mcintyma, Author at OSU Extension Service Metro-area Master Gardener Newsletter

“The broadest and maybe the most meaningful definition of volunteering: Doing more than you have to because you want to, in a cause you consider good.” – Ivan Scheier.

Thank You for Your Generous Contributions!

Metro-area Master Gardeners thank you for your dedicated commitment to the OSU Master Gardener program! Your volunteer logs and coordinator reports have been rolling in and your contributions are amazing! Over 40,000 hours of service has been reported! Including over 15,000 pounds of produce donated to area food banks!

Your generous service and its collective impact is making a meaningful difference to the communities that we serve! Thank you for educating and guiding home gardeners…answering questions at Farmers Markets and MG helpline offices, sharing proven, sustainable gardening knowledge by presenting at community events, and digging deep, educating fellow Master Gardeners and community members at Chapter demonstration and education gardens. Thank you for contributing your time, passion and knowledge to the cause you consider good… educating the gardening public in successful and sustainable gardening practices!

Display Your 2020 MG Sticker!

Those who have fulfilled the requirements to maintain their status as an active and “current” Master Gardener will receive a 2020 Recertification sticker to proudly display on your MG badge.

The sticker is a designation that you are current and up-to-date, having completed all required volunteer service hours, continuing education opportunities, and completed forms. Stickers will be distributed at Fall Recertification and mailed (by year’s end) to those who do not attend Fall Recertification. For MGs still needing information about how to remain current, please refer to the Volunteer Portal’s How to Maintain Active OSU Master Gardener Status page.

If you have yet to send in the annual required forms, please send them in as soon as possible, so you too can receive your 2020 Recertification sticker and remain on our ‘active’ Master Gardener roll.

2018_2019 Volunteer log sheet
2019_2020 Conditions of Volunteer Service form
Youth Safety and Compliance training. To take the training read the Basic Training (2 pages) and sign the Certification Form. Return the form to the MG program office by December 31,2019.

Spread the Word!
2020 MG Training Registration Open!

How do the majority of people learn about Master Gardener training? From Master Gardeners of course! Now is your chance to let others know about the rewarding opportunities available serving as a Master Gardener volunteer. Registration is now open for the 2020 Master Gardener Training!

Share the word with your gardening friends, wanna-be gardeners, and fellow community members. Direct those interested to our Metro-area Master Gardener website for easy online registration.

Reduced-priced application options are available on a limited basis. If you know someone who would be interested in serving the community as a garden-educator and would qualify for a reduced-price option, please direct them to our MG Training registration page for an application and qualifications. The MG Training Fellowships and Scholarships are offered thanks to the generosity and guidance of the metro-area Chapters.

Be Our Brand Advocate!

If social media is a favorite communication avenue for you, please consider sharing about the Master Gardener training registration on the social media sites on which you participate. Share posts from our Facebook and Twitter accounts or direct those interested to our website. We would love to cover all Nextdoor neighborhoods in the metro-area. If you need more information or would like a promotional photo to post – please contact Marcia McIntyre: marcia.mcintyre@oregonstate.edu

Fall Recertification Fills. More Continuing Education Opportunities!

Anticipating high interest in our Saturday, November 9^th, annual Fall Recertification email invitations were sent to all Master Gardeners requesting RSVPs.

We are currently at full capacity for the event venue. Those still interested can submit their name to a waiting list. As space becomes available, those on the waiting list will be notified.

If you RSVP’d you will be attending and are no longer able to join us, please notify Marcia McIntyre to allow the next person on the waiting list to attend.

To allow more Master Gardeners the opportunity for continuing education, an additional Recertification event will be scheduled in the Spring of 2020.

Future Training Dates

Note: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training will be offered four additional dates in 2020

Tuesday, February 18 – 9am to 12noon, Hillsboro MG training site

Thursday, February 20 – 9am to 12noon, Oregon City MG training site

Friday, February 21 – 9am to 12noon, Portland MG training site

Spring Recertification 2020, date TBA

Watch for additional details in upcoming newsletters and emails from Program staff.

___________________________________________________________________

With Fond and Grateful Remembrance

It is with deep sadness we report the passing of Norrene Thompson who is fondly remembered, along with her husband Gray, as the “First Couple of the Master Gardener Program” in Oregon. Read more about Norrene’s dedicated contributions to the Master Gardener program.

___________________________________________________________________

OSU Master Gardener Advanced Training Webinars

What Can a Leaf Bud Tell Us About Environmental Change? Citizen Science, Master Gardeners and Nature’s Notebook.
November 8, 10am PT
Presented by Erin Posthumus (USA National Phenology Network)
Register here: https://learn.extension.org/events/3687

Each MG Advanced Training Webinars counts as 1-hour continuing education credit. Recordings of the webinars are posted a couple of days following the live webinar.

More Advanced Training Webinars
The OSU Advanced Training Webinars are a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest in horticultural science. This series features University experts who offer a wealth of research-based information on home gardening topics, which support you in your role as a garden educator. Check out the great library of webinar recordings.

2019 Advanced Training Webinars

2018 Advanced Training Webinars

2017 Advanced Training Webinars

*MG Advanced Training Webinars count as 1-hour continuing education credit. You may count any webinar, from any year, that you watch for the first time. List any Advanced Training Webinars that you view on your Volunteer Log Sheet.

MG Helplines – Guide home gardeners through the fall and winter season!

As the days shorten and the temperatures cool, a new host of gardening conundrums perplex the home gardener.

You can assist and expand your own knowledge, collaborating with other MGs as you research and advise gardeners. Sign-up on CERVIS or contact a phone coordinator.

Clackamas County Phones, Catalina Santamaria, (503) 655-8631 catalina.santamaria@oregonstate.edu
Multnomah County Phones, Marcia McIntyre, (503) 650-3126 marcia.mcintyre@oregonstate.edu
Washington County Phones, Jenifer Halter, (503) 821-1112 jenifer.halter@oregonstate.edu

Sunshining through branches of beech tree, illuminating call colors of leaves

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree. ~Emily Bronte

October brings the start of a new year for metro-area OSU Master Gardeners! As we look forward to a promising year full of fresh opportunities to educate the gardening public, we also look back at a tremendous year filled with your generous community service!

Thank you for your Volunteer Log Submissions! Utmost thanks to all of you who have sent in your volunteer log sheets via the online submission, email, snail mail, or in person. We are continually in awe of your dedicated service and the good seeds and deeds you have been sowing throughout the three counties! Thank you for sharing your passion and gardening knowledge with the community!

Enzo helps his mom, Margo,
submit her MG volunteer log sheet.
Vaughan submits his MG volunteer log sheet.

It’s Not Too Late…Submit your Volunteer Log! For those of you, who have not submitted your volunteer log sheets, please send in your hours by Thursday, October 11th.

We need all logs by that date to allow time to order new Master Gardener badges for those finishing their MG training and to have enough 2020 stickers for Perennial MGs and trainees alike. Plus, we want to include your generous service contributions in the report sent to the state MG Program, which in turn is submitted to Oregon State University! Help us to highlight all the great garden education Metro Master Gardeners are spreading throughout the tri-county region!

Signed, Sealed and Delivered!
Remember that every October you need to submit a signed Conditions of Volunteer Service form. The form is a requirement for volunteering. You can submit your signed form via DocuSign, use our online submission process (see details in the email Marcia McIntyre sent on September 5) or you can mail your signed form via snail mail to 200 Warner-Milne Drive, Oregon City, OR 97045.

To send your forms via DocuSign, please request a DocuSign form from janet.hohman@oregonstate.edu

For your convenience:

Save the Date!
Fall Recertification, Saturday, November 9th!

Cup of tea sitting on a book - with autumn leaves in the tea and leaves on the book.

Our annual Master Gardener Fall Recertification Training is scheduled for Saturday, November 9^th, 8:00am to 3:50pm, at Clackamas Community College, Gregory Forum Building.

This annual event is a daylong continuing education opportunity. Please join us for an engaging day of training that will support you in your role as a garden educator.

‘A Diverse Garden is a Healthy Garden – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in your role as an OSU Master Gardener volunteer.’ Presenters: Yolando Sánchez, Jeff Selby, and Koffie Dessou of the City of Portland, Office of Equity and Human Rights

‘How trees grow and why they die!’ Presenter: Glenn Ahrens, OSU Extension Forester, Clackamas, Hood River, and Marion Counties

‘Is the Insect Apocalypse Upon Us?’ Presenter: Gail Langellotto, Statewide Coordinator, OSU Extension Master Gardener Program, Associate Professor of Horticulture, OSU

The event is free to all Master Gardeners both Perennial and those who trained in 2019.

2019-Fall-Recertification-Agenda Download

Clackamas-Community-College-Campus-Map Download

*Attendance and participation at the November 9th, Fall Recertification Training counts as 6 hours continuing education credit for the 2019-2020 Master Gardener Volunteer Season. Record your attendance on your 2020 Volunteer Log.

Master Gardener proudly points at his OSU Master Gardener badge that is pinned to his shirt.

2019 Master Gardener Trainees to Receive OSU MG Badges!

Our November 9th, Fall Recertification Training (see details above) also gives us the opportunity to congratulate the 2019 class of Master Gardener interns as they step-up to Perennial Master Gardener status, after completing their volunteer requirements.

2019 Interns are cordially invited to attend the full day of Fall Recertification training, which will count toward your continuing education hour requirement for 2020. If you are unable to attend Fall Recertification to receive your badge, it will be mailed to those not present in December.

Branch with olives hanging from the branch

OSU Master Gardener Advanced Training Webinars
This fall brings two more, informative, Master Gardener Advanced Training Webinars.

Each webinar counts as 1-hour continuing education credit. Recordings of the webinars are posted a couple of days following the live webinar.

Introduction to Olives in Oregon
October 24, 11am PT
Presented by Victoria Binning and Heather Stoven (OSU Extension)
Register here: https://learn.extension.org/events/3692

2019 Advanced Training Webinars

2018 Advanced Training Webinars

2017 Advanced Training Webinars

MG Helplines – Guide home gardeners through the fall and winter season! As the days shorten and the temperatures cool, a new host of gardening conundrums perplex the home gardener. You can assist and expand your own knowledge, collaborating with other MGs as you research and advise gardeners. Sign-up on CERVIS or contact a phone coordinator.

Clackamas County Phones, Catalina Santamaria, 503-655-8631 catalina.santamaria@oregonstate.edu
Multnomah County Phones, Janet Hohman, 503-655-8631 janet.hohman@oregonstate.edu
Washington County Phones, Jenifer Halter, (503) 821-1112 jenifer.halter@oregonstate.edu

Fall Volunteer Opportunities

Portland Nursery Apple Tasting – festive fun celebrating the apple! Answer home gardeners’ questions at the MG table, under the big tent. October 12, 13, 19, 20, various shifts. Sign up on CERVIS
City of Portland, Safety Conference – answer home gardeners questions and offer advice on fire resistant gardening, IPM, pesticide safety, and safe garden practices at the City of Portland event being held at Camp Withycombe, Clackamas, OR Grab an open slot on CERVIS
Fix-it Fair – FREE City of Portland event where attendees learn simple ways to save money and connect to resources. Answer home gardening questions and give money saving tips for home gardeners. Sign-up on CERVIS
Farmers Markets – opportunities to volunteer at a Farmers Market remain for Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsdale, Lake Oswego, Lents and Tigard. Sign-up on CERVIS

Timely October Garden tips

By Margaret Bayne, OSU Extension Staff-retired, OSU Master Gardener

Watch leaves change color in a matter of seconds. “A new time-lapse video of over 6,000 leaf photos reveals the biology behind fall foliage. As foliage darkens in the fall, the pigments within the plant matter break down and transform.” (Emily Toomey, Smithsonianmag.com) https://bit.ly/30RTbEM

Find out where the fall foliage will be at its peak across the country.(Natalie B. Compton, Washingtonpost.com) https://wapo.st/2lMTXDx

How Plants Measure Their CO2 Uptake. “Plants face a dilemma in dry conditions: they have to seal themselves off to prevent losing too much water but this also limits their uptake of carbon dioxide. A sensory network assures that the plant strikes the right balance.” https://bit.ly/2kGvdN8

Watch the four finalist videos in the 2019 YouTube your entomology contest.(Entomologytoday.org) https://bit.ly/2lPrYTB

Exposed tree roots. Michael Hoelzl/ Creative Commons

Great Tree Root articles with links to resources: SelecTree: Right tree right place. (selectree.calpoly) https://bit.ly/2lMZMkA

Tree roots and foundation damage. (The Morton Arboretum.org) https://bit.ly/2kqHTaV

Trees are not the root of sidewalk problems. (T. Davis Sydnor1, et al; Journal of Arboriculture) https://bit.ly/2lHeYzE

Soil’s Microbial Market Shows the Ruthless Side of Forests. “In the ‘underground economy’ for soil nutrients, fungi strike hard bargains and punish plants that won’t meet their price.” (Gabriel Popkin, Quantamagazine.org) https://bit.ly/2lImcTU

Daisies that close at night have camouflaged petals to protect them from herbivores. (Britishecologicalsociety.org) https://bit.ly/2maXuvG

Professional credentials and gardening expertise: Entomologists (Colby Moorberg, Gardenprofessors.com) https://bit.ly/2lImiee More info: https://bit.ly/2lOGtXL

Tree and shrub sampling for disease diagnosis. Watch the video and learn what makes a good sample for diagnosis.” (NC State U via youtube.com) https://bit.ly/2m52m5j

A brown rat eating seeds from ground. — Rat, OSU

Tips for keeping rats out of home and garden. (Kym Pokorny, OSU; source: Dana Sanchez, OSU) https://bit.ly/2maNfrf

Could biological clocks in plants set the time for crop spraying? “Plants can tell the time, and this affects their responses to certain herbicides used in agriculture according to new research…” (Dr. Antony Dodd, University of Bristol) https://bit.ly/2ktmhe4

See the microscopic wonders of herbs! “A photographer reveals the intricacies of kitchen herbs. The result is otherworldly.” (Rob Dunn, nationalgeographic.com; photos by Martin Oeggerli) https://on.natgeo.com/2OXUEs1

European honey bee, gathering pollen from flower, with large, light yellow pollen sacks on hind legs. — European Honey bee, University of Florida

Surprise…bees need meat! “Ask an entomologist what makes a bee a bee, and you’ll likely get some version of “bees are just wasps that went vegetarian.” New research shows that isn’t true. Bees are actually omnivores, and their meat is microbes.” (Paige Embry, scientificamerican.com) https://bit.ly/2k6deiK

The journey of pollen. “Kiel research team deciphers adhesive mechanisms in pollination.” (Kiel University) https://bit.ly/2P8DRSZ

2019-October-Horticultural Updates PDF Download

Western Red Cedars Dying

Jean R. Natter, OSU Extension Master Gardener

Failing trees have been a persistent topic in MG Clinics and on the online Ask an Expert service during the past 6 or 7 years. Overall, it’s been an issue of continuing higher than normal temperatures combined with less than normal rainfall. Then, too, few homeowners realize that the continuing heat and drought affects their landscape trees in spite of being watered with the lawn sprinklers.

Fig 1 (right): Western red cedar, Thuja plicata, with thinning crowns most likely due to climate changes and continuing drought. (“Why is My Tree Dying? – Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata)” – April 2019; https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Documents/ForestBenefits/TreeDeclinesRedcedar.pdf)

In order for trees to thrive, they should be irrigated separately from grass, with at least one watering to about 10 inches deep to the soil below the canopy every 3 weeks during our dry season. Indications of a water deficit is revealed by multiple signs and symptoms, among them wilted leaves; leaves with curled and/or dry edges; early fall color; leaf yellowing and early leaf drop.

Foresters have been puzzled by problems with Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) which normally do well on moist sites. The most recent thought is that these trees are finally succumbing to stress from many successive years of heat and drought stress.

Several recent Ask an Expert responses have noted “We are getting many reports of western redcedars dying this year, and the consensus seems to be that the combination of extreme heat and drought experienced since around 2013 through last summer is an important factor. Although this summer was mild, it often takes a year or so for a tree to show any signs of distress from drought.”

Another expert, in a response to a different client, said it this way: “Western redcedar are dying in some areas due to a complex of climate stress and other issues, with no clear primary agent of mortality.”

Two Western Red Cedars at the Oregon State University campus

Fig 2 (right): Two healthy Western red cedars (Thuja plicata) on the Oregon State University campus, southeast of Fairbanks Hall. ( OSU Landscape Plants; https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/thuja-plicata)

In general, the foresters responding through Ask an Expert are including a link to a publication released in April 2019: “Why is My Tree Dying? – Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata)” which, in summary, states:

Top-dieback, branch mortality, crown thinning and whole-tree mortality in all ages of western redcedar has [sic] been observed recently at lower elevations in the Willamette Valley and beyond. Although it is common to see ‘spiked’ or dead tops in older western redcedar, usually there are living lateral branches and a functional crown. No single factor has been identified in these more recent die offs, but a combination of poor or unsustainable growing conditions may be to blame. Redcedar may simply be growing in areas or within microclimates outside of their preferred range or areas that are no longer sustainable for long-term growth under current climate conditions.

Then, too, it suggests that alternate species for red cedar on generally dry sites include incense cedar, sequoia, and big leaf maple; on more moist sites which don’t dry out in the summer, western white pine, maple, alder, ash, or cottonwood.

Resources

– Abiotic Disorders of Landscape Plants” (#3420 UCANR); pages 51-59. A copy is in each of the metro MG offices.

– “Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar)” outlines a basic description of this native conifer (50-70 feet, or more) which thrives in sun to part shade on moist soils, with numerous images of a healthy tree. https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/thuja-plicata

– “Why is My Tree Dying? – Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata)” – April 2019 – https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Documents/ForestBenefits/TreeDeclinesRedcedar.pdf

– “Pruning Drought Stressed Shade Trees” encourages caution to remove as little wood as possible from a stressed tree, in part because it already has limited reserves, with precious little remaining to “spend” on otherwise unneeded wound repair. https://droughtresources.unl.edu/droughtpruning

PDF Natter’s Notes October 2019 – Western Red Cedar Dying Download

old pear tree
starlings announce
harvest time

– Philip Noble

Our Annual Harvest (of volunteer service hours that is!)

It is that time of year when we are busy harvesting in our gardens, whether herbs, fruit, vegetables, or flowers. For OSU Master Gardener volunteers, it is also time to gather and record your hours of volunteer service and submit your volunteer log sheet, prior to the October 1st deadline.

This year Metro-area Master Gardeners have made tremendous contributions educating and supporting home gardeners, and we want to share the news!

The October 1st deadline allows the metro MG program office enough time to compile and share your significant contributions, with the state Master Gardener program and OSU Extension Service.

Help us get those statistics to the state level by recording and submitting your hours this month! We will celebrate and share the grand totals at our Fall Recertification Training. See the article below for reporting details.

Online MG Volunteer Reporting System

We have an updated online volunteer reporting system to ease the process of submitting your volunteer hours and signed 2019-2020 Conditions of Volunteer Service form.

To report using the online system – follow the links sent to you in an email that was sent from Marcia McIntyre on September 5^th.

The online system prompts you through several questions to record your volunteer hours, provides a special email in which to send your volunteer log sheet, plus the options to send your yearly Conditions of Volunteer Service via mail, email or DocuSign!

You still need to record your volunteer hours onto a Word, Excel or PDF form – but now you can upload those hours via the online system.

NOTE: You can refer to your CERVIS log to track your hours – but you also need to log all CERVIS hours on your volunteer log sheet. Most “Program” hours are recorded in CERVIS. “Partner” events and activities are not recorded in CERVIS (this includes Chapter events, plant sale support, Chapter demonstration/education garden volunteer service). Be sure to record all your volunteer hours and continuing education hours on your log sheet.

A special thank you to those who have already submitted your hours! Great going, early birds!

For those of you who are still seeking Recertification/continuing education or volunteer opportunities look for some great opportunities below.

How to Maintain Master Gardener Certification

Need a refresher on how to maintain your Master Gardener certification? Here you can find the details. Whether you are a 2019 trainee or a Perennial MG, to continue to serve as a “current” OSU Master Gardener you must submit an annual, signed Conditions of Volunteer Service form, which can be signed via DocuSign (see article above and email received from Marcia McIntyre on September 5th).

Fun fall Farmers Market volunteer opportunities, sign-up on CERVIS!

3 OSU Master Gardeners at the Rocky Butte Farmers Market, talking to client

Fall is a wonderful time to volunteer at area Farmers Markets, as autumn produce lines the aisles and seasonal home gardening questions abound.

Opportunities to volunteer at a Farmers Market remain for Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsdale, Lake Oswego, Lents, and Tigard. Grab an open slot on CERVIS

Guide home gardeners through the fall and winter season!

2 Master Gardeners sitting in Master Gardener helpline clinic, look at a large branch with leaves, as a client leans over and points at the branch.

As the days shorten and the temperatures cool, a new host of gardening conundrums perplex the home gardener. You can assist and expand your own knowledge, collaborating with other MGs as you research and advise gardeners. Sign-up on CERVIS or contact a phone coordinator.

Clackamas County Phones, Catalina Santamaria, 503-655-8631 catalina.santamaria@oregonstate.edu
Multnomah County Phones, Janet Hohman, 503-655-8631 janet.hohman@gmail.com
Washington County Phones, Jenifer Halter, 503-821-1112 jenifer.halter@oregonstate.edu

Save the Date! Saturday, November 9^th – FALL RECERTIFICATION!

Metallic bee (bright green) on orange cone flower

Our annual Master Gardener Fall Recertification Training is scheduled for Saturday, November 9^th, 8:00am to 3:45pm, at Clackamas Community College. This annual event is a daylong continuing education opportunity. Earn 6 hours of continuing education/recertification credit by attending.

Photo: Oregon State University

Please join us for an engaging day of training that will support you in your role as a garden educator.

‘How trees grow and why they die!’ Presenter: Glenn Ahrens, OSU Extension Forester, Clackamas, Hood River, and Marion Counties

‘Is the Insect Apocalypse Upon Us?’ Presenter: Gail Langellotto, Statewide Coordinator, OSU Extension Master Gardener Program, Associate Professor of Horticulture, OSU

2019 Master Gardener Trainees to Receive OSU MG Badges

2018 Master Gardener gives thumbs up as she proudly wears her OSU Master Gardener badge

Our November 9th, Fall Recertification Training (see details above) also gives us the opportunity to congratulate the new class of Master Gardener interns as they step-up to Perennial Master Gardener status, after completing their volunteer requirements.

2019 Interns are cordially invited to attend the full day of Fall Recertification training, which will count toward your continuing education hour requirement for 2020. If you are unable to attend Fall Recertification to receive your badge, it will be mail to those not present in December.

Welcome Leah and Catalina!

We want to introduce you to two new faces at the Clackamas County Extension Office (where our MG program team is located).

Photo: Leah (left) and Catalina (right).

Leah Sundquist is the new Clackamas Co. Extension Office Manager. Leah joins the Extension team after a 35-year career in the U.S. Army, where her final years of service included roles as the Chief of Staff and Director of Plans and Operations for the Oregon National Guard in Salem. When asked about her experience with gardening, Leah shares that she is proud to be nurturing her office ‘welcome gift’ jade plant, the past 3 and a half months, with the plant showing nary a sign of distress. She is nurturing an olive tree with hopes that, if it survives, she can reward herself by purchasing another one!

Catalina Santamaria joined our Extension team in July, as Office Specialist in the front office. A portion of Catalina’s time will be supporting the Master Gardener and 4-H program. We are excited that Catalina is joining our MG team. Catalina will be coordinating the Clackamas County MG office helpline and working alongside the MG team. Catalina shares that her exposure to gardening started as a young child, as her father grew many plants at home. She recalls many cyclamen and African violets brightening her childhood home.

Please join us in extending a warm, Master Gardener welcome to both Leah and Catalina!

September Master Gardener Advanced Training Webinars

Here comes another great Master Gardener Advanced Training Webinar, offered on Tuesday, September 17^th, 11am.

Are Viruses Lurking in Your Backyard Cherries?
Presented by Lauri Lutes (OSU Botany and Plant Pathology PhD student)
Register here: https://learn.extension.org/events/3690

Join Lauri Lutes, PhD Candidate in OSU’s Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, as she shares what she has learned studying viruses and diseases to which cherries are susceptible in Oregon. Lauri will share disease prevention and management for cherries in your home garden. She will also cover how to choose the best tree, common virus symptom identification, and virus vector (insect and nematode) management.

If you are unable to watch the webinar live, check back in a couple of days at the 2019 Advanced Training Webinar page, where a recording of the webinar will be posted.

More Advanced Training Webinars

The OSU Advanced Training Webinars are a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest in horticultural science. This series features University experts who offer a wealth of research-based information on home gardening topics, which support you in your role as a garden educator. Check out the great library of webinar recordings.

2019 Advanced Training Webinars

2018 Advanced Training Webinars

2017 Advanced Training Webinars

Create Gardens Accessible to All!

raised garden bed with leafy vegetables, a wheel barrel alongside the raised bed. The wheel barrel is filled with plants.

‘Gardening is one of the more therapeutic things a person can do – emotionally, mentally and physically – but for some it seems out of reach. Good design and the practices can make a gardening accessible for everyone.’

Fellow Metro-area, OSU Master Gardener, Corinne Thomas-Kersting, shares some great recommendations for universal garden design in this article ‘Create Gardens Accessible to All’, by OSU Extension Communications Specialist Kym Pokorny.

Gardening Tips for Fall

For your viewing pleasure, we will reprise two great videos with tips for timely gardening activities.

Fall Into Gardening Flier with schedule for the day.

Saturday, October 5, 9am to 12noon
Milwaukie Center, 5440 SE Kellogg Creek Drive, Milwaukie, OR

Natter’s Notes

Found in OR: A Native Squash Bee

Jean R. Natter, OSU Master Gardener

female squash bee scopa square jaw, in center of squash flower, legs covered with powdery yellow pollen

This month, let’s talk about a friendly “first record” for Oregon. Instead of a new pest, it’s a native bee previously thought not to be in OR: the squash bee, Peponapis pruinosa, collected for the first time in southern Oregon during 2018.

Fig 1: Female squash bee (above image); numerous pollen grains clinging to the scopa (pollen-collecting hairs) on hind leg of female squash bee; also notice her squared-jaw. (https://bugguide.net/node/view/1420105/bgimage)

Thanks for the effective sampling goes to citizen scientists collecting native bees for a survey sponsored by the recently formed Oregon Bee Atlas (OBA). A second sample was acquired later on, again in southern Oregon.

The Oregon Bee Atlas (OBA) represents the first steps towards gathering and organizing knowledge about our state’s native bees. The OBA’s mission (2018-2021) is to train citizen scientists (committed volunteers) to identify the many native bees known to reside in the state, and to seek new native bee records for the state. After a species checklist has been created, periodic follow-up surveys will be able to determine whether the numbers and health of Oregon bees is improving or declining.

As a result of finding these two bees, the OBA has issued a “squash bee call to action.”

Now that we “have two confirmed samples,” they say, “it would be great to get a map this year of the extent to which these bees have spread through Oregon – even negative results are welcome” In other words, OBA would like its volunteers start looking specifically for squash bees.

This is a project perfect for early risers. Volunteers need to go out early – dawn — before the flowers open, and manually unfurl the flowers.

[Currently, it’s thought likely that squash bees won’t be in the northern part of the Willamette Valley. But who knows? Nature may surprise us.]

The OBA Protocol for locating squash bees:

1. Early in the morning, open mature flowers of the larger flowered Cucurbita species and count the squash bees inside. These are male bees.

2. Only survey zucchini, pumpkin, and other large flowered squashes. Not cucumbers or small flowered plants.

3. Take photos (clear, focused) of the flowers with squash bees.

4. Record how many squash bees you find in the flowers, collect the bees, then preserve them in rigid containers in your freezer until you contact me (j.r.natter@aol.com). I‘ll forward your documentation to the OBA.

5. OBA also requests you record the date and time of the collection; your name; the address; latitude; longitude; the flower (pumpkin; squash, etc.); and the number of squash bees in each.

Female honey bee, Apis mellifera, common in landscapes and gardens country-wide.

Differentiating between squash bees and the more common honey bees will be easy. The two bees are about the same size, but the abdomens of squash bees (Fig. 1) are marked with well-defined white bands whereas honey bee abdomens aren’t. (Fig.2)

Fig 2: Female honey bee (above image), Apis mellifera, common in landscapes and gardens country-wide. (https://bugguide.net/node/view/1364844)

Resources

Video: “Journey of the Squash Bees” (UC Davis) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAQVNl0C-H0

Video: “Squash Bee Natural History” (UC Davis) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WobQObH4oDE

“The Bees in Your Backyard” (Wilson & Carril; Princeton University Press; 2016; pages 224-225.)

Images of squash bees, Peponapis pruinosa. (https://bugguide.net/node/view/83553/bgimage)

PDF Natter’s Notes September 2019 Squash-bee Download

By Margaret Bayne, OSU Extension Staff-retired, OSU Master Gardener

Femail samurai wasp lays egg in mass of Brown Marmorated Stick Bug - Photo credit: Chris Hedstrom - Oregon Department of Agriculture

Researchers determine ideal areas and timing for biological control of invasive stink bug. (Chris Branam, OSU; source:David Lowenstein, OSU) https://bit.ly/2KBiR38

Image: Female samurai wasp lays egg in mass of BMSB- Chris Hedstrom-ODA.jpg

Linden (Tilia cordata) associated bumble bee mortality: Metabolomic analysis of nectar and bee muscle study. (Clair Lande, et al; plos.org) https://bit.ly/2KASrhX

Tobacco plant ‘stickiness’ aids helpful insects, plant health. While not a crop we have here in Oregon, it is an interesting read. (Mick Kulikowski, NC State U) https://bit.ly/2H5h18i

Carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange at the soil-atmosphere boundary as affected by various mulch materials. “Mulching is a common soil management technique used in agricultural, nursery, and landscape settings. Despite multiple benefits, such as reducing weeds and evaporation, some mulches can also hinder gas exchange across the soil-atmosphere interface, and thus may have negative impacts on plant growth.(KhurramShahzad, et al; sciencedirect.com) https://bit.ly/2z0TAJ4

How spiders increase plant diversity. “If healthy ecosystems are what we desire, we must embrace predators. There is no way around it. Because of their meat-based diets, predators can have serious effects on plant diversity. Generally speaking, as plant diversity increases, so does the biodiversity of that region.” (Indefenseofplants.com) https://bit.ly/31oTdUH

“The world faces ‘pollinator collapse’? How and why the media get the science wrong time and again.” Interesting piece on a controversial subject. (Jon Entine, Geneticliteracyproject.org) https://bit.ly/2Pc65wn

Using flowers, leaves, twigs, and seeds, Canadian artist Raku Inoue creates intricate portraits of insects. Beautiful photos. (Daniel Stone, nationalgeographic.com) https://on.natgeo.com/2Y8Z4R1

Killer wasps invade central Oregon. “…these wasps infest wherever cicadas have settled, because the females need them for their larvae.” (KPND.com)https://bit.ly/2TDzazi

Surprising genetic diversity in old growth trees. “Many trees are often superbly capable of adapting to local conditions. Recently, a team of researchers from the University of British Columbia have provided some insights into the genetic mechanisms that may underpin such adaptive potential.” (Indefenseofplants.com)https://bit.ly/2OxMI0n

Do ladybugs help your garden grow? Depends on the surroundings. (Krishna Ramanujan, Cornell U) https://bit.ly/2KBj46q

The surprising history and science of Poison Ivy and its relatives. “Do you think of poison ivy as a scurrilous weed to be avoided at all costs? Think again! There was a time when the daring and curious found promise in poison ivy and its rash-inducing relatives.” (Jane E. Boyd & Joseph Rucker, sciencehistory.org) https://bit.ly/31Cr7W1

Western Oregon conifers continue to show damage due to drought. (Kym Pokorny, OSU; Source: Dave Shaw, OSU) https://bit.ly/2H8agTr

Image: Dead Cedar tree, Dave Shaw, OSU

Can a dead tree help a neighboring tree? “Trees are commonly regarded as distinct entities, but the roots of many species fuse to form natural root grafts allowing the exchange of water, carbon, mineral nutrients, and microorganisms between individuals.” (M.K.-F. Bader & S. Leuzinger, Iscience) https://bit.ly/2MfZiPG

Managing plant pests with soaps. “A topic frequently discussed by home gardeners and professionals is the use of soap products to control plant pests. Limited and conflicting information on this topic has resulted in confusion and misuse of products. This document describes some of the different types of soaps and recommendations for proper, legal, and safe use of these products to manage pests.” (Matthew A. Borden and Adam G. Dale, UFL)https://bit.ly/33yaQmW

Ants that defend plants receive sugar and protein. (Peter Moon, agencia) https://bit.ly/2XU3INz

Viral disease progress of blueberry shock video. Watch it! (Jay Pscheidt, OSU) https://bit.ly/2z4AkKp

NASA has announced the first fruit they’ll grow on the ISS, And it’s hot. “Researchers are hoping to send up Española chili pepper plants (Capsicum annuum), which could make peppers the very first fruit to be grown in space by US astronauts.” (Jacinta Bowler,sciencealert.com) https://bit.ly/31H3KuB

‘Moon trees’ might just be one of the most epic Apollo legacies we’ve heard of. “On 31 January 1971, the Apollo 14 mission launched from Earth and spent nine days in space. Along with the necessary space gear, scientific equipment, and two golf balls, the Kitty Hawk command module was also housing 500 seeds. You might be surprised to know that those seeds live on today, despite enduring space radiation, and a decontamination mishap.” (Jacinta Bowler, sciencealert.com)https://bit.ly/2z0umdC

The windscreen phenomenon: anecdata is not scientific evidence. “The windscreen phenomenon refers to people’s perception that there are fewer insects being splattered on their windscreen than they used to see. It is one of the most common anecdotes presented as evidence of global insect decline in the Insectageddon stories. But anecdotes are not scientific evidence. Anecdotes describe local conditions, not globally-relevant facts.” (Manu Saunders, ecologyisnotadirtyword.com) https://bit.ly/2YLnUGR

Bright, blue hydrangea bloom. Photo credit: Chris Branam, OSU

Guide to pruning Hydrangeas-differences you need to know. (Raymond Bosmans, Professor Emeritus, UMD) https://bit.ly/2KxIX74

Image: Blue Hydrangea, Chris Branam, OSU

How Dracula orchids lure flies for pollination. “With over 28,000 species of orchid, it seems like there’s an orchid for every niche. The Dracula orchid’s niche is mimicking a mushroom.” (Alun Salt, botany.one) https://bit.ly/2Twwcwi

Cockroaches are rapidly evolving to become “almost impossible” to kill. “The rise of the superbug cockroach is upon us. A new study has found that German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) are rapidly evolving to become resistant to many widely used bug sprays and insecticides, as well as chemicals they’ve never been directly exposed to, making them near-impossible to eliminate and one step closer to taking over the world.” (Tom Hale, iflscience.com) https://bit.ly/2FMGBOZ

Long term problems with Tree Gators? Read what an expert has to say.(Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, WSU) https://bit.ly/2ZZuOVo

A legendary Ozark chestnut tree, thought extinct, is rediscovered. “The chinquapin was supposed to have been wiped out by blight. Now one determined Missouri naturalist is hand-pollinating trees in secret groves to bring it back.” (Robert Langellier, nationalgeographic.com) https://on.natgeo.com/2YMxVU9

Insect repellent fact sheets. “The term “insect repellent” doesn’t accurately reflect how these materials work. They don’t actually repel insects, but rather block the receptors that mosquitoes, gnats, punkies, no-see-ums and other insects use to detect appropriate hosts for them to bite.” (UNH Extension) https://bit.ly/33y4ZxV

Using coffee ground in gardens and landscapes. (Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, WSU) https://bit.ly/2lZuWoS

10+ bad*ss trees that refused to die even at the harshest conditions. Amazing photos. (InfoLAJM.org) https://bit.ly/33y53xF

By Margaret Bayne, OSU Extension Staff-retired, OSU Master Gardener

July/August 2019

WSU scientists unmask the humble earwig as an apple-protecting predator. (Seth Truscott,, WSU) https://bit.ly/2KA1CiS

Native forest plants rebound when invasive shrubs are removed. While this relates to the east coast, it is very informative. (Jeff Mulhollem, Penn State U) https://bit.ly/2F50n7K

Watering space plants is hard, but NASA has a plan. (Ellen Airhart, msn.com) https://bit.ly/2WrH4LO

Decoding the mathematical secrets of plants’ stunning leaf patterns. “A Japanese shrub’s unique foliage arrangement leads botanists to rethink plant growth models.” (Maddie Burakoff, Smithonianmag.com) https://bit.ly/2Iuhtgu

Twice as many plants have gone extinct than birds, mammals, and amphibians combined (Erik Stokstad, sciencemag.org) https://bit.ly/2F3JWJ0

Find out what causes the little white spheres on spinach leaves? (Becky Sideman, U of New Hampshire) https://bit.ly/2X3zjjA

Learn what can be a cause of misshapen strawberries. (Fruitgrowersnews.com) https://bit.ly/2KJJZNU

How to tell the difference between bees, wasps, & flies…watch the video! (Dr. Gail Langellotto-Rhodaback, OSU via youtube) https://bit.ly/2MERSGJ

How are hydrangea flower colors determined? (Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, FS309E, WSU) https://bit.ly/2F4c6Dz

Photosynthesis at work…cool video! (BBC via youtube) https://bit.ly/2wQTTEU

Why calcium deficiency is not the cause of blossom-end rot in tomato and pepper fruit – a reappraisal. (Max C. Saure, sciencedirect.com) https://bit.ly/2IyKcRh

Flowers can hear buzzing bees—and it makes their nectar sweeter. (Michelle Z. Donahu, Nationalgeographic.com) https://on.natgeo.com/2Mi6LLl

‘X’ marks the spot: The possible benefits of nectar guides to bees and plants. (Anne S. Leonard & Daniel R. Papaj, British Ecological Society) https://bit.ly/2wKdmqY

Learn about natural insecticides. (Todd Murray: & Catherine Daniels; WSU, OSU, U of ID, PNW publication 649) https://bit.ly/2I8UCb0

Learn from an expert about managing wildlife conflicts in your home and garden. (Dana Sanchez, OSU, PNW 719) https://bit.ly/2R7BnSg

Paper wasps capable of behavior that resembles logical reasoning. “A new study provides the first evidence of transitive inference, the ability to use known relationships to infer unknown relationships, in a nonvertebrate animal: the lowly paper wasp.” (U of Michigan, via sciencedaily.com) https://bit.ly/2YeG92z

Natter’s Notes

Summer’s Challenges

Jean R. Natter, OSU Master Gardener

Ah, summer. Thoughts of gentle breezes and abundant harvests. But, wait! Even as I write this, temperatures are soaring. Just how severely plants were damaged by the time you read this will depend upon how rapidly gardeners reacted. Or, better yet, were ahead of the game.

Just how plants are affected by high temperatures depends upon numerous factors, among them the extent and duration of the heat; the relative humidity; windy or not; soil moisture content; also, the kind of plant, its age, site, and general status when the heat hit. Sometimes leaves are only damaged superficially. Other times, tissues die.

Tissue survival is most likely when the plant is fully hydrated well before the heat hits. After extreme heat arrives, stomates close, inhibiting water uptake by roots. So, whenever a heat wave is predicted, water the night before or early morning, between 2 and 6 AM.

Although sufficient and timely irrigation is important, so is temporary shade. Container-grown plants are especially vulnerable to damage during bright, hot weather. If possible, move them to a shaded site until the heat passes; if that’s impossible, rig temporary shade at least 18 inches overhead.

Avoid wilt

It’s critical to avoid wilting because wilted plants are permanently damaged even if the plant “totally recovers” after it is watered. Vegetables won’t produce the abundant yields gardeners expect.

Wilting is obvious with herbaceous plants, less so with woodies. In all cases, watch for subtle changes in leaf color. Early on, water shortages are signaled by an off-color, a somewhat blue- or gray-green.

Abiotic sunburn rhododendron 2015-07-client.jpg
These rhododendron leaves reveal varying degrees of tissue damage from excessively bright light combined with high temperatures and reflected light. In the yellow zone: the chlorophyll was killed whereas in the brown areas, tissues took the brunt of the damage and are dead. (Client image; 2015-07)

Other effects of excessive heat include the following:

– Leaves droop, a plant’s temporary response to protect tissues from excess sunlight.

– Flower buds shrivel and dry instead of opening.

– Flowers scorch, especially at the petal edges.

– Fruits with insufficient leafy cover, may sunburn, and eventually spoil.

– Pollination fails, such as when immature summer squash doesn’t enlarge and, instead, rots at the blossom end. Or, when tomatoes stop setting fruit, resulting a harvest lull later on.

– Pollination is incomplete, as when summer squash resembles a billy club.

Blossom End Rot in tomatoes

Blossom end rot in tomatoes won’t be recognized by gardeners for a week or two. It’s caused by insufficient transport of calcium to the bottom of the fruit. (No; crushed eggshells in the soil won’t help.)

Early on, you’ll see a slight graying of the skin color on the blossom end. With continued stress, cells die, producing a black area which gradually enlarges and may permeate the entire fruit with a secondary infection (rot). Perhaps most frustrating is, even though damage isn’t visible on the exterior, the internal flesh has rotted. See “Blossom-End Rot of Tomatoes” (FS139; https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/fs139.pdf).

Abiotic vine maple heat one-sided 2017-08 client.jpg
A thorough history and appropriate images are critical to resolving a diagnosis. If only a few leaves were submitted from this tree with one-sided damage from excessive heat, one would probably assume the tree was dead. (Client image; 2017-08)

General guidelines for water

– Water early in the day so that your plants will meet the rising temperatures well supplied with a fully moist rootball.

– On scorching days, consider adding a second brief supplemental irrigation, perhaps up to half the usual amount, in the early afternoon to “top off” soil moisture.

– Realize that the output of drip irrigation and soaker lines is in gallons per hour whereas sprinklers, in-ground or not, is gallons per minute.

Resources

– “Abiotic Disorders of Landscape Plants” (UC); pages 139 to 155.

– “Diseases of Trees and Shrubs” (Sinclair & Lyon, 2nd edition); pages 492 to 494.

– “How High Heat Affects Vegetables and Other Crop Plants” https://extension.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/?p=3203

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Found in Oregon: A Native Squash Bee

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Found in OR: A Native Squash Bee

Jean R. Natter, OSU Master Gardener

Horticultural Updates September 2019

By Margaret Bayne, OSU Extension Staff-retired, OSU Master Gardener

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