Master Gardeners

Growing Season Help Desk hours

Beginning Monday, April 2, Master Gardeners will be available to assist you Monday through Thursday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Please call, e-mail or stop by with questions.

Coming in July

The Oregon Master Gardener^TM Association presents Gardeners’ Mini-College, July 25-28 at Willamette University. Enjoy this opportunity to increase your understanding of today’s best practices in home horticulture. Indulge yourself in learning and sharing with dozens of other who love all aspects of gardens – home gardeners, professionals and OSU Master GardenersTM. For more information, check out the mini-college web page which, like your garden, will be growing through the spring. And plan to register early, to ensure your first choice among the classes. See you there!

We get questions...

This spring has brought a lot of questions – and samples - of various fungal diseases on a wide variety of plants.  Much of this results from the recurrent warm periods during late winter. In most cases, removal of affected leaves and/or fruit, pruning to improve air circulation, and careful sanitation in fall to remove litter in which spores can overwinter are the best solutions.

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Is there an organic control for European Crane Fly?

Research shows about 50% success with beneficial nematodes, available from some nurseries. As always, read and follow label directions carefully.

The most effective treatment appears to be withholding water when the mature crane flies appear in fall. This drought stress while eggs are being laid minimizes the number of eggs that will hatch. And this, of course, limits the number of larvae that will be feeding on the roots in late winter.

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Blueberries are showing damage. What is it, and how should it be treated?

This is a bacterial canker infection. Prune out diseased wood as soon as the problem is noticed. (Only canes produced last year will be affected.) If the infection is severe, it may be desirable to consider replacing the plants with resistant varieties. For pictures of the problem, and additional information, see the PNW Plant Disease Management Handbook entry.  Additional blueberry cultural information can be found in OSU publication EC 1304, “Growing Blueberries in Your Home Garden”.

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Is it too late to transplant honeysuckle?

Like most woody perennials, it would be best to wait until it begins to go dormant next fall, or move it just before it begins to leaf out in spring. If it’s really necessary to do it at this time, be sure to provide a good-sized root ball, disturbing the roots as little as possible. Settle it into its new site, cut back the most tender new growth, and keep it well watered. It will probably need extra water throughout the summer growing season.

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Rhubarb is flowering; stalks are spindly and not their usual intense red color.

Cut or pull the flowering stalks, since they will simply drain strength from the plant. Spring growth comes mainly from food reserves stored in the plant crown. For best results, fertilize well after harvest, to stimulate regrowth and root development. For more detailed information on rhubarb culture, check out OSU publication EC 797, “Grow Your Own Rhubarb”

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If you have a question, call us at 503-373-3770 or drop us an e-mail, marionmg@oregonstate.edu. We love finding answers!

How can Master Gardeners help you?

Marion County Master Gardeners (MGs) are here to serve our neighbors in a variety of ways:

A large group of dedicated MGs maintain the Marion Garden, located behind the county health services building at 3180 Center St. in Salem. Originally a rubbish dumping ground for the county, it has been transformed in the last 15+ years to an outstanding demonstration garden. Stop by and stroll around for inspiration, information, or just enjoyment. Monday mornings are the regular time for MG work parties, so there’s usually someone on hand then to answer your questions. Garden tours are also available by appointment.

We also staff the MG Help Desk at the OSU Extension Office, located in the county health services building, also at 3180 Center St. Clients call 503.373.3770, send an e-mail to us at marionmg@oregonstate.edu, or come in with questions regarding plant culture; weed, insect and plant disease identification; and a wide variety of other home gardening issues. Experience, training, and an excellent library, as well as knowledge of online resources, help us provide the answers to most questions. For those outside our range of information, we supply referrals to other agencies and organizations, including our Marion Co. horticulturist, Neil Bell. From October through March, the Help Desk is staffed Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. April through September, office hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Messages left on our voicemail outside those hours will be answered on the next business day.

During much of the year, MGs also sponsor and staff booths at various fairs, garden shows and farmers’ markets. These serve as a mobile form of the Help Desk, and are an opportunity to find answers to your gardening questions and pick up useful information.

MGs also offer workshops to help with some of those gardening tasks that are best learned from hands-on presentations. Pruning in early spring and beneficial insects in April are recurring topics. Check our website for specific information as events draw near.

Many MGs also simply love to talk about gardening. If you have a community group that would like a speaker, please call the Help Desk, 503.373.3770, and leave your name and number for our Speakers’ Bureau coordinator. You also can sample MG information every Thursday morning on Radio KBZY (1490 am) from 8:40 to 9:00 am.

For our younger neighbors, MGs also develop and present gardening programs at area elementary schools in late spring, and host an activity booth at AgFest.

Home gardens come in all shapes, sizes and types of plantings. Please call or stop by to see how Marion County Master Gardeners can help you make yours the garden of your dreams.

Click here for information about the OSU Master Gardener program. Please e-mail Neil Bell, Marion Co. Horticulturist, Neil.Bell@oregonstate.edu, to be placed on the list for 2013 class information.

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Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials without discrimination based on age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran’s status. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

El Servicio de Extensión (Extension Service) de Oregon State University ofrece programas educativos, actividades, y materiales sin discriminación basada sobre edad, color, incapacidades, identidad o expresión de identidad sexual, estado matrimonial, origen nacional, raza, religión, sexo, orientación sexual, o estado de veterano. El Servicio de Extensión de Oregon State University es una institución que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.