area, to be used before entering.

Letting People Know

With yet another sign we will insist
on a "short" leash so that the owner

has control of the dog for the sake ofFor several months we have beencollaborating to get a feel forwhat might be appropriate for thethings we would like the public to
do differently and what kind of
behavior would be appreciatedother dogs and staying on the paths.
We hope to create a habit of parking
strollers and bikes near the entranceof the garden instead of them being
taken onto the paths.

by visitors and our volunteers at

This may not be the whole answer

the garden. As a group we thinkbut if there is a small measure of

there

success, it may lead to further

has

not

been

a clearunderstanding of the expectationsof the garden.

improvement.

In partnershipwith Parks and Recreation, wehave produced a series of signs
that will assist with some of theseissues at the garden. All of thesesigns will be used at the entranceof the garden or around the "spurtrail" near the entrance.
There is a major issue about dogs
being

allowedtorelieve

themselves on the trees andshrubs and some aggressivenessto other dogs that are walked inthe garden. It is understood thata large number of those visiting
the garden have their best friend
with them and this creates aproblem for them if we were tosay "No Dogs".

To create abalance we hope to control the"relief" issue by having a "relief"

Friends of Tsuru Island has
SHIRTS available for yourpurchase!
These black with red printing shirts
produced by CY Graphics areHanes' BEEFY-T made of 100 %pre-shrunk cotton. Small, medium,large and extra-large available.
ON SALE NOW $19.50 eachAll sales benefit the maintenance ofTsuru Island
Order yours on-line by sending us
an email atGresham.Japanese.Garden@gmail.com
VISA payment available

Issue #5

April 2016 edition

BEHIND THE SCENES

to Moxon. I showed up justasking lots of questions andreceived information without

Each month’s article in thisany intention of buying at that

section has focused on a person

point. There were hurdles to getthat most of the public and ourover including how to produce

volunteers would not come inthe components for construction.

contact with. The emphasis thisSeveral months later I stopped inmonth involves three people ofagain with numbers andMoxon Hardwoods. We often

amounts and inquired about thetake things for granted such as

inventory of Purple Heart. Iwood. This is realized especiallycontinued with questions about

when you visit the “Worlddust, glue, cutting tools, andForestry Center”. Even more

possible delivery. By the third

information can be gathered

visit, Phil and Joe met me withfrom companies that import,questions of their own.

export and supply customers

This is "Behind the Scenes". I intend to do
this focus each month telling about a personor organizations that work with "Friends ofTsuru Island" to make the garden, its
programs and the information possible. Most
projects have individuals that work behind thescenes providing a service, a product orvolunteer time to make all that isaccomplished possible and we want ourreaders to know who they are. Not only do I
what to tell you who they are but also how I
might have become acquainted with themand how they have helped build, grow andoffer.
No one person can do what we do, it takes anetwork and we hope you enjoy seeing andunderstanding what it takes "Behind theScenes" to make it happen.

with products from around theworld. Moxon deals mostly withhardwoods, but also hasavailable supplies of domestic
soft woods too. The company isoperated by Phil and Donna
Nolan and their son, Joe. they
are located in Portland on NE
Killingsworth near 205.
Originally from Australia, Philand Donna met while playing
basketball in that country andeventually made a life together.
Phil became associated with theMoxon operation in Australia.
His career was destined tocontinue in the world of timber
and wood. Their knowledge ofwood products, uses, reactions toWhen the project was ready to
get off the ground, money inhand, Moxon was so
accommodating and was such apleasure to do business with.
They went above and beyond
with no charge delivery; not oncebut twice to a new location. They
provided information, storage ofmaterials until we were able toassemble it, and visits to the jobsite for discussions.

machining and so on is way overI will continue to stay in touch

the top.

and use their services. They are

Preparing for building THE
BRIDGE, and researching thejust “down to EARTH” folks andfull of knowledge.

Purple Heart wood, brought meIssue #5

April 2016 edition

As part of the last newsletter(March 2016) I discussed
some of the things to know
and consider about lawns. I
have gotten several
comments that people had no idea about what to do with thelawn before reading that article. Most now have had a clear
understanding why one must have a professional do the lawn
installation.

I mentioned maintaining a lawn and keeping it up to thestandard that is established. Whatever that standard is; dictates
the amount of knowledge, time and money that one wants toinvest into the lawn.
The lawn maintenance...
The maintenance of the lawn has much more to do with the big
picture than just mowing and cleaning up along the edges. It
can start with the understanding about the grass plant and how itwill react to certain situations and the stresses. “Two steps
forward and one step back” is what is constantly being dealt
with when it comes to lawns. With a trained eye one can look atthe lawn and see what needs to happen or what did not happen.
Issue #5

When mowing never take away more than what you
are leaving. Take a look at the height of the grass
plants and raise the mower so that too much is nottaken off. In two or three days go back and adjust themower and mow again. If the lawn is taken down too
short, the grass looks pale and yellow. This is anindication that the sun did not get to the base of thegrass plants because it got too long.
When fertilizing a little bit more often is better than awhole bunch at once. Do not wait too long between
applications or you will lose your overlap time. I am
not referring to the wheel tracks of the spreader if you
use that type, but rather the frequency that you apply
the fertilizer. Fertilizer like other pesticides should beused as the label recommends. Please realize that moreis NOT better. When buying fertilizer remember thatjust like the seed, you get what you pay for. Buy aname brand such as Scotts, Lilly Miller etc. and readand understand that each of the elements will provide
an outcome different from the others. Look at thecontents and how much (filler) is in the bag, along withthe percentage of the main three chemicals (N, P, K,)
Check with the distributor to see which element applies
to your needs.. I suggest NEVER using a "weed andfeed" product. Not only are the contents bad for the













stream systems but also will stress the grass plants. It
will not only kill the intended weeds but will push thegrass to grow quickly, which puts a stress on the plant,
unlike the slow release approach.
The most important time to fertilize is in the middle tolate fall. A winter blend is best to feed the root systemof the grass plants and get them ready for the spring
push. There are many advertisements in the spring forlawn fertilizer application. An application will
increase the growth of the lawn plants along with therains. The lawn grows quickly and is wonderfully
green and causes the homeowner to mow more
frequently. However, this application is not necessary.
The fast response of the grass plants tends to be astressor. The lawn will grow and green up naturally,
just not as fast.
Granular (slow release) fertilizer is the best value andwill last much longer with slower effects on the grassthan liquid products.
Always remove your shoes after
fertilizing or walking in thegrass when entering the house,
YOU WILL TRACK THE
FERTILIZER IN.
Purchase a product that has
about 3% of iron in the contentof the mix.
There are products that have higher iron content thatcan be used for other purposes such as moss control,etc.
Be aware that some iron products can leave a rust stain
on concrete and cement when mixed with water. Be
sure to ask which product causes this damage. Whencleaning fertilizer off sidewalks or driveway use abroom or blower. There are products that will remove
the rust off hard surfaces if that does occur.
Most people tend to overwater the lawn. Actually too
much water is a bad thing, not only for the grass but for
the water bill. Which in turn increases the need formore nitrogen to the soil
The lawn under a tree will sometimes look different.
The grass plants are going to need food, water andconsistency to do well. The tree and the lawn arecompeting for the water, food and sometimes thesunshine. When you water and feed the lawn you arealso watering and feeding the tree. I can tell you thatthe tree is going to win every time. If the tree blocks
the sun from the grass below it, the grass will become
April 2016 editionthin, infiltrated with moss and in general stressed.
Many times the area under the tree will be very dry.
This is because the rains do not reach the groundand/or the roots are taking up the moisture. Tree debriscannot be left to sit for very long, especially on a newlawn that is just getting established. Killing the mossin a shaded area is a constant. The combination of lesssun, more shade, acidity and location, all play a part tothe condition. Conditions need to change to allow theright amount of sun for the right amount of time.
Sometimes an application of Lime may help.
The tools used to cut and trim the lawn are very
important. All mowers have some kind of cutting
system engineered into the machine. Most blades are
made of steel and over time will get dull from constantcutting and must be re-sharpened, just like a kitchen
knife. In a day or so after mowing the lawn may havethis little tan cast to it that is caused by the ends of thegrass blades turning brown. You may think the lawn isin need of more fertilizer but check the blade first to
save on time and expense. To check if the blade issharp, look at a blade of grass. If it has a clean cut, theblade is good. If it looks like the grass blades are
shredded it is time to sharpen the mower blades. Sticksand stones will dull and damage the blade.
One of the most dangerous things is a cracked mower
blade. It can come apart at any time and cause serious
damage and/or injury. It is standard practice in thelawn care industry to clean/sharpen and replace blades
every day. As a home owner, one needs to rememberthat the sharper the blade the better the cut. If you hit
something, check it out. Keep a file handy to remove
dings. The balance of the blade is also critical. If theblade is out of balance it will cause wear and tear onthe engine shaft.









Cleanliness of the mower is a big thing. If the mower
is being used by several people, clover seeds, mossspores, weed seeds, fungus and other items can betransferred to the homeowner’s lawn.
There is a fungus to be aware of called “red thread”.
This fungus is caused by the clippings sitting in a pilein the yard. Once the fungus grows in the old grassclippings it can be tracked back into any area of thelawn, yard, or house. It is characterized by a pink to red
appearance on the ends of the blade which looks
shredded. To remove “red thread” from the lawn add asmall amount of nitrogen fertilizer to the areas affected.
In about two weeks the lawn should be back to normal.
Washing the mower is especially important if red
thread is noticed. It will spread from the mower blades
to other areas of the yard.
It is important to check the amount of water being usedon lawns and shrubs. Use a screw driver or bulb
planting tool to dig down and see what the moisture is
below the surface. Mow lower in the spring and fall
but raise the mower in the summer to help shade thestems and roots of the grass. A half inch will make allof the difference.
Unstressed lawn grass is very resilient. Animal urine
spots can be fixed with seed mixes or sod. Ice damage
will recover in the spring. Spots where leaves were left
will fill in after being raked come spring except insevere situations.
Environmental issues need to be considered. Althoughwith consistency and the purchase of environmentallysound products, improvements can be made to groundwater and watershed areas. Visit the City of Gresham
website at greshamoregon.gov/lawncare to get more
information.

New To The Shoebox
We call it the "shoebox". We do not know where the name came from. In the meantime we have a new nameand a new sign for the building. The sign will be the key for individuals to find the building when they needto visit for a project, to sign in as a volunteer or go to a workshops.
If you visit that area of the park you will also notice the newest information station that is directly in-front the“Resource Building” It will provide a place to show the schedules for workshops, meetings and scheduled
volunteer days for "the garden" and "the center".

Issue #5

April 2016 edition

All Those Things To Do
A new chain-link fabric for the fencing around the shoebox. (adopted by Gresham Little League)

Replacing the lawn for the emergency path in-front of the shoebox. (May)oThe seed and soil providedoNeeded are prep labor and a commitment to keep watch over the lawn during the HOTmonths. Also to provide nutrients so that it will flourish.

Install an additional irrigation main line from the horseshoe area leading up to the Resource Center.
(planning in progress for more than a year)o

The Dingo with a trencher is available.

oThe pipe and glue for the installation are available.

o

A team leader is needed. The knowledge needed is available to get the project started andgoing.

Winter green has been installed in the general vicinity of the "Turtle" on Tsuru Island. There are 5left.
oMany more are needed for this area and will be available to installed so that the area isfilled in.
A generous donation to purchase materials to produce "Tsuru Island" banners to put on light poles
between Main/Powell and Tsuru Island.
oMaterials have been purchased and sown and are currently at the screen printers.

oAdoption of this project would require coordinating the installation of the banners andinstallation of brackets that are provided by Parks and Recreation. This is a one dayproject.
NEXT MONTH:

Plant material identification for Tsuru Island. (Adopted by Bill Peterson)

Building the “Azumya”

STUDENT WORK DAYS

Questions / comments to:

May 20 - 11am to 3pm

gresham.japanese.garden@gmail.com

A lunch will be provided for the students and staff on thesedates to provide as much volunteer time as possible
Would you like to contribute to the KAZ Kids Lunch program?
Donations can be designated to "Kaz Kids" and given to Jim,
Tomiko, Ron or Wendyor mailed to: GESCA
PO Box 1652
Gresham, OR 97030

Issue #5

April 2016 edition