CORVALLIS andndash; From how to plant cover crops to how to aerate your lawn, the Oregon State University Extension Service offered gardeners advice on several topics from a variety of OSU experts in 2013.

Below is a roundup of the five most-viewed gardening stories of the year on OSU Extension’s website at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening.

andbull; Layer compost “lasagna-style” for no-till gardening – http://bit.ly/Vt9kb7 – Also known as sheet mulching, lasagna gardening is a no-till, no-dig gardening method that turns materials like kitchen waste, straw and newspapers into rich, healthy compost.

andbull; Six raised beds to try if you have bad soil – http://bit.ly/OSU_Gardening2248 – Raised beds answer the question of how we garden in inhospitable areas that are too sandy, too wet or have too much clay.

andbull; No space for vegetables? Try vertical gardening – http://bit.ly/OSU_Gardening2226 – Just grab some containers, and your beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, winter squash and melons will be ready to reach for the sky.

andbull; Brew your own beer? Why not grow your own hops, too? – http://bit.ly/OSU_Gardening2222 – OSU’s hops breeder, Shaun Townsend, offers tips on raising these rhizomes. January and February are the months for digging up rhizomes for replanting. Rhizomes can also be planted in deep containers outside after January. In May, transplant the rhizome to your garden plot.

andbull; Get a head start on gardening with cool-season crops – http://bit.ly/OSU_Gardening2236.

Cool-season plants such as peas, arugula, carrots, cabbage, spinach and turnips can be directly seeded into the ground in March in the Willamette Valley and southern Oregon.