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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2017)
Polk County News 10A Polk County itemizer-observer • August 2, 2017 Soil texture can be sand, silt or clay It’s a simple equation: If you want to grow better plants, you first need to un- derstand the soil. “The texture of a soil is its proportion of sand, silt and clay,” said James Cassidy, a soils instructor at Oregon State University. “Texture determines all kinds of things like drainage, aera- tion, the amount of water the soil can hold, erosion potential and even the amount of nutrients that can be stored.” To become better ac- quainted with your soil tex- ture, he recommends using the “hand method.” Dig be- neath the top layer of or- ganic matter down to the mineral soil, about 6 to 8 inches depending on how much mulch you use. Scoop out a handful of moist soil and knead it into a ball. Add water if neces- sary. If it can be worked into a ribbon, you have high clay content. The clay content is roughly equiva- lent to the length to which you can work the ribbon. Each inch of ribbon is the equivalent to less than 10 percent of clay. So, if you have a four- inch ribbon, the soil could be comprised of up to 40 percent clay. After wetting it excessively, if the soil feels gritty in the palm of your hand, you have sandy soil. The remainder is the silt content. When people rave about “nice loam,” it’s the soil tex- ture to which they are refer- ring, Cassidy said. “Loam means you have roughly equal portions of sand, silt and clay,” he said. “If you have sandy loam, it has a little more sand in it. 100 Years - Virgil Trick K YM P OKORNY 100! Happy Birthday Virgil Trick! Virgil was born on August 7th, 1917 in Salem. His Oregon dri- ver’s license has only four digits, but don’t worry he doesn’t drive anymore! He proudly served with the Army Air Force in World War II. Virgil and Wynona Trick celebrated 68 years of marriage to- gether raising four daughters on their farm near Dallas. His family and friends wish him congratulations and a very happy birthday! Your Garden Silt loam has a little more silt in it. Clay loam has more clay in it.” Soil needs to be able to hold some water, he added, but not so much that plant roots can’t breathe. A loam achieves that balance. Clay gets a bad rap be- cause too much of it means it holds lots of water and so the soil stays wetter, colder and is difficult to work. But don’t be so quick to judge clay harshly. “In defense of clay, clay is where the nutrients in soil are stored,” Cassidy said. “Sand and silt don’t store nutrients; they’re just rocks.” Many Willamette Valley gardeners, though, must overcome the annual chal- lenge of soils that are high with clay. “The answer is to add or- ganic matter,” Cassidy said. A key way to do this is to plant cover crops from mid- August to mid-September. Plant a mix of grasses such as annual rye grass or win- ter wheat and legumes such as Austrian field peas or fava beans. Cut cover crops down before they go to seed in the springtime, just as they start to flower. Let the remnants rot back into the ground, and later incorpo- rate it back into the soil. When preparing your plot for the first time, till it lightly with a garden fork. Cassidy advises against using rototillers in a garden. https://flic.kr/p/XcucAi Rolling a ribbon of soil helps determine how much clay it contains. Rototilling can break up large pores in the soil struc- ture, which are key to water infiltration and drainage. “Think minimum tillage,” he said. “If the soil is a little lumpy-bumpy, just spread a layer of high quality compost over it and it will be fine.” But if tilling seems to be the only option do it when the soil is ready, not when it is convenient for you, Cas- sidy advised. Wait until the soil has the right amount of moisture. If you squeeze a handful of soil and it’s too hard to break, it’s too dry to till. If it ruptures in the hand when squeezed, it’s good to till. Add organic matter every year and in about five years, you will build up healthy soil with improved drainage – even with a clay heavy soil. “There are literally a bil- lion microorganisms in a single pinch of soil and they all need to eat,” said Cas- sidy, who teaches in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sci- ences. “They don’t photo- synthesize like plants do, but they need energy and that comes from organic matter. They consume en- ergy best in well-drained soils with organic matter.” For more information, Cassidy recommends ex- ploring the University of California Davis’s online soil maps. This tool allows you to enter the address, zip code, city or state of any location in the U.S. to bring up a map of the area and details on its soil type. You can also download a free application for iPhone and Android smartphones. MI TOWN This summer’s hot weath- er has inspired the cook to “just say no” to standing over a hot stove on more than one evening. We’ve sampled foods from faraway places without needing a passport or standing in lines at crowded airports. It would be difficult to name our fa- vorites because we’ve never been disappointed in quality or service whether we enjoy Chinese, Italian, Mexican restaurants, or the more tra- ditional American burgers, fried chicken or barbecue. — Another of the many joys of living in MI Town in- cludes the opportunity to get to know your neighbors who own and work in our local businesses. There’s a special feeling of satisfaction when goods and services are deliv- ered as promised, and every- P ATTY T AYLOR D UTCHER Columnist body involved is a winner. It was not exactly a happy and joyful day when we discov- ered our refrigerator was on its last legs, but when one of our local merchants re- placed it quickly and effi- ciently, things brightened up considerably. — It’s not too early to talk about one of my favorite summer happenings. This year’s Polk County Fair is Thursday, Friday and Satur- day (August 10-12) at the Fairgrounds on Highway 99W in Rickreall. Be sure to check out the website and discover how you can get in- volved as a volunteer or ex- hibitor or just to enjoy the fun and many of the joys of summer. If you’ve never at- tended the Polk County Fair — this is the year to catch the enthusiasm and positive activity and enjoyment that is offered to people of all ages. There is nothing quite so tasty as corn on the cob washed down with a glass of ice-cold lemonade. — Our streets and sidewalks are busier than ever with children of all ages happily riding bikes and pulling wagons full of toys and sometimes little brothers or sisters, as they enjoy activi- ties in the summer sunshine. Some children aren’t wear- ing bike helmets, and that just adds more potential to injury in addition to the skinned knees and elbows. We all need to be extra watchful for our little ones every day, and into the evenings as well. Where there are kids running and playing, there are also cats and the occasional family dog that has momentarily escaped the fenced back- yard. When we’re in a hurry, it’s tempting to push the 20 to 25 mph speed limit in MI Town, and all of us – whether we admit to it or not – have done it. — This evening Sol Seed will entertain at Main Street Park in Monmouth. You’ll enjoy an evening of Reggae music from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Bring your picnic basket or buy goodies from local vendors, and have a wonderful evening. PEDEE NEWS Congratulations to Nic Heller, who passed both state and national EMT tests and received his state license this last week. He is a fire- fighter in Pedee and would ultimately like to be a pro- fessional firefighter. He took two terms at Chemeketa in preparation for the tests. — And congratulations to Brandon Simons, who made the dean’s honor roll at Western Oregon University this last term. Brandon is a sophomore majoring in business. — Heidi Russell’s birthday was a few weeks ago and as a gift, she and youngest daughter Amaya spent a week with her sister, Kelsey Ferry, who lives with her family in Excelsior, Minn. They had a wonderful time visiting, shopping at the Mall of America in Minneapolis MILESTONE A RLENE K OVASH Columnist (largest mall in the U.S.), and swimming in Lake Min- netonka. On several days there were steady down- pours with non-stop lighten- ing and thunder for several hours — something we don’t experience here! — Jim Fessler, 80, a neighbor of several years (in the coun- try sense — anyone within 10 miles of you), died as a re- sult of strokes on July 13. He was a man of many interests, including gardening, fishing, hunting, and traveling. Until recently he and his wife Laura lived across the road from Dave and Suzanne Burbank, where they gener- ously gifted them with beau- tiful berries from their large garden and berry patch from time to time. — Also, Vicky Lyday Woods lost her husband Leo a few months ago. Vicky grew up in the area and moved at one point to Las Vegas where she met Leo and where they lived. She spent much time here, taking care of her parents, Junior and Pat Lyday, during their last years, and it was nice to get to know them better. — Last Friday, Chip and Linda North were happy to have Anna, their German exchange student of two years ago, visit with her par- ents, Achim and Bettina Tieftrunk and sister Marie. Because Anna was taken with American pie, the Norths hosted a pie social at the Dallas park for her family and asked all to bring a favorite pie to share with them. Some feast! It might have not been a well- balanced lunch but it sure was good. — On Friday, there will be a “Kids and Bigs” barbecue and concert in the Pedee Church amphitheater. At 5:30 there will be face painting, snow cones, pop- corn, and hotdogs. Then at 6:30 there will be a kids’ concert with Tom Glogau, and at 7:30 a concert with Ron Miller. Tom is super fun and will put on a great kids show, and Ron’s acoustic guitar music is amazing. Bring a side dish if you are coming for the bar- becue, and a lawn chair if you are just coming for the concert. This will be a fun summertime event you won’t want to miss. COMMUNITY CALENDAR Continued from page 9A — TUESDAY, AUG. 8 • 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. • Overeaters Anonymous — noon to 1 p.m., Salem Health West valley, 525 SE Washington St., Dallas. Support group meets in the quiet room/chapel immediately inside the emer- gency entrance on Clay Street. Dee Ann White, 971-718-6444. • Independence Riverview Market — 2 to 7 p.m., riverview Park and Amphitheater, 50 C St., independence. 503-910-8193. — WEDNESDAY, AUG. 9 • Respite care — 1 to 3 p.m., 182 SW Academy St., Suite 216, Dallas. Free child care for parents who need time to run er- rands, pay bills, etc. Free. open for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. 503-877-8473 to reserve space. Diapers are provided. • 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. • Free Blood Pressure Check Clinic — 2 to 3 p.m., Salem Health West valley (surgery admitting area), 525 SE Washington St., Dallas. 503-623-7323. • Monmouth Senior Center Music Jam — 6:30 p.m., Mon- mouth Senior Center, 180 S. Warren St., Monmouth. open to the public; musicians of all types welcome. 503-838-5678. • Pickleball — 9 a.m. to noon, roger Jordan Community Park. Meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon and Sundays and Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. Karen Freeman, 503-871-4172. • Music in the Park — 6:30 p.m., Main Street Park, Mon- mouth. Cascade Crescendo, jamgrass. Free. www.ci.mon- mouth.or.us. Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh Building a Better World Releasing Potential in Our Community Presentation - A Bahá’í Vision Saturday, August 5th 2:00 - 3:00 pm Monmouth Public Library All Welcome - Refreshments Served “The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds and through commendable and seemly conduct.” — Bahá’u’lláh 971-804-5943 or 503-259-3333 Call us. The Itemizer Observer can help you expand your market share, and make your business more profitable. Call Heidi, Rachel or Karen at 503-623-2373. ADVERTISING THAT WORKS.