produces big yields of firm, meaty
tomatoes, ideal for fresh use at
your table or for canning. It has
foliage cover and the famous fla
vor of many Harris hybrids.
The Good’N Early Hybrid VFT
tomato is a multiple disease
resistant variety, an important fea
ture for the home gardener who
uses the same plot every year.
Bears a prolific crop of 7-ounce
fruits in 62 days, and continues
producing through the summer.
Tomatoes are excellent quality
with very small blossom-end
scars.
The snowdrift marigold is the
result of 30 years of white mari
gold research by Burpee. This new
introduction is larger flowered
than its predeccessors, and can be
used both as a bedding plant and
for cut flowers. The 3'A -inch
flowers bloom from mid June until
September.
The Madness series petunia
combines the great size of the
grandifloras with the prolific
bloom and weather tolerance of the
multifloras. These petunias bloom
densely and bounce back rapidly
even after a heavy rain. Available
in coral, pink, plum, white, laven
der, and salmon red.
PLANTING PROCEDURE
Before replanting your green
house plants, water them well and
keep them in the shade. If possible,
plant early or late in the day or on a
cloudy day so they won’t dry out
before their roots are well enough
established to transport water
effectively.
Remove each plant from its con
tainer, root ball intact, keeping as
much of the soil mix around the
roots as possible. Either gently
squeeze and push up on flexible
plastic containers, or tip and tap
pots to loosen each root ball. Indi
vidual peat pots can be planted pot
and all.
Plant deeply enough so the top
of the root ball is at the soil line.
Break up and cover the top edges
of peat pots, so they won’t dry out
and act as wicks, drawing water
away from the roots.
Always water plants thoroughly
after planting. Thereafter, deep
infrequent waterings are better
than frequent sprinkles, to encour
age deep root growth. Gauge
watering frequency according to
rainfall. When your lawn needs
watering, chances are your flower
beds do also.
Adding 2 to 3 inches of mulch
J V
*T
*
will discourage weeds and con
serve moisture' while adding a
decorative touch. The best mul
ches are organic materials such as
bark chips, pine needles, shredded
leaves or peat moss. Take care not
to pile mulch against plant stems.
After planting, you may want to
give your flowers a dose of “star
ter” fertilizer, such as 10-52-17,
which is high in phosphorus to
help give roots a good start Once
k» *
Fischer ivy geraniums flower proliflcally.
or twice during the growing sea
son, another dose of the same
5-10-5 or 10-10-10 fertilizer you
used to prepare your beds will keep
your shady show-offs going
strong.
For sunny spots, let the sun do
its job. All you need to add is
water. Deep infrequent waterings
are better than frequent sprinkles,
since the former encourages deep
root growth. Gauge watering fre-
Lancisttr Farming, Saturday,
quency according to rainfall.
Educational resource gardens
such as National Arboretum,
Dumbarton Oaks, Brookside Gar
dens, Longwood Gardens label
plants that are available in com
mercial garden centers, so walk
through with a pad and pencil and
take notes.
Establishing lawns
The best time to seed lawns is in
late August to early October.
March is second best. April and
May seedings lead to weed com
petition, particularly crabgrass.
Young turf exposed to summer
heat is more susceptible to disease
and drought.
If you seed in the spring, apply a
pre-emergence herbicide such as
Siduron and use a turf-type tall
fescue seed such as Adventure,
Finelawn I, Houndog, Jaugar,
Mustang, Olympic, Rebell, Apa
che, Arid, Bonanza or Falcon. The
seeding rate is 5 to eight pounds
mixture per 1,000 square feet.
Also reduce soil acidity with
lime as recommended by a soil
test. Fertilize at the proper time
with the right amount.
When irrigating, apply water
when turf begins to wilt. Water
deeply by wetting the soil to a four
to six inch depth. Deep watering
encourages deep rooting.
For salads, sauces or soups,
nothing beats the tomato.
Where tall, upright flowers
are needed in midsummer,
balloon flower Is an excel
IS, 1989421