Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 27, 1993 TAG: 9306280274
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: John Arbogast
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
\ July
The most effective and important of all practices to minimize garden pests, and thus pesticide use, is to observe what is going on in the garden on a regular basis. Many serious disease or insect problems can be halted or slowed by the gardener who looks and either removes the first evidence of damage or at least seeks knowledgeable advice right away.
Avoid injury to plants. Cuts, bruises, cracks and insect injury are often the site for infection by disease-causing organisms. In cases where fruits or vegetables, such as cucumbers, watermelons and peppers, are difficult to remove, cut them off instead of pulling them from the plant.
Restrict the use of lawn weed killers because these tend to stress the lawn as the grass plants try to detoxify the chemical. And, when a lawn becomes brown during a dry spell, the last thing needed is fertilizer.
\ August
Home gardeners and landscapers need to consider practices that help the earth sustain itself rather than just thinking how we can make the soil all the time.
An excellent way to do that is to plant cover crops on vegetable garden- and flower-bed soil at the end of the growing season. Some cover crops, such as winter rye, can be planted later in the fall. But cover crops such as alfalfa, which provide nitrogen to the soil and help break up hard soil, must be planted this month while the weather is still hot.
Reduce unnecessary fertilizer applications by taking soil tests at this time of year from landscape shrub beds in which plant leaves have shown poor color this year. Soil tests should be taken once every three years. Correct pH problems so that nutrients already in the soil can be used by plants. Check fertilizing suggestions.
Properly identify plant pests and diseases before applying controls. With the right identification, you can select not only the best control but effective timing. Two examples: Bagworms may be noticeable in August, but they are controllable in early- to mid-June when they are young; tomatoes that are dying from a disease will not be healed by the application of an insecticide, even if your intentions are good. Use this suggestion to avoid unnecessary applications of pesticides.
\ September
Practice good sanitation in your garden, landscape and fruit plantings. Future disease problems can be avoided by promptly removing vegetable plants that have finished producing, as well as diseased plant parts and rotten fruits.
Decide on the quality of lawn you desire before establishing your fall fertilization program. For a bluegrass or fescue lawn, use a turf fertilizer that has predominantly quickly available nitrogen. That would include most of the commonly found lawn fertilizers. Make a moderate application in these months for the turf quality desired: average (low) quality - October application; medium quality - September and October; and high quality - September, October and November. A light late-spring fertilizer application is optional for all quality levels.
\ Walnut council meeting
There is a national association dedicated to the promotion of black walnut production that will meet Aug. 1-4 in Staunton. Folks who are interested should contact Dr. James Johnson in the Virginia Tech department of forestry at (703) 231-7679.
Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P. O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491.
John Arbogast is the agricultural extension agent for Roanoke.
by CNB