Wilsonville Spokesman Online

Attention gardeners: OSU releases series of tips, resources

• Published: 3/5/2010 11:50:50 AM

Gardening season is here, and Oregon State University Extension Service and the OSU Agricultural Experiment Station have released a list of resources and tips for gardeners to use.
 
— Vegetable varieties adapted to local growing conditions produce the best yields in home gardens, and the OSU Extension Service has recommended varieties for different areas of the state.
 
— For those new to vegetable gardening, the Extension Service also has information on how to garden successfully in all four zone of the state.
 
— Gardening doesn’t have to be expensive, especially if you can listen to the voice of experience. Read a list of light-hearted tips passed on from OSU Extension Master Gardeners.
 
— An ancient practice of growing two or more vegetables in the same place at the same time, called interplanting, is becoming common again.
 
— If you're unsure if your soil needs amendments, take note if it dries and cracks in summer, drains slowly or is difficult to dig whether wet or dry.
 
— The earlier you get your onions in the ground in the spring, the better chance they will have to grow nice big bulbs.
 
OSU also released a list of gardening-related news and events throughout the state.
 
— An invitational art exhibition called “Chance to Flourish: Private, Public, and Wild Gardens,” sponsored by the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences, is on display March 1–30 in the OSU LaSells Stewart Center.
 
— Organic certifier Oregon Tilth has agreed to provide funding to OSU’s small farms program to continue its research and educational efforts for organic farmers.
 
— A new aroma hop breeding program will be created in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University.
 
— Oregon’s farmers and ranchers grossed $4.1 billion in sales last year, a 14.8 percent plunge from the prior year.

  (log in to rate)