October

• Interested in becoming an OSU Master Gardener? OSU Master Gardeners are individuals that are trained volunteers in the areas of general gardening and plant problem solving. Applications for the class of 2016 are available. For information contact 541-548-6088 or go on line at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/ to download an application.

• Are you seeing webbing in your trees this fall? It may be fall webworm. For a small population prune out larvae and webbing. For larger population use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) when larvae first appear.

• Continue to water and mow your lawn minimally.

• At the end of October into November, blow out your automatic irrigation system for the winter.

• At the end of the month put down a “winterizer” fertilizer on your lawn at a rate of 2 lbs of nitrogen per 1000 square feet, using a soluble or mixed soluble slow release nitrogen fertilizer. A common winter fertilizer has an N-P-K of 10-5-14. You would need 10 lbs of product per 1000 square feet with this ratio.

• Spread two to four inches of compost or mulch on top of your vegetable garden.

• Harvest and store apples; keep at about 40 degrees F, moderate humidity.

• Pick you green tomatoes before a heavy frost hits them. Only mature green tomatoes can be ripened off the vine. Mature tomatoes are light green in color with a reddish tinge on the blossom end. The pulp inside of a mature tomato should be jelly-like, not firm. To ripen, wrap them individually in newspaper and place them in a box so they are not touching one another in a room at 60-70 degrees F. Check them every 3-4 days for rotten ones. They will ripen over a 3-4 week period.

• Save seeds from the vegetable and flower garden, dry and store.

• Time to go and pick out your pumpkins from the local growers for all of your fall festivities.

• Harvest sunflower heads; use seed for birdseed by hanging the flowerheads upside from a structure or tree. The birds will get a tasty treat and you will get surprise sunflowers popping up next year. You can also toast the sunflower seeds and treat yourself.

• Cut back your perennials to 1.5 inches above the ground and with pine needles or wood bark mulch to protect the roots through the winter. Some perennials that prefer additional mulch for winter protection include pincushion flower (Scabiosa), lavender (Lavendula), and veronica.

• Regular roses need special winter care including winter mulch. For more information check out the following rose care publication at: http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/19854/ec1624-e.pdf

• Pull up all dead plant materials, rake diseased leaves and remove all fallen branches. This will prevent insects and disease from overwintering in your landscape.

• Leave your ornamental grasses up in winter to provide winter texture in the landscape, cut them back to the ground in early spring.

• Prune your evergreen and conifers.

• Given the impending prediction for another dry winter it is critically important to provide a deep watering to your perennials trees and shrubs. You may need to use a hose if you have already blown out your irrigation system. If we have warm temps and sunny days during the winter and the ground can accept water, give your plants a deep soak so they do not sustain damage from winter desiccation.

November

• Plant a cover crop in your garden area to come up next spring. Try winter wheat, cereal rye, winter rye, triticale, winter barley, or winter peas.

• Plant a window garden of lettuce, chives, and parsley.

• Place mulch around berries for winter protection. Cover strawberry plants with clean straw to insulate them through the winter.

• Store garden fertilizers and supplies in a safe, dry place, out of the reach of children.

• Start your compost pile for next fall. Do not use grass clippings or plant debris that may have pesticide residues, disease or insects in your compost pile.

• Wrap the trunks of young, think barked trees (maples, aspen, ash) in November, with paper tree wrap to prevent sunscald. Remove it in spring (April). Do not leave the tree wrap on thoughout the summer, it may harbor unwanted insects. Wrap your new trees 2-3 years in a row until the outer bark has thickened.

• Now is a good time to remove and discard paper wasp nests from the eaves of your home. At this time of year the nests may be empty. Wasps only occupy their nests for one season. Remove at dusk when wasp activity slows down.

What’s New at the OSU Extension Service?

• Did you have wormy apples this season? Now is good time to check out Project Happy Apples so you are ready to combat coddling moth on your fruit trees next spring. http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/project-happy-apples

• Any late season gardening questions? Did you know the OSU Extension Service provides free plant clinic services to you in all three counties. We are located in Redmond, Prineville, and Madras. We can help identify plants, weeds, insect and plant damage and suggest research-based management strategies. For more information call 541-548-6088.

Check out one of our newest publications:

EM 9115, Growing Hops in the Home Garden

by Brooke Getty, Shaun Townsend and Amy Jo Detweiler. Provides instructions for the home gardener on how to select, grow, harvest, and store hops.

https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9115