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.
This report includes preliminary data for the second of a three-year study. Since this year was a record drought year, results could vary from a normal rainfall year. Finalized data and observations will be released in future as peer-reviewed studies, reports, and extension articles. For more information, please visit the RDFA project page. .
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.
The grafting of vegetable plants has been done for decades around the globe, but it has been slow to catch on in the United States. It holds promise as a disease management tool although cost remains a barrier.
Discusses how to identify and control Pacific poison-oak and western poison-ivy, and how to prevent exposure to the plants' oily substance, urushiol, which can cause an allergic contact dermatitis.
Brooke Edmunds, Lauren Grand, Alicia Christiansen, Andy Hulting |
Nov 2022 |
Extension Catalog publicationPeer reviewed (Orange level)
Photo: Oregon State University (Cropped from original)
Poison oak plants contain a chemical that causes a severe rash. Learn how to spot a plant, safely remove, and clean your clothes, gear and skin afterward to prevent a rash.
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.
Cassie Bouska, Amy Peters |
Jan 2006 |
Article
Photo: Sheryl Costello, USDA Forest Service (Cropped from original)
You may have encountered white, segmented “worms” or grubs when chopping firewood and wondered what they were. Common questions include, did they kill my tree? And are they a danger to other trees? The quick answers are no, and no.
Jun 2018 |
Article
Illustration by Eiko Goto. (Cropped from original)
Fruit trees and grapevines have been grafted for centuries but the grafting of vegetable plants is relatively new. It started in 1927 in Japan and has since grown to be a common practice with environmental benefits.
Toshihiko Nishio, Alice Formiga (editor and translator), Shinji Kawai (editor and translator) |
Jul 2018 |
Article