Recent STFS Presentations
List of resources included in Rosy Smit’s Soil Health online zoom presentation May 11, 2024 to STFS members:
Soil Health Resources:
Easy do-it-yourself soil tests (ribbon for texture included)
Soil Texture Calculator from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Compost, Mulch, Fertilizer, and Soil resources from WSU Extension
Home Gardener’s Guide to Soils and Fertilizers. WSU Extension brochure EM063
Organic Soil Amendments in Yards and Gardens: How Much Is Enough? FS123E
Home Soil Sampling YouTube Video from WSU Extension
Know Your Soils — Snohomish Conservation District (snohomishcd.org)
Soil Testing & Labs:
Simply Soil Testing, 20312 Lafayette Rd, Burlington, WA 98233, 360.202.1086; service@simplysoiltesting.com
A & L Western Agricultural Laboratories 10220 SW Nimbus Avenue, Building K9, Portland OR 97223 503.968.9225
Agri-Check, Inc. 323 Sixth Street, P.O. Box 1350, Umatilla OR 97882 800.537.1129
Cascade Analytical e-mail:cascade@nwi.net, Website:cascadeanalytical.com 3019 GS Center Road, Wenatchee WA 98801 800.545.4206
KUO Testing Labs e-mail: kuotest@atnet.net, Website kuotesting.com 337 South First Avenue, Othello WA 99344 509.488.0112
Ribeiro Plant Lab, Inc. e-mail: fungispore@aol.com, Website: ribeiroplantlab.com 10744 NE Manitou Beach Drive, Bainbridge Island WA * 206.842.1157
Soil Foodweb, Inc. e-mail: info@soilfoodweb.com, Website: soilfoodweb.com 728 SW Wake Robin Avenue, Corvallis OR 97333 541.752.5066
Soiltest Farm Consultants, Inc. e-mail dan@soiltestlab.com, Website: www.soiltestlab.com 2925 Driggs Drive, Moses Lake WA 98837 800.764.1622
Twiss Analytical Lab e-mail: btwiss@twisslabs.com, Website: twisslabs.com 26276 Twelve Tree Lane, C, Poulsbo WA 98370 360.779.5141
UMass Soil & Plant Nutrient Testing Laboratory, Paige Laboratory, Room 203, 161 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, 413.545.2311; soiltest@umass.edu
Cornell Soil Health Testing Laboratory, G01 Bradfield Hall, 306 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853-1901, 607.227.6055; soilhealth@cornell.edu
Western Laboratories, 211 W Highway 95, Parma, ID 83660 (208) 649-4360; info@westernlaboratories.com
More on Soils and Soil Testing from WSU
Oregon State University soil interpretation guide
Soil type resources and apps:
Web Soil Survey (a bit involved but a ton of info regarding your particular locations soils)
Soil Web app for your smart phone (search for SoilWeb in your app store)
Slakes app for your smart phone (for determining aggregate stability, search for Slakes in your app store)
Rosy’s contact info: Rosy Smit, Agriculture Program Coordinator WSU Snohomish County Extension (Phone: 425.357.6024, Email: rosy.smit@wsu.edu Website:snohomish.wsu.edu)
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April 13, 2024 Berries in Your Backyard – Growing Blueberries and Caneberries. (Passcode: J*=ywYD9)
Presenter: Lisa Wasko DeVetter, Associate Professor of Horticulture, Washington State University (Email: lisa.devetter@wsu.edu Phone: 360-848-6124 X (Twitter): @WSU_SmallFruits).
Description: Blueberries and caneberries (raspberry and blackberry) are hallmarks of summer for many gardeners. This presentation will provide an overview of key horticultural aspects to grow these crops successfully in a backyard setting.
PDF file of Lisa’s talk overheads.
Referenced resources:
*Raspberry Cultivars for the Pacific Northwest PNW655
*Blackberry Cultivars for Oregon EC1617
*GROWING SMALL FRUITS IN THE HOME GARDEN EM103E
Growing good berries especially blueberries requires the right dirt.
Local soil building and testing resources listed on page 7 of STFS USP newsletter 42 01 2024 Jan.
More dirt on good soil for fruit plants: Another WCFS chapter, South Sound Fruit Society (SSFS) posts YouTubes and related docs from past presentations. Thanks, SSFS. Here’s some:
* June 6, 2023: Topic: “Soils for Orchards and Fruit“
Presented by Stephen Bramwell WSU Thurston Cty Ext Dir
PDF of Soils for Orchards and Fruit
PDF of Orchard Fertility Management – May 2018
January 13, 2024 Heirloom Apples, Derek Mills, Hocking Hills Orchard (Passcode: +m3z3T3*) Derek’s presentation starts at 29:18
– May your search be fruitful.
Garden Pests and Spotted Wing Drosophila Information
At our last meeting, April 24th, we had a flier created by Sharon Collman of WSU.It was full of garden resources and things to look for in our gardens this month.bb-2010-04-22
A very educational 6 page article written by Joyce Harms, Master Gardener is on this link.
An amusing and informative video is on this link http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/IPMPROJECT/SWD/When-vinegar-flies-go-bad.pdf
ARTICLES by members
gregs-scionwood-storage Greg Giuliani has written an article about taking your own Scion Wood Cuttings for spring grafting. These cuttings from your fruit trees are important to bring to the Spring Fruit & Grafting Shows for others to be able to graft varieties of fruit that you have access to.
If you have QUESTIONS
- Master Gardeners answer the phones with the Washington State University (WSU) Extension service. Professional extension agents are also available.
King County 10 to 4 pm M -F 206-543-0943 Snohomish Co 9 to 4 pm M – F 425-338-2400 Pierce County 9 to 3 pm M – F 253-798-7170 Skagit Valley Mt Vernon Research Unit 253-445-4500 WSU Extension Service has a 24 hour taped message on a variety of fruit subjects. (206)296-3425, (206)205-3100 Also, WSU has extensive literature for gardeners. pubs.wsu.edu 1-800-723-1763 Ask to be placed on the email list for Bellevue’s Master Gardener Demo facility lectures. rosborne60@aol.com
- Farmer’s markets often have Master Gardeners or others who can answer questions on an amateur level. Local nurseries often provide expert advice if you bring them a plant sample or have a gardening question.
- Seattle Tilth’s Gardening Hotline 206-633-0224 or email help@gardenhotline.org
- The “Plant Answer Line” with the Center for Urban Horticulture. 206-897-5268
- OSU’s Extension Service extension.oregonstate.edu/index.php offers literature.
- How to care for your new grafted apple tree
ORGANIZATIONS that offer assistance –
- Western Cascade Fruit Society, WCFS, is an umbrella organization for local Vashon Island, Olympic Peninsula, Seattle, and Tacoma chapters (and others.) www.wcfs.org An online discussion of Fruit Tree culture is available.
- Seattle Tree Fruit Society meetings are open to everyone. Membership ($30) seattletreefruitsociety@hotmail.com
- The Friends of Piper Orchard, www.pipersorchard.org, maintain antique apple and pear varieties in Carkeek Park. Many resources are found on their website, such as upcoming permaculture lectures, info on orchard work parties, and other fruit events.
- Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation, WWFRF, wwfrf.org, has a demonstration public fruit orchard in Mt. Vernon, at the WSU, Mount Vernon Research & Extension Unit.
- City Fruit harvests unused backyard fruit in Ballard, Wallingford, Phinney-Greenwood, South Seattle/Beacon Hill, and West Seattle and donates it to food banks, shelters, and feeding programs. For more information go to City Fruit’s web site: http://cityfruit.org/get-
involved/donate-fruit/ or http://cityfruit.org - Portland’s Home Orchard Society, HOS, has many knowledgeable fruit enthusiasts. www.homeorchardsociety.org
- Google your topic – Seattle has organizations on Bats, Mason Bees, Scarabs, or even an “eat-a-bug” cooking.
WEBSITES –
- A primer is homeorchard.ucdavis.edu
- Yakima’s fruit tree magazine www.goodfruitgrower.com
- Timing apple maggot entomology.tfrec.wsu.edu/das
- Garden Resource links compiled by Snohomish County office of WSU Extension
- Others fruit.wsu.edu, gardening.wsu.edu, www.ars.usda.gov