Plan rows, scan seed catalogs until dirt ready
These past few weeks of relatively warm weather have many gardeners champing at the bit to get in the garden. Robins have been spotted in several places around Spokane – a month early. The problem is that Mother Nature is teasing us.
One of the main issues right now is that the soil is too wet to work and digging in it only compacts it more. In colder parts of the area, there is still a frost layer that needs to melt before any soil work is done. So when is soil dry enough to work? That will depend on the type of soil you have. In general, sandy soils drain away water fairly quickly while soils with a lot of clay tend to hold water for a longer period. To determine if your soil is dry enough to work, scoop up a handful and squeeze it together. Then poke the ball gently with your finger; if the ball falls apart easily then the soil is dry enough to dig in.
Since we can still get some nasty weather – it’s trying to snow as I write this – there is still time to read the seed catalogs and explore websites in front of a warm fire. At the recent WSU Spokane County Master Gardener winter meeting, Washington State University Extension’s new website, Gardening in Washington State, was introduced. Created by a team of faculty and staff experts, the website pulls together all of the publications and information in one place to help home gardeners sustainably grow flowers, shrubs, vegetables, fruit; manage pests; improve their soil; and undertake small garden construction projects.
Upon opening the website – gardening.wsu.edu – you are greeted with an interactive picture. As you move your mouse over it, boxes pop up that will link out to such topics as flower beds, vegetables, small fruits, lawns, hobby greenhouses, raised beds and sustainable landscaping practices. Each link takes you out to a list of downloadable WSU publications. Most of the publications are free to download, there’s a fee for a few larger ones.
Improvements to the site will be ongoing. The WSU Extension faculty are revising many of their older publications and writing new ones so that information is up-to-date. A number of new publications will be released in the next year or two so check back often for new content.
Some of the more interesting publications I found on the site included a series of publications about growing vegetables in a home garden and a series of individual publications on growing onions, radish, eggplant and tomatoes. There is a publication about growing food in parking strips and front yards. Over in the wildlife section, there are publications about beneficial insects and vole management. There is a whole section devoted to organic gardening.
Lastly, to keep information fresh and call attention to current gardening issues, the site has a link to a new blog that will feature contributions from the many gardening experts who work with WSU Extension.