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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 2017)
Wednesday, March 22, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon VEGGIES: It’s a challenge but it can be done Gear up to garded od a budget By Kyl Pokorny Oregon State Extension Service Continued from page 22 but rotating the crops annually to different parts of the garden will help decrease those poten- tial problems. Trees, especially aspen, that are close to the garden can be a serious threat. Their roots extend in every direction for water and nutrients and can dominate a garden bed quickly. Frost is a way of life in Central Oregon — and can occur any month of the year! Watch the weather predictions and be prepared to protect tomatoes, squash, and young corn with special row cov- ers or old sheets. Water-filled plastic covers, like “wall-o- waters” give good protection to tomatoes in a light frost. A thick blanket of straw or hay can protect most plants from serious cold weather. A green- house can be used for starting seeds in early spring in a pro- tected environment and can extend the growing season for some plants into the winter. And if you get really seri- ous about gardening and have enough room, build a root cel- lar for storing your crops! 23 Corvallis – “Gardening is like any other hobby,” said Brooke Edmunds, a horti- culturist with Oregon State University Extension Service. “It takes some level of invest- ment. But it doesn’t have to be that expensive. There are shortcuts.” Some of them are easy. Buying smaller plants is a no- brainer if you’re looking to save money. Some techniques — think saving seeds or mak- ing compost — take more effort. But all of Edmunds’ tips bring the same result - keeping your wallet fatter. Adopt some of her advice to start saving money on your gardening budget. Use seeds instead of starts. Although there’s an initial investment of lights, trays and planting mix, it doesn’t take long to make up the money and start saving dramati- cally. “You’ll get a lot more plants – some packets have 100 seeds,” Edmunds said. “You’ll have enough to trade with friends and get a wider variety.” To save even more, reuse trays. If plants grown in a tray didn’t show signs of disease, just clean with soap and water. If there was damp- ing off or any other kind of disease, wash them and then disinfect with a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. To save even more, sprout seeds in egg cartons, news- paper rolled into cylinders or plastic cartons with holes punched in the bottom for water drainage. Buy smaller plants. If you’re not the impatient type, buying smaller plants – a 4-inch pot instead of 1 gal- lon or a 1 gallon instead of a 5 – will save you a pretty penny. Make your own com- post. “It takes more time, but it saves a lot of money,” Edmunds said. “Use your kitchen scraps and garden waste and start building your own.” If you’ve got your own chicken or livestock or know someone who does, mix that into the compost pile for an even richer end result. Make sure you let it decompose well. A good rule of thumb is until there are no pieces of recognizable bedding left. Shop sales: Search out plant sales, usually abundant in spring. Check newspaper calendars, ask friends, con- tact Extension master garden- ers in your area to see if they are holding a sale or know of any. At nurseries, shop dur- ing the dog days of summer or in late fall. Also, some gar- den centers have a corner set aside for plant “seconds.” Save seeds. Collecting seeds at the end of the sea- son makes sense when you’re looking to save money or even if you’re not. Hold a plant and seed swap. Dig up plant “babies” or divide larger plants. Set aside some of those tomato plants you started from seed. Brew some coffee, invite some friends who have some- thing to share and throw a party. Make use of recycled materials. Garage sales, thrift shops and the classified sec- tions of newspapers and online shopping sites often have gardening parapher- nalia, everything from used brick and rock to pots and old tools, at greatly reduced prices or free. It’s also fun to forage for natural materi- als such as interesting stems or stones to make edging or bamboo poles for fences. Build your plant collection with cuttings. Propagating by cuttings can be as difficult or easy as you want to make it. Neil Bell, an Extension hor- ticulturist, advocates for the easy way, which has enriched him by thousands of plants over the years. Attract beneficial insects. Instead of reaching for chem- icals or even organic prod- ucts, plant things that attract beneficial insects that will eat the bad bugs and balance out your garden’s ecosystem. Split a load of mulch. Save on delivery costs by buying a load of mulch or compost with a neighbor. Save even more by keeping your eyes peeled for arborists taking down trees. They’ll often share wood chips that you can turn into mulch. More detailed information on these topics is available at http://extension.oregonstate. edu/community/gardening. Resources include garden- ing tips, videos, podcasts, monthly calendars of out- door chores, how-to pub- lications, and information about the Master Gardener program. BANR ENTERPRISES, LLC CONSULT | CONSTRUCT | COMPLETE CLEARING • EARTHWORK • GRADING • UTILITIES • ROCK WALLS ON-SITE SCREENING TO REMOVE ROCK & WOOD DEBRIS RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONTRACTOR We listen. We build what you want on time and on budget. Quality: Start to fi nish. 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