Timely advice on garden chores, fertilizing, pest control, and more from OSU Extension.
These tips are not necessarily applicable to all areas of Oregon. For more information, contact your local Extension office.
Oregon State University Extension Service encourages sustainable gardening practices.
Practice preventive pest management rather than reactive pest control. Identify and monitor problems before acting, and opt for the least toxic approach. Conserve biological control agents such as predators and the parasitoids that feed on insect pests.
Maintenance and cleanup
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Western Oregon: Do not walk on lawns until frost has melted.
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Spread wood ashes evenly on your vegetable garden. Use no more than 1.5 pounds per 100 square feet per year. Don't use if the soil pH is greater than 7.0 or if potassium levels are excessive.
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Protect new landscape plants from wind. Use stakes, guy wires or windbreaks as needed.
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Yard sanitation – rake leaves, cut and remove withered stalks of perennial flowers, mulch flowerbeds, and hoe or pull winter weeds but consider leaving some leaves and standing stems where they do not pose disease problems to support overwintering beneficial insects and pollinators.
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Turn the compost pile and protect from heavy rains, if necessary.
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During heavy rains, watch for drainage problems in the yard. Tilling, ditching, and French drains are possible short-term solutions. Consider rain gardens and bioswales as a longer-term solution.
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Check stored flower bulbs, fresh vegetables, and fruits for rot and fungus problems. Discard any showing signs of rot.
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Tie limbs of columnar evergreens to prevent snow or ice breakage.
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Central/eastern Oregon: Water your plants every six to eight weeks with a deep soaking to keep them from drying out.
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Western Oregon: Make sure that landscape plants in protected sites receive water regularly during the winter.
Planting and propagation
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Western Oregon: This is a good time to plant trees and landscape shrubs.
Pest monitoring and management
Use chemical controls only when necessary, after a specific pest has been identified, and only after thoroughly reading and following the pesticide label (the label is the law). First consider cultural, then physical and biological controls. Choose the least‑toxic options that will manage the target pest, such as insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils, and use them judiciously to minimize impacts on beneficial organisms and the environment.
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Monitor landscape plants for problems. Don't treat unless a problem is identified.
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Check for rodent damage around bases of trees and large shrubs. Remove weeds to prevent rodents from using them as hiding places. Use traps and approved baits as necessary.
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Avoid mounding mulching materials around the bases of trees and shrubs. The mulch might provide cover for rodents.
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Monitor spruce trees for spruce aphids. Treat if present in large numbers. Read and follow pesticide label directions.
Indoor gardening
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Protect poinsettias from cold; keep them in bright, indirect light away from cold windows, drafts, and heat vents. Fertilize with houseplant fertilizer to maintain leaf color.
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Monitor houseplants for adequate water and fertilizer. Water and fertilizer requirements generally are less in winter.
