OSU Farm Forum

The rain was a welcome event. The ground is still wet. Question is how long will the moisture last. My sprinklers are on hold for another 4 days to see if the soil dries out, especially in the orchard.
My late pumpkins are actually doing well, one is 12 inches. The watermelon made it to 3 inches then just quit, booo.
The wild blackberies continue to produce nice berries. I do a lot of pruning on the bush.
The prune tree had a huge crop, and we are just finishing up picking.
Red delicous apples are still a bit green before picking. The 2nd fig crop fell off, I think it was the wind we had a few weeks ago.
Onions - a medicore crop. In our covered cold frame - our basil plant just kicked in and is 15 inches tall with lots of eavs. Strange year. Lots of cherry tomatoes, lots of romas and salad tomatoes, but the cool wet weather is making the tomatoes crack.
Grapes still not quit ripe but time is running out for them.
My second crop of cauliflower came back very nice, where I cut the head, and regrow another head. There is a nice second head.

September - October - time to plant garlic again for next year.
Watch out for winter w**ds in the garden. The rain is causing tons of w**ds to grow.

The rain last night in Springfield, Oregon was at 0.7 inches, not bad for the first rain storm. In kicking in the soil, it looks like the rain filled 6-7 inches of the soil. So, outside irrigation can be suspended for a few days. Just go out and dig in the soil. When the moiture drop to 6 inches, start irrigating again.

The rain was hard enough to drop half my pear crop, and strangely it knocked of 1/4 of my second fig crop, hummmmm.
Pumpkins and watermelons doing well. Hope they make it to mid Ocotber.
The cool evenings are ripening the fall apples. My Johnagold was really tasty.
White and red chards doing well now.
Table grapes look like 1-2 weeks beore they are ripe.
Corn has been fantastic.
Wild blackberrie comng on very strong with a continuing crop, ie - irrigation does help but they then need to be pruned a lot.
Onion crop - mediocre. New table beet crop is coming up very nicely. Spent two hours dugging up a nasty noxious w**d with a bright light green root. It has sped horribly. Thought it was a reseeded tomateo but nope, just a nasty w**d. Wonder thru your garden and remove unwanted vegetation - w**ds.
Time to plant a new crop of garlic in the next 2-3 weeks. Pick nice sized bulbs to replant.