OSU Extension Service / Metro Area Master Gardener program
Spring has sprung and our metro-area Master Gardener season is on its way as we welcome a new class of Master Gardeners.
After completing their in-class training, required modules, and final exam, 140 Intern Master Gardeners are joining the ranks and will be volunteering alongside Veteran MGs to venture into the community as garden educators!
Congrats and Welcome, Class of 2018!
We congratulate and welcome our 2018 class of Master Gardener Interns. We look forward to seeing you at Metro Master Gardener workshops, OSU Master Gardener clinics, and Chapter events. You have learned so much in the past couple months – but that is just the start!
Your volunteer service offers even greater opportunities to learn in active, hands-on format. Dig-in! Branch-out! Try something new and discover the wealth of knowledge you will acquire as an OSU Master Gardener educator!
Intern MG Volunteer opportunities
We encourage you to try an array of volunteer activities with the goal of maximizing your learning. Please volunteer at least 28 hours in OSU MG Program Activities and 28 hours in Partner Activities. You can sign up for OSU MG Program Activities in CERVIS and watch for special email and newsletter notifications. Please submit your volunteer hour log sheet by September 30, 2018.
In addition, our local Master Gardener volunteer groups (known as chapters) in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties provide monthly educational seminars on a wide range of topics. Check out a lecture of interest, meet other like-minded gardeners, enjoy!
Please note: these events are FREE of charge and open to the public. Bring your friends and family!
See our educational events calendar for details or visit the individual Chapter websites.
A message to Veteran MGs:
It’s time to brush-off your Sustainable Gardening Handbooks and sign-up for a MG Clinic or MG event! Take the time in the next few months to welcome Intern MGs and offer your experience and knowledge. You can find a wide-range of volunteer shifts to sign-up for on CERVIS. If you want to refresh your knowledge, remember that the online modules are available for you to take through September 30, 2018.
The portal leads metro-area Master Gardeners to valuable information. Once there you can read the monthly Metro MG newsletter; review how to maintain your active MG status, sign-up for volunteer shifts on CERVIS, check out the events calendar and more! You can also find the links to volunteer log sheets and other forms. Be sure to check it out!
Workshop series
Our training Workshops Series is a wonderful opportunity for enriched, applied learning with our fantastic slate of instructors. It meets a training requirement for Interns and helps to fulfill the continuing education requirement for Veteran MGs. We want to be sure that this opportunity is available to all interested Master Gardeners. So we ask that you adhere to the following guidelines…
IMPORTANT: If you have registered for more than your allotted number of workshops (see paragraph above) please unregister for any workshops above the allowed maximum. This will allow those who were unable to register for any workshops to have the opportunity to sign-up..
If you are signed up for a workshop be sure to fulfill your commitment to attend. If you are unable to attend please unregister yourself as soon as you know you can’t attend – thereby giving another MG the opportunity.
For those who have not be able to sign-up for a workshop…new workshops will be added to the schedule in the next few weeks.
Look for an email announcement once the workshops are open for enrollment.
Thanks to our Inspiring Instructors!
With a fruitful and informative MG training behind us – we want to express our utmost thanks to our instructors and class coordinators. The MG training would not have happened without your generosity! Thanks for sharing your time, knowledge and inspiration!
Class coordinators, Thank you!
Our immense thanks to the 3 Master Gardener training class coordinators and their stellar crew of assistants. Our MG training classes happen thanks to the dedication, warm hospitality, organization, and trouble-shooting chops of Trina Studebaker (Beaverton), Cindy Manselle (Oregon City), and Beven Peters (Portland) and their steadfast team of Veteran volunteers. We are grateful to them all!
We also would like to give an extra shout-out to Trina Studebaker for her years of service coordinating at the Beaverton training class. Trina has been organizing, guiding and brightening MG training in Beaverton for the past 7 years and is now stepping aside to pursue other Master Gardener adventures.
Trina, thank you for your many years of dedication and service.
We look forward to seeing you at other MG activities!
A Big Shout Out to the Chapters!
We would like to extend a big shout out of thanks to the Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington County Chapters for their financial support of the Metro MG training classes. The facility, hospitality and parking fees would prohibit training happening in such great venues. Thank you for your constant, generous, dedicated support of the OSU Metro Master Gardener training program. Your contributions make a such positive and vital difference to the Master Gardener program!
Master Gardeners Make an Impact!
The Clackamas Co. Extension Service’s annual community report is hot off the press. Take a look inside to see the valuable impact Master Gardeners make to the county, plus learn about the amazing community service being provided via 4-H Youth Development, Family and Community Health, Forestry and Natural Resources, and Agriculture.
It’s Plant Sale Season! Don’t Miss Out!
All 3 of our supporting Chapters are rolling out fantastic fundraising plant sales. Mark your calendars and save the dates. With a bit of judicious planning you can volunteer and shop-till-you-drop at all 3! These are extremely fun events to attend and most especially fun to serve as a volunteer. Don’t miss out!
Washington County MGs Plant Sale – April 28th
http://washingtoncountymastergardeners.org/plant-sale/
Clackamas County MGs Spring Garden Fair – May 5th and 6th
Volunteer opportunities, see…
https://springgardenfair.org/volunteers/
For Spring Garden Fair details, see…
https://springgardenfair.org/
Multnomah MGs Incredible Edibles Sale – May 5
To volunteer email multmastergardeners@gmail.com
Event details http://www.multnomahmastergardeners.org/edibles
Fertilize your currant, raspberry and blueberry shrubs! Slug patrol! Get your veggie garden started!
Carpenter ants, sometimes referred to as “termites of the northwest,” can be important structural pests which typically nest in moisture-damaged wood. In our region, swarms of flying reproductives (males and females) often leave the nest during January. After mating, the surviving queens will shed their wings and search for a new nest site.
Once a thriving colony is established, it has 10,000 to 50,000 or more individuals. The main nest is in dead wood, perhaps a tree, stump, or landscape timbers.
But that’s only part of the story.
The pupae and some workers are in a secondary nest, one that’s in a relatively warm, dry structure such as a house, garage, or shed. When a colony is about 6 to 10 years old, it produces its first winged swarmers (reproductive males and females). The females, at 16- to 18-mm (about 5/8-inch), are larger than the males, the latter a scant 1/2-inch long.
It doesn’t matter which Camponotus species is in an infestation. In western Oregon, C. modoc (black with red legs) is more common than C. vicinus (black with red thorax and legs). A mature colony has 3 sizes of workers: minors (the smallest); media; and majors. They may invade households, just as nuisance ants will, but are unaffected by over-the-counter ant bait.
All ants have elbowed antennae, and a petiole (a slender connection between thorax and abdomen) with a noticeable node (a bump). Carpenter ant workers are recognized by their particularly large node and an evenly convex thoracic profile. The additional musculature for the swarmers’ wings creates a beefier profile changing the thoracic outline to somewhat flattened and table-like. After females drop their wings, close examination of the lateral thorax with a hand lens will reveal small indentations – the places where the wings were attached.
Key points
More often than not, clients don’t know if they are infested or where the main nest is. These activities can provide answers:
Thwart the likelihood of a carpenter ant infestation with several ongoing practices:
Management practices for an infestation
Resources
– PNW Insect Management Handbook, the section titled Structural and Health Pests.
– “Identification and Habits of Key Ant Pests of Washington” (EB0671) has identification details for common ants.
“Carpenter Ants: Their Biology and Control” (EB0818; WSU)
– “The Technician’s Handbook” (Richard Kramer; PCT Handbooks) is a handy source of brief summaries about key pests. Each entry includes the pest’s description, a clear line drawing, life cycles, foods, habitats, and cultural management. Still more details about ants are in “Structure-infesting Ants” (Stoy Hedges; PCT Handbooks). These professional handbooks offer insights as to the services pest control companies may offer. For one thing, pest control companies have effective ant baits not otherwise available to the public.
(Click the link below for PDF containing the above text and all the images.)
April 2018
What’s the truth behind 6 gardening myths? (Kym Pokorny, OSU) http://bit.ly/2ImsOOO
“In glyphosate review, WHO cancer agency edited out ‘non-carcinogenic’findings. The World Health Organization’s cancer agency dismissed and edited findings from a draft of its review of the weedkiller glyphosate that were at odds with its final conclusion that the chemical probably causes cancer.” ( Kate KIelland, Reauters)http://reut.rs/2FyT5LG
What do you do when twenty six thousand stinkbugs invade your home. “These uniquely versatile bugs are decimating crops and infiltrating houses all across the country.” The author explores, will we ever be able to get rid of them? (Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker) http://bit.ly/2FLlZYg
“The best tool to fight crime may be a lawnmower. That’s the conclusion of a new study, which shows that sprucing up vacant lots by doing as little as picking up trash and cutting the grass curbed gun violence in poor neighborhoods in a major U.S. metropolis by nearly 30%.” (Roni Dengler, ScienceMag.org) http://bit.ly/2FytLlL
What does a mosquito brain look like? Researchers at Howard Hughes Medical Institute have mapped the neuroanatomical regions of the brain of a female mosquito (Aedes aegypti). (The Scientist Staff, mobilethesicentist.com)
http://bit.ly/2tFqYoP
If you’ve enjoyed some spicy food lately, you might have a bird to thank. New research, at Iowa State University, illustrates how birds help to produce rare wild chili peppers (Iowa State University) http://bit.ly/2p5ailJ
Curious Wasp Specimen Leads Entomologist to Find a First for North America. (Entomology Today) http://bit.ly/2GkPAG6
Want an instant hedge? “Millennial gardening is not like 20th-century gardening. Patiently waiting for a seed to grow into a flower or tree is out. Instead, instant gratification is in. Everyone wants results … and yesterday is not soon enough!(Laidbackgardener.blog) http://bit.ly/2tFrUJR
No room for vegetables? Pot up your plants! Learn how from an OSU expert. (Kym Pokorny, OSU) http://bit.ly/2Io34Bp
Are you a garden photographer? Check out this beautiful botanical photographs from the international garden photographers of the year awards. http://bit.ly/2DkrBnl
Jigsaw puzzle configuration helps plant epidermal cells withstand high pressure. “Plant cells are under tremendous pressure. To prevent themselves from bursting, plants had to come up with something unique: According to scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, epidermal cells with an irregular shape can withstand their internal pressure better than round and other uniformly shaped cells.” (Max Planck Society, Physorg) http://bit.ly/2Il5u3P
Researchers study flower that catapults pollen. “Flowers are just about the last thing in nature you’d list as fast, but the mountain laurels’ filaments are an exception.” (Harvard, Physorg) http://bit.ly/2InLpda
Are we loving Monarch Butterflies to death? “…the efforts of a well-meaning public to bring monarch eggs and larvae indoors to raise to maturity, or to purchase large numbers of farmed monarchs for release into the wild, may be making life even more difficult for the beleaguered butterfly.” (Susan Brackney, Discover Magazine) http://bit.ly/2p8CHXn
More on Monarchs-Plan to save Monarchs’ backfires? A new paper shows that well-meaning gardeners might actually be endangering the butterflies’ iconic migration to Mexico. That’s because people have been planting the wrong species of milkweed, thereby increasing the odds of monarchs becoming infected with a crippling parasite. (Lizzie Wade, Science Magazine) http://bit.ly/24LtENr
As pollinating insects, bees get all the credit – but they don’t do all the work. A researcher from WSU, discovered that “about a third of the insects visiting and potentially helping pollinate these crops’ flowers were non-bee species, primarily flies. Of those, most were syrphid flies, also known as hover flies, many of which are bee mimics and do more than pollinate plants.” (Western IPM Center) http://bit.ly/2tIVpKK
Got weeds? Roll up your sleeves: Invasive weeds need persistence to control. Learn more from an OSU weed expert. (Kym Pokorny, OSU) http://bit.ly/2tJFR9A
Pictures Capture the Invisible Glow of Flowers. Ultraviolet light reveals alien-like colors and fairy sparkles in seemingly normal plants.(Austa Somvichian-Clausen, NationalGeographic.com) http://on.natgeo.com/2GVIOWk
Winter Gardening Activities for Children. “Indoor gardening activities can help children learn basic plant science while having fun.” (Pamela T. Hubbard, Master Gardener, Penn State University Extension) http://bit.ly/2HuLjiL
Hairy potatoes, a trait found in a wild potato, may make growing garden potatoes a lot easier. (Laidback gardener blog) http://bit.ly/2tHaa0E
Got mosquitoes? A new study conducted near Tucson, AZ, reports that, in particular, flower pots and saucers underneath them hosted disproportionately more larval mosquitoes than other types of containers. (John P. Roche, Entomology.today.org) http://bit.ly/2HsfRl1
Land plants arose earlier than thought—and may have had a bigger impact on the evolution of animals. (Elizabeth Pennisi, Sciencemag.org) http://bit.ly/2oA6Ezi
GMOs in the news: According to a study looking at 21 years of data on genetically modified crops (GMOs) in the US has found that not only can they increase crop yields, but they can also be good for you. (Iflscience.com) http://bit.ly/2p3c3zY
Are algae plants? (Indefenseofplants.com) http://bit.ly/2EIzCbb
Are you interested in planting natives? Here is an informative read (Becca Rodomsky-Bish, Yardmap.org) http://bit.ly/2p5Er4B
Plants are given a new family tree- “A new genealogy of plant evolution, led by researchers at the University of Bristol, shows that the first plants to conquer land were a complex species, challenging long-held assumptions about plant evolution.”(University of Bristol, Phys.org) http://bit.ly/2FD6LBH
Do you like caterpillars? Check out these great photos and videos of caterpillars up-close and personal! (Samuel Jaffe, Biographic.com) http://bit.ly/2E0TGRk
EPA settles with Amazon for distributions of illegal pesticides. (Hortidaily.com) http://bit.ly/2FzNXTO
Scientists suggest way to predict the behavior of invasive weeds. “Is it possible to predict which nonnative plant species will become invasive weeds and when? According to research featured in the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management, the answer is “hopefully yes.” And those predictions can lead to more effective and cost-efficient weed management.” (Cambridge University Press, Sciencedaily.com) http://bit.ly/2BYnvow
Starting Seeds with Success: Best Practices. (John.com) http://bit.ly/2p4ZdBd
The Not-So-Puzzling History of the Monkey Puzzle Tree (The treeographer.com) http://bit.ly/2IkUfID
Have you found bugs in your paprika? (Kristen Alken, Huffingtonpost.com) http://bit.ly/2IjKN8k
Where have all the entomologists gone? Fewer Scientists Are Studying Insects. Learn how this will impact you. (Alexandria Sifferlin, Timinc.net) http://bit.ly/2p9pOwf
Watch this interesting broadcast about the Oregon Silverspot Butterlfy and the Western Bog Lilly. The Lloyd brothers have spent the last 70 years exploring the overlooked giant of the Washington Cascades-the Oregon Silverspot. Also learn about their search for a rare, but beautiful Western Bog Lily in the bogs of southern Oregon. (OPB.org)
http://bit.ly/2FAiu3J
Learn about the status of Spring! The USA-NPN is tracking the start of the spring season across the country using models called the Spring Leaf and Bloom Indices. (National Phenology Network) http://bit.ly/199srno
Did you ever wonder how ‘Air plants’ drink? (Indefenseofplants.com) http://bit.ly/2tK63kC
When Hummingbirds visit, this flower pops open like a Jack-in-the-Box. (Elizabeth Preston, DIscovermagazine.com) http://bit.ly/2FM0836
Sights of Spring!
Crocus are blooming, daffodils are bursting out, cherry blossoms are unfurling and Metro-area Master Gardeners are in gear expanding their garden knowledge and sharing that knowledge with the gardening public.
The sights of spring herald new activity and volunteer opportunities for Master Gardeners. It’s time to reach out and engage in the myriad of clinics, projects and special events. Look for opportunities on CERVIS and in upcoming newsletters and emails.
Welcome 2018 Master Gardener Trainees!
We are thrilled you are joining our team of committed garden educators. You are over halfway through your training and soon you will be out in the community actively practicing and sharing your newfound knowledge.
Possibilities will abound with a wide-range of volunteer opportunities. You will hear about the many OSU approved offerings during week #6 of class. We hope you will dig in, have fun, and share your passion for gardening with fellow MGs and the gardening public. This is an opportunity to further your garden education and to gain confidence in teaching others how to sustainably and successfully garden.
Key points for 2017 MG Interns:
Special message to Veteran Master Gardeners
Vets, please join-in welcoming and guiding our new class of eager Master Gardener trainees by signing up for shifts at the Master Gardener phone clinics, area farmers markets, and other remote clinics. We hope to have one Veteran per shift scheduled before March 9th – so when trainees sign-up for shifts at the MG training Resource Fair they will have a perennial MG to ease them into their new role as a garden educator.
To sign up for phone, farmer’s markets, and remote clinic shifts go to CERVIS or contact the coordinator. Note CERVIS will be closed March 10th through March 19th to prepare for the Intern Resource Fair. Be sure to read the article below about important changes in CERVIS.
Changes to CERVIS Volunteer Registration Service
This year when you sign-up for volunteer events in CERVIS, our online volunteer registration system, you may notice a few changes.
First off, visually it is a bit different in layout, color, and fonts. This system wide change should make navigating the site easier.
We have added shift slots that are specific to 3 different categories of volunteers.
When registering on CERVIS please sign-up for the appropriate slot.
This change will assist coordinators in adequately filling shifts for their events. This change also will make it clearer and easier for Interns to serve on shifts with Veteran MGs.
All ‘current’ certified 2018 Veteran Master Gardeners have access to CERVIS. If you are unable to access CERVIS, please contact Jordis Yost or Marcia McIntyre. 2018 Trainees, you will have access to CERVIS on March 19th.
2018 MG Training Kicks Off!
Our annual Master Gardener training kicked-off last month with over 140 eager trainees, our knowledgeable instructors, and a committed team of Veteran MG volunteer coordinators.
Photos courtesy of Beven Peters and Eddie Rosen
Our Garden Checklist videos are brought to you in partnership with The Oregonian.
The Cecil and Molly Smith Garden, world renowned for its 
collection of species and hybrid rhododendrons, will be open during the blooming season, Saturdays and Sundays, April 7—May 20, 2018, 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
This three-acre natural woodland setting also features choice trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and bulbs, including Cyclamen, Trillium, Erythronium and Narcissus, which complement the over 600 rhododendrons and azaleas.
Established in the early 1950’s, the garden contains many rare species grown by Cecil Smith from seeds imported from China and cuttings from England, as well as hybrids he developed. The Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society purchased the garden in 1983 and, along with the Willamette and Tualatin Valley Chapters, now manages and maintains it.
A selection of plants featured in the garden are available for purchase. There is a modest admission fee of $3.00 for the general public. Admission is free for ARS members. Due to the sloping site the garden is not considered handicap accessible.
The garden is located at 5055 Raybell Road, St. Paul, Oregon, 97137 which is 7/10ths of a mile west of Highway 219 between St. Paul and Newberg. Turn west on Champoeg Road and continue straight on to Raybell Road to the garden. For more information, call Dick or Karen Cavender at 503-625-6331 or see http://smithgarden.org
This spring, don’t miss this hidden gem which has been featured in Horticulture magazine and several television programs.
Guided group tours of 10 or more people can be scheduled. Details are on the Garden’s web site. http://smithgarden.org
Experience the beauty and fragrance of hundreds of peony flowers on display when the American Peony Society convenes for their 2018 Annual Convention and Flower Show May 23 – 27 at the University Place Hotel and Conference Center, 310 SW Lincoln Street, Portland, Oregon.
Scott Parker, APS President, said the convention is unique because it features the finest peonies in North America, all in one place at the same time. Typically, the blooms would have to been seen over the course of seven weeks in growers’ gardens.
“The smell is intoxicating and the colors are stunning,” Parker said. “That’s the neat thing about it.”
The theme of this year’s Convention, “Portland Peony Prelude,” is designed to highlight the beauty and diversity of peonies, and to remind denizens of the City of Roses, that there’s no need to wait for the roses to bloom, when peonies rival roses in terms of both their beauty and fragrance, making them the ideal floral “prelude.”
The Flower Show is a free event, and the public is invited to attend from 1:00 to 5:00 pm on Saturday, May 26, and from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Sunday, May 27.
A series of educational seminars will be conducted by peony experts and are also open to public at no cost on Saturday and Sunday May 26 – 27. A seminar schedule will be posted on the American Peony Society website prior to the Convention.
Attendees are invited to visit the APS book and peony seed sale which will be open throughout the Flower Show.
The American Peony Society was established in 1903 to promote the development and improvement of the genus Paeonia and to foster studies and public interest in cultivated peonies as a garden plant. Membership is $25 per year, and is available during the Flower Show or by visiting the American Peony Society website at www.americanpeonysociety.org.
For more information, visit the APS web site at www.americanpeonysociety.org.
March 2018
Start thinking bee–mason bee! Watch Brooke Edmunds, OSU, share a little about the amazing native pollinators and how we can help them from early spring to early summer. (KATU-On Your Side) http://bit.ly/2Cd7hnf
More on Mason Bees-(Kym Porkorny, OSU; Brooke Edmunds, OSU) http://bit.ly/2Ez4cmI
The active ingredient in Roundup does not cause cancer, according to scientists at the National Cancer Institute. Researchers followed over 50,000 people who used pesticides to see if the ones who used Roundup developed any kind of cancer. The results were published Thursday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. (Kate Sheridan, Newsweek) http://bit.ly/2hns0R3
Meet the butterflies from 200 million years ago– Newly discovered fossils show that moths and butterflies have been on the planet for at least 200 million years. (Heidi Ledford, Nature)
http://go.nature.com/2ndFE8N
Garden myths busted-Part 3 with Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, WSU. Check out this informative podcast about Biochar, Corn Gluten, worms, ‘starter’ fertilizers, street lights, copper, red mulch with tomatoes and much, much more. (The Joe Gardener Show) http://bit.ly/2Er7S7p
How trees conspire to make us rake leaves year-round. (Howard Garrett, Dallas news) http://bit.ly/2G7ukSD
See how scientists use high-speed videography to investigate and learn from the clumsy flight of the bumblebee. (Spine Films, California Academy of Sciences) http://bit.ly/2mjINRS
Do Chestnut, lemon or peppermint scents repel spiders? (Entomology Today) http://bit.ly/2siYn7S
The lost art of looking at plants- Advances in genomics and imaging are reviving a fading discipline. (Heidi Ledford, Nature) http://go.nature.com/2ndFE8N
What is the state of agricultural education? “Once wellsprings of chemical innovation, our nation’s colleges and universities are finally rising to meet student demand for a more sustainable future.” (Brian Barth, Modern Farmer) http://bit.ly/2E843UM
Being around natural greenery may cheer up even adolescents- Exposure to trees and other greenery has been shown to stave off depression in adults, and a new U.S. study finds the same may be true for teenagers. (Mary Gillis, Reuters) http://reut.rs/2EB2IbI
While honeybees help Farmers, some believe they don’t help the environment. (Dan Charles, NPR) http://n.pr/2DUCb8I
Soil Management in Home Gardens and Landscapes– an informative publication that explores the interrelationship of a plant and the soil in which it is rooted. (Jim Sellmer, J. Robert Nuss, Penn State Extension) http://bit.ly/2o2Guoq
The crucial role of microbes-“Just as the micro-organisms in our gut are increasingly recognized as important players in human health and behavior, micro-organisms are critical to the growth and health of plants, a new study by a University of Toronto researcher has found.” (U of Toronto News) http://bit.ly/2H8c2SM
First-Ever Evidence That Mosquitoes Can Be Trained-´”Disease-carrying mosquitoes can learn to associate near-death experiences with scent and will stay away after an attempted swat.”(Michelle Donahue, National Geographic) http://bit.ly/2DMhZTh
Beekeepers are blamed for fueling the decline of wild bees by breeding insects purely for honey and reducing easy access to pollen.(Victoria Allen, Daily Mail) http://dailym.ai/2BUzqE1
Beautiful Pollination and Pollinators poster. (University of Wisconsin-Madison) http://bit.ly/2G4x2s9
A chance discovery could tackle the honeybee’s worst enemy: Varroa mite-German scientists from the University of Hohenheim have stumbled on a new method of wiping out this parasitic pest without harming the bees. (IFLScience) http://bit.ly/2nfHTrm
Root discovery may lead to crops that need less fertilizer. (Jeff Mulhollem, Penn State News) http://bit.ly/2EYvyjK
USDA Plant Hardiness Map. http://bit.ly/1kzrtob
Translating the Language of Seed Packets: Hybrid, Heirloom, non-GMO, and more. (Garden Professors.com) http://bit.ly/2G5ZWIA
This Isn’t Even My Final Form! A Pothos Story–(In Defense of Plants) http://bit.ly/2nSdvV4
Plants’ Bacterial zoos- The key to healthy plants is healthy microbiomes. (Anthony King, Chemistryworld) http://bit.ly/2soI8X8
Don’t pass up perennials when starting seeds in spring. “When perusing spring seed catalogs, don’t pass on perennials. These long-lived plants require a bit more commitment than annuals, but provide pleasure year after year.” (Kym Pokorny (OSU) http://bit.ly/1yM9e5l
Master Gardener, Jane Miller, is organizing a group of MGs for a journey through the gardens of Portugal, April 10 – 21, 2018. If you are interested in joining fellow Master Gardeners for this private tour of inspiring gardens, please follow this link: Portugal Garden Tour, April 10-21, 2018
February 2018
Got pollinators? Listen to this podcast with Dr. Gail Langellotto, OSU, to learn about ground nesting bees, the potential problems of plant lists, and how to maximize the benefits of urban landscapes for pollinators.(PollilNation podcasts, OSU) http://bit.ly/2DeWHOy
Are Poinsettias poisonous? This question comes up every year, and unfortunately it is often answered by MGs incorrectly. Here is the scoop: Poinsettias are not poisonous! For nearly eight decades, this rumor has continued to circulate because of one unfounded story in 1919. Learn what the science says about this myth and also how to care for your Poinsettia. (University of Illinois Extension) http://bit.ly/2CKluck
Houseplant problems? “Improper watering, sudden changes in environment, cold drafts, lack of fertilizer, insect or disease attack may cause problems for houseplants.” Learn more about problems with and the care of houseplants from University of Illinois Extension. (U of Illinois Extension) http://bit.ly/2m16waD
Winter is the perfect time to reflect on the successes and disappointments of last year’s garden. Learn how to evaluate what worked and what didn’t work. (Pamela T. Harden, MG, Penn State U) http://bit.ly/2mkhJ7t
Sometimes extremely cold weather can be a good thing! “The brutally cold temperatures take a toll on an invasive insect in the Smokies that has killed millions of hemlock trees in the United States.” (Jim Matheny, WBIR) http://on.wbir.com/2mc8V2s
What happens to bugs in a forest fire? With the recent fires in Oregon and California in the news, here are some answers. (Polistes fuscatus-Administrator of the blog, Askanentomoligist.com) http://bit.ly/2lPgM6J
Why nature loves hexagons! From Insect eyes to bee hives and more. Watch this Informative video. (Infinite Series, OPB) http://to.pbs.org/2CKj4uZ
Blueberries! “Organic blueberry growers can go toe-to-toe with commercial growers if they plant in raised beds, use a weed mat mulch and low amounts of nitrogen, according to a 10-uear study from OSU.” (Kym Pokory) http://bit.ly/2AIwLZ4
Are you a teacher, or just want to learn more while having some fun? Check out these inquiry based labs to explore the twelve principles of plant biology. (American Society of Plant Biologists) http://bit.ly/2CXxvOQ
Fascinating video- Life in the compost bin. “Watch this one minute video which spans two weeks in a typical vermicompost bin: two compost earthworm species (Eisenia fetida and Dendrobaena veneta) in a base of aged vermicompost with plenty of fresh organic kitchen waste (used coffee grounds, carrot and potato peels, celery and carrot leaves, egg shells, etc.) on top.” (Wim van Egmond, Vimeo) http://bit.ly/2CMiY5h
Beautiful bugs! “We typically think of insects as pests or pestilences, carrying disease or gnawing their way through our gardens before we can get a bite. But they are also gorgeous creatures, as photographer Levon Biss explores in his latest book, Microsculpture: Portraits of Insects. The book is a continuation of his Microsculpture exhibit at Oxford’s Museum of Natural History, which displayed bugs from the collection in a larger-than-life way.” Enjoy! (Mary Beth Griggs, Popular Science) http://bit.ly/2g3ocA6
What happens to plants during an eclipse? “Researchers tested plant rhythms during the recent solar eclipse. The varied results have left the researchers with interesting questions.” (Science Daily)
http://bit.ly/2mhQFpl
Great insect die-off? “Scientists have identified 2 million species of living things. No one knows how many more are out there, and tens of thousands may be vanishing before we have even had a chance to encounter them in the ‘great insect die-off’. (Jacob Mikanowski, The Guardian) http://bit.ly/2AXzSy1
Winter interest in the Garden. “One of the coolest things about gardening in the Pacific Northwest is winter gardens,” said Neil Bell, a horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service.” Learn more about these plants from an OSU expert. (Kym Pokorny, OSU) http://bit.ly/2CYwmrp
You must be logged in to post a comment.