How’s this for convenient learning: Oregon State University Extension Service has free, online gardening courses that adults and interested older kids can access anytime.
The introductory course to the Oregon Master Gardener program, which trains volunteers to teach others about the science and art of gardening, is always free and a vegetable growing course has been extremely popular since its $45 fee was waived until May 27.
And soon there will online resource pages linking to more free classes and trainings, says OSU Extension horticulture professor Gail Langellotto.
“We have had high schoolers take the online Master Gardener course,” says Langellotto, who is the statewide coordinator of the respected program.
A 24-page, downloadable Growing Your Own publication, written by Langellotto, is used in the online vegetable gardening course, which covers planning a garden, preparing the soil, caring for plants and harvesting. A narrated photo slideshow explains the steps.
Gardeners of all ages are also being encouraged to donate surplus produce to local food agencies through the Plant a Row for the Hungry effort.
In 2019, OSU Extension Master Gardeners supported 23 school gardens and 46 community gardens, and donated 52.5 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables to food banks and food pantries.
One of the biggest food providers, Grow an Extra Row Garden, can’t plant and harvest on the Clackamas Community College campus this spring due to stay-home orders. The program was started in 2004 to produce fresh fruits and vegetables for those in need while teaching gardening skills.
Master Gardeners in Polk and Lincoln counties donated vegetable seedlings to food pantries when plant sales were canceled, says Langellotto.
Gail Langellotto offers these tips for growing vegetables:
Sun: Choose a garden that gets eight hours of sun, at least half of which is direct sun. Morning sun is best, as it will allow the soil to heat up earlier in the day, and hold heat throughout the day.
Drainage: Avoid siting your garden in low areas. Otherwise, water drainage and cold drainage will be an issue.
Interplanting: Plant sun-loving plants together with shade-tolerant plants. Tomato and basil can be planted together, when the weather is warm, because the tomato plants will provide shade for the basil. This can prevent the basil from bolting (setting seed) too early.
Succession planting: Plant light feeders after heavy feeders. Leeks are a good choice to plant in beds, after lettuce or broccoli. Leek is a relatively light feeder that doesn’t require a lot of fertilizer and can do well in beds that had been previously planted with heavy feeders, such as lettuce or broccoli.
Weeding: Now is a great time to try the stale seedbeed method for weed control. When you have selected your site for planting, lightly cultivate (till) the soil, irrigate or let it rain, and then wait one to two weeks. Weed seed in the soil will germinate, so that you can control weeds before you plant your vegetables.
Problems: You can often distinguish whether a problem with your plants is caused by an abiotic issue, such as a nutrient imbalance, or by a biotic issue, such as a pest, by looking for the patten and spread of the problem. Does the problem seem to be uniformly affecting all of the plants in your garden? If so, the problem is more likely to be with your an abiotic issue, such as soil nutrients, than with a living pest. If the problem is only affecting certain plants in your garden, it might be a pest problem.
Other resourceful publications are Vegetable Gardening in Oregon and Vegetable Variety Trials 2017.
The vegetable gardening course, which has been offered online since 2008, is part of the OSU Master Gardeners Short Course Series offered through OSU’s Professional and Continuing Education unit.
Mountain Valley Seed Co.'s Sectional hydroponic micro greens starter kit at True Leaf Market.Mountain Valley Seed Co.
Direct Gardening is having a half-off sale on gardening plants, seeds, bulbs and supplies.
Dutch Gardens has a sale on bulbs, supplies and plants, including the award-winning hybrid tea Rio Samba rose.
True Leaf Market has non-GMO seed packets and kits to grow microgreens, wheatgrass and an indoor herb garden.
Spring Hill Nurseries, which was founded in 1849, offers a no-risk guarantee and a planting guide with instructions and easy-to-follow diagrams.
Urban Leaf’s products are backed by a green thumb guarantee. The motto: “We want more than anything to make a successful gardener out of you.” A herb starter kit has sweet basil, cilantro, dill, mint, parsley, chives, oregano and thyme ready to be transplanted into pots or outdoors.
--Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072
jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman
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