This publication provides direction on estimating soil moisture by the "feel and appearance" method; taking a some soil and rolling it up in a ball then squeezing it between your thumb and forefinger to form a ribbon and noting how it appears and feels. Compare what you see with photographs and/or charts to estimate percent water available and the inches depleted below field capacity.
Independent of which system or mix of systems a grower uses, irrigation management can be challenging. An irrigation program must match the changing demands of the crop with the water supplied.
The jumping worm, an invasive species new to Oregon, harms the soil by reducing it to granules, making it more porous and less able to retain water. Here's how to identify jumping worms and help stop their spread.
Fertilizers come in many different forms, from naturally occurring in the soil to commercial or organic products, liquid and dry, and in many different formulations. Here's how to choose what your plants need.
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.