Spilyay Tymoo
AUGUST 26,1983 PAGE 9
Light pruning helps trees Extension
Many home gardeners have
the mistaken impression that
pruning of fruit trees should
only be done in the spring. This
is not necessarily the case, says
Ray McNeilan,' Oregon State
University Extension home
gardening agent.
“A light summer pruning will
help many fruit trees produce
better next year, but the home
gardeners should keep in mind
that this pruning should be
light,” McNeilan says. “Heavy
pruning fruit trees should
always be done in the spring.”
M cN eilan also reminds
home orchardists that summer
pruning in most cases should be
restricted to healthy, vigorous
fruit trees. Pruning a slow
growing fruit tree during the
summer months may severely
stunt the tree.
One of the primary goals of
summer pruning is to eliminate to,” McNeilan explains. “In
water sprout growth on the pruning to train the tree, weak
fruit tree. Water sprouts are limbs and those limbs growing
sm a ll b r a n c h e s g r o w in g in undesired directions should
upward from the tree’s main be removed.”
limbs. Cutting this excess tree
The gardening specialist
growth out enables the tree adds that this will cause the
to channel its vigor into fruit other branches to experience
bearing tree limbs.
more growth than usual and as
“Home orchardists should a result, it may be necessary to
remember that pruning a tree head them back once or twice
later in the growing season during the summer.
lessens the likelihood that
The g o a ls o f sum m er
regrowth will occur,” says pruning are the same as those
McNeilan. “This means that of spring pruning: to help the
water sprout growth pruned in tree develop as deisred and to
August will have little chance Control its size. But the home
to grow back because the tree gardener should keep in mind
will soon be dormant.”
that any pruning done now
should be light and selective,
Another important goal of M c N e ila n n o te d . M ajor
summer pruning is the training pruning activity should be
of the fruit tree. “Training is reserved for the early spring
forcing the tree to grow the way when fruit trees are still
the home orchardist wants it dormat.
irises more room
Iris in the home landscape
that don ’t look quite as
vigorous and healthy this year
as they did last may be suffering
from overcrowding.
After four or five years of
growth, iris may lose their vigor
because the root system or
clump becomes dense and
overgrown with individual
roots crowded together, says
Ray McNeilan, Oregon State
University Extension home
gardening agent. Iris plants can
be revived by removing them
from the ground, cutting the
large root clump into several
smaller pieces and replanting
them.
As soon as the iris flowers
begin to fade, remove the
clump carefully from the
ground with a spading fork.
Wash the soil from the roots
and trim the healthy leaves or
fans to a 4 to 6 inch length.
Remove all the dead flowers
stalks and shriveled leaves.
Discard or burn any stalks and
leaves that show signs o f iris
borers.
Cut the fleshy outer roots
away from the center root.
Each cutting should have two
fans or iris leaves. After cutting
away all the outer roots, the
center root can be discarded.
Cut out any areas of the freshly
cut roots that contain iris
borers. Dust all cuts with a
fungicide to prevent rot.
Each root division should be
planted in a hole - made by
sinking a garden trowel to its
hilt into the soil and then
pulling it toward you up
gradually.
Hold the cutting to the hole’s
straight side with the surface of
the rhizome one inch below the
surface of the soil. Fill the hole
in until the soil is level and firm
the area around the cutting
gently.
An organic fertilizer such as
bone-meal or a fertilizer with a
5-10-5 combination works best
for iris, says McNeilson. Work
the fertilizer into the ground
around the iris after planting.
Notes
from Lee Hamilton and Doris Brackett
Pick vegetables
regularly
yellow. Small cucumbers make
P ic k in g v e g e ta b le s is
good sweet pickles, medium
probably the gardening chore
sized cucumbers make good
home gardeners enjoy most
dill pickles. Large ones are best
and that’s fortunate because
when eaten fresh. If cucumbers
regular h a rv estin g is as
are too bitter to eat fresh, use
important to garden perfor
them for pickles and relish.
mance as it is fun.
Tomatoes— Size is not an
With fruiting vegetables such
indication o f maturity with
as squash, cucumbers, bush
beans, tomatoes, peppers, egg , tomatoes. Look for proper
color. Tomatoes taste best if
plant and broccoli, regular
ripened on the vine, but can be
picking encourages the plants
picked at any degree of
to greater production, notes
ripeness. Green tomatoes are
Ray McNeilan,'.Oregon State
used for relish or pickling; firm
University Extension home
ones are best eaten fresh; and
gardening agent.
Even a few fruit left to oVerripe ones can be processed.
Broccoli—The stalks should
mature on a cucumber plant
will stop new fruit from setting. be firm but tender. Buds at the
top o f the stalk should be
McNeilan explains.
compact and not showing the
Once a zucchini starts going
color that would indicate
to seed, the plant thinks its life
the plant is flowering. Cut the
is over and it will not develop
large central head just before it
any more squash. One way to
separates into several heads.
halt an overabundant zucchini
harvest— short of taking the
A fter that, cut the side
plant out o f the. ground—is to sh o o ts that develop into
smaller heads.
let it go to seed.
Bush beans—They should be
McNeilan suggests looking
for these ready-for-harvest picked when at least three
indicators on the following inches long and when the beans
veeetables:
are just beginning to make the
Cucumbers— They should pod bulge.
be picked before they turn
Wasps can be controlled
Yellow jackets are one o f
Mother Nature’s more potent
insects in terms of ability to
in flic t pain on hum ans
through a powerful sting.
“Yellow Jackets are most
likely to sting people when they
get too close to a nest entrance.
But they also are strongly
attracted to cooked meat,
especially salmon and can be
n u isa n ce at p icn ics and
outdoor meals,” says Ray
M c N eila n , O regon S ta te
University Extension home
gardening agent.
These pests often sting
people without any provoca
tion or warning, he cautioned.
Yellow jackets make nests in
trees, large bushes, under caves
or in attics, or in underground
cavities. Control of yellow
jackets) can be accomplished
through use of insecticides or
traps.
Insecticides registered for
yellow ja ck ets— and other
w a sp s — u s u a lly c o n t a in
c a r b a r y l, d ia z in o n , or
pyrethrin.
“Several o f these products
are sold in pressurized cans,
Other ere available as wettable
powders or liquids from which
a spray can be prepared,” says
McNeilan.
Nests'should be treated after
dark when the yellow jackets
have retired for the night. Be
careful if using flashlights or
lanterns because yellow jackets
may be aroused by the light and
leave the nest.
Treat the nest following the
directions. o n the* insecticide
label, McNeilan stressed.
. He adds that if the nest can’t
be located, (raps containing an
attractant may be
next best
c o n t r o l . - C o m m e r c ia lly
prepared traps’qdn be found in
m ost nursery and garden
shops.
Traps should be placed
around the periphery of human
activity so they draw wasps
away from the area.
Oregon Statë Fair
Salem, Oregon
Spilyay tym oo photo by Shewczyk
Indian dancing at the Jefferson County Fair is always a big attraction. Reggie Winishut dances with
his daughter Renita.
August 26-September 5