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.
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