Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 6, 1995 TAG: 9508080008
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN ARBOGAST
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Basic ways to conserve soil moisture while also holding soil and nutrients include:
Incorporate organic matter into all soils prior to planting; this should be mixed in at least 8 inches.
Reduce plant competition for available moisture by proper weeding and thinning to recommended spacings.
Maintain a 2- to 3-inch thickness of organic mulch around plants as well as over their root system areas.
Use one of the water-conservation devices, such as trickle irrigation or a "weeping" style hose placed near the base of plants to reduce (a) the amount of water used, (b) water waste such as irrigation on paths or adjacent driveways, and (c) run-off.
Keep in mind that gardens in containers or narrow raised beds will dry out more rapidly than conventional garden soils due to hotter soil temperatures and normally fast drainage. Balcony or patio gardeners can try white pots, since light colors will reflect the sun away rather than absorbing it as black does.
Experienced gardeners know that it's just not possible to get a great harvest from most vegetables without some watering. Keep in mind that the critical periods for watering are when the seeds have just been planted through the young tender period, plus when the plants are forming the part that we want to harvest.
The correct time to water a garden with a sprinkler or other method that gets the foliage wet has always been a controversial issue. The recommended time, which might be bad for most working people, is in the early morning when humidity is high and moisture lost to evaporation by the sun is minimal. Watering in the afternoon can result in a 20 to 25 percent loss of water through heat and evaporation. Watering in the evening would conserve water as in the early morning, but it increases the risk of fungal disease and damage from nighttime insects looking for water.
Q: When can we prune a Concord grape vine? It is climbing into an apple tree and we would like to cut it out of the tree. J.C.B., Mouth of Wilson A: The recommended time for grape pruning is when the vines are dormant in either mid to late fall or mid to late winter.
That's the best time to select the fruiting branches and renewal spurs for your trellis and then remove excessive growth. It would probably be OK now to prune out the grape branches that are growing into the apple tree. Do so with these two precautions in mind:
Prune branch portion so as to remove as few leaves as possible, since the foliage manufactures the food for the fruits and is thus necessary for optimum quality.
The Concord grape variety, like other grapes that grow in this area, produces its early spring flowers on the youngest parts of the grape plant, meaning that the portions that are in the apple tree might be where this year's grapes are located.
Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. We need your mail, but this column can't reply to all letters. Those of wide appeal will be answered during the weeks that the subject is timely. Personal replies cannot be given. Please don't send stamps, stamped envelopes, samples, or pictures.
by CNB