Northwest Gardening: Seven Cardinal Sins of Gardening

Seven deadly sins

Armchair gardening thoughts

By Alice Slusher

Watching the snow gently sifting down onto my front planting bed, it seems like a strange time to be considering gardening resolutions for the coming year. But planning for spring is like a beacon of light during these long, dreary winter days, and it’s not too soon to think about avoiding the seven most common gardening mistakes this year.

1. Planting in the wrong place

Landscape plants come with their unique light, temperature, moisture, space, and soil needs. Research any new plants before you place them in your landscape. Veggie gardens should be convenient both to water and your home—a garden located on the back 40 won’t be adequately tended. Planting on the south and west sides of your home ensures that your plants get at least 6-8 hours of sun, and rows and beds oriented north-to-south make the best use of the sun as it passes from east to west. Allow 3 feet of well-mulched space between the beds to allow room to work and prevent plants from shading neighboring beds or rows. Planting too close will stunt plant growth and encourage plant disease because of poor air circulation. Don’t let taller plants shade shorter ones unless the plants require some afternoon shade.

2. Not managing water needs

One of the biggest mistakes is not planning for irrigation before you plant. If possible, use drip irrigation or soaker hoses and plan to keep the soil moist— not wet—in the root zone. Both too much and too little water can damage plants and fruit. For example, the dreaded blossom end rot on tomatoes and other vegetables is usually caused by inconsistent watering. If you water with a hose, do so in the morning at ground level to ensure the water reaches the roots, and avoid getting the leaves wet to minimize fungal plant disease.

3. Not taking care of your soil

The best advice is to get a soil test to discover your soil needs. However, good soil management is a year-round quest. Start in the fall by covering your vegetable garden with shredded leaves. The organic material adds nutrients and tilth to your soil and keeps the spring weeds down. If indicated, add lime in autumn to amend our acidic soil. Mulch all beds to reduce weeds, keep the soil moist, moderate soil temps, and improve the soil. Don’t over-fertilize— many landscape plants don’t need it. Your veggie garden will usually need fertilizer at planting and when the plants set fruit, but be sure to use a slow-release fertilizer. A couple of shovels of compost around the plants will help to boost soil fertility, too.

4. Planting too early

It’s a good rule of thumb here in SW Washington to wait until the first or second week of June to plant your veggie starts outside. Pre-warm your soil by covering it

with clear plastic for 3-4 weeks before transplanting. If you plant earlier, you must provide protection from cold snaps. Choose seeds and starts with short “days-to-maturity” to ensure a good crop during our short summer growing season. The seed label will tell you when to start your seeds. For example, start tomato seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the first week of June and peppers a couple of weeks earlier. Keep records—label your plants, note when you started the seeds, transplanted them outdoors, and how well they produced, and problems you encountered.

5. Planting too much

Only grow what you and your family enjoy, and don’t grow more than you can eat, preserve, or share.

6. Poor pruning methods and timing

Learn how to prune correctly— attend an Extension workshop or purchase a good pruning guide. You can remove dead, damaged, and crossing branches at any time. However, if you want to keep your trees and shrubs healthy, blooming, and productive, learn what each plant needs. Springflowering shrubs should only be pruned immediately after they have bloomed. Summer and fall-blooming plants can be pruned back in late winter. Most fruit trees, bushes, and vines should be pruned in late winter while still dormant.

7. Not monitoring your plants

Keep a close eye on your garden and landscape. You can detect minor problems before they become significant disasters! Early detection will minimize the use of chemicals to solve insect or plant disease problems. The more I look back, the more mistakes I remember making! But don’t be afraid to make mistakes—that’s how you learn to avoid future problems. Please plan to attend our Master Gardener Workshops this year to increase your knowledge. Above all, have fun “playing in the dirt!”

Extension Programs

OSU – Columbia County 503-397-3462

Gardening Spot on KOHI (1600 am) radio: Every Sat, 8:05–8:15am

WSU – Cowlitz County

304 Cowlitz Way, Kelso, WA 98626 Free Workshops. Online (Zoom) except as noted 360-577-3014 X3, for connection info. Details: cowlitzcomg.com/events Jan. 18 Noon •Caring for Fruit Trees Jan. 21 10am • Orientation for Master Gardener Training Class (call for info) Jan. 25 Noon • Pruning Fruit Trees Jan. 29 10am • Caring for and Pruning Fruit in-person, COVID-permitting Feb. 1 Noon • Planning to Plant Feb. 8 Noon • Seed Starting Feb. 12 10am •Seed Starting in-person make-and-take kit, COVID-permitting Feb. 16 Noon • Grape Care and Pruning Feb. 19 10am • Grape Care and Pruning in-person, COVID-permitting

Kalama resident Alice Slusher volunteers with WSU Extension Service Plant & Insect Clinic. Call 360-577-3014, ext. 8, or send question via cowlitzmastergardener@gmail.com.

MEDICAL MATTERS

McLeod performs first By Jim Lemonds outpatient ankle replacement

Jake McLeod, DPM, of Longview Orthopedic Associates, recently performed the area’s first outpatient total ankle replacement. The procedure took place in September at Pacific Surgical Center in Longview. Dr. McLeod praised the “superb performance” of the PSC staff. “The patient had end-stage osteoarthritis of the ankle, which was causing him quite a bit of pain and limiting his mobility,” he said. “He was healthy enough to have the surgery on a same-day basis and go home after the procedure.” Three months after the surgery, the patient’s recovery is going well. Dr. McLeod’s typical postoperative recovery regimen is to keep patients in a non-weight bearing cast for a month, then a protective walking boot for the following month. “Barring any complications, the patient then begins transitioning back to wearing a regular shoe.” He noted that — provided the patient is relatively healthy — total ankle replacements are perfectly suited for outpatient settings. “There’s less time spent at the surgery center for both the patient and the patient’s family than there would be at a hospital.” According to the University of Washington Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, ankle arthroplasty has been growing in popularity because the implants available for replacement have improved. Current studies indicate a 90 percent patient satisfaction rate in the first four years after the surgery. Dr. McLeod earned his medical degree at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona, before completing a three-year surgical residency at Highlands Foot & Ankle Institute in Denver, Colorado. He later finished a foot and ankle and sports medicine surgical fellowship at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. He is a member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and the American Podiatric Medical Association and is double board certified in foot surgery and reconstructive ankle surgery.

Former R.A. Long High School English teacher Jim LeMonds is a writer, editor, and marketer who rides his mountain bike whenever he can. He lives in Castle Rock, Wash. and has two published books: South of Seattle and Deadfall.

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