Articles with the Tag: Agriculture
Last season, in western Oregon, I grew several heirloom cucumbers. All of the ones I grew are open pollinated, so seed can be saved and planted next year. The first of my cucumbers to ripen was “Boothby’s Blond,” a variety handed down through generations by the Boothby family living in...
It is an interesting fact that some of our most popular vegetables are from the North and South American continents. These include beans, corn (maize), squash, sunflowers, amaranth, chili peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos and quinoa. All are plants originally found in the wild, brought into cultivation by Native...
Throughout Lake County many landowners are reporting damage to range, pasture and lawns by rodents of various types. Conditions have been favorable to the increase in populations of voles, pocket gophers and Columbian ground squirrels. Each species can be identified by the damage they cause. Voles, also c...
Most landowners interested in management like the idea of having wildlife around their homes. Backyard wildlife usually includes small mammals, as well as a great many birds. Artificially feeding large mammals, such as deer, elk, bear, coyotes or raccoons, is strongly discouraged. Invariably, decisions...
Check stored vegetables and fruit often; inventory seeds and test germination and order seed. Keep perennials and bulbs growing next to the house covered with snow to insulate them from extreme cold. Make sure all young fruit trees have their trunks wrapped and place wire netting around trunks to preve...
From MSU News Service BOZEMAN – A naturally occurring bacterium discovered by Montana State University has been registered for commercial use and sale by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its impressive plant-disease fighting capabilities. This is the first time MSU has had a technol...
Polson Middle School students would get four stars from any good food critic on Thursday night during the third annual Harvest Dinner. “We made all this food,” Elizabeth Tolley, 12, said of the buffet style food set up in the school with fresh cherry tomatoes, tangy kale salad, pickles, roaste...
We have to face the fact that here in much of the Northwest we have a short frost-free growing season. Those living at higher elevations have an even shorter growing period. Most gardeners in the area look for ways to extend the vegetable growing season: everyone wants to have ripe eggplants, tomatoes, squas...
Tree and shrub damage caused during winter months often does not show up until spring or early summer, then the problem gets blamed on other causes. Preventing the damage is the best course of action. It is often necessary to provide extra attention to plants in the fall to help them over-winter and start...
The best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs is when soil temperatures drop below 60 degrees. In Montana this may occur as early as in August, but because of our frequent fluctuations in temperatures, October or early November is the best time. Many spring bulbs establish root systems in the fall while the ...
