THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 7, 1994 TAG: 9408050117
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING REMINDERS
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
IF YOU'RE establishing a new lawn, it's not too early to test your soil.
``If you overuse fertilizer, you spend too much money and the extra fertilizer gets washed away,'' said Steve Heckendorn, manager of the Virginia Tech soil testing lab in Blacksburg. ``If you don't apply enough fertilizer, you get low yields. That's why soil testing is important.''
Virginia extension offices and libraries in most cities have instructions on where and how to take soil samples. The sample along with a $6 fee must be mailed to the Virginia Tech lab.
Heckendorn added that if you believe you need to add lime, send samples early, since lime gets absorbed more slowly than fertilizer.
Some local garden centers also test soil for a similar fee. BACK TO SCHOOL
There's less than a week left to register for fall gardening classes at Tidewater Community College in Chesapeake. Take a Wednesday evening (7 to 9 p.m.) course on lawn care that begins Aug. 24 and ends Oct. 12. Or learn how to landscape your home in another Wednesday class (also 7 to 9 p.m.) that runs Oct. 19 through Dec. 7. Registration ends Aug. 12 or when classes are full. Late registration with a $20 fee continues through Aug. 19. For more information, call 549-5100. Instructor Bill Maxwell reports that last year's classes had the most students ever. BIO-PEST CONTROLS
A thoughtful reader called to say that if you're interested in bio-pest controls, such as beneficial nematodes, write BIOSYS, 1057 E. Meadow Circle, Palo Alto, Calif. 94303, or call (415) 856-9500. HERB BOOKS
It seems that everyone is into herbs. A new, appealing book is Erica Klein's ``Skinny Spices,'' (Surrey Books, $12.95 paperback). It includes 50 homemade spice blends and 100 low-cal recipes. Another is ``Herbal Vinegar'' (Storey Communications, $12.95 paperback) that tells how to make flavored vinegars, mustards, chutneys, conserves, etc. It also includes cosmetic uses. Both books are available at the Norfolk Botanical Garden Shop. Call 441-5933. TOMATO BULLETINS
Two tomato bulletins that may help you are: ``Take Steps to Control Tomato Diseases'' from Michigan State University and ``Non-Disease Problems in the Tomato'' from Cornell University. For both bulletins, send a self-addressed, stamped, business-sized envelope to Robert Stiffler, The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510. Please write ``Tomato Bulletins'' on your envelope. PERK UP FLOWERS
Remove faded flowers from tired annuals and perennials. This is called ``deadheading.'' Perk them up with a shot of all-purpose fertilizer but do it before a heavy rain to prevent burning the plants. by CNB