MAKING WAY FOR WINTER
Feed
Wild Birds Responsibly This Winter
If you choose to feed
your backyard birds, there are ways to do it responsibly,
according to Nancy Allen, Oregon State University Extension wildlife
instructor.
Check
House for Water and Pest Damage
Early winter is a good time
to inspect your home for structural pests and water damage, advises
Jack DeAngelis, urban entomologist with the Oregon State University
Extension Service.
Minimize
Winter Cold Damage to Lawns
Lawns can take a beating in the
winter both east and west of the Oregon Cascades, and strategies to
minimize cold damage vary, according to Tom Cook, OSU retired turf grass
specialist.
Wood
Ashes Can Benefit Gardens and Lawns
Consider saving the wood
ashes for the lawn and garden, while remembering a few precautions
from Dan Sullivan, OSU Extension soil scientist.
Hobo
Spiders Search for Mates in the Fall
This time of year,
hobo spiders might wander into your home, but precautions
can reduce encounters, according to Amy Dreves, entomologist at OSU.
IN THE GARDEN
A
Garden Journal Provides a Year-to-Year Record
A gardening
journal helps you plan and jogs your memory about what,
when and where seeds and plants were grown, explains Barb
Fick, OSU home horticulturist.
Learn
How to Make Worm Compost Bins
Turn table scraps into rich,
black compost within a few months with the help of small "red
wigglers" composting worms. Master
Gardener Bonnie White shows how.
Plants
Can Reduce Risk from Wildfire
Learn how to protect your
home and property from wildfire by cultivating plants that
resist fire from OSU horticulturist Amy Jo Detweiler and
forestry specialist Stephen Fitzgerald.
Hints
for Storing Home Grown Spuds
Here are some research-based
hints how to best harvest and store potatoes, from the Oregon
State University Extension Service.
How
to Dry your Own Tomatoes
Create the flavor and aroma of
dried tomatoes at home. The OSU Extension Family Food Program
recommends simple and safe methods for drying your garden-grown
tomatoes.
Safety
Important When Preserving Homemade Salsa
If salsa isn't
canned properly, harmful bacteria can grow in the jar and
cause botulism, according to Carolyn Raab, OSU Extension
food and nutrition specialist.
Give
Houseplants TLC in Winter
The most important factor in the
care of houseplants is matching up a plant's needs to its
environment, explains Ross Penhallegon, horticulturist with
the OSU Extension Service.
WHAT'S NEW
Six
Oregon Community Garden Projects Receive Funding
Community
gardens in six Oregon counties have received grants totaling
more than $20,000 to begin or improve efforts to grow produce
for their neighborhoods.
OSU
Extension's Master Gardener Classes Return to Portland
Master
Gardener training returns to Portland in January. To obtain
an application call Jordis Yost at 503-650-3118, e-mail her
or download a form from the
Master Gardener Registration Materials Web site.
Caution
Recommended with Unfamiliar Berry Plants
OSU Extension offices
examine plants people bring in for identification. But because
some recent samples turned out to be toxic berry plants,
they recommend caution.
OSU GARDEN CALENDAR FOR NOVEMBER
Things
to do in your garden this month.
ONE-MINUTE GARDENER
Gardening tips from OSU Extension's radio
archive. Turn on your speakers and
visit the links below:
Saving seeds
Winter vegetables |
