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COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL November 10, 2015 Pamper fuchsias, geraniums and dahlias through winter BY KYM POKORNY Special to the Sentinel Just like perennial plants, some garden questions come up year after year. How to keep geraniums, fuchsias and dahlias from dying over winter is one of them. “Some plants are what we call tender perennials and are living outside their hardiness zone,” said Brooke Edmunds, horticul- turist for Oregon State Universi- ty’s Extension Service. “In most places in Oregon that includes geraniums and fuchsias. If we get a cold snap, they’ll have problems and most likely die.” To keep that from happening, bring potted plants into shelter for winter, she said. But keep in mind each plant needs different conditions. Geraniums — more accurate- ly pelargoniums — continue to grow throughout the cold sea- son, albeit slowly. Fuchsias go dormant in cool weather so need less fuss. Dahlias, which are tu- bers, need even less attention and can be dug up and stored like potatoes. For geraniums, Edmunds ad- vises moving them into a bright spot in the house or green- house where the temperature doesn’t get above 70 degrees. They won’t tolerate too much moisture on the roots, so leave off watering until they dry out almost completely, about once a month. Fertilizer isn’t neces- sary. To get geraniums to fi t in the space you have available for storage, pruning is OK. Don’t, however, get too severe. Be sure to leave some leaves and green stems. Be aware they won’t be very attractive as they take a winter break. The hardiness of fuchsias de- pends on the cultivar. Please see GARDEN, Page 10A Cottage Grove Sentinel www.cgsentinel.com @ cgsentinel @cgsentinel #cgsentinel Cottage-Grove-Sentinel NOTICE OF CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE URBAN FORESTRY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE VACANCIES The City of Cottage Grove Urban Forestry Committee currently has three vacancies to this volunteer body. Committee positions are appointed by the City Council. The Urban Forestry Committee meets once a month. People interested in applying for these positions need to complete the Volunteer Appointment Application available at the Library/Community Center or City Hall. The deadline for submitting applications is 5:00 on Friday November 27th, 2015. For further information please contact Teresa Cowan, City of Cottage Grove Community Coordinator at 942-1185. Douglas G. Maddess, DMD Tis’ the season already for Christmas tree harvest ODA inspectors help clear the way for Oregon, the nation’s top producer of Christmas trees F or one of Oregon’s top agricultural commodities, the 2015 holiday season is well underway. Between now and the middle of December, up to 7 mil- lion Oregon Christmas trees will be harvested and sold locally, na- tionally and internationally. Some of the early trees are already on their way to distant export markets with the bulk of activity just around the corner. It’s a very busy time for inspec- tors with the Oregon Department of Agriculture who issue the necessary certifi cates that clear the trees for entry into the mar- ketplace. “We are about a week ear- lier than last year,” says Gary McAninch, manager of ODA’s Nursery and Christmas Tree Programs. “We have already in- spected and issued certifi cates for trees going to Hawaii and we are just starting to do the same for trees bound for Mexico.” Oregon remains the nation’s top producer of Christmas trees. While those trees can be found in numerous international mar- kets, including many Pacifi c Rim countries, the U.S. neighbor to the south remains the biggest foreign customer at about 12 per- cent of Oregon Christmas trees harvested annually. Those trees don’t cross the border without the all-important inspection and phytosanitary certifi cate. “Our customers don’t want to get any dangerous pests or dis- eases from Christmas trees and we don’t want to give them any of those pests and diseases,” says McAninch. “So we are required to inspect the trees here in Or- egon before they are shipped to other states and countries. That ensures we are meeting the im- portation requirements.” With as much as 90 percent of Oregon’s 530 licensed Christmas tree growers shipping out of state, ODA inspectors will be working seven days a week between now and about the fi rst week of De- cember when harvest and ship- ping fi nally ends. “Other states and countries want to make sure we provide Christmas trees that are clean of insect pests and diseases, and that requires a very good work- ing relationship with the Oregon Department of Agriculture,” says Bryan Ostlund, executive director of the Pacifi c Northwest Christ- mas Tree Growers Association. “ODA inspectors come out and spend considerable time to make sure the trees we ship out of Or- egon are what we say they are.” The inspection of Christmas trees actually begins well before the holidays approach. ODA in- spectors examine fi elds in late summer and early fall, looking for potential problems that could put a snag into out-of-state ship- ments. Receiving countries want to make sure those trees arrive without problems that could be- come established in their own backyard. In some cases, trees are required to be mechanically shaken to dislodge larger insects as well as dead needles. ODA inspectors even look at Christmas trees that never leave the state. Growers will often re- quest the expertise of inspectors to identify problems in the fi eld even though there is no require- ment for certifi cation of trees that remain in Oregon. It’s just an- other way of upholding the good reputation of high quality Oregon Christmas trees. An additional challenge this year — at least for the younger trees that won’t be harvested for a few more years — was the warm and dry summer. “The bigger, more mature trees are generally pretty hearty, so when we have a year of extended warm and dry weather during the summer months, those trees han- dle it fairly well,” says Ostlund. “Fortunately, the recent rain is fully hydrating the trees being harvested. We want those trees being shipped out of Oregon to • Trees • Outdoor power stakes & strips • Extension cords • Wreaths • Stocking stuffers for all budgets • Rolls of snow • Christmas Lights • Wrapping paper • Pre-lit yard art (peanuts and more) • Snow globes and so much more..... See our new website: douglasgmaddessdmd.com Protect your world Auto • Home • Life • Retirement Call me today to discuss your options. 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The rain we are currently having is perfect timing.” On the other hand, seedlings that went into the ground to re- place the 2014 harvest are small without a lot of water carrying capacity and root systems that are not fully developed. There has been more seedling mortality in 2015 than what has taken place in recent years, which could have a slight impact when that plant- ing is ready for harvest seven to nine years from now. All in all, it should be a de- cent year for Oregon Christmas tree growers. In other parts of the United States, production is down, which is directing buyers to look to the Pacifi c Northwest for ample supplies of trees. Os- tlund refers to the shift from a national oversupply of Christmas trees as a right-sizing of supply. “Buyers have to work a little harder to fi nd the types of trees they want and the sizes they want. That will be refl ected in prices going up a bit this year. That may not be the case so much in Or- egon, but with our major markets like California — where about 50 percent of Oregon’s Christ- mas trees are sold — there will be a bump in price at the whole- sale level for the fi rst time in many years. What that means to the consumer at the retail level remains to be seen.” Ostlund expects the export market to be down somewhat this year since Oregon growers can more easily sell their inven- tory inside the continental United States. While the bread and but- ter of Oregon’s industry remains the Douglas fi r and the noble fi r, newer species are increasing in popularity. Nordmann and Turk- ish fi rs perform well after harvest in terms of keeping their needles, color and fragrance. In terms of production value, Christmas trees have annually been a top 10 agricultural com- modity in Oregon. www.shoppelocal.biz SOUTH LANE COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE Save Lives! Save Money! 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