P2 THE SPOKESMAN • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021
GARDEN CORNER
Get ready to plant (but don’t overdo it on Day One)
We can medicate our winter
frustrations and COVID-19
depression by being an
aggressive weed/grass puller. It
is good mental therapy to rip
and pull and is much cheaper
than anti-depressants. We
feel better mentally and the
garden soil has benefited.
BY LIZ DOUVILLE
For The Spokesman
W
e turn the pages of the cal-
endar and like children we
ask, “Are we there yet?” We
are so anxious to start an active gar-
dening season, and the question is
what should we do now? On the chilly
days, sit tight, organize your plans, re-
search when to divide an overgrown
perennial bed, or which shrubs can be
pruned in the spring.
All the blooms for this year can
be lost if you prune spring bloom-
ing shrubs that bloom on last year’s
growth. Lilacs are a good example.
Wait until blooming is finished and
then remove the flower spikes back
to where you see the new branches
beginning to push out. Check for
crossed branches and small diameter
branches on the interior of the plant
and cut them out.
Clean and sharpen tools. Be ahead
of the frost warnings in June and July
on the 6 pm news by planning on
what will be needed for protection
of the warm weather crops. Double
check your planting supplies. Seed
starting mix, potting soil, compost or
soil amendments may sell out quickly
again this year. If you don’t have a soil
thermometer, that should be at the
top of a shopping list.
Cool-season vegetable seeds can
be planted at a soil temperature of 40
degrees. The readings would have to
be on a consistent basis over a week’s
reading. The selection would include
beets, carrots, peas, radishes, lettuce
and spinach.
Also on the shopping list should be
sunscreen, sunhat or visor and gloves.
The sunscreen is especially import-
ant for protection as our high dessert
climate promotes skin cancers. Think
Interested in classes?
OSU Master Gardening Spring Sem-
inar classes scheduled are Native
Plant Landscaping on April 10, Irri-
gation on April 17 and Lawn Care on
April 24. Classes are zoom classes,
cost is $5 per class. For more informa-
tion: gocomga.com.
123RF
Picking the right seeds for night temperatures is important this time of year.
of all the items as your new spring
outfit.
On the first days of sun and warmth,
we tend to overdo the garden activ-
ity — writes the gardener who doesn’t
take heed of the advice. No matter how
active we think we are, anyone headed
out the door with a shovel and a rake
needs to do some serious stretching ex-
ercises a few days prior.
We can medicate our winter frus-
trations and COVID-19 depression by
being an aggressive weed/grass puller.
It is good mental therapy to rip and
pull and is much cheaper than an-
ti-depressants. We feel better mentally
and the garden soil has benefited.
Next on my list is to cut back the
perennials that were left for winter
plant protection.
I fertilized my spring blooming
bulbs when growth started appearing.
Now I will wait until the plant dies
back naturally. No cutting back the
foliage as the dying foliage is nourish-
ment for next year’s bloom. Some gar-
deners complain that it is so unsightly.
The solution is to find a perennial that
can be planted close by that would
camouflage the bulb foliage as it de-
velops in the spring.
Preparing the garden soil makes us
feel closer to the real digging in and
planting time. With the soil cleared,
compost, soil amendments or cow or
horse manures can be added. It is not
unreasonable to ask the vendor if the
manure is free of herbicide residue.
Each year I remind gardeners that
the era of the big roto-tiller is over. In
recent years the results of soil science
studies have become more available to
the benefit of home gardeners.
Gardeners are learning the value of
what is below the soil surface. Algae,
bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes
and macroscopic organisms, each
have their importance in the structure
of healthy soil. By roto-tilling we dis-
rupt the natural cycle and millions of
organisms are killed or displaced.
To mimic nature, information from
Cornell University of Soil & Crop
Science advises to add compost or
amendments to the soil surface or to
incorporate them into only the top few
inches of soil. For the planting of trees,
shrubs and perennials follow the ad-
vice from Oregon State University of
mixing compost in the planting hole
with the native soil before placing the
plant.
e e
What’s on your mind? Send your garden
questions to douville@bendbroadband.com
POLICE & FIRE REPORT
The Spokesman will update items in
the Police Log when such a request is
received. Any new information, such
as the dismissal of charges or acquittal,
must be verifiable. For more information,
call 541-548-2185.
Redmond Police Department
March 22
Hit-and-run — A hit-and-run incident
was reported at 3:54 p.m. in the 1700
block of S. U.S. Highway 97.
Theft — A theft was reported at
4:39 p.m. in the 100 block of NW 29th
Street.
Vehicle crash — An accident was
reported at 7:42 a.m. in the 3900 block of
SW 21st Street.
March 23
Thefts — Thefts were reported at:
8:32 a.m. in the 700 block of SW 11th
Street.
2:33 p.m. in the 3100 block of S. U.S.
Highway 97, and an arrest made.
Unauthorized use — A vehicle was
reported stolen at 9:17 p.m. in the 1200
block of SW 18th Street.
Vehicle crashes — Noninjury accidents
were reported at:
8:08 a.m. in the area of SW Highland
Avenue and SW 11th Street.
9:37 a.m. in the area of NW Sixth Street
and NW Maple Avenue.
March 24
Criminal mischief — An act of criminal
mischief was reported at 8:25 a.m. in the
100 block of SW Sixth Street.
Thefts — Thefts were reported at:
7:51 a.m. in the 4300 block of SW Ben
Hogan Drive.
11:02 a.m. in the 2300 block of NW
Kingwood Avenue.
6:51 p.m. in the 300 block of NW Oak
Tree Lane.
March 25
Hit-and-run — A hit-and-run incident
was reported at 1:08 p.m. in the 800
block of SW Rimrock Way.
Theft — A theft was reported at
10:32 a.m. in the 400 block of SW
Umatilla Avenue.
Unauthorized use — A vehicle was
reported stolen at 1:50 p.m. in the area
CROSSWORD
of NE 17th Street and NE Greenwood
Avenue, and an arrest made.
Vehicle crash — A noninjury accident
was reported at 11:50 a.m. in the area
of SW Reindeer Avenue and SW 22nd
Street.
March 26
Criminal mischief — An act of criminal
mischief was reported at 9:38 p.m. in the
300 block of NW Oak Tree Lane.
Thefts — Thefts were reported at:
10:59 a.m. in the 1200 block of NW
Canyon Drive.
3:22 p.m. in the 100 block of SW 35th
Street.
4:13 p.m. in the 1100 block of NW Sixth
Street.
Unauthorized use — A vehicle was
reported stolen at 8:16 p.m. in the 2500
block of SE Jesse Butler Circle.
Vehicle crash — A noninjury accident
was reported at 5:39 p.m. in the area of
SW Glacier Avenue and SW 10th Street.
March 27
Criminal mischief — An act of criminal
mischief was reported at 2:08 p.m. in the
300 block of NW Oak Tree Lane.
Vehicle crashes — Noninjury accidents
were reported at:
11:50 a.m. in the 800 block of SW
Rimrock Way.
1:08 p.m. in the area of SW Canal
Boulevard and SW Salmon Avenue.
March 28
Thefts — Thefts were reported at:
9:14 p.m. in the 300 block of NW Oak
Tree Lane.
11:29 p.m. in the 1300 block of NW
Eighth Street.
Vehicle crash — A noninjury accident
was reported at 6:17 p.m. in the area of
SW 27th Street and SW Glacier Avenue.
Redmond Fire Runs
March 22
7:59 a.m. Vehicle accident, general
cleanup, 3901 SW 21st St.
5:40 p.m. Barkdust fire, 300 NW Oak Tree
Lane.
March 23
1:31 p.m. Natural vegetation fire, 5110
NW 83rd St.
March 24
8:28 a.m. Passenger vehicle fire, 2197 SW
Umatilla Ave.
March 25
11:53 a.m. Passenger vehicle fire, in the
area of SW 36th Street and SW Coyote
Place.
1:24 p.m. Motor vehicle accident with
injury, in the area of NW 43rd Street,
Terrebonne.
March 26
3:11 p.m. Natural vegetation fire, in the
area of NW Helmholtz Way near milepost
2.
4:15 p.m. Natural vegetation fire, 2841
SW 58th St.
March 27
12:42 a.m. Dumpster or other outside
trash receptacle fire, 419 NW 25th St.
1:31 a.m. Dumpster or other outside
trash receptacle fire, 2631 NW Cedar Ave.
11:34 a.m. Authorized controlled
burning, 1587 NW Larch Ave.
9:50 p.m. Authorized controlled burning,
2145 NW Rimrock Loop.
March 28
SUDOKU
7:01 a.m. Motor vehicle accident with
injury, in the area of SW Tomahawk
Avenue and S. U.S. Highway 97.
7:55 a.m. Authorized controlled burning,
4725 NE O’Neil Way.
2:06 p.m. Natural vegetation fire, 3233
Northwest Way.
2:52 p.m. Authorized controlled burning,
1585 NW 35th St.
3:57 p.m. Forest, woods or wildland fire,
7418 SW Quarry Ave.
4:48 p.m. Forest, woods or wildland fire,
18650 Bull Springs Rd., Bend.
5:23 p.m. Unauthorized burning, 990 NW
67th St.
6:11 p.m. Natural vegetation fire, in
the area of NW Coyner Avenue and
Northwest Way.
6:35 p.m. Barkdust fire, 1990 S. U.S.
Highway 97.
6:38 p.m. Unauthorized burning, 4725 NE
O’Neil Way.
7:57 p.m. Forest, woods or wildland fire,
3233 NW Way.
March 22-28: 96 Medical aid or transfer
calls
WEATHER
Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every
3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9, with no repeats.
FORECAST
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
LAST WEEK
HIGH
LOW
66
54
64
51
59
65
66
34
23
32
25
29
34
35
HIGH
LOW
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
Partly cloudy
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
PRECIP
Monday, March 29
48
26
T
Tuesday, March 30
55
16
0
Wednesday, March 31
73
15
0
Thursday, April 1
73
30
0
Friday, April 2
71
29
0
Saturday, April 3
69
35
0
Sunday, April 4
64
29
0
Precipitation to date this year: 1.17 inches
* = daily record
National Weather Service broadcasts are on 162.50 mhz.
Answers on Page 6
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