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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.