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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2006)
Page 6 The INDEPENDENT, September 21, 2006 Can You Dig It? By Schann Nelson OSU Master Gardener the soil temperature and forces continued growth but robs the root zone of nutrients (by leaching) and encourages surface rooting because saturated soils are very low in oxygen, needed by all plant roots to some extent. Be sure to pick a seed mix that is appropriate for the location (sun or shade). I prefer seed blends that have several different kinds of grass in them and I try to get Oregon-grown seed. Be absolutely sure that the seed you buy will grow in northern latitudes because the southern grasses will not grow here. The type of seed you buy should also be appropriate for our moist climate, not a blend made for the east- side of the Cascades. My master gardener notes say that the classic Kentucky Blue grass will die out of your lawn in three years to five years, but can provide soil sta- bility for that initial period (as on a football field). Turf-type perennial rye grasses, fine fescues, and bent grasses work well in western Oregon. The key to my success to date was the addition of peat moss to provide a bit of mulch for the baby grass. I would also recommend having the soil tested in order to add an appropriate amount of lime (pH), nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N- P-K on your fertilizer label). If you can’t get grass in and established before Octo- ber, I think you’d be better off waiting a few months, starting grass seed in March. You can plant sod year ‘round but in the long run sod-turf does not create a self- sustaining happy lawn. One more (disturbing) message from my notes, Americans put more fertilizer on Acid pH Neutral pH Akaline pH their lawns than India 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 (the country) uses on all of its crops. Per- Nitrogen haps, we need to re- think our need for Phosphorus green, green grass. Fall is the time to Potassium and Sulfur apply lime, a slow re- lease fertilizer. In the Calcium absence of a soil test, you can add about 50 Magnesium pounds of lime per 1000 square feet. Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Co Don’t put lime on rhodies, azaleas, Molybednum blueberries or other acid loving plants. As Boron the table shows, soil pH affects the availa- Effect of soil pH on the availability of plant nutrients. Please see page 24 Welcome to real Oregon weather! In case you missed it, I was dancing in public as those first, oh so welcome, drops fell from the sky. I wasn’t nearly as happy when the rain got heavier and I was (mostly) stuck outside selling eggs and produce last Thursday without an umbrella. Just another time when better planning would have been a good idea. This latest rainy weather is just a reminder that true fall weather will be here soon and winter WILL follow. I’ve heard that the winter is supposed to be warm and heard the words “el nino” applied to winter predictions on the news. The bowl- like area that Vernonia sits in sometimes responds oddly to winter weather, partic- ularly large, circular lows bringing moisture off the ocean. While we can rely on hav- ing clouds hanging close to our heads on most days between October and June, we may not necessarily get the rain they contain, or only a small portion of it. While it would seem that we should catch the same drenching rains that swoop in from the coast, sometimes they just fly right over us, taking all that wonderful water fur- ther east. This weather pattern has been the beginning of a drought and very low river levels in this corner of the state. The water in our rivers must come from deep within the earth, generally without the benefit of significant snow melt, and we are dependent on constant rain-forest mist that allows water to soak deeply into the soil. It’s one of those ‘only in Oregon’ sorts of things: we can be in a drought status and, in the same season, have a flood; you can stand in the sun and get rained on; you can drive from the ocean to the desert in half-a-day. More weather related thoughts, remember that it COULD freeze any night now. Usually cloudy days and/or foggy nights will provide enough insulation that we don’t get a hard freeze at ground level. Watch out if the sky is clear and you can see the stars, that’s the time to be running around the yard with your blankets. Be prepared to cover tender (vacationing) houseplants, and things in the garden that you need to squeeze a few more weeks out of. In many ways, September and October are the best growing months we have because we have lots of warm sunny days in the fall. Things like corn, squash and tomatoes that may not have performed earlier can finally manage to produce some kind of crop. Of course, if you’re lucky to have your garden in a good sunny spot that gets sun all day you probably won’t have this problem. Many of us, however, try to feel lucky that we get half a day of sun after it clears the trees. I swear parts of my garden are a full month behind the rest of town. Understanding the microclimates in your yard will greatly increase your chances of success. One good example of taking advantage of the local weather is in the timing for planting new lawn or re-seeding existing lawn. Of- ten the recommendation is to plant in the fall, establish grass be- fore winter to have a nice, full, green lawn in early spring. This is the recommendation in the big master gardener book. However, V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH my experience is somewhat different. It’s impossible NOT to have Grant Williams, Pastor a green yard in the spring because everything is green, including 957 State Avenue any abandoned vehicles, the entire roof, and even some of the Vernonia, 503 429-6790 outside walls. It’s probably not grass, but it will be green. I love the Sunday Breakfast 9:00 a.m. look of the moss garden and I let it compete freely in the lawn. As Morning Worship 9:45 a.m. you know if you’ve been reading my column for long, I’ve been *B.L.A.S.T. w/Nursery 10:00 a.m. working on our lawn for several years because I don’t think that *Bible Learning and Scripture Training Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m. mowing the weeds makes a lawn. Anyway, MY recommendation is to take advantage of the more C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST dependable winter and spring rain by planting new grass seed in OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS late winter or early spring. We usually have enough moderate, Jeff Cheney, Branch President wet weather so that you won’t have to water your seed or baby 1350 E. Knott Street grass too much. The problem in the fall, as I said earlier, is that it Vernonia, 503 429-7151 may not rain enough. Once you put grass seed on the ground you Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m. must be committed to keeping it evenly moist until the grass is Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m. well established. This can mean daily irrigation. Obviously, you Relief Society, Priesthood and would be unable to do this inside the city limits during the current Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m. water restrictions. Outside of the city your well is probably dry, and if you suck water out of the river, it’s better to leave it in the river S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH for the salmon than to try and start a lawn. Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator An established lawn in western Oregon consumes about 1/8 to 960 Missouri Avenue 1/4 inch of water per day. Irrigation once per week with one inch Vernonia, 503 429-8841 of water will replace this. Over-watering causes more problems Mass Schedule Sunday 12:00 Noon than it solves, in the form of various molds and blights. Grass Religious Education growth is regulated by temperature and grass becomes dormant Sunday 10:30 a.m. when soil temperatures are above 80 degrees. Irrigation lowers Church Directory V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH Carl Pense, Pastor 850 Madison Avenue Vernonia, 503 429-1103 Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Sunday School Gary Taylor, Pastor Grant & North Streets Vernonia, 503 429-5378 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Nursery available Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m. S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST John Aitken II, Pastor, 396-1856 2nd Ave. and Nehalem St. Vernonia, 503 429-8301 Morning Worship, 9:15 a.m. Bible Study 10:30 a.m. F IRST B APTIST C HURCH John Cahill, Pastor 359 “A” Street Vernonia, 503 429-1161 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Evening Worship Saturday, 6:00 p.m. A SSEMBLY OF G OD 662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia, Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH Sam Hough, Evangelist 410 North Street Vernonia, 503 429-6522 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Every Wednesday: Ladies' Bible Study 9:30 a.m. Ladies’ Worship 10:00 a.m. Children’s Choir 3:00 p.m. Family Bible Study 7:00 p.m. S T . A UGUSTINE (C ANTERBURY ) E PISCOPAL C HURCH 375 North St. (Vernonia Grange Hall) Vernonia, 503 705-2173 Please call for service schedule.
