Gardening with Chip

Vegetable and small fruit beds in winter

If you are working up your vegetable garden area this fall and haven’t applied lime in some time, consider doing it now. A good rate is 10 pounds per 100 square feet. Work it in and you will not have to lime again for about four years. Lime raises the soil pH, making it less acidic. Most vegetables prefer near neutral (7) pH readings. It also improves the availability of some of the nutrients a plant needs (P, K, Mg, etc.) and also provides calcium (in which we are naturally low). Garden or agricultural lime is a ground rock (limestone). Dolomite lime has a mix of calcium carbonate (~80%) and magnesium carbonate (~20%). Dolomite shouldn’t be used every time you lime as you can get too much Mg in your soil. However, if you have never used it, you might consider doing so this time. Don’t lime acid-loving plants like blueberries! For their calcium needs, use calcium sulfate (aka gypsum).

With the first good rainy cycle, winter annual weeds germinate. They aren’t all bad and can serve as a cover crop and soil protectant, but many small farmers and gardeners are increasingly using tarps to cover garden beds for the winter. The tarp or plastic sheets need to be heavy enough to not allow light through. Before being covered, organic matter (leaves, small chips, manured bedding, etc.) can be spread on the surface. If given a little periodic rainwater exposure, the organic matter will compost nicely. One benefit of this system is that winter annual weeds are stopped. Controlling the moisture allows the beds to warm up sooner. These beds can be used earlier than beds that have been continuously exposed to winter rain.

Slugs active

The most common slugs in gardens are non-native species that travelled from Europe to North America. Slugs have been held back by the hot, dry weather this summer but are rambling (and breeding) now. Bait where needed to protect your remaining crops and to reduce the number of slugs (since mating is on their minds now) for next year. Follow all label instructions on commercial baits. One non-toxic bait is bread yeast starter (2 cups warm water, 2 tbs. flour, and ½ tsp yeast) in something the slugs will slither into. They die and you get to lift them out for burial. This technique is cheaper than beer, which also works. Dogs will drink beer to their detriment and may also drink this which, without alcohol, is less damaging to their judgment. It is better to create a deep enough contraption where the slugs can enter and drown but the dogs can’t get in. These feeding stations trap and kill big and small slugs. Clean the traps often.

Rhubarb division

Rhubarb, which slugs or deer won’t eat, can be divided in the fall or you can wait to next spring. The reason to divide is to keep the crowns vigorous and to produce more rhubarb clusters. This plant, from China originally, has more culinary qualities than most people are aware of. For rhubarb cultivation information, see extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ec-797-grow-your-own-rhubarb.

Plant for pollinators

There is increasing interest among gardeners in supporting pollinating species. This includes bees of all types, some moths, and other insects. The “food bank” for these species varies by the species. A surprising number of garden plants are helpful. For a couple of years, we have left a bed of last year’s parsley to go to seed the following summer. There is a stunning diversity of species that come to those flowers! Same with “open faced” dahlia flowers. The winner for the third straight year is Douglas Aster (Aster Subspicatus). It has open, generally blue flowers with a yellow center that bloom over two months or more. It has a running system and, from a small clump, you can create many “pockets” of this plant. For more information about plant species and planting techniques, visit extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9289-enhancing-urban-suburban-landscapes-protect-pollinators.

Why are “edible” landscapes hard to grow here?

It’s the deer, dear. Almost everything we like to eat also suits their idea of a good meal, and almost every block in Columbia and Wahkiakum Counties will, at times, have browsing deer. So, what edible crops won’t they eat?

Most of the herbs are safe. From personal experience with lots of deer, they won’t touch rosemary, thyme, sage, French tarragon, bay leaves, lavender, oregano, and mint.

Most garden vegetables are not safe from deer. Hot peppers (yum, at least the leaves) and tomatoes they will nibble. I’m not sure about eggplant, but I haven’t given them the chance. Kale? Yes. Lettuce? Yippee. Onions and garlic? Sometimes safe, mostly not. Potato tubers? Yes. Foliage? Usually, though not always, no. I could go on and on.

They won’t eat rhubarb or persimmons. Most other fruit and berries (both fruit and leaves) are exceedingly high on their dessert wish list.

Your edible landscape comes down to woody and some herbaceous herbs (really, try all of them you like), rhubarb (a quite showy herbaceous perennial), and maybe a few Japanese persimmon trees. These are on the small side and quite attractive.

You will eventually grow all the other edibles you want for yourself, family, and friends behind a deer fence.

Take excess produce to the food bank, senior centers, or community meals programs. Cash donations to buy food for the food banks are also greatly appreciated. This is especially true now, since many of the federal food funds that helped the food banks have been cut hard.

Very helpful information sources are your local Extension offices. The Columbia County Extension is 503-397-3462, and the Wahkiakum County Extension is 360-795-3278. The Extension Service offices offer their programs and materials equally to all people. Advice on future garden topics is welcome by emailing me at chip.bubl@oregonstate.edu.