The Real Dirt March 2011

1. Table of Contents March Program 1 President’s Notes 2 Home & Garden Show 3 Kudos 3 Newsletter Deadlines 3 Monthly Garden Work 4 Key Contacts 4 Craft Committee 5 Plant Sale 5 Composters/Recyclers 5 Demo Garden Reports 6 In The Spotlight 7 Book Review 8 Training News 9 Event Calendar 10 Thatching Article 11 Bug of the Month 12 Soil Article 13 GFE Pictures 14 The RealDirtMarch 2011 March Program March 22, 2011 6:00 Social hour 7:00 Meeting Our speaker is Mike McDonald.  Mike is a Day Reporting Officer/Work Crew Coordinator for Lewis County Juvenile Court. Bob Taylor and Debbie Burris helped them set up a propagation chamber, taught the staff and a couple of young people in the program how to take cuttings and propagate them.  Since then they have expanded the gardening program to include many of their clients. He will share with us the impact gardening has on these troubled youth and how Juvenile Services has expanded it to serve their clientele.   WSU Master Gardeners of Lewis County 351 NW North Street Chehalis, WA 98532-1900 360-740-1212 http://lewis-mg-mrc.org/ Mon. –Thurs. 9-3 or by appointment “Helping You Put Knowledge to Work”

2. PRESIDENT’S CORNER I was rather disappointed to have to concur with our coordinator in cancelling our February monthly meeting. The weather report indicated many of us would experience difficult road conditions and it seemed to be the best choice at the time. Thanks to the board members who helped in calling all Master Gardeners: e-mail isn’t always the best method of communicating that type of message. I am the new owner of a second hand one-piece fiberglass greenhouse. It is 8 X 16 feet and came with cedar work benches and many concrete blocks. I bought it from my neighbor Mark, who had purchased it three years ago, but never used it other than for storage of many plant pots and to unintentionally let it grow full of blackberry vines. I had planned on building a greenhouse and was actually on my way to purchase the materials when my wife called me to say our neighbor had a green-house for sale. I interrupted my trip to go look at it and decided that even though it would cost more than the materials for building a greenhouse, it would be a lot less work and look better in the long run. With the help of neighbors, we moved the greenhouse on Mark’s flatbed trailer close to the wire fence separating our properties and lifted it across, resting it halfway on a wooden support I had built for the purpose. I cleaned it up, ran electricity to my new greenhouse, built some fluorescent light stands described by Barbara Eastman in the Gardening For Everyone class, and bought several new shop lights. This greenhouse replaces my hoop house. My wife Sharon and I at first kept calling it the hoop house, so she came up with the name White House, since I am the president. WSU Extension programs are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of non-compliance may be reported through your local WSU Extension office.

3. ANNOUNCEMENTS Attention MG Board Members The board meeting time is now changed to 1-3 pm on the second Monday of the month.  Kudos to: Jim and Lynn Green of Pioneer West for their help in saving one of the pear trees located in back of the Borst gardens. We provided scion wood to them which they sent to a man in Oregon who grafted the scion wood on new root stock. We got the trees back last month and they were planted in the arboretum. This is the second time they have provided this service on trees that we determined we wanted to save. Again, they provided this service at no cost to Master Gardeners. Article Submission Deadlines: April 4 May 2 June 6 July 4 Cougar Cheese VARIETY PACKS are now available! What does this mean? It means you can purchase 4 different flavors in a pre-mixed pack w/ gift box ($30 ea) or purchase individual wedges @ ($7.50 ea) by themselves! We also have Cougar Gold Tins; 30 ounces ($22.50 each) Wedge flavors: Cougar Gold, Garlic Dill, Crimson Fire, Hot Pepper, Tomato Oregano (new!), Smoky Cheddar, American Cheddar, Viking, Cracked Pepper & chive, and Sweet Basil Reminder: Cash & Checks only please. Home & Garden Show With cancellation of the February Monthly meeting, we missed a number of you that normally sign-up to staff the H & G show. Please check the schedule and sign-up. We need help to bag trees on the 17th and to staff the booth during the March 18-20th event. The final schedule of speakers is: Friday, March 18th 11:00am—Straw Bale Gardening by Patty Brown 3:00pm—Starting Tomatoes by Ed Schroeder Saturday, March 19th 10:30am—Container Vegetable Gardening by Barbara Eastman 12:00pm—Edible Landscape by Barrie Pitts Sunday, March 20th 10:00am—Planting to Can by Karen Edwards Bob Taylor, Committee Chair, Veteran 2001

4. ESSENTIALS • March in Your Garden • From: http://gardening.wsu.edu/text/calmar.htm • Garden essentials: • Plants need nutrients now during their growth spurt. Fertilize the garden. • Prune and feed roses. • Divide perennials that bloom after mid-June. • Share extra plants with neighbors or a school. • Veggies year-round: • Dig garden beds deeply. Add fertilizer and compost. • Transplant February cabbage-family seedlings outdoors. • Start tomatoes, peppers and eggplant under lights. • Sow beets, chard, lettuce, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach and turnips • outdoors. • Lawn care: • Renovate. • Dethatch if old roots and stems at crown level exceed one-half inch. Aerate. • Dig out or spot treat perennial weeds. • Rake and overseed bare spots with seed mix such as perennial ryes and turf-type fescues. • Install new lawns. Grasses need at least 6 inches of well drained soil with 2 inches of compost tilled in. Key Contacts Office: 351 NW North Street, Chehalis, WA 98532 360-740-1212 http://lewis-mg-mrc.org/ Hours: 9-3 Mon. – Thurs. or by appointment. MG Coordinator: Debbie Burris debbie.burris@lewiscountywa.gov 740-1216 WSU Extension Director: Sheila Gray sheila.gray@lewiscountywa.gov 740-1214 Office Manager: Janet Trotter janet.trotter@lewiscountywa.gov 740-1212 MG Foundation Board President: Chuck Stanfield crs141@hotmail.com V.P., Membership: Mary Ann Albenesius maryann@dishmail.net V.P., Resources: Chris Trosper rick_bpg@hotmail.com V.P., Educational Outreach: Bob Harris robert@roseofsharonfarm.com Secretary: Pat Bower pat.les.bower@gmail.com Treasurer: Mary Jo Christensen christensenmj@comcast.net State Foundation Rep: Patty Brown yellowdog@toledotel.com Past President: Bob Taylor bobandkitty@reachone.com

5. COMMITTEE REPORTS Craft Committee We’ve broken the $400 sales mark for 2011. Six hundred dollars of our overall $1,800 yearly goal is accomplished through other events and sales of items offered at the office. Many of the sales are to Master Gardeners who buy items as gifts for others. Please contact us if there is something you are looking for. Our prices and quality are guaranteed to beat catalogues and local nurseries.   Thanks to those individuals stepping forward to take over the Crafts portion of the Plant Sale. Many things still need to be made so that we have a wide variety to sell and raffle. Usually, the raffle brings about 50% of the total craft goal at the Plant Sale. Bob Taylor, Committee Chair, Veteran 2001 Master Composters/Recyclers Many of you probably did not cover your compost pile(s). With the wet weather your compost pile has become drenched and basically “shut down”. Compost piles need to be damp, not soggy. If spring ever arrives you will need to “restart” the process of adding your carbon (brown stuff) and nitrogen (green stuff) and your soggy stuff (which is brown by now). Yes, the soggy stuff will continue to decompose if left alone, but at a much slower rate unless you “dry it out” with items like dry sawdust or shredded paper. Don’t overdo the sawdust as it is a powerful “brown”. As it gets warm and dry enough to mow the lawn, you should have enough green to kick-start the heat building portion of the decomposition process. Adding manure and a shovel or two of dirt will introduce the microorganisms needed to really get off to a great re-start.  Bob Taylor, MRC President, Veteran 2001 Plant Sale: PLANTS WANTED! The plant sale always seems to come along sooner than we expect, and we need to be preparing for it. We rely so heavily on revenue from the sale to fund everything we do, that it's really worth all the planning and work that we put into it. First of all—thanks to our intrepid tomato and pepper growers! If you need any help or run into problems, please let me know. March is the time to start dividing and potting perennials. Be looking around as the new growth starts emerging, and consider how much your garden would benefit by having those clumps lifted, divided, and refreshed! Then pot up the extras and grow them for our plant sale customers. We have a large supply of pots and would be glad to getsome to you. Look for volunteer seedlings of ornamental annuals and perennials, too. If digging or potting is a problem for you, we'd be happy to help. April would be a great month to plant vegetable starts like broccoli, sweet corn, cucumbers, plus zucchini and all other members of thesquash family. These are easy to grow and sell very fast at the sale. By the time you read this, we’ll have sign-up sheets in the office for all plant-sale shifts. We'll be setting up at Yard Birds on Thursday and Friday, May 12 and 13; the sale runs Saturday, May 14 (9AM-2PM) and Sunday, May 15 (10AM-1PM).

6. DEMONSTRATION GARDENS • Thanks to the snow, we cancelled the rose pruning class . . . we couldn’t find the bushes. • The March session with the R.E. Bennett 2nd graders will be on pollinization and the wildlife that makes it happen. • Still need someone to become a co-coordinator for this Demo Garden. • Bob Taylor, Demo Garden Co-Coordinator, veteran since 2001 Providence Place Garden 350 SE Washington Ave., Chehalis Work parties: Mon. 9-12 Contact: Bob Taylor Salkum Library Garden 2480 US Highway 12, Salkum Work parties: Tues. 10-12 Contact: Barbara Eastman Sherry Pearson While dodging snowstorms and waiting for spring to arrive, we held a planning meeting at the library on February 22. Debbie outlined aproposal for the new trainees to grow crops of peas and beans,comparing the performance and flavor of heirloom varieties with those of hybrids. We'll be using our new raised vegetable beds andexperimenting with designs for trellising the plants. We've scheduled another session for more detailed planning on March 15. We also discussed plans to build a grape arbor over our picnic table this year, to plant a large straw-bale garden, and to explore options for edging around our garden features. We welcomed Sandy Bailey to our working group and appreciate that she volunteered to take charge of our small-trees berm. We hope to have several more trainees joining us as we get started on a great gardening year. Barbara Eastman, Demo Garden Co-Coordinator, veteran since 1999 We started construction of our new bed at Borst. We finished one 4x16’ bed and still have one to go. Other than that and some general cleanup, we have not accomplished much. The weather certainly has not cooperated. The Borst gang met in kitchen #1 on Mar 9. We got a chance to meet and get acquainted with a few of the new trainees. Following that, we conducted our annual meeting to review where we are and our agenda for the rest of 2011. We mentioned previously that we received our two new pear trees. We want to give a special thank you to Jim and Lynn Green Borst Park Garden Borst Park, Centralia Work Parties: Wed. & Sat. 9-12 Contacts: Mike Stedham Ed Schroeder Gaylend Wilmovsky for their services in sending the cuttings down to Oregon to have them grafted. There was no charge to Master Gardeners.  Ground will be broken and construction will start on the new Education Center at the Borst Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens this Spring! As soon as there is a break in the rains, the foundation will be poured and the framing will get underway. Funding for the Education Center is still ongoing, with the latest infusion from the most recent Master Gardener graduates, who each donated their class refund checks to the building fund. Once completed, the new Center will have a covered area suitable for hosting classes and demonstrations, with picnic tables and lighting. Anchoring the west end of the building will be a tool shed to replace the existing structure which is due for demolition as it is not in keeping with the historical and architectural style of the Borst House. The Education Center has been designed to mirror the existing historical structures, with the same style of shake roof, gables and siding as the Borst House and Schoolhouse. Come visit us. We’re always happy to have visitors. Until then, Happy Gardening Mike Stedham, veteran 1996 Gaylend Wilmovsky, veteran 2001 Ed Schroeder, veteran 1998

7. IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Rena Conway – March 2011 I heard a story last summer about a winter crossing of snowy paths, and now I’ll tell a bit of the rest of the story. Rena Conway grew up in fairly remote areas of Montana, where a killing frost could come on the 4th of July. Bill, her husband of 43 years, and a forester, was snowshoeing through a remote area in Montana over 43 years ago. He crossed someone’s path and later, when he met Rena, found out it had been her tracks. During their marriage, Rena, Bill and their children continued to live in remote areas due to Bill’s job. Gardening is an interest to Rena. It wasn’t until they moved to Ryderwood, WA four years ago that she was able to be close enough for Master Gardening training, only 35 miles away, in Chehalis. She took the training course in 2008. Rena loves to read and has an extensive library including Oriental Vegetables by J. Larkcom, and Great Garden Companions by S.J. Cunningham. She is also in charge of the Ryderwood town library and writes a garden column for the town paper. Rena’s keen interest in heirloom and Oriental vegetables is apparent when you see her 28 tomato plants, including Woodley Orange, Brandywine and Casian Pink. Other vegetables include Pak Choy, Osaka Purple Mustard, Ching-Chang Dwarf Pack Choi, La Rattle Fingerling and Kerr Pink Potatoes. She learned by experience that Oriental vegetables grow best as a fall crop. Rena loves to teach her three-year-old granddaughter about unzipping pea pods, picking Dragons Egg Cucumbers, and Zucchino Rampicante. It makes me hungry as I write about this banquet of edibles. Since Rena is a gourmet cook, I’m sure her family eats well. Rena gave a garden talk to the Ryderwood Women’s Club, proofreads this MG newsletter, works in the Providence Demo Garden, and keeps an extensive diary for each growing season of her own garden. Rena and Bill are volunteer firefighters and she is a fire commissioner in Ryderwood. Sourdough baking, reading about gardening, health and nutrition, piano playing, sewing and quilting, soap making, painting, online Scrabble, and playing bridge are all interests of Rena’s. She has visited many gardens and three favorites are Butchart in Victoria, B.C., a private garden in Juneau, AK, and the Mainau garden in Lake Constance, Germany. Rena has several adverse gardening conditions in Ryderwood such as shade, roving domestic and wild animals, old mill site conditions, and only about 100 square feet of sunny vegetable garden space. She uses Earth boxes, raised beds, and 2 4x4 cold frames. Bill built the cold frames, and inside a nice enclosed back porch he built a plant light box for propagation. continued…

8. IN THE SPOTLIGHT Continued . . . Rena’s garden advice includes: “Plan big, start small and take one step at a time.” She has plans for their front garden to remove the grassy areas, put in groundcovers, an herb garden, daylilies, and salvias, and to add more edibles. She plans to incorporate her existing Oriental poppies, peonies, lavender, and various succulents. She said, “Instead of saying all the things I have to do, I’m thankful for all I’ve done.” She has learned so much from Master Gardener training, being around other MGs, and having a chance to share her passion for gardening. She has persevered in eradicating field bindweed and after amending the soil with compost and peat moss, has seen it teaming with earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms. Way to go, Rena! “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost. Enjoy the spring season, Chris Trosper Moss Gardening Book Review by Sally Wheeler, veteran since 2008 This book is “dedicated to the person who pauses to study small things in Nature.” Moss is one of those small things. Most of us are probably already growing several varieties without trying. Then there are the non-mosses, liverworts, and lichens in a wide variety of colors and shapes. The moss plant earns our respect, even our sense of awe, as one of the world’s lengthier successes in the business of living. Images of a plant probably stand out as clearly in a person’s mind as those of a pine tree, a dandelion, or a head of lettuce. We carry away a lasting impression of a plant velvety green, vibrant and yet soothing. This expensively bound book is full of glossy color pictures from all over the world. The chapters are dedicated to types of mosses and how to create garden beauty made with the subject plants. In the back is an extensive index of mosses and other Bryophytes. The author, George Schenk is a retired specialty nurseryman and travels extensively, raising gardens in several areas of the world. He also includes recommended further reading on the subject. This book is for sale on Alice Fisher’s table for $25. Our book sales, another fund-raising activity of the MG Foundation, also allows Master Gardeners to purchase gardening books at a good price. Happy Gardening!

9. REVISED TRAINING SCHEDULE Attached is a revised training schedule.  The training dates have not been changed but I’ve had to rearrange some of the classes due to weather conditions.  It appears we are going to have a long, cold Spring so some of the things we want to cover in our field trips or hands-on work may not be ready yet.  Please note that the weed class has moved to April 6th.  I’m hoping it will warm up enough for the weeds to finally poke their heads out of the ground by then.  I’ve also put an asterisk by the classes that are considered “core” classes by WSU.  That means that trainees must attend those classes in order to become a certified Master Gardener.  I realize that we rescheduled the Soils class due to the weather and I will make every effort to provide another opportunity to make up that class later this Spring or try to find an alternative.  Debbie Burris, Master Gardener Program Coordinator 2011 Master Gardener Training Schedule Date Topic Jan. 5. a.m. Overview, computer requirements, safety issues, etc. p.m. Plant Propagation (Part 1—seeds) Feb. 2 a.m. Pruning Tree Fruit p.m. Home Orchards (Part 1—selection & pruning) Mar. 2 a.m. Sustainable Landscape Design p.m. *Soils & Fertilizers April 6 a.m. *Weed Management p.m. Vegetable Gardening May 4 a.m. *IPM & Understanding Pesticides p.m. *Botany & Plant Identification June 1 a.m. *Plant Diseases p.m. *Diagnosing Plant Problems July 6 a.m. Plant Propagation (Part 2—cuttings) p.m. *Basic Entomology (Part 1) Aug. 3 a.m. Berry Crops p.m. Composting, Water Quality, Basic Entomology (Part 2) Sept. 7 a.m. Native Plants & Lawns p.m. Vertebrate Pests Oct. 5 a.m. Herbaceous Ornamentals p.m. Native Plants & Back Yard Forest Stewardship Nov. 2 a.m. Home Orchards (Part 2 - Dormant sprays & pruning) p.m. Herbaceous Ornamentals & Woody Landscape Plants Dec. 7 a.m. Final Test Review p.m. Final Test Effective February 28, 2011 * Classes marked with an * are considered “core” classes by WSU meaning you must take those classes in order to be certified as a Master Gardener. Unfortunately, it is difficult to make up the classes so you are encouraged to make every attempt to attend those classes.

10. MASTER GARDENER PLANT CLINIC AND EVENT CALENDAR FOR APRIL, 2011* *Due to space limitations, not all names can be shown on the calendar. To see if you are on the schedule or if there is a vacancy in the schedule, go to http://calendar.yahoo.com/lewisgardener and click on the words in the box. It will open a new window that shows all the information for that date or event. PLEASE NOTE: The meeting times of the MG board members is now 1-3 pm same day. We were unable to change the times on this .pdf document but will make adjustments next month.

11. THATCHING NOW WILL HELP REDUCE MOSS INVASIONBY DON TAPIO, EXTENSION AGENT • It's that time of year when many home lawns in our coastal area are looking pretty tough.  Most have not been mowed for several months, and our cool, wet, dark, winter days were ideal for moss invasion.  WSU’s standard recommendation for moss control this time of year is to apply Ferrous Ammonium Sulfate. Iron in this mixture kills the existing moss, turning it black.  The Ammonium Sulfate fertilizer stimulates grass growth by providing nitrogen.  Good turfgrass health, however, depends on more than just moss killer and fertilizer.  Most lawns can use a good thatching.  The question that often arises is just how much thatch is too much? • Different species of grass accumulate thatch at different rates.  Perennial ryegrass is a low thatch producer; bluegrass and fine fescues form a dense thatch that is difficult to remove.  A layer of thatch ranging from a half to three-quarters of an inch is generally acceptable in most lawns, but anything greater can cause problems.  • Once a thick thatch layer is formed, it must be removed by vertical mowing.  Use a machine that has rigid or flexible blades or tines (power rakes) that can cut into or pull turf out of the soil surface.  You can rent a power rake, or you can hire a professional lawn service to do the job.  Attachments to your lawn mower are not as effective as true vertical mowers. The best time to dethatch your lawn is now, which will allow the grass sufficient time to recover before the stress of summer heat.  Thatching now will also remove the majority of moss that is present. • After de-thatching, always fertilize with a 3-1-2 ratio fertilizer.  Be sure to water the fertilizer in thoroughly.  De-thatching without follow-up fertilization results in increased weed encroachment and ugly turf.  Once a thick layer has been removed, dethatching every year or every other year will ensure a healthy lawn that is easy to manage.  Dethatching is less disruptive and a lot less work if it is done regularly.  People who dethatch only after a severe thatch layer builds up usually destroy their lawns.  • Is there Anyway to Prevent Thatch  From Accumulating? • If your lawn is healthy, it will naturally produce thatch consistent with the type of grass you are growing.  Thatch should be viewed as inevitable and desirable, provided it isn’t too thick.  Learn to think in terms of managing thatch rather than trying to get rid of it completely.  Consider the following tips to help avoid encouraging too much thatch. • Avoid over-fertilizing your lawn.  The idea is to fertilize enough to provide a nice green lawn, but not so much that extra mowing is needed. • Mow frequently enough so that only one-third of the grass blade is removed at any one time.  Normally, once a week is fine, but in spring, when growth is vigorous you may need to mow more often. • Removing clippings will have little effect on thatch development, but it will force you to fertilize the lawn more often. Leaving the clippings on the lawn will not contribute to thatch accumulation unless you also apply excess nitrogen fertilizer. • “Wonder amendments” such as bacterial, yeasts, enzymes, and other “miracle cures” have no significant effect on thatch accumulation.  Natural decomposition will occur from the organisms that are already in your soil when the lawn area is well drained and the soil pH is neutral (between 6 and 7). If your soil is acidic, periodically apply lime to help bring it up to neutral.

12. BUG OF THE MONTH By Suzanne Hostetter, Veteran 2009 Another common wolf spider A typical garden wolf spider Photo by Jeffrey Hahn-U. of Minnesota Who’s Out and About? It’s early March and the insects in my garden are few and far between. As I ready the raised beds for spring, the movement that catches my eye is that of small, dull, black spiders scattered throughout the leaf litter and in the grass. Swift, assertive little guys with no interest in me, these spiders only want to get on their way. They are a common sight each year before the grass and flowers hide their activity. Soon, each female will be carrying a white egg case attached to the back of her abdomen.  These are wolf spiders (Family: Lycosidae). Members of this group are common in terrestrial habitats throughout the world. The 130 recognized species are generally brown, black and/or gray, and may have distinct patterning. In our area, most are small, with bodies averaging 1 cm or less. Some are free-roaming, some dig burrows, and any who spin webs use them only for shelter. Wolf spiders are active hunters that prey upon insects, smaller spiders, and other small arthropods. They run swiftly, have excellent sight, stalk their prey, chase them down, and pounce. Wolf spiders live for two or more years and molt numerous times. They hunt during the day and also at night when the weather is warm.   Although positive identification requires knowledge of eye placement, the presence of a white egg case attached to a spider’s spinnerets is a giveaway that you are looking at some sort of wolf spider. Females lay many eggs at a time, spin a silken sac around them, and carry it everywhere they go. When the eggs hatch, the spiderlings crawl onto mom’s back. This doesn’t keep her from hunting—she simply takes the kids with her. They remain with her until after their first molt. Wolf spiders are considered important beneficials because they feed on a variety of pests. They sometimes get a bad rap because they occasionally end up inside homes and are mistaken for more aggressive house spiders. Wolf spiders are actually quite shy and run away when bothered. They are not aggressive toward humans and do not bite unless handled roughly. If seen in the house, they can be herded into a container for release outside. Wolf spiders got their name because at one time it was thought they hunted in packs like wolves. Even though these are not ‘scary’ spiders, I’m really glad they don’t run in packs!  Resources: http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/insidewolf.html gardening.wsu.edu/library/inse005/inse005.htm cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1548/eb1548.html http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/dk1033.html ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2060.html http://insectzoo.msstate.edu/Students/araneae.html www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/spiders/wolf/wolf.htm

13. EXPENSIVE PLANTS IN POOR SOIL A BAD INVESTMENT By Don Tapio, Extension Agent No amount of money invested in garden plants can make up for poor soil.  No matter how you cut it, expensive plants in poor soil is a bad investment.  Unfortunately, this seems to be a fairly common problem in our coastal area. Many problems with home vegetable gardens, fruit trees, shrubs and flower gardens are not caused by pests, diseases, or a lack of nutrients, but by poor soil physical conditions. Growing plants in soils that have too much clay, too many rocks, or are just plain too sandy can be a real challenge. Symptoms of poor soil quality include: soil that is dried and cracked in summer; difficulty digging holes in the soil, whether it is wet or dry; rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and other shrubs wilt in hot weather, even with added water; leaves on shrubs turn yellow and have brown, dead sections on them, particularly on the south side of the plant; tomatoes and peppers get blossom end rot, even if fertilized with calcium; water tends to pool on the soil surface and to drain slowly, or it runs off the surface. These are all sure signs of poor soil.  The same types of problems occur with lawns. On heavy clay soils, grass is just not as vigorous and thick as it should be. The poorer the soil, the shallower the turf grass root system and consequently, the turf is less able to deal with drought or weeds. When we get into our hot, dry summer months, lawns on poor soils are the first to turn brown or the first to get infested with weeds and moss. The majority of plants grow best in well drained, well aerated, fertile soils.  Plants do best when soils provide a nice even moisture supply, but they also require an open, well aerated soil for good root penetration and to allow roots to breathe.  A tight clay soil limits root growth because of the lack of air available in the soil, and simply by the resistance of the soil to root penetration.  Resilience in plants and their ability to withstand stress is directly related to the size and health of their root system.  Plants may struggle for years in poor soils, performing poorly, and disappointing the homeowner because they fail to live up to expectations. One of the best ways to improve soil quality is through the addition of organic matter.  Annual applications of compost, animal manure, cover crops, or organic mulch materials will help to improve even the worst soils.  It may take several years, but eventually soil structure will be improved.  There are several ways to mix organic matter into garden soil.  The most common methods involve digging or rototilling.  Rototillers are effective, but hand-operated machines usually are capable of working only the top 4 to 6 inches of soil.  Excessive rototilling, however, has very detrimental effects on soil structure, particularly if done when the soil is wet.  Rototilling can compact soil just below the tillage depth, reduce the volume of pore spaces in soil for air and water and kill earthworms, which are essential for maintaining soil quality.  Although digging amendments into the soil is laborious, it  will enable you to incorporate organic matter as deeply as you choose to dig, up to 12 inches. To minimize the impact of digging on soil structure, consider using a spading fork. Cover crops provide a relatively easy way to add organic matter to soil.  The mat of roots formed by the cover crop often is more valuable in building soil structure than the above ground biomass.  Both winter and summer cover crops can be used. You can dig in the cover crop before planting your garden, or you can remove the above-ground plant material and compost it. Another option is to apply a layer of organic amendment to the soil surface and simply plant into it.  This method had the advantage of not requiring any disturbance of the soil structure.  Also, the amendment will serve as a mulch and help preserve soil moisture and suppress weeds.  One of the most important reasons for adding organic matter is to improve the ability of the soil to accept and store water.  Amending your soil may mean that you can reduce the amount of water normally needed in a newly planted garden.  Adding organic matter also increases the activity and number of soil organisms.  Over time, a well-amended soil will supply more of the nutrients your plants require, which will reduce fertilizer requirements.

14. GARDENING FOR EVERYONE Peter Glover Patty Brown Karen Edwards Mary Ann Albenesius If interested in working any of our demo gardens, call (360) 740-1212 or the contact person for that garden. You will find their numbers listed in the directory. Here is the link to our current WSU Lewis County Master Gardener site: http://lewis-mg-mrc.org/demonstration_gardens Information on each garden and how to book a tour is provided.