Derrick Gunther

Stacy Witscher wrote:I moved from the SF Bay Area with an average rainfall of 21 inches to southern Oregon with an average rainfall of 26 inches but in a lot of ways it was easier in the Bay. The weather is milder there so things need watering less often. Where I am now, almost nothing actually wants full sun in the summer. I have attached shade cloth (left by previous owner) to the chain link fencing around the raised bed garden, this has helped a lot. I have four beds under trees, this year they had large leafed squash plants, helped with the late afternoon wilting. Almost all of the beds are mixed crops, like cucumbers under corn. I try to keep the soil covered and shaded.

I just moved to the Applegate Valley this summer, and have noticed the same thing about partial shade. I brought a tropical house plant with me and set it outside under a tree when I got here, and there must have been a pepper seed in the soil, because a pepper plant grew up and has been extremely healthy and productive, all while in pretty dense shade (the house plant is also doing great).  Also, my neighbor has a great kitchen garden at it has pretty big trees to the east, and some partial shading to the west. So, I'm planning to move my kitchen garden from where the previous owners had it out in the full sun, to an area where it will get some partial intermittent shading (and much closer to the house, being zone 1 and all).  I've heard others in similar climates say the same thing, that "full sun" veggies do better in dappled shade.  

The poison oak in Josephine County, Oregon is covered in clusters of little, white flowers right now.

So sprouts a new tree in a weary world.

Hi Brittany,
I had forgotten all about this thread until I got an email saying someone had posted on it.  It's pretty funny to go back and read my posts from 5 years ago. One thing I can now confirm, gogi berry does in fact thrive in Utah!  Plant one and have more gogis than you want within a couple years.  They also love to send out shoots, so soon you'll have an entire thicket where once there was a single cane.  I have a small food forest now, and gogis are definitely the species that has been thriving the most out of all the perennials I've planted (if you want some I'd be happy to dig up some shoots for you).  If you're willing to water, many things can thrive here (I have pawpaw and american persimmon growing quite well), but the summers really are too dry for most plants to do well without water.  Are you from a similar climate or is this area entirely new to you?  I've learned a few things over the past few years and would be happy to discuss what I've done and learned. I'm far from an expert though. I have a full time job so my gardening is done on the side, when I have time and motivation for it.  If you're in SLC proper, there are some regulations that make things more complicated than they should be, but you can definitely get a backyard farm going if you're motivated!

What species or hybrids are they?  I don't have any great insight but am super interested in chestnuts, so I'd like to understand how different species and varietals are growing in different climates. It seems in Portland that maybe American would struggle with the dry summers, but that Chinese wouldn't, but that's just a guess.  Obviously the dry summers would probably help with avoiding the blight, but I guess there are always tradeoffs.

Good stuff!

My understanding is that it contains humic and fulvic acids, and is the product of organic decay, thus containing carbon. However, it seems it is rather ill defined on a molecular level.  Interested to hear more.

Jay,
I agree, a single legitimately sick individual (livestock or human) who will be able to recover and be healthy again if given a course of antibiotics is not a serious problem.  Feeding every single animal a prophylactic and growth promoting (at horrible cost) constant stream of antibiotics is a huge problem that has already driven a rise in pathogenic antibiotic resistant strains, as well as the negative consequences identified in the above paper. I have a sick feeling that we'll continue to uncover more and more negative consequences of the practice as well, much as RedHawk has outlined.

https://www.labmanager.com/news/2019/10/researchers-find-multiple-effects-on-soil-from-manure-from-cows-administered-antibiotics?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTERS_LM_Monitor_2019&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=77936185&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--gOVEbf8cH8nyQwqprvThsT049skwlz6pfuOLeAIAp6KhNIM3_dC4VXbHZ0p_FiB8F0rx9G1d8-VyuvTNS1AGpoGj8jw&_hsmi=78038181#.XaX71HdFy70

Most people on this forum's response to this is probably, "no shit", but it's nice to see good experiments coming out in the mainstream scientific literature.  I think it's funny that the authors suggest we may not want to use manure as fertilizer because of this research, instead of not using constant antibiotics in raising cattle. Anyway.

Interesting dialogue on Climate!!! I don't have much to add to that but I appreciate the links and opportunities for learning.
I do, however, have some info to contribute on the fig situation.  I currently live in SLC Utah, which is called USDA zone 7 these days, though it was zone 6 on old maps. It's relatively wet in the winter and spring, but we have hot, dry summers. I planted a Chicago Hardy fig in the ground in the Spring 1.5 years ago. It didn't do much last summer, but survived the winter just fine and is growing well this summer. It set a couple small fruits but they haven't ripened; likely won't as it has been frosting the past few mornings.  I have a Stella that was living in a pot for the past several years, including last winter outside, in a sunny spot on the south side of my house, with mulch packed around the pot.  So it was getting winter sun and likely some residual heat escaping from the house. I also had a Brown Turkey in a pot next to it last winter, I had just ordered it in the Fall, so it was brand new, likely only a year old from cutting.  Both of those survived and are now planted out in my yard and have been growing pretty well this summer.  I think the low last winter was 6 degrees F (at the airport, but likely a couple degrees colder at my house), which is around normal, but on the warm side.  It's not entirely uncommon to get down to around -5 or -10, so it's possible the figs wouldn't survive that. I'm sure I'll find out eventually!