PCC Landscape Technology Grounds Support Technician. Casual, Part-time.
The Portland Community College (PCC) Landscape Technology Program is seeking someone with experience performing a range of landscape maintenance duties to join the PCC Landscape Technology Program as a part-time, casual, Grounds Support Technician.
The position will start as soon as possible and work at least through the summer months. The work days will be M-F with work hours to be determined. Work will be at the PCC Rock Creek Campus. Casual positions at PCC are temporary, non-benefited roles and the pay range for this role is $16.50-$20 / hour.
You will be joining a dedicated group of Landscape Technology staff, committed to preparing students for quality jobs in the Landscape industry. You will work independently to perform a range of landscape maintenance duties. You will work safely with gas and diesel-powered equipment, attend to the health of the plants, trees, and lawns that make up the Landscape Technology facilities at Rock Creek Campus. Your work will also include routine maintenance and minor repairs to equipment, fencing and grounds features as needed. It will be essential for you to be able to safely operate motor vehicles.
If you are interested or know someone who is interested pass this information along! To express interest in the position, please send a completed PCC Employment application and your resume to Jennifer Peters, Department Chair for Landscape Technology at jennifer.peters@pcc.edu as soon as possible. Thank you!
More about the range of duties for this role:
Performs a range of landscape maintenance duties including leaf removal, pruning shrubs and trees, fertilizing, lawn care and watering.
Removes litter and empties trash cans.
Cleans roads, parking lots and walks to ensure safety of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
Provides full care for designated indoor and greenhouse plants.
Uses and makes repairs on manual and automatic watering systems to ensure adequate moisture for plantings.
Performs vector control including trapping and disposing of small animals and insects
Works in a safe manner leaving work areas safe during and after work projects.
Cleans spills as needed.
Performs other related duties as assigned. Portland Community College is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other protected class.
“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment”
Georgia O’Keefe
Rosy news…
As we near the start of summer there is promising news! COVID risk levels are lowering in the metro counties and we are receiving encouraging OSU updates with guidelines for resuming some of our Master Gardener activities. We will gradually resume activities as the guidelines and our capacity allows, in the coming months. Watch for updates via email and this newsletter, as we are able to open our program activities.
Help with MG Community Needs Assessment
Help the OSU Master Gardener program in learning the needs of our community. The program has launched a survey to guide the work of the MG program and to learn the types of gardening information Oregonians want/need to support them in successfully growing plants. The goal is to hear from 5,000 Oregonians across the state, especially those not currently involved in the Master Gardener Program.
You can help to distribute the survey and earn volunteer hours by sharing the text and accompanying images below, with your own networks!
Share the survey with 3 of your networks and earn 30 minutes of volunteer service. If you have additional networks on which to spread the word, please count an additional 10 minutes of volunteer service for each share/post. Keep note of your volunteer time sharing the survey and include those minutes/hours when you report your volunteer service in the fall.
Please share on local metro area networks or those limited to Oregon. Share the survey with any communities who might have an interest in gardening. Here are some suggested networks in which to share the survey…
Share to your personal and/or professional social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Others
If you use ‘NextDoor.com’, consider inviting your neighbors to participate in the survey
If you are part of your area PTA/PTO, ask the organization if you can share the survey link with school parents
If you are part of a church, club, fraternal organization, or other social group that is not generally associated with gardening, but you know that the members are interested in gardening, please consider sharing the survey with them
If you volunteer with other organizations that serve clients that may be interested in gardening, please ask them if they can share the survey link with their clients
Gardening Groups and Clubs: If you are a member of a gardening group or club (online, or in person), please consider sharing with those groups. Before posting on another group’s page or website, make sure that you have permission to post the invitation and survey link.
Facebook gardening groups (focus on those that are local or limited to Oregon, rather than out of state or national groups)
Email listserv of gardening groups or clubs (once again, focusing on local groups or limited to Oregon)
Below is the text and graphic promoting the survey, in both English and Spanish.
What do you want to learn more about growing plants? What information and support do you need for gardening?
Oregon State University Extension wants to support you getting the kind of information you want and need for growing plants in a home, community garden and landscape setting. Help us craft our future offerings: take a moment to participate in our survey. https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1RH4CHIopoHN9XM
Below is a jpeg of the graphic in English, to use when posting to social media or sending out emails.
¿Qué información y apoyo necesita para la jardinería?
¡Queremos escuchar su opinión!
El Servicio de Extensión de Oregon State University desea apoyarlo para que obtenga el tipo de información que desea y necesita para cultivar plantas en su hogar, jardín comunitario y paisaje. Ayúdenos a planificar nuestras ofertas futuras: tómese un momento para participar en nuestra encuesta. https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1RH4CHIopoHN9XM
Below is the link to a jpeg of the graphic in Spanish, to use when posting to social media or sending out emails.
Although summer has yet to have it’s official start, now’s the time to plan and start winter vegetable crops. This month’s Growing Oregon Gardeners Level UpSeries presentation, ‘Winter Vegetables to Grow‘, with Lane Selman, OSU, will offer you a plethora of inspiration to assist your game plan. Lane will take a deep dive into some of the more under appreciated, yet super delicious and nutritious winter vegetables! The webinar will be broadcast on Tuesday, June 8, 3pm
Registration opens on a rolling basis for upcoming webinars throughout the year.
If you find that registration has filled for a class, please check out the presentation live streamed on the OSU Master Gardener Facebook page or look for a recording of the presentation to be posted on the Level Up Series website a few days following.
Would you like to review a presentation from our Metro Master Gardener Webinar Series? Or perhaps catch a Chapter Lecture or Speaker Series that you missed? You can access our catalog of inspiring webinars via our metro area Master Gardener Media Channel.
In addition, you can view a great series of mini-videos produced by fellow Master Gardener, Dennis Brown. Dennis created the videos to incorporate into his speaking presentations for the metro MG program. The videos cover: DIY seed tape, DIY seed starting containers, cutting back a cover crop, how to prune a blueberry bush, setting-up seed starting indoors and how to collect a soil sample. Check back later this week for 3 new videos Dennis created: controlling leafminer, planting sweet corn seedlings and planting tomatoes. Thank you Dennis for creating and sharing these informative videos!
Oregon Master Gardener Mini College – Goes Virtual!
You still have time to catch a great line-up of garden-focused classes from the comfort of your home, by registering for the 2021 Oregon Master Gardener Mini College. This virtual conference will be held online, July 16 & 17. Mini College is a great continuing education opportunity, with an outstanding slate of horticulture experts presenting a range of topic.s
Photo: www.pixabay.com
Robert Michael Pyle, author, educator and scientist will kick-off the event as the keynote speaker. In addition, there will be a great array of interactive classes and workshops from leading horticulture experts and educators. Our very own Weston Miller, will be sharing the keys to success for organic vegetable gardening. Other presentations will focus on native plants to consider for attracting pollinators, the promise and pitfalls of biochar, plus a presentation all about mason bees – to name just a few of the topics being presented.
Cost for the two-day event is $49 and is open to Master Gardeners and the public. So grab a friend, and join-in an enriching garden education opportunity.
More virtual opportunities with the International Master Gardener Conference!
Every two years Master Gardeners have the opportunity to participate in the International Master Gardeners Conference, which is hosted by a rotation of Extension Master Gardener Programs. This year the event is being sponsored by Virginia Cooperative Extension and you have the opportunity to participate from the comfort of your own home! The Conference is going virtual for 2021!
This educational confluence of horticultural experts and Master Gardeners from the US, Canada and South Korea is taking place September 12 – 17, 2021. Virginia Cooperative Extension is planning “a unique and creative virtual conference that will offer not only the chance to attend live webinars and workshops, but also opportunities to socialize with and learn from EMGs from around the nation, to learn about gardening in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and to participate in interactive activities such as virtual tours of Virginia and small group sessions.”
Did you miss the ‘Elevated Skills’ Master Gardener training classes? Don’t despair the training is still open. Although in-person sessions of the training have passed, you can still take part and explore a subject of interest. Whether that be ‘Community Science’, how to ‘Superpower Your Education Garden’, ‘Garden Woody Plant ID with the OSU Landscape Plant Database’ or the other ‘Elevated Skills’ class offerings.
For Perennial Master Gardeners this training counts as ‘Continuing Education’ hours.
2020 Master Gardeners Trainees, the Elevate training can be counted towards your service hours to meet the requirements to complete the Master Gardener training.
See the entire Elevate course line-up, andregister HERE.
Note: The metro area MG program is using a different online tool for our MG Helpline clinic and is not using the ECCO tool being highlighted in the “Learning How to Use the Extension Client Contact Online (ECCO) Tool in Plant Clinic” course.
Houdini fly in Multnomah County? (Multnomah County; 2021-04)
Q: We noticed these flies in our mason bee tubes. After some googling we think it might be a Houdini fly. Is this something that needs to be reported? Are there steps we need to take to help the bees?
The Houdini Fly, Cacoxenus indagator, was recently identified as an invasive pest in Oregon; it is a kleptoparasite from Europe which lays its eggs on the pollen cake meant for a Mason Bee, thereby starving the bee. (Client image; 2021-04)
A: Thank you for the excellent images of the Houdini Fly, Cacoxenus indagator, recently identified as a serious, exotic insect pest of Mason Bees.
Because the flies move slowly, you’ll be able to collect several samples to submit for ID. Refrigerate them in a small covered container until submitted. (Feel free to crush any extra flies you may discover later.)
Q: The east-facing side of my Coburg, OR, home has hundreds of little moth-like bugs lighted on it. They started to appear in early April, when the weather started warming up. Can you tell me what they are, and how I can control their population?
A: The small insects are called Drain Flies, a Psychoda species. Other common names for them are Moth Flies and Filter Flies.
Drain Flies are most commonly found indoors near moist areas, such as sinks, wet-mops that have been wet for several days, or in damp basements. These flies are poor fliers and are often found near their source.
Potential sources outdoors include a nearby area that remains moist for an extended period. Places to investigate as a source include roof gutters clogged with debris, at the base of downspouts, a wet spot near a leaking spigot, moist compost, and/or dirty garbage cans.
Drain flies are considered to be nuisance pests because they don’t cause damage to people, their pets or belongings. The remedy is to locate and eliminate their source. No pesticides needed. A wet-dry shop-vac could help decrease the number of the adults but will do little as long as the moist breeding site remains.
White Egg Like Spots (Clackamas County; 2021-05)
Q: What are these white egg-like spots on my bush?
Azalea Bark Scale are small white, sedentary, sucking pests which slowly drain the vitality of several shrubs, especially Azalea, Pieris (Andromeda), and Rhododendron. (Client image; 2021-05)
A: Azalea Bark Scale are small sucking insects which can cause their most common victims — Azalea, Pieris (Andromeda), and Rhododendron — to slowly decline over an extended period of time. (Certain other shrubs may also be affected, but far less often.)
You can physically attack those small beasts by rubbing them off with a toothbrush.
Then, because you’re very likely to miss the small, newly hatched larvae (youngsters), follow-up with a commercial Insecticidal Soap Spray, diluted according to label directions. Coat all surfaces of the stems and branches thoroughly, front and back, top and bottom. Then repeat the spray, as needed, through the following months.
Woolly aphids on Old Apple Tree (Multnomah County; 2021-05)
Q: Our old apple tree has wooly aphids, how can this be treated!
A: Woolly apple aphids, Eriosoma lanigerum, are impossible for home gardeners to eradicate. The reason? The main colony of woolly apple aphids are on the tree’s roots whereas only some move to the top growth every spring. The result of an infestation is a gradual decline in tree vigor. In spite of that, fruit yields are often large enough for a family’s use.
Our official Insect Management Handbook says “This aphid is considered a minor pest in the PNW. If colonies are found on trees, they can be physically removed. Many Geneva and Malling-Merton rootstocks are resistant.”
You can limit the damage somewhat by spraying commercial insecticidal soap, prepared according to label directions, directly on the woolly aphids you find on the bark, then repeat as need through the growing season. Other pesticides that might be considered are rated as “highly toxic to bees.”
No pesticides are available for soil treatment.
In commercial apple orchards, woolly apple aphids would be avoided by not planting susceptible kinds of apples. You might consider planting a new apple with one of the resistant rootstocks mentioned above.
2nd Q: We’ve just tried some Safer Insecticidal soap and will reapply again tomorrow. Last year the tree produced lots of apples, this year we see very few coming. Will these aphids harm surrounding plants?
2nd A: Woolly apple aphids are specific to apple trees. They won’t damage other plants.
It’s unlikely you’ll need to use insecticidal soap daily. Limit its use to when you see new aphids, then spray only the fresh white specks.
This year’s small crop may be a normal event because apple trees tend to “alternate bear.” That is, after they produce a huge crop, the following year they’ll produce a small crop.
But, there’s a simple trick to even out production one year to the next. It’s called thinning.
To thin, when the fruit is thumbnail-sized, remove the excess to a reasonable number. In general, the goal is to keep only one fruit per cluster. However, if what remains may be too heavy a load for the branch at harvest, remove even more of the as yet undeveloped fruits.
The result of thinning? Even though you’ll have fewer apples at harvest, they will be large for their kind and high quality.
ID what ate my dahlia? (Multnomah County; 2021-05)
My dahlia was about 8 inches tall and had a quick death, did some digging and found these little white worms around the stem looks like they ate it. What are they? What’s the best way to get rid of them?
Photo left: The white ”worms” found at the base of the damaged dahlia stem. Notice the glossy, wet clay soil. (Client image; 2021-05) Photo right: The damaged base of the dahlia stem. (Client image; 2021-05)
A: Thank you for attaching the images. The 1st image (white larvae and wet soil) and the 3rd (rotted stem) are the most telling.
It’s very likely the stem rotted from excessively wet soil, then the larvae came in to clean up the debris. It’s also likely that the tuber is also rotted.
After dahlias begin growing in the spring, they do well with moderately moist soil.
By Margaret Bayne, OSU Extension Service Staff-retired, OSU Master Gardener
An Unusual Tree Company- Bartlett Tree Experts. “In addition to providing tree services, this company also maintains the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories and Arboretum. The latter includes over 300 acres of tree collections and ongoing research trials. Here’s a sampling of the tree research…” (Linda Chalker-Scott, Gardenprofessors.com) https://bit.ly/3hg35LG
Field bindweed, Oregon State University
Bidding goodbye to the dreaded Bindweed- “The white, trumpet-shaped flowers called bindweed that seem to bloom everywhere can be one of the most frustrating weeds for home gardeners.” (Andy Hulting, OSU) https://bit.ly/2ResDyb
Millipede Swarms Once Stopped Japanese Trains in Their Tracks. “A team of scientists say they have figured out the cicada-like life cycles of the many-legged arthropods.” (Veronique Greenwood, Nytimes.com) https://nyti.ms/3bk7jOs
