THE CARE AND KEEPING OF BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries bring a unique combination of delicious fruit and striking ornamental beauty to the garden and landscape. They are easy to grow, require little care, and are seldom bothered by pests. Blueberry varieties are distinguished by their climate suitability and ripening season. With a few basic steps, your blueberry plants can thrive for a lifetime.…

PLANTING STRAWBERRIES

Strawberries are easy to grow, and they are high in Vitamin C and anti-oxidants. The two main types include June-bearing and everbearing. June-bearers produce one high-yielding crop per year, early in the summer. This one large crop makes them ideal for canning and freezing. The second main type is the everbearers. Everbearers basically produce two…

GROWING RASPBERRIES

Raspberries are easy to grow, highly productive and quite delicious. They come in two varieties: spring bearing and ever bearing. The spring bearing varieties are perfect for fresh eating and for food preserving/canning, as the fruit ripens all at once within a short period of time. The ever bearing varieties are wonderful eaten fresh throughout…

GROW YOUR OWN ASPARAGUS

Asparagus is an easy to grow and hardy herbaceous perennial. Although dormant in the winter, its delicious edible spears show themselves in early spring. Asparagus needs a deep, organic and well-drained site in full sun. A permanent place in your garden is preferred, as the plants can produce for 10 to 15 years. When starting,…

PLANTING YOUR OWN POTATOES

Each potato tuber is a complete package, containing enough water and nutrients to get it off to a good start. It just needs well-drained soil and full sun. Just 1 to 2 inches of water per month between planting and harvest is enough to produce a crop.   Planting You can use any untreated potato…

PLANTING BARE ROOT TREES

Bare root fruit trees offer an affordable, easy way to reap the benefits of fresh fruit right out of the garden. Bare root trees are generally available January-March, during the dormant season, and will establish themselves quickly as the weather warms. This guide offers some basic tips to make the planting of your new tree…

GARLIC

Garlic is divided into two types: hardnecks and softnecks. Hardnecks grow with a hard woody stalk, prefer cooler winters, have a warm to hot spicy flavor and store for 3 to 6 months. Softnecks have a softer stem suitable for braiding, milder flavor and store 6 to 9 months.   Planting Garlic survives bitterly cold…

LAWN CARE

If considering planting a new lawn, it is optimal to have 6 to 8 weeks of good growing weather after seeding. Grass seeds germinate best when the air temperature is between 60º and 85ºF. In the Northwest, mid-August to mid-September presents a near perfect environment. Also, in many parts of Oregon, a good time to…

FORCING BULBS

September through October is the season to begin forcing your spring bulbs for holiday gift giving and other occasions. Tulips, narcissus and hyacinths, along with other spring blooming bulb favorites, can be forced into flower in the late winter and early spring. Not all bulbs can be forced, and most bulb packages will indicate if…