Vegetable Specialist Gives
Dry Weather Garden Tips
■With much of the county
still suffering effects of dry
weather, there will probably
be a rash of vegetable prob
lems associated with drought
conditions, according to James
Dutt, extension vegetable spe
cialist tram the Pennsylvania
' State University,
One .problem already show
ing up in some home gardens
and tomato fields is blossom
end rot. Dutt emphasized that
the condition is not a disease
caused by bacteria, fungus or
virus. The dry, black rotten
condition at the blossom end;
of the tomato fruit is a phy
siological breakdown caused
by a calcium deficiency and in
duced by drought conditions.
About the only way to com
bat blossom end rot is to irr
igate the crop before the soil
becomes too dry. Mulching will
sometimes help to prevent the
soil drying out, but if the con
dition is showing up on the
fruits, the only solution is
plenty of moisture.,
If irrigation is not practical,
spraying with six pounds of
Calcium Chloride per acre in
100 gallons of water will help
prevent the condition but will
not arrest it if it has already
started, according to Ernest
Beigman, plant nutrition ex
pert at the University.
Some varieties are more sirc
ceptable than others, Bergman
said, and of course the condi
tion will show up quicker on
light, shaley soils than on deep
soils.
If irrigation is practical, ei
ther in the backyard garden
or in the 'field, Dutt said, be
sure enough water is applied
to soak the ground to at least
from pruning roots. “You can
four inches. Too little water
is worse than none at all since
it pulls the roots to the sur
face where they dry out and
die.
“Never put on less than a
half inch of water,” Duttjsaid,
and it is better to irrigate in
the morning than at night, so
that foliage has a chance to
dry off. lingauon during the
heat of the day results m the
loss of too much water-thiough
evaporation.
A half inch of water means
that approximately 700 gallons
will need to he 'put on every
1,000 square feet of garden.
‘This is a plot about 30 by
30 feet,” Dutt said.
Dutt said there are a fe'w
other things the home or mar
ket vegetable gardner can do
to help beat the dry weather.
Cultivation should be held
to a minimum and should be
as shallow as possible to keep
Pequea Valley
4-H Elects Two
Posture Queens
The Pequea Valley 4-H
Cooking and Sewing club elec
ted two candidates for county
posture queen at their Mon
day meeting in the Intercourse
fire hall.
Karen Mellinger, Bird-In-
Hand, will represent the cook
ing club and Dons Bauer, In
tercourse, is the candidate
from the sewing club. The com
petition will be held on July
18 at Long Park, Lancaster.
Evelyn Groff, <3ordonvllle
R 2, is planning to 'give a dem
onstration called “Sally Lunn
Bread” at ’County Demonstra
tion Day, July 8 at Penn Manor
High School. Evelyn also re
ported on her attendance at
Club Congress at Penn State, 1
June IS to 21.
and Carol Eby.
■Next meeting of the -club
will be July 15 at 1 jpjoa. in,
the Intercourse (fire ball.
ruin a complete crop of beans
by cultivating too deep in dry
weather.” he said.
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Ground should be (prepared
for late vegetables by discing
rather than (plowing, but if
the ground must be plowed, it
should be worked down im
mediately to keep it from dry
ing out.
It is a good idea to irrigate
right alter
' '*■
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Qualified FIELDMEN are anxious to serve and assist you in
designing a PROFITABLE DAIRY FEEDING PROGRAM
,C. COl/i
BUR* 1
heans, -or %»iy tall regetaMeß,
and plant food in the irriga
tion water will help the plants
get off to a good start. Dutt
suggested that the plants and
ground be wet first, then the
plant food sprayed through
the irrigation line. "Be sure to
wash all the fertilizer off the
plant foliage.” he said to pre-
.> -
planting
-corn,
ji • ’
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the Farm Bureau Way!
For Prompt* Courteous Service*
In Bogs or Bulk, Coll . . .
Lancaster
394-0541
New Holland
354-2146
COWS LIKE IT!
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Imrata£ tk« leaves.
Ji sprinkler irrigation i» nv
available In the homegardei
Dutt said, ditch irrigation 1
A level garden is an acoeptah
method, and in sloping garden
a porus hose can he used, tn
the important thing is, get tl
water on before the plants b'
gin to dry up.
Manheim
665-2466
Quarryville
STerling 6-2126
10
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