AU Gardens
Great & Small
York Co
Horticultural Agem
Tom Becker
Too Wet? Plant A
Groundcover
This is the second article in a
monthly series on managing
nutrients in the garden. Soil
erosion contributes to decreased
plant growth. Soil erosion
results from storm run-off from
unprotected garden areas and
landscape beds. Herbaceous
perennials, groundcovers and
turf reduce soil erosion.
Soil sediment constitutes the
largest volume of contaminant
carried by run-off. Phosphate
and pesticides pollutants often
attach to soil particles in run-off
water. Therefore, controlling
erosion makes a significant con
tribution to the control of water
pollution.
The erosion process is initiat
ed when the impact of falling
raindrops or irrigation water
detaches soil particles. When
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there is too much water to soak
into the soil, it fills surface
depressions and begins to flow.
With sufficient velocity, this
shallow surface run-off carries
away the detached soil particles.
Look for these signs of ero
sion in the garden. Tree roots,
small stones or rocks become
exposed. Small rills or gullies
begin to grow. A build-up of silt
may occur in certain low areas of
a yard or garden. Also, loose soil
splashes on windows and out
side the walls of your home.
Use groundcovers, organic
mulches or cover crops to reduce
the quantity and velocity of run
off water through your yard.
Groundcovers include any
plants that cover exposed soil. A
thick lawn acts as an ideal
groundcover. The fibrous roots
of turf grasses firmly hold soil in
place. Herbaceous perennial
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plants and low shrubs also work
well as groundcovers in land
scape beds.
Groundcovers conserve soil
moisture and lower soil temper
atures during periods of extreme
heat and utilize nutrients in the
soil for plant growth.
Groundcovers also reduce lawn
maintenance and fill narrow,
odd shaped planting beds where
mowing and edging might be dif
ficult.
Lastly, groundcovers create
more interesting landscapes by
providing variations in height,
texture, and color.
Groundcovers require extra
maintenance during the first
three years. Once established,
use organic mulch to control
weeds. Fertilize to encourage
vigorous growth all season.
Irrigate groundcovers in times
of drought and provide disease
and pest control when needed.
Newly cut banks and any
slopes greater than 12 percent
are best planted with ground
covers rather than sod to reduce
maintenance. Around build
ings, groundcovers are superior
to paving or structural controls
for reducing heat, glare, noise
and dust.
Enhance your lawn
health: Bagging grass clippings
and throwing them out with the
trash robs your lawn of valuable
nutrients, grass clippings from
a properly mowed lawn are a
fertilizer resource. Left on the
lawn after mowing, the clippings
reduce the amount of fertilizer
needed for a healthy lawn and
reduce the potential for fertilizer
- to move into the water system.
Leaving grass clippings on the
lawn also saves you local gov
ernment the cost of disposing of
them at area landfills During
peak growing periods, usually in
April or May, it may be neces
sary to collect grass clippings. If
you must gather up the clip
pings, add them to your yard's
compost pile for later use as
mulch.
Any questions regarding the
above article can be addressed to
Tom Becker, Penn State
Cooperative Extension at
(717)840-7408.
From Farm
To Table
Series Set
WEST CHESTER (Chester
Co.) - To keep consumers up to
date on the latest in nutritional
meal planning and food safety
techniques, Penn State
Cooperative Extension presents
the ''Farm to Tables series."
The first program, "Spring
Meal Tidbits," will be
Wednesday, April 15, from 7
p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the extension
office, Government Services
Center, Suite 370, West Chester.
Registration fee of $5 is due by
April 8.
Join Trudy Dougherty, CFCS,
extension home economist, and
Becky Scotland, family living
assistant, to learn more about
trimming calories, fat, and por
tions to add "lite-ness" to your
meals. Try samples of sun
chokes, jicama, turnips, mush
rooms, and sweet potato sticks.
Pick up some important tips to
help keep your meals safe from
storage to cooking.
Call the extension office at
(610)696-3500 for registration
information for "Spring Meal
Tidbits" or other programs
planned for consumers this sea
son.
Lancaster taming, Saturday, Marcir i4,*t9W-Bis 1
From Farrow To Finish
POWNAL, VL Which of the
following statements is true:
• Hogs are dirty
• Hogs are vicious and treacher
ous
• Hogs are gluttons
Answer All of the above are
false! hi his new book A Guide to
Raising Pigs. Kelly Klober de
bunks these myths and many
others, explaining in clear, lively
language how to raise swine suc
cessfully for profit, showing, or
consumption.
In America today, pork produc
tion is a popular industry, from
large- to small-scale farms, and
pork has quickly become recog
nized as a high-protein, lean meat
ever popular on the family table.
According to Klober, the pork
produced today is as much as 30
percent leaner than the pork of the
’sos: “Through selective breed
ing, better management, and im
proved feeding practices, modem
pork has become a source of high
quality protein and such valuable
nutrients as iron and zinc, with a
fat content comparable to chicken
in the same-size serving portions.”
Although the Midwest is the
area most known for pig raising,
hog farms are found from coast to
coast, from Maine to Washington.
A Guide to Raising Pigs reaches
out to all farms, offering clear, il
lustrated information about every
aspect of pig raising, including
choosing the best breed for a farm,
feeding and housing, keeping
swine healthy and disease-free,
butchering and pork processing,
showing, and raising pigs as a
business.
The introduction thoroughly
covers the history of the pig, from
the Eurasian wild boar to today’s
domestic barnyard livestock, giv
ing the reader a rich background
on where today’s numerous cross
breeds originated.
Klober writes, “Of all the major
livestock species, none is more
misunderstood or less appreciated
than the hog. The rooting, squeal
ing, twisted-tailed mortgage lifter
of the Midwest is actually known
and valued Car beyond the Com
Belt and the rim of the breakfast
plate.”
Klober’s honest love for hog-
raising is truly apparent in his
writing and dispels all myths
about hogs. In addition, Klober of
fers readers insight into pigs as an
American tradition, from pig lingo
to poric recipes to showing market
hogs.
A Guide to Raising Pigs joins A
Guide to Raising Chickens and A
Guide to Raising Llamas as the
third title in Storey’s Animal
Handbook series. It is available
wherever quality books are sold
for $18.95 each (or $22.40 post
age paid, by calling 800-441-
5700, Dept. YP or visiting
www.stoey.com.)
Kelly Klober is a fanner, writer,
and 4-H Club leader who has
raised purebred Duroc hogs fo
nearly 30 years. He and his wife,
Phyllis, live and wok on their
farm in Silex, Missouri.
Berks County
Dairy Princess
Candidates
LEESPORT (BERKS CO.)
The Berks County Dairy Princess
Promotion Committee is seeking
candidates to serve as Berks
County Dairy Princess. All single
young women from a dairy back
ground or with an interest in the
dairy industry are encouraged to
respond.
Frances Davis, chairperson of
the Berks County Dairy Princess
Committee, has announced that
the 1998-99 Berks County Dairy
Princess will be selected on May
9. The deadline for registering as a
contestant is March 31. Anyone
between 16-24 years of age and
single should contact Frances Da
vis, 1240 Fairview Drive, Lees
port, PA. The Little Miss contest
ants’ deadline will be April 25.