In this edition of the Lincoln County Gardner, host Ross McCann talks with Master Gardener Joan Crall about starting and growing herbs along the Oregon Coast. She explains exactly how to start herbs from seeds as well a purchasing starts. If growing your own isn't for you, there's a large selection of herbs at the annual Master Gardener™ Plant Sale. It's on 5/16/2026 at the Armory in Newport, Oregon.
"Growing berries can be a rewarding experience; however, growing them on the Oregon Coast presents some unique challenges. You can grow delicious blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwifruit, table grapes, gooseberries, currants, and other berries provided you select cultivars (varieties) that are adapted to the coast region, and you establish and manage your plants to grow well and stay healthy."
Cassie Bouska, Emily Dixon, Bernadine Strik have created a 6-part guide to growing berries on the Oregon Coast. This series is part of the OSU Extension Catalog. Click on the link below and start with "Growing Berries on the Oregon Coast: An Overview," then choose your berry!
You'll have choices of learning about:
image at left by alyssapy from Pixabay.
featured image brumarotta from Pixabay.
"The coastal climate of Oregon offers both opportunities and challenges for home vegetable gardeners. Mild temperatures, ample rainfall and cool summers support many crops, especially those that thrive in cooler conditions. Wind, fog and limited sunlight mean variety selection and protection are important."
Lincoln County Master Gardener™ Sally Reill (with help from local Master Gardeners Sharon Busby and Carita Edson) compiled the ultimate grower's guide which has recently been promoted as an OSU Extension Catalog timeless classic. Click on the link below to read the detailed article.
Get your seed catalogs out and pick things you know will grow:
EM 9499 | Revised December 2025 |
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image at left by Inna Heasley from Pexels.
featured image by Engin Akyurt from Pexels.
In this edition of the Lincoln County Gardner, host Ross McCann talks with Master Gardener Joan Crall, Co-Lead at the OSU Demonstration Garden in South Beach. You'll learn about the garden, its exhibits and the many events to be held in 2026.
In this edition of the Lincoln County Gardner, guest host Larry King talks with Master Gardeners Kathy Burke and Terry DeJongh about a series of classes the the Lincoln County Master Gardeners are presenting to help everyone grow vegetables at home..
In this edition of the Lincoln County Gardner, guest host Larry King talks with Master Gardener Tom Green about how he uses his new greenhouse. They share tips and tricks for growing vegetables in the greenhouse environment.
In this edition of the Lincoln County Gardner, guest host Larry King talks with Master Gardener Tom Green about building a greenhouse to extend the growing season here in Lincoln County.
With my Master Gardener™ Apprentice Project I hoped to show whether or not feeding plants using worm castings (also called vermicompost) and worm casting tea resulted in healthier, more productive plants.
I started with two beds, each receiving the same amount of sunlight and having the same growing conditions, as well as starting with the same soil type and nutrient density in each bed. I planted the same plants in the same location in each bed: 1 Tomato, 1 Zucchini, 5 Green Beans, 1 Pepper, 2 Cilantro.
I already had an “under the counter worm bin” that was home to red wigglers as well as an old cooler that I used as another worm bin, so I had access to plenty of worm castings to use. I feed them garden scraps as needed and topped them with dried plant material and a layer of cardboard.
When I planted the Worm Bed I included a handful of worm castings into each planting hole, I also scuffed worm castings into the top of the soil around each plant; the control bed was planted directly into the existing soil with no added fertilizers.
I added more worm casting to the worm bed 3 times during the growing season, about once a month I would scuff a handful of worm castings into the soil around each plant. I also watered it with worm casting tea at least once a month. Both beds received the same amount of water throughout the season.
The final produce count for each bed:
Worm bed: 44 Green Beans, 6 Zucchini, 1 bunch of Cilantro, 3 Tomatoes, 1 Pepper,
Control Bed: 31 Green Beans, 3 Zucchini, 1 Tomato,
The worm bed produced more on each plant, the plants grew
faster as well, though this slowed down around the middle to the end of season.
I never noticed any pests on any of the plants so I can’t say if the worm bed was more pest resistant or not but in the last few weeks the tomato in the worm bed has begun to look sickly; yellowing and dying leaves, and now mold has started to grow on it’s main stem. This could be due to over-watering but with so many people in and out of the garden it’s hard to tell.
Red Wiggler—Eisenia andrei
Overall, I think that the worm bed produced healthier, faster growing plants; they produced more and started producing sooner than the control bed. Worms are easy to feed and care for and make a safe and easy to use nutrient boost for your plants! They don’t require much attention other than occasional feedings, and they like to eat most garden and kitchen scraps.
Images Courtesy of Oregon State University Extension Service.
You can find out more about worm casting composting here:
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9034-composting-worms
In this edition of the Lincoln County Gardner, Ross McCann talks with Master Gardener Mary Jane Bonelitz about the history, creation and features of a keyhole garden.
In this edition of the Lincoln County Gardner, Ross McCann talks with Master Gardener Joan Crall about growing garlic on the Oregon coast.
