Gardening

Flower garden in the afternoon. Photo by: Bob Rost

Hydrangeas in the garden. Photo by: Bob Rost

Potted bedding plants. Photo by: Bob Rost

Spider and a bee on a flower. Photo by: Bob Rost

Flower garden at the base of a house. Photo by: Bob Rost

Using sustainable and research-based techniques, learn how to grow your own vegetables, connect with other gardeners, or use Ask an Expert to seek gardening advice. Watch a video about the OSU Master Gardener program in Newport, Oregon.

Things to do in May

Prepare and prime irrigation system for summer.
Trap moles and gophers as new mounds appear.
Control slugs with bait or traps and by removing or mowing vegetation near garden plots.

Gardening Tips

Food safety starts in the garden

Fruits and vegetables can be carriers of pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses especially if animal manure has been used in or is near the garden.

Pears can be ripened to perfection

The colder the pears are, the longer they'll stay in good condition. In fact, they need to be cooled to ripen properly.

OSU Extension food safety/preservation hotline expects more than 3,000 calls

Call the OSU Extension Service Food Safety/Preservation Hotline from July 18 to October 13 at 1-800-354-7319, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hotline is staffed by OSU Extension Master Food Preserver volunteers and OSU Extension staff.

Fall webworms have begun to appear in tree branches

The gauzy-looking tents at the end of tree branches are most likely fall webworm caterpillars working as a group to make a home.

Prevent water pollution when treating a mossy roof

It pays to get rid of moss and lichen to keep a roof in good shape. The trick is to keep chemicals from polluting the environment.

Gardening Courses

Master Gardener Online

Learn the art and science of growing and caring for plants, and even become a Master Gardener, through this two-option online course.

Learn more...

Become a water-wise gardener

Plant an economical and environmentally friendly and garden with the help of the WaterWise Gardening online course series.

Learn more...

Popular Publications

An Educator's Guide to Vegetable Gardening

A new publication from OSU Extension shows a full-circle approach to gardening on school grounds

Grapevine Nutrition

Use this self-guided learning module to find information on grapevine nutrient needs and how to diagnose problems with disease, insects, drought, sunburn, and herbicides.

How to Build Your Own Raised-Bed Cloche

Learn how to create a "cloche" that can be used to protect your plants from cold weather.

Container Gardening

If you lack space for a garden, consider raising vegetables in containers.

Improving Garden Soil

Making a poor garden better often begins with the soil. If your garden soil is poor, consider giving it some help.

Don’t Let the Bugs Beat You To It

Strategies to to keep the bugs out of your garden.

Building Raised Beds

Improve your soil by adding organic matter and creating raised beds.

Training and Pruning Your Home Orchard

Basic instructions on how to prune your trees.

Question of the Week

How do you define a shady area? Can there be some sun at certain times of the day. Same question for sunny area. How many hours of sun must an area have to be considered sunny? This is for the Bend area.

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Addressing real-life questions with research-based answers...
Ask an Expert at Oregon State University.