By Margaret Bayne, OSU Extension Staff-retired, OSU Master Gardener
NEW: Pruning video course series from OSU. Five courses offered: Pruning Blueberry, Grapes, Kiwifruit, Raspberries and Blackberries.
“You can take any of these courses individually or take them all to become a pruning master. In these self-paced online courses, you will navigate through several 10–20 minute video lectures. You will have access to the course and the materials for one year after you enroll. You will also receive a bundle discount if you enroll in multiple courses at the same time.” (OSU) https://bit.ly/31IOZIN
Radiation-munching fungi are thriving on the walls of Chernobyl’s reactors. (Iflscience.com) https://bit.ly/39gNynE
Mosquitoes are drawn to flowers as much as people — and now scientists know why. (James Urton, University of WA; UWNews) https://bit.ly/31OJw3h
Fun and informative video: Licking bees and pulping trees: The reign of a wasp queen. (Kenny Coogan, TED-ED via youtube.com) https://bit.ly/31FAF3W
Evaluating the hidden risks of herbicides– Gut microbes of wasps evolve after exposure to common treatment, leading to pesticide resistance, study says (Mary Todd Berman, Harvard Gazette) https://bit.ly/2Hera26
Accuracy varies for commercially available soil test kits analyzing Nitrate-Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and pH. (Ben Faber, et al; American Society of Horticulture Science) https://bit.ly/31GxAAu
Stunning! – The magical beauty of looking up at trees in the middle of a forest captured by photographer. (Beauty of the Planet.com) https://bit.ly/2SDoqRa
Scientists learn how plants manipulate their soil environment to assure a cheap, steady supply of nutrients. (Rice University via phys.org) https://bit.ly/2w7kBfE
‘Profound’ evolution: Wasps learn to recognize faces. “One wasp species has evolved the ability to recognize individual faces among their peers—something that most other insects cannot do—signaling an evolution in how they have learned to work together.” (Cornell U via phys.org) https://bit.ly/39mdo9N
Fruit Tree Pruning Basics. (Jim Downer, Gardenprofessors.com) https://bit.ly/37cJy65
Revised OSU publication: Noncrop Host Plants of Spotted Wing Drosophila in North America. (Amy Dreves, et al, OSU) https://bit.ly/38joNqL
Plants copy nematode pheromones to repel infestations. (Sterling Admin, bioscriptionblog.com) https://bit.ly/2OJWh9W
Fail to plan or plan to fail? Planning for a year of garden success. (John Porter, Gardenprofessors.com) https://bit.ly/2SCrMno
Urban gardens contain too much organic matter, OSU study finds. (Kym Pokorny, OSU via Oregonlive.com) https://bit.ly/2Sy514i
We’ve figured out how mosquitos sense our warmth. “Unfortunately, they still seem to be able to find us without it.“ (John Timmer, artechnica.com) https://bit.ly/2wbPD67
