SlMLYAY TYMOO
WAKM SI'ltlNGS, OlUXON 97761
April 24, 1987 Tap- 5
Time nearing to start transplants
It will soon be time to start
vegetable transplants for outdoor
planting in June.
Although vegetable transplants
can be purchased, gardeners who
grow their own will have a wider
choice of varieties.
Tomatoe, pepper and egg plants
require 6 to 8 weeks from seeding
to transplanting. To transplant them
in mid-May, start the seeds indoors
during the March 15-20 period.
The cabbage family, including
broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauli
' flower, and lettuce develop trans
plants in four to six weeks. Seeds
started in mid-April should be ready
for the garden by June 1.
Cantaloupe, watermelon and pump
kins develop transplants in about
four weeks. In their case, seeds
should be started in early May so
that transplanting can take place in
June.
Melons and pumpkins do not
withstand transplanting as well as
the above-mentioned plants. The
harvest season is virtually the same
if, instead of growing transplants,
melon and pumpkin seeds are
planted in the garden itself when
the soil is warm enough.
Seeds can be planted in a home
made mix containing equal parts
of sand, loam and peat moss. Com
mercial potting or rooting medi
ums that are soil-less and sterile
may be purchased.
Fill the desired container with a
lightly moistened soil mix. A 4
inch flower pot may be seeded with
1 8 to 20 seeds. Cover the seeds with
one-quarter inch of the soil. Then
label the pot and place it in a plastic
bag.
Tie the bag so moisture does not
escape. No further watering is needed
until the seedlings appear. Keep
the germinating seeds at room tem
perature (68-75 degrees F). As soon
as plants emerge, remove the bag
and expose the plants to a maxi
mum of light.
Cabbages appear rapidly. Toma
toes may take 4 to 6 days and
peppers 10 to 14 days.
After initial germination, expose
the seedlings to lower temperatures
(55 degrees Fat night, 65-70 degrees
during the day). Unless the soil mix
was fertilized previously, weekly
applications of a soluable plant
food are necessary.
Once seedlings get their first true
leaf, it is time to separate them.
Carefully loosen the soil around
the roots with a dull knife blade
and place the plants one by one in
3-inch pots, or space 6-8 plants
evenly in plastic or pressed paper
baskets. The soil in these contain
ers does not have to be sterilized.
Uniform watering and fertilizing
and at least 12 hours of sunlight
daily will produce a stocky trans
plant that gives high production in
the garden.
About (en days before transplant
ing time, expose the plants to cooler
temperatures and slightly less water.
A stocky transplant 6 to 8 inches
high with dark green color should
be the final product.
The day before transplanting,
water well with a complete soluble
fertilizer. When setting them in the
garden, use plenty of water around
the roots to be sure they are in good
contact with the soil.
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
OCTGNSION
SERVICE
Eralna Palmer Secretary
Jonl David Program Aide
Arlene Bolleau Extension Intern
Tht Warm Springs Extension MoNI Marh Extension Agent
Service provides equal access to Clay Penhollow Extension
all Its activities and program!. Agent
Byrne brings retreat to reservation
Energy questions answered
Q. I want to buy a used mobile
home and I would like to find one
that will be inexpensive to heat.
How can I tell how well insulated a
home is?
A. Mobile homes built since 1976
have to meet minimum standards
for energy efficiency. A heating
certificate located inside the home
specifies which of three climate
zone standards.
Older homes were not required
to meet any energy standards. You
can discover many of the energy
features if you inspect the home:
Double glazing or storm win
downs are readily apparent.
Look at the windows and doors
to see if they have weatherstripping.
Check for settling, which could
open cracks for air leaks.
The width of the walls can indi
cate how much insulation there is.
If the wall is less than four inches,
check to see if there is any insula
tion. To do this switch off the elec
tricity and remove a switch plate.
Push a wire with the end doubled
back between the wall and the elec
trical box. You can draw some
insulation out if there is any. The
same procedure at a ceiling light
fixture or fan can detect insulation
in roof cavity though it will not tell
you how much there is.
Someone wanting to sell a mobile
home shouldn't object to this inspec
tion and it could save you much
money on your heating bills.
Don't neglect asking the former
owners how much their heating
expenses have been. Yours wont
necessarily be the same, but this
will give you some idea of what
your might expect.
Q. I just bought a new water
heater. It was a shock to look at the
Energy guide label on it and realize
that my family probably spends
more than $400 a year just to heat
water. Are there ways to reduce
this expenditure?
A. We'll answer your question
with a number of questions. If you
answer "yes" to all of them, you
probably already are doing every
thing you can to pare your hot
water bills. But if some of your
answers are "no," look to those
places for savings:
Have you turned down your water
heater to 130 degrees if you have a
dishwasher, 120 degrees if you don't?
Have you insulated your water
heater and hot water pipes?
Have you repaired leaky hot
water faucets?
Do you take showers instead of
baths?
Have you installed a low-flow
shower head or a flow restrictor in
your existing shower head?
Do you wash your clothes in
cold or warm water, rathar than
hot, and rinse them in cold water?
Overprotection of parents detrimental
Too much loving protection can
undermine an aging parent's self
esteem. The desire to overprotect
an increasingly frail parent is natu
ral; however, it's usually the last
thing an older, person wants or
needs.
The goal is to strive for a balance
in caring. Don't over-estimate your
parents needs; it can be destructive
to both of you. If you assume
responsibility for functions that
your parent can still perform
even if only with difficulty you're
likely to make your parent angry,
depressed, or more dependent. Peo
ple resent forced dependency.
Don't make assumptions such as
the following about your parent's
abilities, feelings, or needs:
1. Mother would be happier if
she moved. There are just too many
memories of dad in the house.
2. Father should not live alone
because he can't see very well.
In fact, Mother's'adjustment to
her husband's death is likely to be
more difficult if she is forced to
move from her home. Father may
have learned to compensate for his
loss of sight. He may function very
well in his familiar home environ
ment, as long as family doesn't
attempt to "organize his clutter."
Before asking or forcing a parent
to make changes in his or her, ask
yourself these questions:
Am I contemplating a protective
environment for my parent's sake
or my own?
Are the dangers real or would I
just feel more comfortable and
worry less knowing my parent is
safe?
Would I feel too guilty if I let my
parent take an occasional risk to
live independently?
Although your parent's safety is
important, it isn't the only factor to
consider in making a decision.
Reflect on the type of life your par
ent has lived and your parent's per
ceptions of the situation. It is just
as important to focus on parents'.
Oregon State University presi
dent John Bryne and an entourage
of vice presidents, assistants and
college deans were in Warm Springs
April 2 through 5 for their annual
presidential retreat.
The purpose of the retreat was
three-fold. Those in attendance
worked on the plans of action for
the university, acquainted those
who weren't familiar with Exten
sion with the programs and intro
duced those who were unfamiliar with
central and eastern Oregon to Jef
ferson County and the reservation.
While here, the group met with
Tribal Council and committee mem
bers during a luncheon at the Agency
Longhouse. Delbert Frank briefly
explained the OS U study cond ucted
in the late 1950s. Larry Calica, also
representing Tribal Council, chal
langed OSU to re-establish ties and
to proceed with tackling the prob
lems facing the reservation. Presi
dent Byrne agreed that more work
needs to be done in Warm Springs.
The OSU officials, who were
accompanied by their spouses, also
met with the three central Oregon
county courts and commissioners,
mayors, press and extension advi
sory committee chairpeople. In addi
tion, the Warm Springs and Jeffer
son County extension agents
presented information on local pro
gram offerings, skill-development
philosophies, background informa
tion and a general overview of the
Warm Springs and Jefferson County
areas.
At a dinner on Saturday night,
April 4, President Bryne addressed
the guests in attendance. Byrne'
added some humor by proving that
the hand is quicker then the eye by
making some handkerchiefs disap
pear. Bryne noted that "Oregon State
University is known as one of the
outstanding colleges in the nation
today, prestigious in agriculture,
forestry, home economics, marine
science, engineering and business
administration to name just a few.
Byrne added that Oregon State
f
( M
4
Sptiymy Tymoo photo by Milter
John Byrne, President of Oregon State University, addressing the dinner
guests at the Lodge on April 4, 1987.
University stands among the top
throughout the country with their
experimental work in agriculture,
livestock and dairy products. OSU
boasts the finest forestry program
above all colleges in the nation.
Some of the finest forestry techni
cians come out of Oregon State
University.
It has also been proven that all
the engineers who come out of
Oregon State are the tops in their
field and are working all over the
world. Another high mark for Ore
gon State said Byrne, is that all
those who have taken the CP. A.
exam came out with the highest
scores, Oregon State is one of the
only colleges to receive a grant for
Oceanogrophy, and is outstanding
in that field. Students from all over
the world are enrolled at Oregon
State. These are just a few of great
things that Oregon State is capable
of doing, added Byrne.
The menu for the dinner was
salmon and all the trimmings, but
the salmon was not as tasty as that
prepared at the longhouse for the
luncheon the day before.
Fertilizer needs explained for gardeners
Give gardens a shot
Getting the home garden to grow
to the gardener's expectations has
a lot to do with fertilizer. The
healthy and robust garden is the
well-fertilized garden.
Not all fertilizers are helpful in
gardens.
Gardeners should avoid using
fertilizers mixed with pesticides or
weed killers in vegetable gardens.
T he mix seldom matches the spe
cific soil conditions or controls
needed. It's more efficient to apply
fertilizer separately from pesticide
or weed killers.
Another factor ta consider as
you choose a fertilizer to meet your
needs is how package size affects
price. Fertilizer in large bags costs
less per pound than smaller packages.
Speciality mixes are generally
more costly and often can be dupli
cated for less by buying the same
proportions or primary nutrients
in bulk.
Nitrogen is the most expensive
ingredient in common fertilizer,
but it too differs in cost. Slowly
available forms cost more than
quickly-available forms. So again,
money can be saved by determin
ing what type of fertilizer actually
is needed, a quick pick-up or a
gradual, longer lasting feeding.
How do you know which fertil
izer to buy? Packages of mixed fer
tilizer must state the guaranteed
content of nitrogen, phosphate and
potash in that order. For exam
ple, a mixture noted as 5-10-5 con
tains five percent total nitrogen,
ten percent phosphate and five
percent potash. These primary proportions.
A few words on calories
Calories are a measure of the
energy food provides. How many
calories you need to maintain your
weight depends on how much energy
you "burn" or use up.
Contrary to what many women
believe, weight control shouldn't
mean facing a lifetime of starvation
and deprivation. Rather, the best
way to manage your weight over a
lifetime is to find a balance of
proper nutrition and regular exer
cise. Then maintain your weight
if you go up a few pounds, increase
your exercise and cut back on
caloric consumption until you're
back to the desirable weight.
To determine the number of calo
ries needed to maintain your weight,
follow this rule of thumb: For an
adult, moderately active women
over 22, multiply your desirable
weight by 15 calories pound. (For
example, a woman whose desirable
weight is 120 pounds requires appro
ximately 1800 calories a day to
maintain her weight.).
To lose weight you must burn off
about 3500 extra calories, by diet
ing and or exercise, to lose one
pound of fat therefore, if you burn
off 500 extra calories a day, you
would lose one pound in a week.
Slow, steady weight loss, one to
two pounds per week, is healthier
and more likely to be maintained.
Consistent exercise is essential
to weight reducing programs; it
stimulates body metabolism and
firms and tones flabby muscles.
When applied to the garden, fer
tilizer is broadcast, banded and
sidedressed. Broadcasting means
spreading the fertilizer evenly over
the garden with a spreader or by
hand.
In banding, fertilizer is applied
in narrow trenches two inches to
the side and two inches below the
seed row. Sidedressing is like spoon
feeding. You spread a soluble nit
rogen along the row a month to six
weeks after planting. Irrigation water
takes it into the root zone.
Shrubs need it too
Most landscape shrubs respond
to spring with a flush of green
growth. For those that remain pale
and sickly looking a shot of fertil
izer is needed.
An application of fertilizer can
do wonders for washed-out look
ing shrubs that have taken a yel
lowish cast.
Try a fertilizer high in nitrogen,
such as 12-4-8 combination. It will
put the green back in evergreen
shrubs and will help eliminate stunted
growth. Apply at the rate of one
pound, or two cups per 100 square
feet.
Another cause of pale, washed
out looking evergreen shrubs is
lack of magnesium. Magnesium is
needed to build chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll gives plants their
green color. If the shrub is in a soil
low in magnesium, epsom salt or a
fertlizer containing magnesium sul
fate applied at one-quarter cup per
10 square feet will help.
Epsom salt can be sprinkled on
the surface and watered into the
soil or can be dissolved and applied
with a sprinkler can.
Evergreen and other ornamental
shrubs will grow much better through
the summer if they are put into a
strong healthy condition now.
Hedges that haven't been fertil
ized in the last two years will
benefit from an application of a
complete fertilizer like an 8-8-8
combination.
Shelter new plants
from weather elements
New garden plantings, whether
transplants or plants grown from
seed, need shelter from the sun and
wind early in the growing season.
Plants located in particularly windy
areas need some kind of protection
against the wind for at least a week
after planting. To shield plantings
from wind place a shingle or sim
ilar type of broad, flat object in the
ground on the windward side of the
transplant.
Hot caps are also effective for
protecting transplants, and in the
case of pepper transplants, placing
an old tire around the plant will
provide very effective protection.
Here are some other ways to
protect garden plants.
Gallon plastic milk containers.
Cut the bottoms out of the con
tainers and place them over indi
vidual plantings.
Old newspapers can be arched
over rows of plantings to form a
protective tent. The center-fold in
the newspaper forms the peak of
the tent. The outer ends of . the
newspaper pages touching the ground
on either side of the plant row are
kept in place by anchoring with
stones or other heavy objects.
Large cans with the tops and
bottoms cut out can be placed over
individual plantings to provide wind
protection.
Black polyethylene plastic, usu
ally used for mulch in the garden,
can be used to form a long tent over
rows of plantings. Stakes can be
driven into the ground at either end
of the row and a piece of rope att
ached to the stakes so it is sus
pended over the row about six
inches off the ground. The drape
the plastic over the rope and anchor
it on the ground on either side of
the row with stones or similar
weights.
Thatch lawn for greener, healthier grass
Calorie cutting tips given
Avoid seconds of high calories
foods and gradually cut back on
serving size.,
Use low calorie versions of foods
you like.
Go easy on foods that are high in
fat or sugar.
Limit alcoholic beverages.
Roast, broil boil, steam, or poach
foods rather than fry them.
Select lean cuts of meat and trim
visible fat.
Eat poultry and fish without
skin.
Use spices and herbs instead of
sauces, butter, or margarine.
Use lowfat dairy products.
Drink coffee tea without cream
or sugar or use lowfat milk instead
of cream.
If the return of spring gives you
the urge to get to work outdoors,
tackle the job of lawn renovation,
or thatch removal. Thatch is a
It's time to
think of camp
It is not too early to be thinking
about 4-H camp. Each year
Deschutes and Jefferson Counties
and Warm Springs take nearly 100
campers to Round Lake Camp for
one week of 4-H Camp. Campers
have finished fourth thru sixth grades
and counselors are ninth grade and
above.
Prior to 4-H camp, a camp coun
selor training is held at which time
counselors are trained and selected.
Leaders are encouraged to urge
their older 4-H members to apply
to be 4-H camp counselors and to
relate 4-H camping opportunities
to 4-H members of camper age.
For more information call Joni
at 553-1 161. ext. 28 or 239.
build-up of old leaves, stems and
grass clippings in the lawn.
When thatch gets thick, it has a
springy, carpet-like feel when you
walk on it.
Thatch can cause many lawn
problems. It forms a layer that
soaks up water and nutrients, pre
venting them from reaching the
roots of the grass. It harbors weeds
and diseases and, because it raises
the cutting levels of the lawnmower,
the lawn cant be cut to the correct
height.
Bentgrasses, bluegrasses and fes
cues all develop a thatch of dead
plants material on the soil surface.
Dwarf ryegrasses, on the other
hand, are slow to develop thatch.
The tools needed to remove thatch
depends on the size of the lawn. A
hand rake should handle areas
smaller than a thousand square
feet. For larger lawns, a det hatcher
can be rented at garden stores to
make the job easier and faster.
The following thatching proce
dures are suggested. First, mow the
lawn as low as possible and remove
all clippings. Set the dethatcher to
slice into the thatch near the soil
surface and go over the lawn at that
setting.
Remove the debris by raking or
sweeping, then use the dethatcher
again in a crosswise direction to the
first cutting. Remove the debris.
Set the lawn mower as low as pos
sible and mow the lawn again.
Remove the clippings.
The lawn may look pretty bad by
this time, but it will recover.
Volunteers They care enough to give
the very best
National Volunteer Week
April 26-May 2
Did you know that the dollar
value of volunteers contributed time
is conservatively estimated at $65
billion! That's right, and there's no
better example of success than the
Extension Service. A recent study
shows 2.9 million people (or one
out of every 80 people in the U.S.)
volunteer to assist the Extension
Service each year. The dollar value
of these volunteers time is $4.5 bil
lion or, more than five times the
total budget of the cooperative
Extension system.
Who arc these people? In Warm
Springs and Jefferson County they
are 4-H leaders, master gardeners,
master food preservers, home eco
nomics study group members, fam
ily community leadership members
and many others. They are often
involved in other community orga
nizations and events as well. Exten
sion Sen ice volunteers come in all
shapes and size, are all ages, some
live in town, others live on farms.
But always, they arc friendly folks
who smile a lot because they enjoy
what they're doing