Poor soil? Build up with raised beds
Framed or mounded, raised beds give plant roots the space they need
Soil Improvement and Cover Crop Resources for Small Farms
Even though different soils have some properties that cannot be changed, such as texture, soil quality can be improved by implementing good management strategies. Soils can be improved for water holding capacity, drainage, structure, and even the ability for plant roots to penetrate through the soil.
Coffee grounds and soil trial
Popular gardening advice touts the benefits of coffee grounds for acid loving plants, as a slug repellant and soil amendment. Little research based information is available to back up many of these claims. From November 2008 to September 2009 OSU Extension Service Master Gardener Compost Specialists in Lane County conducted an observational trial to see what the effect coffee grounds had on soil pH and nitrogen content when incorporated into soil.
Agricultural Composting Resources for Small Farms
This content collection covers various composting resources such as: introductory composting information, environmental considerations, using composted organic wastes on farms, composting at livestock operations, regulatory information for Oregon, detailed technical information, and compost organizations.
Compost for blueberry plants: testing and tips
Compost is an acceptable amendment for blueberry plants, but it's important to test it before you apply it. Pay attention to pH and nutrient levels, and watch out for weeds.
Composting at Winter Green Farm Improves Soil Health and Protects Water Quality
In 1980 Jack Gray and Mary Jo Wade started Winter Green Farm just 20 miles west of Eugene, five years later Wali and Jabrila Via joined them and in 2009 long-time employees Chris Overbaugh and Shannon Shipp-Overbaugh also took joint ownership of the farm. The farm is certified organic and Salmon Safe by Oregon Tilth and also uses biodynamic methods. They strive to create...
Composting and Blueberry Production
Blueberries are an increasingly common high-value crop for small farmers across Oregon. Research has shown that blueberries favor acidic soils that are high in organic matter. In Oregon, blueberries have traditionally been grown in fir sawdust, which in the past has been freely available, relatively cheap, and tends to be acidic. Sawdust has traditionally been used in blueberry ...
Some Garden Myths and What Research Has to Say
From the myth of collapsing root balls to 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.
Sheet mulching — aka lasagna composting — builds soil, saves time
Sheet composting, also referred to as lasagna composting or sheet mulching, is a cold composting method used by people around the world for generations. It is an excellent way to convert grass to vegetable beds, create new perennial borders, improve soil and soil structure, and recycle organic material at home.
Aminopyralid Residues in Compost
Several farmers and gardeners in Washington State lost most of their vegetable crops in 2010 due to the effects of aminopyralid herbicide residues that originated from composted dairy manure. For more information see Herbicide Carryover in Hay, Manure, Compost, and Grass Clipping. Aminopyralid (marketed as Milestone™, Chaparral™, and Opensight™), is an auxinic growth regulator ...