Gardening

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Planting native plants is a popular way to help support pollinators like bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.

But when shopping for native plants, people often come across something called a “cultivar.” This is a special version of a native plant that have been selected or bred to have certain traits, like different flower colors or shapes. These cultivated plants can look and behave a bit differently from the wild versions.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – When botanist John Bartram first identified a hydrangea native to the U.S. in the 1730s, little did he know it would become a mainstay of the garden with its iconic flowers implying romance with their blustery beauty.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Anticipation of ripe pears and apples peaks in fall as fruits hang heavily from branches and begin their gravity-aided trip to the ground.

But how do you know when it’s prime picking time?

According to Steve Castagnoli, a retired horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service, the signs are different for apples and pears.

“It’s much easier to recognize ripeness in apples,” he said. “Pears typically won’t ripen to eating quality on the tree so you can’t go out and taste one.”

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Fruits and vegetables in the garden that have been showered with ash from wildfires should be safe to consume, according to Oregon State University Extension Service experts.

Rinsing the produce outside and then again in the kitchen sink will help remove ash and the particulates that accompany it, according to Brooke Edmunds, associate professor and Extension community horticulturist in the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Halloween is still a faint dot on the calendar, but it’s not too early to plan a strategy for harvesting and storing pumpkins and winter squash.

First frost won’t hit for several more weeks, so there’s no hurry to harvest. But it’s good to have a plan once below 50-degree temperatures arrive. Tried-and-true storing techniques can keep some winter squash for several months.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – It appears overnight and looks like a horror-show blob that’s slithered its way into your garden.

The gross-looking substance known as slime mold shows up on mulch and lawns, but is harmless to plants. Instead it feeds on decaying matter, fungi or bacteria, according to Neil Bell, a horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service.

“It’s called slime mold and is not harming the grass or plants in the mulch,” he said. “It appears really suddenly, seemingly overnight. It occurs after rainfall in summer, which we had in June.”

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Fragile, beautiful and fascinating, butterflies flutter their way into our gardens and seem to just as quickly wing their way out.

It isn’t because they necessarily want to leave, said Heather Stoven, an entomologist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. Rather they don’t find what they need to park themselves permanently.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Grass lawns are the default for most yards, but some people want other options, like edible or ornamental landscaping, mulch or low-maintenance groundcover.

"Maybe you have a lawn full of difficult-to-control weeds like annual bluegrass or rough bluegrass and you want to start over," said Alec Kowalewski, turfgrass specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. "Or you want to switch from grass to lawn alternatives like groundcovers."

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Freshly planted and carefully tended, vegetable gardens can quickly become a magnet for trouble. Problems seem to spring up overnight.

Weeds, for instance, can overtake a garden in days. Slugs munch on seedlings. Aphids suck the juices from any number of plants. And that white butterfly you see fluttering around? It’s a cabbage white butterfly that lays eggs that turn into voracious larvae.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – With their sweetly scented flowers and sweet-tart flavor, Meyer lemons are a no-brainer for container gardening in the Northwest.

Even though they are not cold hardy in any but the warmest climates (Zone 9-10), Meyer lemons have many fans. Actually a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, Meyers are sweeter than regular lemons and prized by cooks and bakers.

Other citrus that come in dwarf forms can also be grown in containers, but Meyer lemons are by far the most popular. They’re also the easiest to find at nurseries and through mail order.