Gift Recommendation for the Gardener or Farmer on Your List
Felco hand pruners would be welcomed by any gardener (hint: include a holster so they are harder to lose!). Felcos aren’t like any other hand pruner and are the most used and recommend by professionals. All parts are replaceable, blades can be easily sharpened by hand, and they come in a range of sizes perfectly […]
Winter Project for the Home Gardener and Small Farmer, Part 2
We’re expected to get fog, rain, frost, maybe even snow, and everything in between, in the coming weeks, but we don’t get tornadoes here in the PNW, so stop blaming them for […]
Winter Projects for the Home Gardener and Small Farmer, Part 1
The temperatures are dropping, cover crops have been seeded, and the garden beds have been tucked in for their long winter nap. Spring seems so far away, but don’t fret, there’s still lots you can do to keep your thumbs green. In fact, the winter can be just as busy as the rest of the […]
Apple Maggot Timing
People have starting asking us about when to spray for apple maggot. This is a complex pest to control in orchards and home gardens, so it is a good idea to understand its life cycle. Apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella, is a small sawfly that lays its eggs on developing fruit, most commonly apples, but also […]
Thinning Fruit
We cannot overemphasize the importance of thinning the young fruit on your trees. Now is a good time to start thinning. Early thinning can help break the tendency of biennial (every other year) bearing that is common in some apple and pear varieties, and ensuring you have more even crops each year. Some people are […]
Winter Damaged Plants
With the wild weather of late December and early January behind us, and the return to more normal winter weather, we’re starting to see winter damage on many plants, especially broadleafed evergreens. Even ‘hardy’ evergreens and some conifers that experienced the sustained cold winds are showing some damage. Where is the winter damage the worst? […]