Tag Archives: Home Gardening Tips

Home Remedy

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Aphid Control

Pour 2 tablespoons liquid dish soap into 1 gallon water. Stir the dish soap into the water and transfer the contents into a plastic spray bottle.

Spray the affected plant’s leaves on both sides with the soapy mixture. Pay attention to coat the underside of the leaves with the mixture, as this is where you’ll find the highest concentration of aphids.

Spray the soapy mixture directly onto any aphids you notice falling from the leaves. The aphids are small, and it’s necessary to shoot them with the soapy water to kill the unwanted pests.

Rinse away the soapy residue after one to two hours. Allowing the soap to remain on the leaves for longer than a few hours can cause damage and burning. Use a garden hose or spray bottle filled with plain water to remove the residue.

Reapply the mixture every few days, or as necessary, to keep the aphid infestation under control.

Tip:  Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to the mixture to increase the mixture’s density and make it stickier, helping it attach to and kill the aphids more effectively.

Warning: Test the soapy mixture on a small leaf before a larger application. If the plant shows sign of wilting or damage, don’t use this mixture.

Reprinted from SFgate online:   http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden

April in the garden

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In Ashland, Oregon the last frost date is approximately May 15th.

Sow seeds in your greenhouse, or indoors,  for transplanting  after May 15th.
Basil, Cabbage, Peppers, Summer Squash, Winter Squash, Pumpkin, Tomato, etc.
Flowers;  Sunflowers, Cosmos, Marigolds , Zinnia, etc.

If the soil is not too wet, you can sow the following vegetables seeds directly into the garden. Once seedlings emerge protect them from spring frost.  Lettuces, Cauliflower, Spinach, Chinese Cabbage, Broccoli, Peas, Chard, Carrots, Turnips, Parsnips, Leeks, Kohlrabi, Beets, Radishes.

You can plant onion sets up until 4/15. And, you can still plant raspberries and strawberries plants.
Fertile flowerbeds, shrubs, trees and grass.
Start baiting for slugs, snails and earwigs.
Watch out for spittle bugs and aphids on your existing strawberry plants.
Watch out for aphids on all plants in the landscape.

  • Home remedy for Aphid Control: Mix a teaspoon of vegetable oil, a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and a cup of water. Or, mix three tablespoons of liquid soap and a gallon of water. Spray to wet the entire plant thoroughly, particularly the undersides of leaves, because aphids must come into contact with the soap solution to be affected. After a few hours, wash off the oil and soap with a garden hose to protect sensitive plants. Repeat the application every few days as necessary.
  • Control spittle bugs by blasting spittle bug foam off plants with water. Repeat as necessary.

Pruning shrubs & trees should be completed by now!

Sow Right!

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Spring is here, can I plant my seeds?

seed packet001

Fordhook Zucchini

Planting vegetable seeds depends on your last
average frost date and the temperature of your soil.

Your growing season,  which is determined by first frost (fall) and last frost (spring),  is the amount of time vegetables in your garden have to ripen before a fall frost.

For example:  Medford, Oregon, Zone 8a, Average Frost Dates  Spring 4/25, Fall 10/20. Average growing season 6 months
but Ashland, only 11 mile away…
Ashland, Oregon Zone 7b,                         Average Frost Date Spring  5/15, Fall 10/15. Average growing season  5 months

Check your local Extension Service for frost dates and USDA Zone.
Each zone has different planting schedules for different plants and your local extension service will have this information – often it’s online.  Then check the back of your seed packets. It tells you when to direct sow and days to harvest.

Check Page 7 of the Oregon State University pamphlet Growing Your Own for “Dates for planting vegetables in Oregon”. It’s a very handy booklet.
OSU Booklet_Growing Your Own

Soil Temperatures for Germination:  Soil Temps PDF

 

 

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