All Gardens
Great & Small
York Co,
Horticultural Ageni
Tom Becker
Mushroom, Slime Molds
And Artillery Fungus
On Mulch Beds
With wet and significant
rainfall the past several weeks
‘mushrooms’ and slime molds
and other fungus are appearing
in mulch beds and lawns.
Mulched areas are consisting
mainly of tree bark and wood
chips.
Under wet, humid condition
J-SHR
Silo (Jnloader leehnoloj’y lakes a (.hint leap lor ward!
asSTuontum
SYSTEM
TOWER
SILOS
REALLY
MEASURE
UP!
Towers lose just 3% to 7% because of gravity, feed weight
and a good unloader like the Big Jim QUANTUM System.
QUANTUM can be installed in any type of 20' to 30'
forage 5i10... conventional or oxygen limited and will
make your tower silo even better!
CALL US TODAY FOR A VIDEO AND BROCHURE
HThe Silo Unloader Experts
• CABLE ALLEY • WASTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT • FEED HANDLES
SCRAPER DUMPS - TANKS - TILLAGE APPLICATOR BELTS - FEEDERS - CONVEYORS
See These Dealers For Details Now
JAMES L. HOSTETTER MARTIN EQUIPMENT PRINGLES SUPPLY & SOMERSET BARN
McVeytown, PA 17051 Chambersburg, PA EQUIPMENT INC. EQUIPMENT
717-899-6386 717-263-3505 Greenville, PA 16125 Somerset. PA 15501
HARRY TROOP K&S INC. McMILLEN BROTHERS nnwPNnliTlr *, 814-445-555 S
Cochranville, PA 19335 Quarryville, PA Loysvllle, PA dadubai iid.Vclit STAR SILOS
HISTAND’S FARM & (VanDele Dealer) 717-538-9564 717-866-5708
HOME SERVICE . !:£ PP ’ S B A R 1« MILL CREEK OR 717-742-4226 WALNUT BARN
Rome, pa 717-744-2371 EQUIPMENT SALES & FENCE & FARM SOLLENBERGER EQUIPMENT
HOnuPD mi HDMPMT Lancaster, PA SILOS CORP. Port Royal, PA
°S“S ENT issas? ““’tltaS.’ 7 ”' " 7Jm3U ”
814-684-1777
FRANKLIN’S
FARM SERVICE
Laceyville, PA 717-869-2407
the fungi that naturally inhabit
soils tend to produce mush
rooms. This occurs with the
addition of moisture. Usually
various sizes and colors of mush
rooms appear in mulched land
scape beds or poorly maintained
turf.
All are harmless to surround
ing plants. Their toxicity to
humans prevents their use as a
food source for anyone or any-
YOUR ALL-IN-ONE
FARMSTEAD EQUIPMENT SOURCE
LKASK IT TODAY WITH
ONK PAYMENT DOWN!
Measure for
measure, nothing
beats a tower silo for
storing forage. Just
compare them to
bunkers which
have up to 45%
storage loss, lower
capacity, increased
labor and lots of
inconvenience.
thing.
Wet conditions also bring out
growth of slime molds. These
brightly colored (yellow, blue,
violet, red, or grey) slimy
growths appear on the surface of
mulched beds. Slime molds are
not harmful to other plants in
the garden, but if the growth is
extensive enough, they may
grow over and smother small
recently planted annual plants.
Control mushrooms and
slime molds mechanical by pick
ing, raking or washing with a
strong stream of water. No spray
materials are recommended to
prevent these under the wet con
ditions this spring.
To limit the occurrence of
mushrooms and slime molds,
eliminate some of the conditions
required for the fungi to grow.
Keep the surface of the mulch
stirred with a rake, or keep as
dry as possible, and increase air
circulation in the area to pro
mote drying of the mulched
maximum efficient
Piston Pumps
For a trouble-free, low maintenance system that offers
you maximum pumping power, look no further than
the one name that says it all - J-STAR.
areas. This may mean fewer
plants in any given area.
The artillery fungus may also
occur later this spring Damp
conditions cause this soil fungus
to shoot its sticky spore mass a
considerable distance towards
light-colored surfaces. Vinyl or
aluminum homes are likely tar
gets. The spore mass is difficult
to impossible to remove without
significant damage to the
house’s siding. Cars in parking
lots with mulched beds also may
be damaged.
Mulches that have a large
percentage of wood fiber rather
than bark often show more of
the fungus. The fiber serves as a
growth medium for the fungus.
The artillery fungus cannot be
controlled by using a pesticide.
In problem areas, replace
mulched beds with an inorganic
mulch especially next to light-
UP STROKE
GLADHILL TRACTOR
MART
Frederick, MD 21701
301-663-6060
MD & VA MILK
PRODUCERS ASSOC.
Frederick, MD 21701
301-663-6552
GEORGE COLEMAN
Elmer, NJ 08318
609-358-8528
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 23, 1998-815
colored structures. Use only
pure mulches such as pine,
Douglas fir or cedar that contain
little if any wood fiber. Or,
replace the upper inch of old,
existing mulch with a new layer
of fresh mulch each season. Only
keep a 2-to-4-inch layer of mulch
available for the fungus.
These wet weather fungi
growths are generally more of a
nuisance than any serious
threat to your garden and land
scape. As soon as weather
becomes dry and warmer these
problems generally disappear.
For more fungi that attacks
your mulch, call your Extension
Office for the handout “What is
Growing in My Landscape
Mulch?”
Any questions regarding the
above article can be addressed to
Tom Becker, Penn State
Cooperative Extension at (717)
840-7408.
NEW JERSEY
Folic Acid
(NAPS) —Folic acid is a B
vitamin that everyone needs
to help cells grow and divide
It’s especially important for
women who may become
pregnant
Taken before and during
early pregnancy, folic acid,
also known as folate, dra
matically reduces the chances
of having a baby born With
birth defects of the spine and
brain. These defects (iplso
known as neural tube defects)
can cause severe disabilities
and in some cases death.
For women of childbear
ing years, the U.S. Pharma
copeia, the Centers for Dis
ease Control and Prevention,
the Food and Drug Admin
istration and the March of
Dimes all recommend 400
meg of folic acid daily.
According to the March of
Dimes, seven out of ten
women do not begin taking
fohe acid until they learn they
are pregnant, which is usu
ally eight to ten weeks into
the pregnancy
By this time it is too late
to reduce the risk of birth
defects of the brain or spine
It is possible to get folic acid
by consuming foods such as
green leafy vegetables, ttereal
and cereal products; aiW cit
rus fruits and juices Certain
fully fortified breakfast pere
als have 100 percenter the
recommended daily ampunt
of folic acid. Many women,
however, prefer to take their
folic acid in tablet form or a
multivitamin supplement
SANDBLASTING - SPRAY
PAINTING - AERIAL
HENRY K.
FISHER &
SONS, INC.
667 Hartman Station Road
Lancaster, PA 17601
(717) 393-6530