Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 14, 1991 TAG: 9103190198
SECTION: LAWN & GARDEN PAGE: LG-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Then I could have Dr. Melvin Maxey get me off to a proper start with a garden.
I could have avoided all those foul-ups. One of the biggest was the time I was going to get a super early start and dug the garden with a shovel when the soil was quite damp.
It was then that I learned that to dig wet soil creates concrete-like clods that take a full winter to break down.
Maxey could have saved me from those pains. But he can save others now.
"I really would like to help people who have never had a garden get started," he said.
The only problem with his offer, Maxey said, is that he must confine his services to the Salem area because of his busy schedule as a master gardener who specializes in tomatoes, squash and other vegetables. He's also an Episcopal priest who stays busy with church affairs along with other civic endeavors.
For growing good tomatoes, Maxey likes Heinz and Roma varieties.
Roma is a high-yield red, plum-shaped tomato developed especially for paste, sauces and canning. It has few seeds and grows on bush-type vines.
Maxey terms the Heinz variety "outstanding" for canning, cooking or paste. It has a medium-sized fruit which is meaty and crack-resistant. Also, the vines produce over a long season, he said.
Those who want free gardening advice from Maxey can reach him at 387-1047.
by CNB