Polk County Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 11, 2016 9A
Nothing beats bug patrol for organic gardeners
You’ve decided to go or-
ganic in the garden, but the
products staring back from
the nursery shelves seem as
daunting as the bugs and
diseases they’re meant to
control.
What’s a gardener to do?
First, take some advice
from Weston Miller, a horti-
culturist with Oregon State
University Extension Serv-
ice. Stop, take a breath and
evaluate your garden. How
bad is it? Have you really
looked carefully?
“With organic gardening
there are fewer options
available, so going on bug
control can be really impor-
tant,” he said. “If you find
them early, it’s much easier
to control them.”
In his own 1-acre veg-
etable garden in Southeast
Portland, Miller monitors
early and often. When he
finds plants overridden
with pests, he yanks them
out immediately. Usually
plants attacked so vehe-
mently are suffering trans-
plant shock or some other
problem.
For less serious, but still
bothersome infestations,
Miller sometimes turns to
organic insecticidal soap,
which is effective but must
hit the bug to kill it so good
coverage is essential. The
soap also should be reap-
plied regularly, usually once
a week.
Healthier plants fare bet-
ter and when he finds bugs,
he’ll squash them or wash
them off with a squirt of
water and let predators on
the ground have at them.
“It’s the healthier plants
Coragliotti
K YM
P OKORNY
Virgil Coragliotti turned
101 on Friday, May 6.
He lives with his
youngest daughter, Latri-
cia Armstrong, and son-
in-law Phil in Independ-
ence.
Virgil enjoys shopping,
going out to eat and using
his computer. He loves to
read the news and play
card games online.
He has one living sister
who is 98. He also has
eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren and one
great-great-grandchild.
Your
Garden
that should be the garden-
er’s goal if they want to use
exclusively organic materi-
als and techniques,” Miller
said. “That means careful
planning and choosing the
right plants for the right
places and giving them the
right care.”
Part of that strategy in-
cludes creating a diverse
ecosystem with a variety of
flower shapes and types
that will attract beneficial
insects that keep pest pop-
ulations like aphids under
control.
When you visit the gar-
den center, what should
your hand grab off that
shelf? The first thing to look
for, Miller said, is the OMRI
(Organic Materials Review
Institute) stamp of ap-
proval. Products must quali-
fy for the nonprofit program
to be included and they
must pay, so you won’t see
the logo on all organic prod-
ucts. But it’s a great start.
Keep in mind, just be-
cause something is organic,
doesn’t mean it kills only
what you’re after, Miller
said. For instance,
pyrethrum, which is derived
from chrysanthemums, is a
broad spectrum insecticide
that kills bees and other
pollinators, as well as lady-
bugs and the highly helpful
ladybug larvae.
“It’s organic, it breaks
ENGAGEMENTS
Johnson-Creekmore
PHOTO BY LYNN kETCHuM
Organic gardeners should be monitoring the garden
often so they can get on top of problems quickly.
down quickly and is reason-
ably effective, but the tim-
ing of application is impor-
tant,” Miller said. “Don’t
apply it when bees are out.”
Another effective product
is organic copper-based
fungicide used for peach
leaf curl during the dor-
mant period. But you need
to be concerned about
using it around pregnant
women and it will build up
in the soil, Miller cautioned.
The best thing you can
do, Miller stressed, is to
read the label. Don’t buy
something that doesn’t list
the pest you want to con-
trol. And pay attention to
any cautions, whether the
material is organic or not.
When it comes to fertiliz-
ers, organic types must be
broken down by microor-
ganisms in the soil so aren’t
as quickly available as syn-
thetic, which are water sol-
uble. To combat that prob-
lem, Miller uses a water-sol-
uble fish emulsion for
transplants in April and
May so nutrients are imme-
diately available for growth.
For any organic gardener,
weeds will be the bane of
their existence. There just
aren’t many good ways to
control them organically,
except hand weeding. And
for persistent perennial
weeds like bindweed and
crabgrass, that means ex-
tremely often.
MI TOWN
After a very busy week-
end of plant sales and book
sales and celebrating Moth-
er’s Day, it would be just
wonderful to curl up with a
cat in a comfy chair and let
the rest of the world go by.
All those new tomato and
other vegetable plants need
tending, the newly planted
flowers need watering and
the cat would rather be out-
side chasing butterflies in
the sunshine, so it’s time to
get busy on all things house
and yard.
—
The next Family Literacy
Night at Burgerville is a
week away, which gives
everyone an opportunity to
mark their calendars for
May 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
and plan ahead for this fun
and family-friendly occa-
sion. These evenings are
sponsored by Burgerville,
Monmouth Public Library,
Mid-Valley Parenting and
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
Western Oregon University
and offer discounts on chil-
dren’s meals, free ice cream
cones for kids, book give-
aways and fun literacy ac-
tivities. All children and
parents are welcome and
encouraged to participate
in this event.
—
Just in case anybody
needed to be reminded —
its primary election time
and ballots should be sent
in this week. Oregon’s pri-
mary is next Tuesday and
there are county, state and
national candidates as well
as various ballot measures
at stake. Voting by mail
gives us the opportunity to
take the time to learn as
much as possible about the
candidates — and to be-
come informed before mak-
ing choices about which
candidate would be your
best choice. There will be
primary election parties
here and there to celebrate
victories or commiserate
losses. For those of us who
are truly political junkies,
it’s an exciting and interest-
ing time.
—
National Historic Preser-
vation Month is celebrated
in May – and everyone is in-
vited to attend a celebration
at Gentle House, 855 Mon-
mouth Ave. N., from 1 to
2:30 p.m. Tom Branigar,
with the Polk County Muse-
um, will share stories about
the development of Mon-
mouth. Terri Gregory will
speak about the Howell
House, now MaMere’s Bed
& Breakfast, which is on the
National Register of His-
toric Places. A tour of Gen-
tle House is also part of this
interesting and informative
event, and refreshments
will be served. If you have
any questions, contact
Mark Fancey at 503-751-
0147.
—
The Monmouth-Inde-
pendence Chamber of
Commerce has all kinds of
interesting and fun things
in store for all who partici-
pate in Discover MI Town,
which is scheduled for May
21 from noon until 5 p.m.
Tickets are available for $10
if purchased prior to May
20 ($15 at the door). Free
shuttle service is available
between each community,
and all kinds of giveaways
and samples are promised.
For more information and
advance ticket purchase
contact www.micc-or-org.
PEDEE NEWS
Juandeane Skidmore was
thrilled by the number of
Skid’s family and friends
who came to a luncheon in
his honor on Friday, in Dal-
las. A family burial service
was held at Womer Ceme-
tery before lunch, which in-
cluded taps being played
for a tearful end under the
sunny skies. Family attend-
ed the service and lunch-
eon from all over the coun-
try, including from Wash-
ington, North Dakota, Min-
nesota, Tennessee, Idaho,
and California. A good con-
tingent of former police of-
ficers who worked with Skid
in L.A. came, as well as sev-
eral people Juandeane
knew from her working
days at Sears in Salem. Skid
died at age 89 on April 26.
—
A RLENE
K OVASH
Columnist
Most of Pedee was at the
luncheon, including Lisa
Bennett, daughter of Pete
and LaVerne Bennett. She is
now a medical assistant in
Tualatin and working for
Women’s Healthcare Asso-
ciates. She’s still living in
Newburg, so it’s a longer
commute. She recently
went to Las Vegas and dou-
bled her $5.
—
Mike McDowell has a
new grandson. His daugh-
ter Ginger Owens and hus-
band Bryant welcomed son
Logan on April 27. They live
in Portland. This is his sev-
enth grandchild.
—
Cindy Clark drove to
Woodland, Calif., to visit
her mother, Norma Bourn,
last week. Norma will be
coming here in June for a
longer stay. Cindy got home
to find the neighbors along
the road in front of her
house with their dog, which
had been killed when he
dashed in front of an on-
coming car. So sad for them
all.
—
Last week Linda Chertudi
attended 5-year-old grand-
daughter Emma Unger’s
“Little Olys” tea party at
Sprague High School in
Salem. The Little Olys (short
for Little Olympians) are a
group of preschoolers who
are being mentored by girls
at Sprague, who hosted the
tea for the girls and their
mothers and grandmothers.
Emma is the daughter of
Aaron and Michelle Unger
of Salem.
—
Burt and Doris Bodin
flew to Ft. Lauderdale this
spring for an 11-day cruise
through the Caribbean.
They stopped at six differ-
e n t i s l a n d s, i n c l u d i n g
Aruba, Bonaire, Barbados,
Granada, St. Lucia, and St.
John. They didn’t go on any
guided tours but were
shown around some of the
islands by the locals. It was
a welcome break from the
Oregon rain, and they do
love cruises.
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Holly Johnson and
Tyler Creekmore, both
of Dallas, announced
their engagement. The
couple will have a pri-
vate ceremony on June
4, followed by a recep-
tion at 564 Cypress Ave.,
Dallas, from 5:30 to 8:30
p.m.
Holly graduated from
Dallas High School in
2015. She is the daugh-
ter of Laura Letcher, of
Salem, and Rock and
Lisa Johnson, of Dallas. She is a care provider.
Tyler graduated from Dallas High School in 2015. He
graduated from Navy basic training on March 25, and is
attending a school for the Navy in Pensacola, Fla. He is
the son of Laurel and Scott Martin, and Jason Creekmore.
He is a Navy airman.
The couple will live in Lemoore, Calif., where Tyler will
be stationed.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Continued from page 8A
—
TUESDAY, MAY 17
• Family Building Blocks Dallas play group — 10 a.m.,
Academy Building, 182 SW Academy St., Dallas. Suite 216. Play
group for children and families. Activities and snacks provided.
Free. RSVP, 503-877-8473.
• James2 Community Kitchen Meal — 4:30 to 6 p.m., St.
Philip Catholic Church, 825 SW Mill St., Dallas. Free; everyone
welcome. 503-623-8429.
• Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Club — 6 to 7 p.m.
weigh-in, 7 to 8 p.m. meeting, First Christian Church basement,
1079 SE Jefferson St., Dallas. Meetings offer programs and activ-
ities aimed at losing weight. Open to anyone. First meeting is
free.
• Dallas Wingdingers RC Flying Club — 7 p.m., Whitworth
Elementary School library, 1151 SE Miller Ave., Dallas.. 503-623-
7288.
• Polk County Coin Club — 7 p.m., Monmouth Senior Cen-
ter, 180 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-362-9123.
• Overeaters Anonymous — Noon to 1 p.m., Salem Health
West Valley, 525 SE Washington St., Dallas. Support group
meets in the conference room immediately inside the front
doors.
—
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18
• Helping Hands Emergency Food Bank — 10 a.m. to noon,
Monmouth Christian Church, 959 Church St. W., Monmouth.
For eligible community members; available every Wednesday.
541-404-6517.
• Gentle Tai Chi Stand or Sit — 11 a.m. to noon, Dallas
Aquatic Center, 1005 SE Lacreole Dr., Dallas. Free. Slow body
movements for improved balance, agility, flexibility and medi-
tation. 503-623-9715.
• Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank
— 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutoff Road, Building E,
Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members.
503-831-5634.
• Day-2-Day Diabetes Support Group — 3 to 4 p.m., West
Valley Hospital (main conference room inside main entrance),
525 SE Washington St., Dallas. 503-623-7323.
• Bingo at the Farm — 6:30 p.m., Rogue Farms Hopyard,
3590 Wigrich Road, Independence. All ages welcome. Free;
food and beverages available for purchase. 503-838-9813.
• Brew and BS: The Old Testament — 7 p.m., St. Thomas
Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. A lecture series
on the Old Testament. Bring brew of choice — coffee, tea, chai,
beer, wine, cider. 435-503-4304.