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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2010)
Page 6 The INDEPENDENT, September 16, 2010 Can You Dig It? By Schann Nelson Columbia County Master Gardener So … what is the poor gar- den writer to do for the Sep- tember column when the weather is determined to be completely contrary. I don’t even dare write in hope of a fine Indian summer. I’m afraid all the best one can hope for is a long growing season and a few glorious fall days. The good news is that as long as we have our nice warm cloud cover, we probably won’t have a hard freeze! As the sun finally comes out only one day after deadline, I’m stuck back at my ‘puter finishing this off. The moderate temperatures mean that everything will just keep growing. Not just the zucchini you plant- ed too many of (more than one) and the tomatoes you still have hope for but, perhaps most importantly, the fall crop of garden and yard weeds is continuing to pro- duce more seeds. Removing the flowers and seeds of plants that are not growing where they belong can dra- matically reduce the numbers of a variety of persistent weeds. Now is a great time to move young biennials, such as foxglove and evening primrose, to places where their bloom next year might be better appreciat- ed. These mechanical means of control can limit more aggressive methods that may have to used at a later date. Unfortunately, the season of damp seems to have returned earlier this year. Honestly, we usually get more than ONE memorably hot day – which you might have missed if you were out of town for the day. The mollusk kingdom will awaken and get serious about hiding eggs, control now is less population next spring. It’s important to water when and where necessary, but try to water early in the day so that there’s some chance of foliage and soil surface drying. Pay special attention to pots and areas under the eaves, they can dry out very rapidly when the sun does come out. Looking at my corn patch is a study in consterna- tion. I KNOW I planted the long season decorative popcorn to the west of the shorter season eating corn. According to catalogue descriptions, the popcorn should have been a significantly shorter plant, 5–7 feet as compared to the eating corn at 6–8 feet. Good the- ory, but apparently I don’t understand the movement of sun across the garden as well as I thought. The corn on the west is tall! Like 8-9 feet tall! The shorter corn is clearly maturing earlier, already showering pollen onto silk (if it’s dry enough) while the taller corn has just be- gun to produce silk and, while beginning to flower, is not close to sending out pollen. Corn is normally pollinated by the natural action of wind in large patches. Small patches of corn will set a lot more corn if you do what I call ‘The Corn Dance’ at least a couple of times. Corn must be dry enough to be actively shedding pollen for this to be effective but, when it is, I walk down the edges of my corn beds and actively shake pollen from the outside plants into the center and from the center of the bed out to the edges. Chanting or singing is optional. Tuberous begonias and dahlias love this weather and will continue to provide color spots, small and large, until a killing frost. As soon as that happens, it’s time to lift these tender sun lovers from the ground be- fore you forget where they were. I lift anything I want to try and overwinter and let it dry out a bit, allowing re- maining foliage to die back on its own. I dust them lightly with a copper based (organic) fungicide. This year I’m going to add a step at some point and pack them in slightly damp cedar shavings late in the winter in hopes of reducing extreme drying from indoor winter air. There’s nothing like a good bean plant, especially of the older ‘runner’ types, to renew your faith in the abil- ity of plants to explode and cover a structure even dur- ing a cool damp summer. Since I planted a shelling bean I don’t have to do a thing except adjust the vines into the center of the circle to form a roof. I’m very You can fight hunger in Oregon Volunteer. Donate produce from your garden. Read a book about hunger. Register to vote. Skip a meal and donate funds. Host a hunger banquet in your home. Tell your hunger story. Those are just a few of the many ways you can take to fight hunger through the “30 Ways in 30 Days” campaign during September’s Hunger Action Month. “We encourage everyone to pledge to make a difference at www.oregonfoodbank.org dur- ing this nationwide campaign,” said Megan Lewis, corporate and community engagement manager for Oregon Food Bank. “We’ve posted 30 ways to take action. Are you a writer? An organizer? An advocate? A donor? A doer? Pick your way to help based on your talent and interest. There’s some- thing for everyone. “No matter how you choose to help, your pledge makes a big difference,” says Lewis. “The state that gets the highest percentage of pledges will win a truckload of food. That food would make a tremendous dif- ference for the Oregon Food Bank Network as we continue to face unprecedented need.” Oregon Food Bank is part of a national movement to raise awareness and take action to fight hunger in America. Na- tionwide, more than 49 million Americans struggle with hun- ger. Oregon ranks number two in the nation in hunger. Oregon Food Bank distrib- utes donated food throughout a statewide network of 20 region- al food banks serving more than 900 nonprofit, hunger-re- lief agencies throughout Ore- gon and Clark County, Wash- ington, and works to eliminate the causes of hunger through education and advocacy. pleased with the cylindrical shape, all of the poles are roughly perpendicular – I wove a bit of string around the top to give it a little stability and I love having this center area to train the vines into. My experience with the traditional tepee shape is that the beans get to the top and, not having anywhere else to go, fall over, which may or may not be a problem. I think we will be having our yet another dinner mostly from the garden tonight. Green and yellow bush beans (we won’t get much out of them but enough to cover the cost of the seed), and the first zucchini from the plants that went into the shady bed after the OCD Peas came out. Time to start bringing the houseplants back in from their vacation outside. If you don’t want to bring in any unwanted visitors, it’s best to thoroughly groom each plant before you bring it in removing any dead or dying leaves and cutting back if necessary. Usually this process will also encourage larger forms of wildlife, no- tably giant spiders and tiny frogs, from hitchhiking into your house. All plants should be carefully sprayed on all leaf surfaces to further reduce the hitchhikers. I’ve determined over the years that I should know exactly where I’m going with a particular plant BEFORE begin- ning the final washing, because they get very heavy. I seem to get a better survival rate if I can time these transitions so that the inside weather and the outside weather are very close – another thing there will be lots of opportunities for in moderate weather. Plants moved from outdoors to indoors seem to have high requirements for water in the first couple of weeks. After they adapt, make sure none of them sit in water continuously or they will rot. I can’t stand it anymore – I’ve got to get outside! Church Directory V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH P IONEER B APTIST F ELLOWSHIP Carl Pense, Pastor 850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-1103 Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Sunday School Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator 960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-8841 Mass Sunday 12:00 Noon Religious Educ. Sunday 10:30 a.m. John Cahill, Pastor 939 Bridge Street, Vernonia 503-429-1161 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Prayer 7:00 p.m. S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH Larry Gibson, Pastor 2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia 503 429-8301 Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m. Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. 957 State Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-6790 Sunday Worship 9:45 a.m. Children’s Church (Blast!) 10:15 a.m. Nursery 10:15 a.m. High School Youth 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Prayer 6:00 p.m. Preschool: Open House soon A SSEMBLY OF G OD Wayne and Maureene Marr 662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia, 503 429-0373 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m F IRST B APTIST C HURCH 359 “A” Street, Vernonia 503 429-4027 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m. V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH Sam Hough, Minister 410 North Street, Vernonia 503 429-6522 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m. (meets in Youth & Family Center) Home Group Meeting throughout the week at various locations N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH 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. C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS Marc Farmer, Branch President 1350 E. Knott Street, Vernonia 503 429-7151 Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m. Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m. Relief Society, Priesthood and Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m.