in other words
march27
2012
Diggin’ in the Dirt: Raspberry Renewal
By Chip Bubl
Oregon State University Extension
Service
- Columbia County
How large a vegetable garden?
Vegetables gardens are fast
and furious productions. A typical
garden will have plenty of produce for
fresh eating and some for preserving.
Advanced gardeners look to increase the
season by planting fall/winter crops in
the late summer.
But vegetable gardens take
time, especially in the beginning when
the weeds are starting to grow. There
are estimates that a thousand square
foot garden (33’ x 33’) will take about
2 hours per week to water, weed and do
other miscellaneous jobs. This does not
include harvesting and planting. If you
know that you will face a major weed
problem, it is better to plant a smaller
space that you can maintain than to over-
extend and constantly struggle to keep
the garden productive.
If you are new to vegetable
gardening or are mentoring a new
gardener, be sure to tell them to use
transplants where possible and really
focus on weed and slug control as the
garden is getting established. The time
spent on both tasks in the first month will
pay great dividends all summer long.
Raspberry renewal
Raspberries are wonderful fruit.
Sadly, many varieties perish from a root
disease aggravated by wet clay soils.
The fungus in question is Phytophthora
root rot. This
disease may
move slowly
through
a
planting or
may develop
q u i c k l y .
Raspberries
growing on
Meeker raspberries.
less
than
ideal soils often don’t last five years.
There are some raspberry
varieties that show a level of resistance
to root rot. These include Meeker (an old
favorite), Sumner (most tolerant of clay
soils), Cascade Dawn and Delight from
WSU, Chilliwack from Canada and
Summit, an everbearer with moderate
resistance. The everbearer types like
Heritage and Anne (a yellow raspberry
with excellent flavor) should be tried.
Raspberries should not be
planted back into the same bed where
an earlier planting has died out. Fungal
spores will persist and infect new plants.
Find another location and move the posts
and wire or use the old trellis for beans,
peas, or tomatoes for several years.
Here is the key: Unless you have
very well-drained soil (and so few of us
do), raspberries will do best planted on
a high crowned raised bed. Research
in Washington and confirmed here in
commercial plantings argue for a bed that
is crowned at 24 inches high and slopes
to a four foot wide base. There is some
evidence that gypsum incorporated into
the bed (about 10#s/100 square feet of
bed) will improve raspberry longevity.
Plants are available now, so do
7
your planning, bed preparation and soil to secure mates and territory. This can
building, trellis construction and get be annoying at 5 am but view it as one
those plants in the ground.
of the joys of living where the wild
things still roam. Don’t hurt these birds.
Red-breasted sapsucker
They play valuable roles in the forest
I get periodic calls about neat ecosystem and human disturbance of
¼ inch holes drilled into tree trunks and their habitat have significantly reduced
limbs. Some describe the pattern as like their numbers.
a cribbage board. The holes may be on
deciduous shade
The Extension Service
trees, fruit trees
offers its programs and
or the trunks of
materials equally to all
some conifers.
people.
So who is making
these holes? It
Free newsletter
is the local sub-
The Oregon State
species of the
University
Extension
y e l l o w - b e l l i e d
office in Columbia
sapsucker known,
County publishes a
for
obvious
monthly newsletter on
Red-breasted sapsucker.
reasons, as the
gardening and farming
red-breasted sapsucker. Not only does it topics (called County Living) written/
have red breast feathers but is has a bright edited by yours truly. All you need to do
red head as well. Not hard to identify if is ask for it and it will be mailed to you.
you see one. But they are elusive.
Call 503 397-3462 to be put on the list.
They drill holes to tap oozing Alternatively, you can find it on the web
sap, which they lick with a short-feathery at
tongue. Small flying insects attracted to http://extension.oregonstate.edu/
the sap also become part of their diet.
columbia/ and click on newsletters.
Rarely does drilling compromise
a tree’s health. Usually, trees close and Contact information for the Extension
heal the wounds over time. Heavily office:
drilled smaller limbs are most at risk. Oregon State University Extension
Some preferred species in my experience Service – Columbia County
are apples, pears, birches, maples and 505 N. Columbia River Highway (across
medium aged noble firs.
from the Legacy clinic)
These birds are a delight to have St. Helens, OR 97051
around. They (and flickers and pileated 503 397-3462
woodpeckers) will sometimes hammer Email: chip.bubl@oregonstate.edu
away on loose metal or electrical poles
Center for Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault to Open
Ruthann Harris Inman Family Justice Center
Is someone in your family hurting?
Center is to provide a safe space to meet the multiple
needs of domestic violence victims. Human service
providers, criminal and civil justice agencies in
Columbia County will collaborate to improve access
for victims while providing tools to heal and thrive,
free from violence. Clients must otherwise travel to
multiple agencies to receive the different services
that are needed when faced with a violent situation in
their home. It is not unusual for an individual to visit
a minimum of three different agencies. This “one-
stop” model eases the burden of a stressful situation
by combining existing community resources.
Donations can be made through the St Helens
Community Foundation, designating the RAHI
Family Justice Center project. Members of the
public are invited to an opening celebration at the
Community Action Team located at 125 N. 17th St.
in St. Helens. 8:00-9:00 AM on Tuesday, April 3.
Please note that the Community Action Team does not
open its doors to clients until 8:30 AM.
ral
Path Health Ser
ces
vi
Na
tu
Local agencies in Columbia County
are joining forces to provide services for
victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The Ruthann Harris-Inman Family Justice
Center will open Tuesday April 3, 2012. in St
Helens
Victims may receive services every
Tuesday morning between the hours of 9:00
AM and noon at the Community Action Team
building. Victims may apply for food stamps,
housing, create safety plans, and receive
assistance with restraining orders and other civil
legal needs.
This project was spearheaded by Judge
Jenefer Stenzel Grant, and is named in memory
Ruthann Harris-Inman, a local treatment
provider and leader in abuse prevention. The St
Helens site is a pilot project which if successful
could be replicated elsewhere in the county.
The vision of the Ruthann Harris-Inman
Dr. Carol McIntyre
Naturopathic & Chinese Medicine
Owned and Operated by
Don & Kim Wallace
503.429.3928
cccmnd@yahoo.com
naturalpathhealthservices.com
786 Bridge Street
Vernonia, OR, 97064
