Page 6
The INDEPENDENT, July 20, 2011
Can You Dig It?
By Schann Nelson
Columbia County Master Gardener
tion water to keep things growing during August, Sep- danger and maybe the possibility of an accident. I am
tember and early October. Flea beetles can be a a little worried about the places I see that have been
problem, especially for root crops. A sacrificial crop of sprayed with herbicide, but not knocked down. These
We are swimming glorious- radishes or floating row cover will help.
look like they’ll be an invitation to fire in a month or
ly in the sea of green, with oc-
The other hard thing about winter gardening is find- two.
casional sun breaks. Having ing the plants. This is one time that ordering seeds is
Try some fall crops this year. There’s nothing like
been between water sources really the only way to go. The seed displays are put to- FRESH broccoli in November or freshly dug parsnips
for nearly a month meant car- gether for spring-summer gardening and generally for Christmas dinner.
rying water, and watching the don’t include the varieties you need. Nursery outlets
*Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower,
vegetable garden just sit there haven’t caught on to this and don’t put out fall crops in Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi and some of the ‘Oriental’
wilting has been hard. As is of- most places. The good news is there is still time to go greens
ten the case, we got our water online and get seeds, and tons of advice
running and have had several on what varieties to plant and grow now.
good rains and now we are, gratefully back to the typ- The Territorial Seed Company has lots of
ical Oregon June. What? You mean I’ve lost a whole tools and schedules and culture advice, as
month!
always, as do many other sites. I tend to
You can stand in the garden and watch the onions stick to one or two because I don’t need to
With family barbeques and debris out of your recycling and
soak up water, all those roots ready and waiting for spend any more time at this machine. I’d
neighborhood parties in full yard waste carts. With children
even a few drops. A few things have dried out to the rather be planting seeds than ordering.
swing for the Fourth of July and out-of-town guests helping
point of only (possibly) returning from the root. Hope-
It was a great year for rhodies, though.
weekend and throughout the clean up at the end of a long
fully, we’ll be able to get out and practice Oregon’s Now it’s time to snap off the left-over
summer, Waste Management day, fireworks debris some-
most common method of gardening, eliminating the flower bracts and do any pruning your may
(WM) urges customers to keep times ends up in the wrong
jungle of weeds. Now that the weather has seen fit to want to do. Lilacs, forsythia, and (soon)
safety and sustainability in cart. This contaminates recy-
grant us another damp ground period, hand pulling, mock orange, all want summer haircuts af-
mind.
clable materials, meaning that
especially BEFORE anything aggressive goes to ter they bloom. Lilacs, unless you are try-
Safe Disposal of BBQ Coals they may end up at the landfill
seed, can make a huge difference. You can turn all ing to grow a hedge, will also appreciate
– Proper disposal of barbecue rather than the recycling cen-
this vegetation into compost, though if you don’t want elimination of some of the low growing
coals can make summer safer ter.
to spread the weeds you’ll have to work your compost sprouts. Both mock orange and forsythia
for you, your neighbors and
Greening Up Your Event:
hard and hot to eliminate seeds.
seem to grow into better multi-stem bush-
your local WM team.
• Each year, Americans toss
It’s not to late to start a garden. In fact, now is the es. Summer pruning of water sprouts that
“Just as those coals helped out enough paper and plastic
time to begin planting your fall and winter garden. And have shot up since the last time you
to start the fire in your barbe- cups, forks, and spoons to cir-
you thought you were done for the ‘season’. Not in this pruned apples, pears, plums, etc. can help
cue, they can also start a fire in cle the equator 300 times. To
part of the country. Since most of the vegetables that keep these plants small and make less
your garbage container or in reduce this waste, the greenest
do well here, do well in the spring and fall, it’s hard to pruning in winter.
the back of our trucks,” said solution is to use reusable dish-
define a consecutive group of months as ‘the garden-
Themes of next month’s gardening will
Jackie Lang, communications ware. If reusable dishware is
ing season.’ Nearly year ‘round harvest is possible, be hand weed pulling, mulching and wa-
director for Waste Manage- not an option, consider table-
even without a greenhouse. The extensive family of tering. If you’re lucky enough to own a
ment of Oregon. “Coals that ware made of recycled materi-
cole* crops, root vegetables, alliums, greens (includ- weed-whacker you can find and reclaim
appear to be cool can create al.
ing arugula, spinach and Oriental) and legumes can the edges of your road and other com-
an unsafe situation for you,
• Be sure to provide conven-
all be started directly in the garden or started and set pletely overgrown areas. If you have road
your neighbors and our em- ient, clearly marked containers
out in the garden later in the month. The biggest key frontage, this is not only a nice thing to do
ployees. Coals can stay hot for for recyclables, food waste and
to success for a fall/winter garden is having the irriga- for your neighbors, but can reduce fire
hours or even days after the garbage. When the event is
party is over.”
over, take a quick look inside to
Coals or ashes fresh from make sure materials ended up
the barbecue should never be in the right containers.
disposed directly into garbage
• Think locally when plan-
V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH
F IRST B APTIST C HURCH
P IONEER B APTIST F ELLOWSHIP
carts. WM urges customers to ning your menu. Shipping in-
allow coals and ashes to cool gredients from another part of
Pastor John D. Murray
John Cahill, Pastor
Carl Pense, Pastor
for several days in the barbe- the world requires a tremen-
359 “A” Street, Vernonia
939 Bridge Street, Vernonia
850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia
cue or a metal container. To dous amount of fuel. Look to
503 860-3860
503-429-1161
503 429-1103
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
www.pbfalive.com
Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m.
speed up the cooling process, your local farmers’ market for
Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m.
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Children’s Sunday School
you may carefully place coals in-season fruits and vegeta-
Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m.
Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
in a metal container full of wa- bles, as well as meat, eggs,
S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST
Thursday Prayer 7:00 p.m.
ter to “drown” them as you and dairy products.
V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH
Larry Gibson, Pastor
would a campfire.
• Use aluminum foil instead
N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH
2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia
Ralph Young, Pastor
Once the material is entirely of plastic wrap to cover and
Gary Taylor, Pastor
503 429-8301
957 State Avenue, Vernonia
cool, place in a bag and then in store food. When done with the
Grant & North Streets, Vernonia
Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m.
503 429-6790
your garbage cart – not your foil, save it to use later, or rinse
503 429-5378
Sabbath School 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Bible Classes 9:00 a.m.
recycling or yard waste cart.
and toss it in your recycling
Sunday School 10:00 a.m.
Family Praise & Worship 10:30 a.m.
Safe
Disposal
of
Fireworks:
cart.
A SSEMBLY OF G OD
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday Prayer 6:30 p.m.
•
Fireworks
require
special
• Scrap the traditional paper
Nursery available
Thursday Ladies Study 7:00 p.m.
Wayne and Maureene Marr
handling
after
the
celebration.
party
invitations and go digital!
Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m.
Nursery 10:15 a.m.
662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia,
The
National
Council
on
Fire-
Online
invitations are often
Vernonia Community Preschool
503 429-0373
C
HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST
works
Safety
advises
soaking
free,
and
always more sustain-
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
OF
L
ATTER
D
AY
S
AINTS
used
fireworks
in
water
for
15
able.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m
V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH
minutes before disposal. Dis-
• Encourage guests to car
Marc Farmer, Branch President
Sam Hough, Minister
S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH
pose
of
all
fireworks
debris,
pool;
it helps save time, money
1350 E. Knott Street, Vernonia
410 North Street, Vernonia
503
429-7151
used
matches,
wrappers,
etc.,
and
the
environment.
Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator
503 429-6522
Sacrament
Meeting,
Sunday
10
a.m.
in
your
garbage
cart
to
prevent
For
recycling
tips and a
960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Sunday
School
&
Primary
11:20
a.m.
503 429-8841
littering
and
water
contamina-
complete
list
of
what
is recycla-
Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m.
Relief Society, Priesthood and
Mass Sunday 12:00 Noon
(meets in Youth & Family Center)
tion from gunpowder residue.
ble in your area, go to
Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m.
Religious Educ. Sunday 10:30 a.m.
Various Home Group Meetings
• Be sure to keep fireworks www.wmnorthwest.com.
Make safety and sustainability
part of your summer plans
Church Directory