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.
Recycling organic debris for composting and improving soil doesn’t have to be a chore! If hot composting is not for you, try one of these easy cold-composting methods. Each has advantages and disadvantages but the end result is the same: improved garden soil and less organic waste in landfill.
Jul 2017 |
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Photo: Oregon State University (Cropped from original)
From the myth of collapsing root balls to the myth of compost tea - learn the facts about a range of tips you may have heard through the years about healthy soil, pretty mulch, and more.
Growing a garden on your roof is an attractive alternative building method, but there's a lot to know before you start hauling soil to the top floor. Learn how vegetated roofs, also known as "green" roofs, can play an elevated role in the low-impact development landscape.
One of the first steps in siting a low-impact development facility is infiltration testing. Infiltration tests estimate the rate at which runoff will infiltrate, or pass through, native soil. An infiltration test, ...
Porous pavement allows runoff to move through the surface and into the soil beneath, reducing the volume of stormwater. Learn about porous asphalt, pervious concrete, permeable pavers and flexible paving systems and ...
Choose the right containers, soil and plants to keep your flowerpots blooming all season long. When choosing plants for container gardening, go for "thrillers," "fillers" and "spillers."
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.
A rain garden doesn't "grow" rain, but it does provide an attractive, effective way to manage runoff. Learn what it takes to make your own rain garden.
Vegetated filter strips are a stormwater management system designed to slow the speed of runoff, filter pollutants, and collect sediment. Learn design considerations and planting options for these low-maintenance, relatively inexpensive filtering facilities.