Author Archives: Nicole Bell

PruneBetter: The team behind the scenes, and what’s next for the series…

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Pruning can feel like one of the most intimidating parts of caring for a garden—that’s why we released our #PruneBetter series. This series of social media posts covered a wide array of common garden favorites: blueberries, hydrangea, apple trees, and more! If you missed any of the posts this year, they are all still accessible via searching #PruneBetter on Instagram or Facebook.

Our team worked hard behind the scenes to present you with science-backed and accessible content. This series started with LeAnn Locher (Master Gardener Outreach Coordinator), who envisioned utilizing OSU’s social media platforms to not only link to educational content, but to present it directly. Both Instagram and Facebook allow our team to connect directly with Master Gardeners, students, faculty, and the public from one platform. Her idea presented a fun challenge: a series of 10-second videos, each conveying and/or demonstrating a pruning tip.

LeAnn Locher, the origin of the idea of the PruneBetter project. P.S. if you’re looking for information on hydrangea pruning (how beautiful are these, in the photo?!) check out our archive of posts from earlier this year.

The #PruneBetter team also consisted of our invaluable background researcher, Mallory Mead (member of the Garden Ecology Lab). She sourced and compiled information—Mallory also helped ensure our posts were timely (AKA posting about a particular plant during its prime pruning window).

Mallory Mead; undergraduate student in Horticulture at OSU and member of the Garden Ecology Lab.

Content creation was headed by Nicole Bell (graduate student in the GEL). I (hi, it’s me) wrote captions for the posts, but admittedly—the hardest part was trying to figure out what to put in those 10 second videos! One of my favorite parts was getting to work with my parents: Bernadine Strik (professor emeritus in Horticulture, and mom) for the blueberry content, and Neil Bell (community horticulturist for OSU extension, and dad) for most of the video content. They were the ones who inspired me to pursue a career in horticulture, so it was fulfilling and fun to show them and incorporate them into just a bit of what I’m working on.

What, exactly, does a day of planning and creating #PruneBetter content look like? Step 1: use Mallory’s background research to create an idea for videos (up to nine 10-second segments, for posts) stories (videos up to 30 seconds, and sometimes before and after photos), and the caption. Step 2: select and travel to pruning site. These sites varied from the OSU Lewis Brown Horticulture Farm, the home garden of Nicole’s parents, and gardens generously offered up for example by OSU Master Gardeners. Step 3: shoot content. Let me just say… 10 seconds goes by quickly when you’re talking! Although one of the most challenging parts of creating video content for our social media platforms, it was also a great learning experience. What information do we really need to include? What visual is most valuable to show or demonstrate? Step 4: choose the best of our material, and post! Posts included the slide of videos, the caption with supplemental information, and our stories (one of my favorite parts about creating this series was making the weekly quiz). 

Neil and Nicole Bell, pruning and filming in their home orchard (apple tree pruning post).

Throughout the #PruneBetter campaign, we were surprised and amazed at the amount of engagement and support from the community. We loved seeing your shares, comments, and messages—it means a lot. Gardening can feel like a never-ending sea of tasks, but I think it is made better with community, accessible knowledge, and (at least) knowing you’re not in the work alone! We’re not done yet—keep an eye out for more content in June (hello, apple thinning!) and beyond. As long as there is something to prune, we’ll be waiting to find and share all the ways we can #PruneBetter.

To access the supplemental resources included in the posts this year, see below.

Blueberries: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1304

Roses: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/…/flowe…/pruning-roses

Apples: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/pub/pnw-400

Lavender: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/…/pruning-lavender

Tree pruning with the pros: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/collection/pruning-pros

Figs (video): https://youtu.be/0jKXn4wByz4

Fruit trees: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/…/tree-pruning-basics

Pacific Power “Small Trees for Small Places” booklet: https://www.pacificpower.net/…/PP_SmallTrees_Booklet.pdf

To access the posts made earlier this year, go to Instagram or Facebook and search the hashtag #PruneBetter.

Scrub a Dub Dub: 5 Cleaning Tips for a Healthy Garden!

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What… is it already time to think about spring cleaning?! It might still be winter, but spring will be here faster than we know it. Some quick cleaning is a great way to take care of a garden that we enjoy during the year!

If you’re wondering where to start, this blog post could be a way to jumpstart your cleaning. Here’s 5 tips on things to clean in the garden.

  • Bird feeders.

It’s a great feeling to see all types of birds using and enjoying your bird feeder. While they’re great, bird feeders can actually pose a major threat to bird health: excrement that is on the feeder perch can pass from bird to bird, spreading Salmonella and other diseases. Even if you don’t see dead birds around your bird feeder, birds that use your feeder could still be passing disease elsewhere, after they use it. Luckily, it’s a simple fix! How to clean a bird feeder: It’s best to clean your bird feeder regularly, say in between fills. Ideally, take it inside and wash it with soap and water. Then, soak it in a bleach solution (9:1 water to bleach) for 10 minutes. Rinse again to rid the feeder of any bleach solution. Make sure to wash your hands after touching the feeder! For more information, check out this link.

  • Bird baths.

Bird baths: Algae isn’t fun to look at, but did you know it’s also dangerous for birds? Luckily, there’s simple fixes to keep bird baths clean and fresh for visitors! The easiest way to help keep your bird bath clean is to wash it out regularly (sometimes even every day, especially in the summer). 

There are two other mixing solution options for doing a deep clean of your bird bath: vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Each mixture is nine parts water and one part vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Use a scrub brush to fully clean the bath and then ensure no cleaning mixture remains. Refill with water, and you’re good to go!

For more information, check out this link.

Photo by Nicole Bell.
  • Gardening tools.

Tools help us take great care of the garden… let’s show the same level of care to our gardening tools! Cleaning gardening tools helps to extend their lifespan and can also help prevent the spread of disease. 

How to clean gardening tools: Different options exist to clean gardening tools. For those tools that have metal, you can fill a 5 gallon bucket with sand and about a quart of car motor oil. After you’re done using the tools for the day, dip them in the sand and oil mixture. This mix helps to both clean the blade and coat it in a thin layer of oil. If you want to do a deep clean, you can wipe off any tools with a damp rag and some alcohol. If there’s sap or other buildup on your tools, try using sandpaper to get rid of it. Sandpaper is also a great way to refresh the wooden handle on tools (if you want to add a layer of oil after sanding wood, try mineral oil as a finish)!

For more information, check out this link.

  • Debris from diseased plants. Did you find black spot on any roses last year? How about other diseases on plants in the garden? Remove those diseased leaves or other debris from infected plants to prevent the spread of disease.
  • Stepping stones/moss slipping hazard. Moss is great! But if you have too much of it on your walkways, it can be a slipping hazard. Use your best judgment – if you’re worried about it being a potential hazard, it’s rather easy to select where you want to remove it on pathways/pavers. Mix a solution of bleach with water (up to 15% bleach) and use a scrub brush to agitate and remove the areas of concern.

Happy cleaning!

New Lab Member: Nicole Bell

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My name is Nicole Bell, and I’m a first-year master’s student in the Garden Ecology Lab. I was born and raised in Oregon, and I’d like to think that part of the reason I’ve ended up in the field of horticulture/entomology is because I was surrounded by bugs and flowering plants growing up. My childhood backyard was filled with plants, bugs, wild bunnies, and raccoons (and our yellow lab, Bella). It was hard not to be fascinated by all the life that’s possible in just one space.

I completed my H.B.S. in Environmental Sciences here at Oregon State University in 2020. I chose to study environmental sciences because when I was entering college, I knew I cared about science and climate change, but I wasn’t sure what exactly I was interested in. It was an overwhelming decision to try and narrow down a field of study when I wasn’t even sure what the options were yet. I’m grateful that the summer before my freshman year of undergrad, my mom encouraged me to get a job… and there was an opening at Dr. Sagili’s Honey Bee Lab in the Horticulture Department. I had never worked or even thought much about bees/pollinators before, let alone considered making pollinators my focus. Long story short, I got the job as an undergraduate worker in the lab, and I learned so much about both lab and field work.

I worked at the Honey Bee Lab for over 4 years. Towards the end of my freshman year, though, I wondered what working with native pollinators would be like. I found a project offered through the URSA Engage program at OSU: studying the impacts of wildfire severity on offspring food provisions for a native bee (the blue orchard mason bee, Osmia lignaria) at the Forest Animal Ecology Lab in the Forestry Department with Dr. James Rivers. I designed an experiment and wrote my undergraduate thesis about mason bees, and I am grateful for my experience there, as I got to learn about the integration of bees and their environment. When I finished and defended my thesis, I was approaching graduation. I knew I wanted to take some time off school to enjoy reading and learning about topics that interested me outside of a classroom setting.

Who would have thought you could grow up afraid of bugs and then have over 12,000 crawling all over you? Photo taken at the Honey Bee Lab bee beard day in summer of 2018.

Science communication has become a big passion of mine. While most of my undergraduate experience (in the Honey Bee Lab and Forest Animal Ecology Lab) was hard science, either in the field or in the lab, I craved combining my passion for writing with my interest in expressing the implications of science to the public. My mom found a job posting (again… thanks mom!) for an agricultural science writing position at Washington State University, specifically the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR). I worked with an amazingly supportive and intelligent group of scientists: they gave me publications to write blog posts about, and they helped me to edit the pieces into works I am proud of. The collaboration that the team members at CSANR have is inspiring and only bolstered my interest in communication and teamwork. While none of my articles on AgClimate were specific to pollinators, the knowledge I gained about agriculture in general and how to put together a synthesized blog post about a complex study was invaluable.

I met with several different potential graduate advisors, and I was amazed with Dr. Gail Langellotto’s knowledge and passion for native pollinators and their urban habitats. Dr. Langellotto also had projects that piqued my interests and would allow me to curate a thesis that blends science and communication. While I’m just now beginning work on the methods for my thesis, I’ll be conducting a comprehensive literature review on bee communities in urban and community gardens. Additionally, I will create an iNaturalist guide on native bees in the Portland, Oregon, area.

One of my favorite things about native pollinators is just how many species are out there. I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface with my current knowledge about these ecosystems and how they function, so I couldn’t be more excited to learn from other members of the lab and from my research.

What I love most about bugs, bees, and insects alike may be this: there’s a whole world underneath us and above us that we can so easily miss if we don’t look for it.