News
ENLARGE
Earlier this year I attended a conference that revealed several nationwide trends in gardening.
The president of a large seed company told the audience that the past two years have seen a huge increase in people planting vegetable gardens. Speakers at the conference gave several reasons for these trends.
Most of the reasons came down to people wanting more locally grown food and a better idea of how their food is grown.
What also caught my attention was that up to 20 percent of all new gardens are being planted by first-time gardeners. That's a big increase by inexperienced people who will be looking for some guidance. Well, that's part of my job, so let me share a few ideas with you.
If you're one of those folks growing more food to have a local supply of good, wholesome vegetables, here are a couple of tips.
Healthy gardening solutions often evolve from your knowledge, planning and good cultural practices. In other words, take some classes, read some good books, or visit the OSU Extension Service office for publications and advice from the Master Gardeners.
Gardening is not as easy as just buying some plants or seeds and putting them in the ground. You need to prepare.
So let's get started with a few good cultural practices. Start by choosing a site that gets lots of sun, at least six to eight hours each day. Then improve your soil with the addition of organic materials such as compost or aged manures.
Organic growers like to say, feed your soil, not the plant. If you're starting with a hard, compact soil or sandy soil without many nutrients, you will need a few seasons to grow great crops. Go ahead and use some fertilizers, either organic or traditional.
Most soils do lack some nutrients. If you want a soil test, come by the Master Gardener clinic office for one at a charge of $15 per sample.
After planting your garden, draw a map of where you located everything.
It is important to rotate your crops from one spot to another each year. Diseases and pest problems can build up in the soil if you plant the same thing in the same spot year after year.
Keep a simple journal with comments of your successes and failures. If you have a few disease or insect problems, don't reach for the pesticides first. Instead, think about how they can be controlled by using better practices like watering the ground around plants, not wetting the foliage, or using cloth covers over your plants that are specially made for keeping insects out and letting light in.
A watchful eye catches diseases and insect outbreaks early so you can eliminate the problem before it's widespread. If you decide you need a product for pest control, look for the least toxic product first.
Give the Master Gardeners a call at 672-4461 from 1 to 4 p.m. if you would like help selecting materials or discussing any of these issues.
The OSU Extension Service of Douglas County is at 1134 S.E. Douglas Ave, Roseburg. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Steve Renquist is the Horticulture Extension Agent for OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. He can be reached by e-mail at steve.renquist@oregonstate.edu or by phone at (541)672-4461.
The president of a large seed company told the audience that the past two years have seen a huge increase in people planting vegetable gardens. Speakers at the conference gave several reasons for these trends.
Most of the reasons came down to people wanting more locally grown food and a better idea of how their food is grown.
What also caught my attention was that up to 20 percent of all new gardens are being planted by first-time gardeners. That's a big increase by inexperienced people who will be looking for some guidance. Well, that's part of my job, so let me share a few ideas with you.
If you're one of those folks growing more food to have a local supply of good, wholesome vegetables, here are a couple of tips.
Healthy gardening solutions often evolve from your knowledge, planning and good cultural practices. In other words, take some classes, read some good books, or visit the OSU Extension Service office for publications and advice from the Master Gardeners.
Gardening is not as easy as just buying some plants or seeds and putting them in the ground. You need to prepare.
So let's get started with a few good cultural practices. Start by choosing a site that gets lots of sun, at least six to eight hours each day. Then improve your soil with the addition of organic materials such as compost or aged manures.
Organic growers like to say, feed your soil, not the plant. If you're starting with a hard, compact soil or sandy soil without many nutrients, you will need a few seasons to grow great crops. Go ahead and use some fertilizers, either organic or traditional.
Most soils do lack some nutrients. If you want a soil test, come by the Master Gardener clinic office for one at a charge of $15 per sample.
After planting your garden, draw a map of where you located everything.
It is important to rotate your crops from one spot to another each year. Diseases and pest problems can build up in the soil if you plant the same thing in the same spot year after year.
Keep a simple journal with comments of your successes and failures. If you have a few disease or insect problems, don't reach for the pesticides first. Instead, think about how they can be controlled by using better practices like watering the ground around plants, not wetting the foliage, or using cloth covers over your plants that are specially made for keeping insects out and letting light in.
A watchful eye catches diseases and insect outbreaks early so you can eliminate the problem before it's widespread. If you decide you need a product for pest control, look for the least toxic product first.
Give the Master Gardeners a call at 672-4461 from 1 to 4 p.m. if you would like help selecting materials or discussing any of these issues.
The OSU Extension Service of Douglas County is at 1134 S.E. Douglas Ave, Roseburg. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Steve Renquist is the Horticulture Extension Agent for OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. He can be reached by e-mail at steve.renquist@oregonstate.edu or by phone at (541)672-4461.
