Happy October, Gardeners!
I have been diving into all-things garlic! But before I share with you what I have been gathering, I wanted to also touch base on cover crops. Now is the time to get those seeds planted and we have a couple of seed packets dedicated to it in our seed library. You will find Fava Beans and Kodiak Mustard Greens in the "C" drawer under "Cover Crops."
Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District has opened up a special landscaping grant to City of Sandy residents!
Their Priorities: "We help people in Clackamas County solve land management problems on private property. This includes improving habitats for wildlife, controlling erosion, getting rid of harmful weeds, replacing failing septic systems, keeping forests healthy, and more."
Mini Habitat Kit Grants from CSWCD - Apply Here
"Habitats know no boundaries." By providing native plants in your yard you can support biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem.
These native plant kits are designed for City of Sandy residents with properties of three acres or less aiming to help enhance their yards with native plants.
Each kit will contain either 20 in-ground native plants or 5 native patio plantings, along with native pollinator seeds.
Upcoming Events
Stress Re-Leaf: Saving Trees from Climate Burnout
Trees may not have a mortgage or rent to pay, or bosses to report to at work, but they still can experience stress. That stress increases and intensifies in response to our changing climate, as they struggle to survive extreme weather and other disruptions and disturbances, like insect pests and pathogens—all while their habitats continue to inch toward the edge of habitability. Our presenter will talk about how our Oregon forests are impacted by climate change, with implications for landscape trees; share current research happening in the OSU College of Forestry; and suggest options for caring for stressed trees in your woodland or landscape.
When: Tuesday, October 14, 12 - 1pm
Where: Zoom Webinar ID 956 9800 2624
The Bee City Action Group has been instrumental in helping pollinator projects come to life within the city of Sandy. We just had a speaker talk to us about wasps; what should we do next? If you would like to have a say on what kind of pollinator projects the city tackles, come to our next meeting.
When: Thursday, October 23, 6 - 7pm
Where: Sandy Community and Senior Center (38348 Pioneer Blvd, Sandy)
Creepy Crawly Encounters - A Bee City Event
Get up close and personal with fascinating critters (like roaches, crickets, worms, flies, and more!), learn about their incredible roles in our ecosystem, and get tips if you want to raise them in your own home! Not all bugs may be touched or held, but there will be a whole lot to see and learn.
All ages are welcome (it's a very fun event for children and adults alike!).
** This is the same day as our annual Trick or Treat Trail (2 - 4pm), so come in costume, get properly in the spirit, and then join the city for some trick or treating!
When: Saturday, October 25, 12:30 - 1:45pm
Where: Sandy Community and Senior Center (38348 Pioneer Blvd, Sandy)
BIG THANK YOU to local Sandy residents Judit and Andy for sharing both their knowledge and their critters with all of us. They have been active members of Sandy's Bee City USA Action Group and they have a shared a love for animals and plants and understanding the world around us. They are proud pet parents to an assortment of critters like a chameleon, a bearded dragon, African dwarf frogs, and all the bugs/insects you will see in this presentation! They also raise chickens, which has deepened their interest in composting and sustainable practices.
Secrets of the Season: Exploring the Autumn Forest
Discover the secrets of the season and explore our Autumn forests on a guided hike along the Tickle Creek Trail with Sandy’s Bee City USA Action Group & Dakota, an entomologist with the Clackamas River Basin Council (@clackamasriver).
When: Sunday, November 2, 2 - 4pm
Where: Tickle Creek Trail, Sandy, Oregon (exact meeting spot will be announced to registered persons).
Register: City of Sandy Portal
Garlic!
This book is beautifully done. The pictures are stunning and it is organized in a way that keeps me engaged.
Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, and this book actually has a recipe that includes black garlic! I took a picture of this recipe because I am determined to try it.
The Complete Book of Garlic by Ted Jordan Meredith
From economics and culture to composition and chemistry, all covered in Part One, this book really does seem complete! Part Two focuses more on what Meredith refers to as essentials which includes quick guides.
Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply
From their newsletter:
There’s nothing ordinary about growing your own garlic, especially when it’s organic, flavorful, and tailor-fit to your garden. The Garlic Resource Center has everything you need to get a head start on the centerpiece of your Fall planting.
With our brand-new Garlic Selector Tool, you can filter by USDA zone, storage length, flavor, and more. You’ll find options suited for cold winters (hello, hardnecks!) and those that thrive in warmer zones (looking at you, softnecks).
Hardneck Garlic
- Cold-hardy with bold, complex flavors
- Easy-to-peel cloves
- Great for Zones 7 and below
- Shorter storage life, but unforgettable taste
Softneck Garlic
- Long-lasting bulbs (up to 12 months!)
- Ideal for Zones 8 and above
- Classic, mild garlic flavor
- More cloves per bulb, perfect for pantry stocking
Bonus Advice: phosphorus is an important fertilizer for root development and is a good choice when planting your garlic bulbs.
Territorial Seed Company has quite the selection of seed garlic to choose from.
Check out their growing guide, which covers:
- Culture
- Direct Sowing
- Pests & Diseases
- Harvesting & Storage
Recap on Growing Houseplants for the PNW Gardener
Light
We learned that blue light encourages leaf growth and red light enables flowering.
This was so helpful to me because now I know why two of my flowering plants are not flowering! The good news is that they make full spectrum light bulbs in various styles so you can get creative in how you arrange your houseplants with special lighting!
Water
Considering your water source has often been that last thing on my mind, but turns out it can be very important, especially for indoor plants.
- Some plants are sensitive to the chlorine or fluoride in tap water.
- Rain water collected from your roof can have pollutants that indoor plants cannot filter out the way outdoor plants can.
- Well water might have an excess of lime.
Resources
- National Pesticide Information Information Center: Pest Management for Houseplants
- Growing Indoor Plants with Success by the University of Georgia
- What is the Best Soil for Potted Plants by the University of New Hampshire
- Super-Absorbent Water Crystals (Hydrogels) by Washington State University
- How to Manage the Nutrient Needs of Indoor Plants by the University of Maryland
Herbal Houseplants: Grow Beautiful Herbs Indoors by Susan Betz
I found myself inspired to not look at herbs as just edible but making an aesthetically pleasing arrangement by treating them like houseplants. I am a bit in love with the way my lemongrass looks in its container so I am happy to make it a houseplant for the colder months!
Rick Reads: Spiders Edition
I have been reading the excellent sci-fi novel Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which details the evolution of genetically enhanced giant spiders terraforming an exoplanet. (Bear with me here.) These are not Tolkien’s malevolent, viscous spiders from the deep, dark places of Middle-earth, but an intelligent, civilization-building species that Tchaikovsky portrays in a sympathetic and engaging light. (See where I’m going with this?)
Maybe I should begin again: I give names to the spiders in my house, and as fall arrives the maturing house spiders get frisky and start looking for mates and become more adventuresome (and hence visible), so I have quite a few spider friends right now. For instance, this morning, in the bathroom, Fili and Kili were chilling up in their respective high corners (this year I’m naming my spiders after the dwarves in Tolkien’s The Hobbit), but I had to evict Bombur (a particularly chonky common house spider) from the shower before getting ready for my shift at the library.
All this is to say–what I’m really getting at here–is that spiders get a bad rap, and rather than leaning into our fears, maybe we should stop and consider the benefits of spiders, both in our gardens and in our homes. In other words, try being more like Tchaikovsky than Tolkien.
In the garden, spiders serve as natural pest control, feeding on insects like aphids, caterpillars, and flies, which helps maintain a healthy ecosystem and reduces the need for chemical pesticides. Similarly, in the home, spiders also act as pest control, eating other insects like flies, mosquitoes, and roaches, and their presence indicates a healthy indoor ecosystem.
Furthermore, the vast majority of the spiders we encounter in our gardens and homes are harmless. The only venomous spiders of concern in Oregon are the western black widow (much more common in southwestern and eastern Oregon than northwestern Oregon) and the recently introduced brown widow, first sighted in the state in 2018–and even these rare venomous species are unaggressive and rarely bite. It’s also important to note that, despite reports to the contrary, the venomous brown recluse spider does not occur in Oregon.
So this year, try to make friends with the spiders you encounter; learning to live happily alongside them has some typically overlooked benefits, both in the garden and in the home.
A note on personal comfort: If a spider is a nuisance or creates fear, it can be captured and relocated instead of killed, allowing you to retain the benefit of their pest control while addressing your comfort. Gently cover it with a glass and slide a piece of paper underneath, then carry it outside to release it in a location with plenty of plant cover.
Sources/resources:
Oregon Spiders: Facts and Fiction
Here come the spiders: What to know about Oregon's emerging creepy-crawlies
What I've Been Reading Children's Edition
The Pumpkin Seed's Secret by Hannah Rodgers Barnaby
A fun poem picture book that takes you through the pumpkin life cycle. At the end, there is the science behind the life cycle, fun facts, and recipes!
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