Lawns need proper spring feeding
LANCASTER Spring feeding
is essential for a vigorous lawn;
late March or early April is the
best time to take care of this task.
If you do not have a fertilizer
recommendation based on soil
testing, follow this general
prescription.
Apply a fertilizer that has a N-P-
K analysis ratio of 2:1:1. (10-6-4
fertilizer for example). Apply the
fertilizer at a rate that will provide
1 pound of nitrogen (N) per 1000
square feet of lawn. If you used a
10-6-4 fertilizer, you would apply 10
pounds of fertilizer per 1000 square
feet.
The nitrogen in a commercial
fertilizer may be in inorganic,
organic or partially organic forms.
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Inorganic - nitrogen is fast acting
but must be used properly to avoid
burning the lawn. Organic nitrogen
is more expensive and slower
acting but effective over a longer
period of time and safer to use.
Lawn fertilizers often combine the
two forms of nitrogen, a fertilizer
containing 50 percent organic
nitrogen is a good choice for early
spring lawn feeding.
A properly working and ac
curately calibrated Spreader is
important in obtaining correct and
uniform application of the fer
tilizer. Careful spreading is
necessary to avoid the “striped
lawn” effect.
Pre-emergence crabgrass
controls should also be applied
soon if necessary. Henry Indyk,
PHONE LEBANON
717-274-3488 /W PA.
f IQUIPMtWT J
SWINE SYSTEMS
Extension specialist in turf
management at Cook College, says
that these products must go on the
lawn by the latter part of April to
be effective. Using forsythia bloom
as an application guide is not
accurate. In using these her
bicides, correct rate of application
is essential to obtaining good
control of crabgrass. Since
crabgrass does not proliferate in
shady areas, save the herbicide for
sunny areas. Keep in mind that
Siduron is the only herbicide to be
used if you need to do any seeding
now or iJf your lawn is less than one
year old.
For more complete and-detailed
information on your lawn care and
pre-emergence herbicides, contact
your Extension Service.
Seed Test
Before you stock up on flower
and vegetable seeds, have you
checked last year’s leftovers?
Many seeds germinate well the
second year, especially if they
have been properly stored.
The seed test is simple to do.
From each packet you’re testing,
wrap several seeds in a moist
paper towel and place them in a
plastic bag a separate bag for
each variety. If most seeds in the
bag germinate within two to three
weeks, then last year’s seeds are
still good and ready to be used.
Throw away the test seeds and
plant those varieties that ger
minated well. Discard those that
do not.
If you are buying new seed, plan
now to use the leftovers next year.
As soon as you’ve finished planting
the seeds you need, store the lef
tovers in a closed container in a
dry, cool or evep cold location. A
basement, unheated store room, or
even the refrigerator are good
location to try.
Not all gardens are large enough
to accommodate all the seeds in all
the packets you are using so get in
the habit of saving the leftovers for
next year instead of casting them
to the four winds.
Flowering A Jade Plant
Jade, Crassula argentea, an
extremely common and eaay-to
grow house plant, seldom receives
any notoriety for its showy flower -
in fact, very few people realize that
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 2,1983—89
this plant blooms at all.
Growing Jade as a foliage plant
is one thing, but in order to bring it
into flower, additional
requirements of light, tem
perature, maturity, and adequacy
of root development must be met.
Since Jade is a desert plant, the
initiation of flower buds will only
take place if we duplicate this
natural environment by providing
warm dry temperatures will cool,
50* nights.
High light intensity is also
critical both for bloom and
vegeative growth, contrary to the
beliefs of some people that Jade
can tolerate a low-light interior. A
bright, sunny window facing south,
east or west is essential. The
maturity of the plant is another
important factor. Young juvenile
plants up to 3 - 4 years of age are
not sufficiently matured to
produce flower buds.
Keeping the plant pot bound,
even to the point where it might
look very much out of balance to
the size of the container, will also
favor bud formation. Although
these requirements are essential if
you wish to bring your Jade into
flower, the plant on an overall
basis will perform far better and
provide greater decoration if
grown'in this manner than one
grown under minimum standards.
As with all succulents, keep
watering and fertilization to a
minimum and refrain from using
chemical pesticides.