8
in other words
july20
2017
Diggin’ in the Dirt: July Garden Topics
By Chip Bubl
Oregon State University Extension
Service - Columbia County
Summer Bee Hive
Tune-up meeting at the
OSU Extension office
There will be
another meeting for bee-
keepers of all skill levels
(and prospective bee-
keepers) at the OSU Ex-
tension office at 505 N.
Columbia River High-
way in St. Helens on Thursday, July 27
at 6:30 pm. The program will be about
mid to late summer hive management.
There will be several expert beekeepers
to answer questions on other topics as
well. The program is free and open to the
public. For more information, call (503)
397-3462.
Neighbor Disputes Program
Some things can get in the way
of good neighborly relationships. Ex-
amples include unclear property lines,
fences, encroaching trees, noisy chick-
ens, livestock at large and many other
concerns. There will be a program on
neighbor law at the Law Library at 270
S. 1st Street in St. Helens on Wednes-
day, July 12 from 6-8 pm. Speakers will
be Mike Sheehan, a local attorney, and
Chip Bubl, OSU Extension. The pro-
gram is free and open to the public.
Insects that Bug You
This program will explore some
of the more vexing insects in and around
our homes. Subjects will include mos-
quitos, cockroaches, fleas, yellow jack-
ets, box elder bugs, stink bugs, carpenter
and other ants, and more. Information
will be provided on identification and
management. Tuesday, July 25 from 7-8
pm at the St. Helens Library, 375 S. 18th
Street . Chip Bubl will give the presenta-
tion. The program is free and open to the
public.
What’s that Noise? (Wild animals at
home in town)
This program will look at some
of the animals that live comfortably in
St. Helens and can cause prob-
lems for homeowners. Infor-
mation will be provided on
life history, identification, and
management options. Tuesday,
August 1 from 7-8 pm at the
St. Helens Library. Chip Bubl
will give the presentation. The
program is free and open to the
public.
2017 OSU Extension Canning Classes
Come learn how to safely pre-
serve foods from your garden this sea-
son! Participants will practice making
and canning recipes in the kitchen, and
will process a jar to take home. Space
is limited, so call soon to reserve your
spot! Pre-registration is required.
Where: Columbia Soil and Water Con-
servation District, 35285 Millard Road,
St. Helens, OR 97051
When: All classes 9 am-12 pm
Friday, July 21 ~ Pickling Vegetables
and Fruits
Friday, August 4 ~ Pressure Canning
Vegetables and Meats
Friday, August 18 ~ Canning Tomatoes
and Salsa
Cost: $25 per class. Scholarships are
also available
Registration: Call the OSU Extension
Service: (503) 397-3462
Or register online at: http://extension.or-
egonstate.edu/columbia
Garden Topics for Mid-July
With this great stretch of weath-
er, most garden crops are doing just
fine. So far, insect pressure seems low
but that can change fast. Slugs are cur-
rently hiding. It actually is time to start
planting crops that you hope to harvest
this winter. These can include leeks,
kale, and late cabbages. Spinach is usu-
ally seeded mid-August for a fall crop.
Lettuce can be planted continuously.
Do you have People Helping People philosophy?
Looking to join a Top 100 in Oregon Employer?
Want to help your community members’ dreams come true?
Take a look at our Peak-Hour
MEMBER CONSULTANT
opportunity in our Vernonia branch.
If you have outstanding sales,
service and communication skills,
cash handling experience, and Win-
dows literacy, this position was
made for you!
To join our winning team or see our
other openings, please visit us
online at waunafcu.org and go to
our careers page.
Pre-employment drug test and
We offer an opportunity to serve background check required.
Opportunity
to
include
your community AND enjoy com- Equal
petitive wages, generous incen- Disability & Vets.
tives, great benefits and a caring,
fun work environment.
Creatures LLC
Pets, Feeds, Supplies, Tack, U-Wash Facility,
Childrens Toys, Gifts, Novelies & More...
503-429-PETS (7387)
998 Bridge Street
Vernonia, OR 97064
Mon-Fri 10:00am-6:00pm
Sat 10:00am-5:00pm
Sun 12:00pm-4:00pm
Creatures@frontier.com
Facebook: Creatures-pet-shop
There was some sunburn on raspberries,
blackberries, and even blueberries from
a couple of the heat spikes. Apple set
looks spotty. A wet May and June didn’t
do us any favors when the trees were in
bloom. If you want the apples you have
to be “worm” free, you should have
been spraying several weeks ago. But
the codling moth and apple maggot may
have been a bit delayed so it might still
be worth trying to stop their egg-laying.
A good newer product that has some or-
ganic labels and is quite effective is the
compound spinosad. There are several
home garden products that contain it.
There are other equally effective prod-
ucts.
I have had several calls about
tomato leaves rolling upwards. These
are generally the oldest (lowest) leaves
on a plant. Newer leaves don’t show the
twisting. Some plants may be affected,
others not in the same garden area. This
is most often caused by a disorder called
physiological leaf roll or curl. It is not
a disease and often plants with severely
twisted lower leaves still produce to-
matoes in normal quantity and quality.
Overwatering can cause the problem as
can under-watering. Heirlooms tend to
be more prone to the disorder. For more
information see http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/
CEPublications/PNW616/PNW616.pdf.
Garlic should be ready to har-
vest now. Garlic doesn’t have to be
brown before harvest. Often, the garlic
will have green tops at the best “skin”
stage for harvest. Pull a few bulbs and
see if there are only a few outer “skins”
around the bulb left. If so, they need to
be brought into a warm but shaded space
with good air flow to cure. If you leave
the bulbs too long in the ground, dis-
ease risk increases and storage quality
decreases. When you harvest the bulbs,
tie the tops into bundles and hang the
bulbs from rafters in your garage or barn
or place them on a screen so that they
have good air circulation while they are
curing. They shouldn’t be exposed to the
direct sun. You can eat the garlic at any
time and it should be fully cured for win-
ter storage after drying for thirty days.
There have been some studies
using spray-on sugar solutions to keep
birds from eating blueberries. Some of
the research has been inconsistent but
newer information indicates that higher
rates than what were used in some stud-
ies are needed for best results. The for-
mula is one pound of sugar dissolved in
a gallon of water. That would be slightly
more than a pint of granulated sugar per
gallon. If you try it, let me know how
well it works.
Many Extension publications avail-
able online
Are you putting up salsa, saving
seeds, or thinking about planting grapes?
OSU has a large number of its publica-
tions available for free download. Just
go to https://catalog.extension.oregon-
state.edu/. Click on publications and
start exploring.
Take excess produce to the food bank,
senior centers, or community meals
programs. Cash donations to buy food
are also greatly appreciated.
The Extension Service offers its pro-
grams and materials equally to all
people.
Contact information for the Extension
office
Oregon State University Extension Ser-
vice – Columbia County
505 N. Columbia River Highway (across
from the Legacy clinic)
St. Helens, OR 97051
(503) 397-3462
Email: chip.bubl@oregonstate.edu
Ridge Riders Play Day
The Vernonia
Ridge Riders
hosted a Play
Day at the horse
arena Saturday,
July 15, giving
Grace Coleman
(left) and Cassie
McFalls (right) a
chance to warm
up for the Horse
Gaming event
on the Sunday
of Jamboree
weekend.
Grey Dawn Gallery
Visit US today for
all your financial needs!
879 Bridge St. (503) 429-2787
Photography - Bronze
Josh, Teresa,
Juli, Teresa,
Margy
Josh,
Joy, and
Lisa
905 Bridge Street
(503) 429-6271
Jewelry - Glasswork
Pottery - Custom Framing
www.greydawngallery.com
Featuring the finest in northwest art
usbank.com
Member FDIC