Coming  This Weekend, The Master Gardeners  Spring Garden Fair!

Plants, Plants, and More Plants! Don't Miss This Sale, the Biggest Garden Event in Oregon (and probably the Northwest)!  The Clackamas County Fairgrounds in Canby will feature over 185 booths full of plants and garden art.  Bring your plant buddies and shop at many of the best nurseries from our region.  Fill your garden and landscape with herbs, vegetable starts, unique ornamentals, trees, shrubs and vines. Visit our booth and choose from a selection of our most popular varieties, including Columnar Apples, Figs, Kiwis, Berries, fragrant Jasmines, Palms, and many more.

While shopping, you can also enjoy short and informative classes and delicious food from local vendors.  The Fair is outside so dress warmly, wear good shoes and bring a wagon to fill with all your plants.  There are also student volunteers who will help you gather plants in exchange for a donation to their 4H program.

The Spring Garden Fair is sponsored by the Clackamas County Master Gardeners and opens at 9AM on Saturday and Sunday, May 1st and 2nd.  For directions and more information: www.clackamascountymastergardeners.org/SpringGardenFair.htm

Growing Fruit In Pots!

Container gardening is becoming more and more popular.  Many of us want to grow fruit and vegetables but don't have space for a garden. Others simply want the convenience and beauty of fruit on their deck or patio.  Abundant harvests are easy by following a few basic principles.  Most important is to realize that plants in containers depend on you for their care. They don't have access to the soil moisture and fertility that nature provides to plants growing in the ground.  Here are some guidelines that will help ensure success in growing fruit in pots.

1. Choose the right size pot.  The pot is the vessel in which your plant's roots will grow.  It should be large enough to contain several years of root growth and should have large drainage holes in the bottom.  For most plants, a 7 gallon pot is big enough for 3 to 4 years of growth and a 15 gallon pot should be big enough for 7-8 years.  Eventually, no matter how big the pot, it will fill with roots.  When that occurs, the plant will be difficult to water and growth will become weaker. Remedying this situation means removing the plant from its pot and severely pruning the roots and top.

2. Choose the right kind of potting soil.  Well drained soil is important for virtually all plants.  Fine propagation mix is great for starting seeds, but for trees, shrubs and vines, a coarser mix containing bark and pumice will drain better and help prevent root rot. Another consideration is soil acidity. While most plants are happy in regular potting soil, Tea and Blueberries like a more acid soil.  Look for potting soil made for Blueberries and more acid loving plants like Rhododendron and Camellia.

3. Water sparingly. Overwatering is more often a cause of plant failure than underwatering. Once you have potted your new plant, water it in well and wait. Unless you are planting in the heat of summer, it will take some time before your new plant needs another watering.  If your plant is not rootbound, a deep watering once a week is usually enough even in hot weather.

While almost any plant can be grown in a container, you will be more successful and happier choosing a low vigor, more compact variety.   Columnar Apples and Wynooche Early, Liberty, Spartan and other Apple varieties on M-26 dwarf rootstock will produce the easiest to care for potted plants.   Negronne, Lattarulla, and Peter's Honey are good fig varieties for containers.   Pineapple Guava, Citrus, Blueberries, Honeyberries, and Strawberries are also attractive, easy to grow fruiting plants for container culture.

Celebrate BRINGfest on Sunday, May 2 in Eugene!

Since 1971, BRING, Lane County's home grown, non-profit, recycling organization has been encouraging people to rethink what they use and dispose of.  Jim Gilbert, Lorraine Gardner, and the One Green World PlantMobile are coming to Eugene to join BRING in celebrating this important work.  One Green World is honored to contribute many plants to BRING's new Garden of Earthly Delights.

You can talk with Jim and Lorraine about growing fruit and you can take home some great plants for your edible garden and orchard.  Unique varieties coming to BRING FEST include Kiwis, Figs, Columnar Apples, Jasmines, hardy Palms, and more.   In addition, order your plants by phone or online by Friday, April 30th, and we'll bring them to you, saving you money, energy and time.  The delivery charge is only $5.00 for any size order.

Bring your family and friends! BRINGfest will also feature a bake sale, food carts, music, and affordable crafts made by local artists from recycled materials.

BRINGfest begins at 10AM and ends at 4PM.  BRING is located at 4446 Franklin Blvd., in Eugene.  For directions and more information call 541-746-3023 or visit BRING's website at  http://www.bringrecycling.org.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time is now”
-old Chinese proverb