In most years, vineyards in Oregon start the season with a full soil water profile. As the season progresses, the soil dries out. Here's how to gauge a vineyard's water needs and methods for meeting them.
Mobile drip irrigation efficiently delivers water to crops where it's needed and minimizes the amount of runoff. It delivers 10%–25% more water to the soil per gallon of water than traditional sprinkler systems.
To keep your lilacs looking their best, they need to be pruned, fertilized and shaped almost every year, soon after they are done blooming in the late spring.
Poisonous plants are a major cause of economic loss to the livestock industry. Two poisonous plants common to Oregon are poison hemlock and Western water hemlock. Ingestion of either by humans or livestock typically results in death.
Silage-making has been used to reduce the concentrations of toxins in a variety of crops. But in the case of poison hemlock, the opposite is true — making silage out of it actually increases one of its toxic alkaloids.
Q: I have a California lilac tree in my back yard. A thick root is underneath the pavers and lifting them up. Will I kill the tree if I cut out that root? I sure don’t want to kill it!
Q: My backyard got invaded by gophers (or someone who enjoys making holes). I'm worrying that I might injure myself in the holes. I have tried setting traps, but have been unsuccessful. I heard some snakes can kill gophers, but I'm also aware not to release invasive creatures. What do you recommend?