat and keep plant roots warmer in winter.

For clay soil amend with 1/4 inch gravel (sharp edge, no fines) and compost, it 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):

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

 How to find drought tolerant plants:

Look to natives they can tolerate summer drought and winter wet

Look to Mediterranean plants- they have a similar climate to the Rogue  Valley

Also cold hardy Australian and northern California plants,  and hardy desert plants/succulents.

Get help from your local nursery!- at Shooting Star Nursery we’ve talked to countless customers and worked in our own gardens and have seen what works here in the valley.

How to find deer resistant plants

Deer can be very neighborhood specific so look around your neighborhood. Drive or walk around heavy populated deer areas like Ashland, Jacksonville, and in the hills of east Medford. Observe what has been chewed.

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 the time of year you plant- 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.

Pruning Roses   

Posted on by

Roses are pruned to encourage new growth and healthy flowers during the growing season.  The time to prune roses depends on the type of rose your pruning. Roses that flower once a season are pruned right after they flower.  Roses that flower throughout the season are pruned when buds start to swell and become green. In Southern Oregon, Zone 8, this is typically mid- February to early March .

By-pass pruner

Tools Needed:
1)   Good pair of leather gloves,
2)   Sharp By-pass garden pruner, (recommended)
3)   Possibly: a medium to larger tree pruner and a handheld pruning saw.
Having sharp tools is imperative for making good clean cuts on branches.  Also, it’s important to disinfect every tool between each rose, because tools can transfer disease and viruses to other plants if not disinfected properly.

Disinfecting Tools:
1)   Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is ideal for sanitizing pruning tools because the blades can be wiped, or dipped into it. Most rubbing alcohols contain 70% isopropyl alcohol, which can be used straight from the bottle.  Rubbing alcohol has a strong fumes, so avoid inhaling.

2)   A solution made of chlorine bleach can also be used as a disinfectant, but unlike alcohol, bleach must be diluted before using and blades must be soaked for 30 minutes for disinfection to really work.  To make a 10% bleach solution: mix one part bleach to nine parts of water. Remember to: avoid inhalation of fumes, wear rubber gloves to prevent contact with skin, and protect your clothing from the bleach and  bleach water. This bleach solution must be used within two hours of mixing, because it losses 50% of its effectiveness after two hours.  After soaking tools in bleach solution, rinse them with clean water to prevent corrosion, and wipe dry. Be aware that chlorine bleach it is not as effective against viruses as rubbing alcohol.

Steps to Pruning: 
1)  Start by removing dead and diseased canes; brown is dead, green is alive.
2)  Tip back brown stems until you see green in the cane.
3)  Remove all thin weak canes; if it’s thinner than a pencil remove it.
4)  Open up the center by taking out crossing branches. Branches that rub cause damage and encourage disease.
5)  Removing center canes allows air-flow which helps control diseases.

 Making the Cut:
Common practice is to make a slight 45-degree angle cut ¼-inch above an outward facing bud. Cutting to an outward facing bud encourages growth away from the center of the rose to provide better air-flow. An angled cut is said to allow moisture to run off the cut. While some rose growers say angled cuts are unnecessary, everyone agrees if the cut is too steep it weakens and/or damages the new bud, so cut at a “slight” angle.

Rose Structure:
The goal is to have an open structure with upward reaching branches in the shape of a vase.
How much  top pruning is done depends on the type of rose.  Typically, only 1/3 of the total height of a rose should be removed, unless an extremely neglected rose shrub needs hard pruning to reshape and repair. ( See examples of Hard, Moderate, Light Pruning in the drawing below)

Seal Cane Cuts:
Seal cut ends of all canes 3/16-inch diameter and larger with white Elmer’s multi-purpose glue, not school glue, or white water-base Tacky Glue, found in craft stores. This forms a barrier to deter cane boring insects from drilling into the pithy middle of rose canes, where they lay their eggs. In some cases, a boring insect can bore deep enough to kill the entire cane, and sometimes the whole rose bush.

Article By: Carlotta Lucas, Ashland Garden Club Member

Resource Article:
Barbara McMullen
Master Gardener OSU Extension

Drawings from Oregon State University webpage on Pruning Roses.  Rose Pruning: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/flowers-shrubs-trees/pruning-roses

Read more on Rose Borers: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/roses/controlling-rose-cane-borers.htm

How Dirt Makes You Happy

Posted on by

Gardening Know How – https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

Antidepressant Microbes In Soil: How Dirt Makes You Happy

Prozac may not be the only way to get rid of your serious blues. Soil microbes have been found to have similar effects on the brain and are without side effects and chemical dependency potential. Learn how to harness the natural antidepressant in soil and make yourself happier and healthier. Read on to see how dirt makes you happy.

Natural remedies have been around for untold centuries. These natural remedies included cures for almost any physical ailment as well as mental and emotional afflictions. Ancient healers may not have known why something worked but simply that it did. Modern scientists have unraveled the why of many medicinal plants and practices but only recently are they finding remedies that were previously unknown and yet, still a part of the natural life cycle. Soil microbes [1] and human health now have a positive link that has been studied and found to be verifiable.

Soil Microbes and Human Health

Did you know that there’s a natural antidepressant in soil? It’s true. Mycobacterium vaccae is the substance under study and has indeed been found to mirror the effect on neurons that drugs like Prozac provide. The bacterium is found in soil and may stimulate serotonin production, which makes you relaxed and happier. Studies were conducted on cancer patients and they reported a better quality of life and less stress.

Lack of serotonin has been linked to depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and bipolar disorders. The bacterium appears to be a natural antidepressant in soil and has no adverse health effects. These antidepressant microbes in soil may be as easy to use as just playing in the dirt.

Most avid gardeners will tell you that their landscape is their “happy place” and the actual physical act of gardening is a stress reducer and mood lifter. The fact that there is some science behind it adds additional credibility to these garden addicts’ claims. The presence of a soil bacteria antidepressant is not a surprise to many of us who have experienced the phenomenon ourselves. Backing it up with science is fascinating, but not shocking, to the happy gardener.

Mycobacterium antidepressant microbes in the soil are also being investigated for improving cognitive function, Crohn’s disease, and even rheumatoid arthritis.

How Dirt Makes You Happy

Antidepressant microbes in soil cause cytokine levels to rise, which results in the production of higher levels of serotonin. The bacterium was tested both by injection and ingestion on rats, and the results were increased cognitive ability, lower stress, and better concentration on tasks than a control group.

Gardeners inhale the bacteria, have topical contact with it, and get it into their bloodstream when there is a cut or other pathway for infection. The natural effects of the soil bacteria antidepressant can be felt for up to 3 weeks if the experiments with rats are any indication.

So get out and play in the dirt and improve your mood and your life.

Resources:
“Identification of an Immune-Responsive Mesolimbocortical Serotonergic System: Potential Role in Regulation of Emotional Behavior,” by Christopher Lowry et al., published online on March 28, 2007 in Neuroscience.
http://www.sage.edu/newsevents/news/?story_id=240785 [2]

Mind & Brain/Depression and Happiness – Raw Data “Is Dirt the New Prozac?” by Josie Glausiusz, Discover Magazine, July 2007 Issue. https://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac [3]

Article printed from Gardening Know How: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com

URL to article: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/antidepressant-microbes-soil.htm

URLs in this post:

[1] Soil microbes: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/what-are-microbes-in-soil.htm

[2] http://www.sage.edu/newsevents/news/?story_id=240785: http://www.sage.edu/newsevents/news/?story_id=240785

[3] https://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac: https://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac

Providing water for birds in winter

Posted on by

From the National Wildlife Federation  https://blog.nwf.org/2014/12/dont-forget-water-for-birds-in-winter/

Here are some tips for easily—and safely—providing water for wildlife during the cold months:

Dark Eyed Junco
  1. Before the cold sets in, replace delicate solar or fountain birdbaths with sturdier, winter-ready water features. Because ice can cause cracks and leaks, concrete baths should be stored or covered in winter.
  2. Place baths in a sunny area to make them more visible to birds and to help keep the water liquid.
  3. While birds are unlikely to submerge themselves in very cold weather, you can help them stay dry and drink more easily by adding several stones to the bath or placing a few sticks on top that the animals can use as perches.
  4. Even during winter, birdbaths (as well as feeders) should be cleaned regularly.
  5. To keep water from freezing, consider adding an immersion-style water heater. More recent models will turn off if the water in the bath dries up.
  6. If using a heater, add a ground-fault interrupted circuit (available at hardware stores) to prevent electric shorts. Check that cords and outlets are sheltered from snow or ice buildup.
  7. As a homemade alternative to a heater, place a light bulb in a flower pot and put a small water basin on top of the pot.
  8. A simpler option—particularly if you have no outdoor electric outlet—is to buy several heavy-duty plant saucers that will not be cracked by ice and replace frozen baths with fresh ones each morning.
  9. Avoid adding glycerin to a birdbath as antifreeze; if birds ingest too much, it can dangerously elevate their blood-sugar levels. Glycerin solutions also may mat birds feathers, decreasing insulation at a time when the animals need it most.

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas,

Photo by: Jocelyn Anderson, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons