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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 19, 2012)
Page 6 The INDEPENDENT, September 19, 2012 Can You Dig It? By Schann Nelson Columbia County Master Gardener stands of evening primrose to block the path, hanging mendations if you want to preserve the abundance for from one bed to another. Along with foxglove, I try to the cold, bleak months ahead. maintain a rotation of these biennials. The scent of the Now is a good time for summer pruning. If estab- We have been doing a bit of primrose can be dangerously intoxicating, you can lished trees have reached mature size this will reduce digging and dividing and then watch the unfolding of the blooms as darkness settles the number of ‘water sprouts’ that have to be pruned potting or re-potting perennials around the yard, and foxglove provides early flowers. out in winter. Things to watch out for: prunes and for sharing the wealth. Some The new red veined cultivar of ordinarily curly dock ap- plums set fruit on two-year old wood, know where on of the flowers in the garden pears to reseed prolifically, to tolerate transplant fairly the branch the fruit is set and avoid any fruiting spurs, borders have reappeared after well, and to be drought tolerant. I’ve also finally got cut at the branch collar to encourage bark growth over a layer of weeds was re- parsley going to seed (and blocking another path), a the wound. moved. Dried to form a curtain feat I never managed to achieve in the heavily cultivat- It’s just too good to stay inside on such a lovely of easy to remove stems, a ed and mulched garden of the past. evening. Enjoy the moments of quiet between lawn million tiny seeds came cas- Another effect of the surface of the soil being ex- mowers and leaf blowers and dogs and …. cading down as soon as you touched them. Next posed is that it dries into a concrete-hard surface, year’s weeds will be somebody else’s problem! Reap- stitched by a lacework of endless, minia- pearing are the monarda Raspberry Ice [Hooray!] and ture deep, dry crevasses. Water disap- the purple cone flowers Echinacea Purpurea that I’ve pears into these cracks and can make wa- cultivated from seed. tering a thankless task. When the heavy This is the first year that I have tried to have a veg- clay soil dries out, it can take several soak- etable garden without several bales of straw. The ac- ing rains to make cultivating possible. Ar- tual portion under cultivation is less than half the ca- eas you want to produce on should not be The wild coho salmon sea- a complete description of the pacity. A lot of effort has had to go into keeping plant- allowed to dry out so that the soil remains son on most Oregon coastal 2012 wild coho seasons, as ings from being overwhelmed by weeds. Just getting workable. I’ve seen no sign of the suppos- rivers opened on September well as in-season updates on around in the garden is tricky because the pathways edly hardy ‘Russian Sage’. Lack of irriga- 15 and fishery managers are quotas, go to http://www.dfw. are not fully mulched or raked up to the edges of the tion had dried out both a poor day lily (that anticipating a big season. state.or.us/resources/fishing/co beds on a daily basis. As a result, there is a lot of ex- I paid dollars for) and my vertical red bar- Big because almost 300,000 astal_salmon_seasons.asp. posed soil, most of which has come up in noxious berry. But, quick response to water gives wild coho are expected to re- While harvest quotas remain weeds of one kind or another. I have laid down me hope that some of these may survive. turn to coastal rivers and lakes, conservative – coastal coho swathes of those very weeds that, last year, I would Apples are having a great year. Apples and that means anglers will be continue to be listed under the have thrown over the fence to the cow and chickens. tend to bear heavy crops in alternate able to harvest even more fish federal Endangered Species I’m proud to say that asters and crocosmia have man- years. Having the bearing year coincide than last year. Act – the 2012 river-specific aged to establish a foothold. with that soft warm weather for a few For the fourth year in a row, quotas are all larger than in Not having the pasture grazed allowed a glorious weeks in early spring days allowed the ODFW will open selected rivers 2011. display of the weedy herb commonly called self-heal. bees to wake up, thus creating a bounty of and lakes to the harvest of wild “On some rivers, like the It grows vigorously in garden soil and is often an un- apples. While many plants succumbed to coho. Locations that opened Umpqua and Siuslaw, the quo- welcome invader in perennial beds or lawns. This the return of nasty cold weather, the ap- September 15 include Ne- tas are almost double what year, in my yard, there was a large patch of self-heal, ples appear to have set heavy crops this halem, Tillamook Bay, Nestuc- they were a year ago,” said unmowed or grazed, and sprinkled with daisies. The year. The heavy weight can cause limbs to ca, Siletz, Yaquina, Siuslaw, Mike Gray, ODFW fish biologist purple flowers with dark foliage were able to reach break disastrously or even cause whole Umpqua, Coos, and Coquille in Charleston. “If the actual re- their full height of about one foot. No photos though. trees to uproot themselves. Be sure to rivers. Other locations will open turn approaches expectations, Sigh….. contact the extension canning and preser- October 1 including Tenmile and the fish cooperate, we’re Benevolent neglect in the garden has allowed thick vation hotline for the latest safety recom- Lakes and the Alsea Basin. going to have a great coho Coho fisheries in these sys- season on the coast.” tems are managed by season According to Gray, the large quotas and will be closed when returns in recent years are the quotas are met, so anglers about more than just a chance V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH C OVENANT C HURCH V ERNONIA P IONEER B APTIST F ELLOWSHIP should check the status of the to fish for them. quotas before fishing. The ex- “Of course we’re always ex- Pastor John D. Murray John Cahill, Pastor Carl Pense, Pastor ception is Tenmile Lakes, cited to be able to offer addi- 359 “A” Street, Vernonia 939 Bridge Street, Vernonia 850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia which will be managed under a tional fishing opportunity,“ he 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. fixed season that ends Decem- said. “But to see a fish species Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Children’s Sunday School ber 31. listed as threatened bounce Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m. Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Wild coho fisheries in Silt- back to where we can now al- S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST Thursday Prayer 7:00 p.m. coos and Tahkenitch lakes are low some directed harvest is V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH Larry Gibson, Pastor allowed without quotas under pretty significant.” N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH 2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia Ralph Young, Pastor permanent rules as shown in “Obviously the time and ef- Gary Taylor, Pastor 503 429-8301 957 State Avenue, Vernonia the 2012 Sport Fishing Regula- fort agencies, watershed coun- Grant & North Streets, Vernonia Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m. 503 429-6790 tions. cils, and private landowners 503 429-5378 Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. Sunday Bible Classes 9:00 a.m. The daily bag limit for wild have put into restoring water- Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Family Praise & Worship 10:30 a.m. coho is one fish on all of these sheds and salmon habitat is A SSEMBLY OF G OD Morning Worship 10:45 a.m. Wednesday Prayer 6:30 p.m. water bodies, but seasonal lim- paying big dividends for fish Nursery available Thursday Ladies Study 7:00 p.m. Wayne and Maureene Marr its, harvest quotas and angling and for fishing communities,” Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m. Nursery 10:15 a.m. 662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia, deadlines vary by location. For Gray said. Vernonia Community Preschool 503 429-0373 C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST Sunday School 9:45 a.m. OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS Morning Worship 11:00 a.m V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH Coho salmon season has opened on coastal waters Church Directory S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator 960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-8841 Mass Sunday 12:00 Noon Religious Educ. Sunday 10:30 a.m. 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) Various Home Group Meetings 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.