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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2015)
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 17, 2015 9A Polk County Living Growing the perfect, tasty tomato Nothing drives Oregon vegetable gardeners to dis- traction like the elusive quest for a ripe crop of tomatoes. There’s the fickle weather to consider, dis- eases to battle and insects to thwart. “Everyone wants to grow tomatoes,” said Amy Jo De- tweiler, a horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “It’s a universal food people tend to like.” Wanting to grow them and actually doing it are two different things, though. Short growing sea- sons on both sides of the Cascade Range and faint sun at the coast often mean tomatoes take their sweet time to ripen, if they do at all. This year could be dif- ferent, Detweiler said. A warmer-than-usual spring has heated the soil earlier, giving tomatoes the condi- tions they need to get a good jump on the season. If you haven’t already planted your crop, it’s time. When shopping for toma- toes for shorter growing seasons, Detweiler recom- mends buying those with 60 to 70 days to maturity rather than 70 to 100. “Some of those are ‘Leg- end,’ ‘Early Girl’ and ‘Siletz,’ all developed by OSU,” she said. Cherry tomatoes like K YM P OKORNY Your Garden ‘Sun Gold,’ Gold Nugget’ and ‘Sweet Million’ ripen early and are a good bet for beginners. Big, beefsteak types can be challenging, though this year would be the year to try them. Tomatoes are either inde- terminate or determinate, Detweiler explained. The former ripen throughout the season, while determi- nate can be harvested all at once for making sauces, salsas and the like. For de- tailed information and recipes for canning, refer to OSU Extension’s guide to “Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products” in Eng- lish or Spanish. In colder climates east of the Cascades, growing tomatoes with protection is a necessity because of the possibility of frost at any time of year, according to Detweiler. If you don’t have a greenhouse, use a cloche or row cover. When plants are young, use water rings. They have channels of water that collect heat dur- ing the day and reflect it to plants at night and are Detweiler’s tips for growing tomatoes: • Select sturdy plants. • Put in a plot that gets a good six hours of sun. • Plant in well- drained soil that’s been amended with organic mate- rial such as com- post or well-rotted manure. • P l u c k o ff leaves at the bot- tom of the stem and bury in soil five to 10 inches deeper than it came in the pot. Additional roots will form along the stem. As the plant grows remove branches and leaves close to the ground to help prevent soil-borne diseases. • Give plants plenty of room so that air can circulate and sun can penetrate. This will result in more vigorous plants that can more easily fight off diseases or pests. • Use a strong tomato cage or trellis for support. Start fertilizing about two weeks after planting with a 5- 10-10 or 5-10-5 mixture. Feed according to package direc- tions about every three weeks until fruit ripens. • Don’t wait for soil to completely dry out between wa- terings. Irrigate deeply every two to three days, more often in particularly hot days. • On side stems with no blossoms, pinch them off at the V where they meet a main stem. This will force energy to de- velop the fruit rather than plant foliage. • For strategies on fighting common problems such as blossom-end rot and early and late blight, check out OSU Extension’s story on “6 common woes of tomatoes.” • Get more information on all aspects of growing toma- toes in OSU Extension’s publication “Grow Your Own Toma- toes and Tomatillos” or call a Master Gardener in your area. readily available at garden centers. Covering the soil around plants with plastic sheeting will also help. MI TOWN Summer programs are in full swing at both the Inde- pendence and Monmouth li- braries — it was so much fun to sign up kids of all ages at the Monmouth Public Li- brary last week, and to dis- cover all the good times that are ahead for everyone. There’s still space available in all the reading programs, so if your family hasn’t had the opportunity to sign up, please stop in at your near- est library soon. Lots of good prizes and fun times are in store. — Summer meal sites are open throughout MI Town from now until Aug. 28. Kids are hungry and families need food assistance throughout the year. This is a wonderful program for fami- lies who have been enrolled in the free or reduced price lunches during the school year. Ash Creek and Mon- P ATTY T AYLOR D UTCHER Columnist mouth elementary schools both serve lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. every weekday; Head Start in Independence serves breakfast (8-8:30 a.m.), lunch (11-11:30 a.m.) and supper (3-3:30 p.m.) every weekday; Park West Apartments serves lunch (12-12:30 p.m.) weekdays; Henry Hill Educational Sup- port Center and Independ- ence Elementar y ser ve breakfast (8-8:30 a.m.), and lunch (12-12:30 p.m.) at no charge for children through the age of 18. — Many of our Western Ore- gon University students will be returning to their home communities for the sum- mer and we’ll be saying goodbye for a few weeks to many of our young neigh- bors. There are many stu- dents who will remain in our communities to work at local summer jobs and to at- tend summer classes, so that will keep the youthful pres- ence alive and well until the other students return in Sep- tember. MI Town has taken on an international feeling with many new faces from faraway places, and it’s been so much fun to get to know about other cultures. — Our backyard garden is growing so well this sum- mer, and no doubt these hot, sunny days have con- tributed to all those new green leaves and branches. I picked up seed packets — free — at the Monmouth Public Library some weeks ago and it’s fun to see the bean and pea plants show- ing new growth every day. This summer’s lettuce crop is flourishing and salads taste better than ever. We found some good tomato plants at the Master Garden- er’s sale at the Polk County Fairgrounds & Event Center, and they are thriving, too. — We’ve taken some day trips around the area and visited Oregon’s state capitol building, showing grandson, MacKenzie, around the building, watched the House and Senate sessions, visited the Governor’s cere- monial office, and enjoyed walking around the state buildings and grounds. Many changes since I worked for Gov. Mark Hat- field’s administration all those years ago, but it’s still a thrill to walk through those halls. PEDEE NEWS Levi and Dawntae Bault aren’t graduating this year but 13-year-old Dawntae says he will be spending the summer working hard on his 4-H projects, including train- ing the Holstein heifer he re- ceived when he won the Polk County 4-H Live Animal Award at last summer’s county fair. He will be show- ing it this year. He also has a horse and chickens. April Bault, mother of the boys, has been making matching western shirts for the eight members of the Pitchfork Pals 4-H Club which Dawn- tae belongs to. Levi will be A RLENE K OVASH Columnist practicing football as he will be playing for Falls City High School this next year. — Card-playing friends and family helped Paul Kovash celebrate his 77th birthday here on May 29, with a ham- burger fry and then with pinochle and Shanghai. Our Matinees are all shows before 6pm. New pricing for matinees are: Adult $7.25 Children $6.75 • Senior $7.00 Pricing does not reflect 3D showings. daughter, Suzanne, her hus- band, Dave, and son Derek Burbank came over, as well as daughter Lorraine Odell and her family from Salem. Jim and Donna Wernz of Philomath, their daughter Maralee Withcomb of Bend, and Doug and Jan McKirdie of Corvallis, all card-playing fanatics, joined the family. Derek graduated from OSU with a master’s degree Satur- day and will be teaching in Culver, near Redmond. — I just got home from Wash- ington D.C., last Wednesday. I represented Oregon Women ENGAGEMENTS Sigler-Hill Shandi Sigler of Nashville, Tenn., and Cy Hill of Nashville are plan- ning a June 2016 wedding. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Jim and Diane Sigler of Dallas. Her fiancé is the son of Cy and MaryAnne Hill of Dallas. Shandi is a 2009 gradu- ate of Dallas High School. She is a 2014 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfrees- boro, Tenn., with a bache- lor’s degree in music busi- ness. She is currently employed at SESAC in Nashville, as a music licensing representative. Cy is a 2008 graduate of Dallas High School. He is a 2014 graduate of Auto Diesel College in Nashville and re- ceived a degree in heavy equipment. He is currently em- ployed at Meade Equipment in Antioch, Tenn. as a heavy equipment diesel mechanic. The wedding is set for June 4, 2016 at Historic Cool Springs House in Brentwood, Tenn. Annual FATHER’S DAY Breakfast Sunday, June 21 7 - 11 AM $5 Adults • Children 6 years & under Free — Proceeds Support — • Relay for Life • Frank "Harpy" Bovard Scholarship Fund — which provides a graduating high school senior financial assistance for college. The scholarship is awarded through a competitive process that includes academics, community service and an interview panel. The members of Dallas Fire and EMS appreciate the continued support from our community. Come enjoy breakfast and consider becoming a volunteer. Ben Meyer, AAMS ® Bob Timmerman Financial Advisor Financial Advisor 503-606-3048 503-623-5584 193 E. Main Street Mon- mouth, OR 97361 159 SW Court Street Dallas, OR 97338 Kelly K. Denney Financial Advisor 503-623-2146 for Agriculture at American Agri-Women’s annual fly-In to meet with agencies and our congressional delegates to discuss issues affecting agriculture. We also had a tour of President George Washington’s estate, Mount Vernon, a few miles away in Virginia, and saw many of his innovations to improve his farm income. My friend Marcie Anderson of Corvallis and I co-authored a cook- book on cooking with corn- meal a few years ago and the shop at Washington’s grist mill on his farm is one of our best customers. 244 E. Ellendale, Suite 2 Dallas, OR 97338 PUBLIC NOTICE The Board of Directors of the Dallas Cemetery District No. 4 shall meet on June 26, 2015 at 9:00 A.M. at the cemetery office lo- cated at 2065 SW Fairview Ave., Dallas, OR. The budget for 2015- 2017 shall be adopted at this time. The regular business shall also be discussed. (June 17, 2015) Let’s Bring Back the Bees! Three Specialists Speak on Pollinators INDEPENDENCE LIBRARY June 18, at 7 PM Free and open to the public Friday - Wednesday June 19 - June 24 SAN ANDREAS (Digital 2D) (PG13) (11:30 2:10 4:50) JURASSIC WORLD (Digital 2D) (PG13) (1:15 4:00) DISNEY’S INSIDE OUT (Digital 2D) (PG) (1:40 4:10) DISNEY’S INSIDE OUT (Digital 2D) (PG) (11:40 4:40) JURASSIC WORLD (NEC Dolby 3D) (PG13) (12:50 3:40) DISNEY’S INSIDE OUT (NEC Dolby 3D) (PG) (2:10) JURASSIC WORLD (Digital 2D) (PG13) INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3 (Digital) (PG13) INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3 (Digital) (PG13) (5:05) SPY (Digital) (R) (11:30 2:00 4:40) TOMORROWLAND (Digital) (PG) (11:25 2:10) PITCH PERFECT 2 (Digital) (PG13) (11:35 2:00) MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Digital 2D) (R) (4:35) 7:30 10:05 6:30 9:50 6:40 7:10 9:20 9:35 7:00 9:45 10:00 7:25 10:10 7:15 7:20 9:55 Thursday June 25 SAN ANDREAS (Digital 2D) (PG13) (11:30 2:10 4:50) JURASSIC WORLD (Digital 2D) (PG13) (1:15 4:00) DISNEY’S INSIDE OUT (Digital 2D) (PG) (1:40 4:10) DISNEY’S INSIDE OUT (Digital 2D) (PG) (11:40 4:40) JURASSIC WORLD (NEC Dolby 3D) (PG13) (12:50 3:40) DISNEY’S INSIDE OUT (NEC Dolby 3D) (PG) (2:10) JURASSIC WORLD (Digital 2D) (PG13) INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3 (Digital) (PG13) INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3 (Digital) (PG13) (5:05) SPY (Digital) (R) (11:30 2:00 4:40) TOMORROWLAND (Digital) (PG) (11:25 2:10) PITCH PERFECT 2 (Digital) (PG13) (11:35 2:00) MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (Digital 2D) (R) (4:35) TED (Digital 2D) (R) 7:30 10:05 9:50 6:40 7:10 9:35 7:00 9:45 10:00 7:25 10:10 7:15 7:20 9:55 8:00 Stephanie Parreira, staff of the Honeybee Lab, OSU, is interested in the long-term sub-lethal effects of pes- ticide exposure in honey bees through contamination of the pollen diet. She is investigating the effects of a fungicide and a neonicotinoid on different indicators of colony health and immunity under field conditions. Steve Coffman runs Coffman Apiary in Dallas Oregon and is the Oregon State Bee Association Regional Rep- resentative for North Willamette Valley. He provides bees for California almonds and local crops in our area. Mark Griswold Wilson has managed a professional practice in restoration ecology, landscape design, and environmental education for over 30 years. He makes educational presentations and trainings on behalf of the Xerces Society and the Pacific Northwest Urban Meadow Group. He will speak on attracting native pol- linators to Willamette Valley meadows and backyards. Sponsored by Friends of Polk County PO Box 75, Rickreall, OR 97371 503 838-4886