824-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 6, 1998
All Gardens
Great & Small
by
York Co.
Horticultural Ai
Tom Becker
June: Start Watering
This is the fourth article in a
series on soil and water conser
vation. Your careful use of lawn
irrigation will help local streams
and will ulitmately benefit larg
er bodies of water in your sur
rounding area by reducing fertil
izer and pesticide run-off and by
conserving water
Adequate soil moisture is
essential for a good green lawn
all summer A healthy plant is
composed of 75-90 percent
water
There are several
options for applying
water to pants These
include a watering
can or a garden hose
with a fan nozzle,
lawn sprinklers, a per
forated plastic soaker
hose, a drip, trickle
system, or a semi
automatic drip system
designed for your
lawn.
When irrigating,
adjust the flow or rate
of water application to
one-half inch per hour.
This will avoid caus
ing surface run-off
To determine the
rate for a sprinkler
system, place small
tin cans at various
places within the
sprinkler’s reach, and
check the level of
water in the cans at 15
minute intervals.
When using the
oscillating type of
lawn sprinkler in a
garden, place the
sprinkler on a plat
form higher than the
crop to prevent water
from being diverted by
plant leaves
Try to keep the
watering pattern
even by frequently
moving the sprinkler
and overlapping about
one half of each pat
tern.
Avoid watering
your lawn in the
evening. Wet foliage
overnight may encour
age disease. Morning
watering is preferred.
When using perfo
rated plastic hoses or
soaker hoses in the
garden, place the
holes down (if there
are holes), along one
side of the crop row
you want to water or
underneath the
mulch. Water will
slowly soak into the
soil around shrubs
and trees.
Frequent, light
watering encourages
shallow rooting. Grass
plants suffer more
quickly during sum
mer droughts. On the
other hand, too much
water, especially in
lent
can also damage plant
growth.
When should you start water
ing your lawn? Your lawn can
use an inch or more of water per
week in hot, dry weather. Begin
watering your lawn when the
soil begins to dry out, but before
the grass actually wilts.
Can your lawn go into sum
mer dormancy? Yes, it occurs
when loss water occurs in the
grass blade. As a result, foot
prints will make a long-lasting
imprint instead of bouncing
right back.
The alternative most often
used with water shortages is not , . , 0 -
Where's your mustache?
SERVIS-RHBVO®^
We Cut A Wide Swath Past The Competition]
SERVIS 2160
* 60” Cut; 21’ Maximum Horizontal Reach
* 540 or 1000 RPM; CAT 11-111 Quick Hitch
* 22-1/2’ Maximum Vertical Reach; H.D. Pan Blade
Carrier
* 60 Gallon Oil Capacity; 18,850 FPM Blade Tip
Speed
* Rated For Up To 2” Diameter Material.
Servis® 1348,1548,1948
* 12’ 10”, 15’, and 18’8” Maximum Horizontal Reach
Respectively
* Cat II Hitch; 540 RPM; Independent Hydraulics
* 48” Flail Head Rated For Up To 1-1/2” Diameter
Material
* 37” Flail Head Rated For Up To 4” Diameter Material
* 32 HP To 55 HP Minimum Tractor Requirements
Call 1-800-356-6282 or Contact Your Nearest
Servis-Rhlno Dealer For More Details!
GROUP FARM EQUIPMENT
Bedford, PA 15522
814-623-0747
NORTHEAST DIST. &
EQUIPMENT
Clifford, PA 18413
717-222-9090
S G LEWIS & SON INC
West Grove, PA 19390
610-869-2214
An Almm Gravp Company
© 1998 Alamo Group Inc. Servis, Rhino, & Twister are registered trademarks of Alamo Group Inc P0 **“ 78,86
to water the lawn at all.
Dormancy is the grass plant’s
built in protection plan. The
lawn will turn brown as mois
ture reserves dry up, but it is far
from dead. By going into a dor
mant state deeper than its win
ter dormancy, the grass plant
halts the process of photosyn
thesis. Production of new growth
is arrested. This also explains
why grass grows at a slower
pace in hot, dry periods. When
rains do come and drought
stress ends, the grass will green
up. This is especially true for
fescues, bluegrass, zoysia, and
Bermuda grass lawns.
Restrict the use of herbicides
during hot summer weather.
Herbicides stress the lawn in a
drought. And when a lawn
becomes brown during a dry
spell avoid using fertilizer.
Application of fertilizer at this
time can kill your lawn.
Any questions regarding the
above article can be addressed to
Tom Becker, Penn State cooper
ative Extension at (717) 840-
7408.
MILK
FL 15 MAGNUM
* “Rhino®-Built” Gearboxes; 540 or 1000 RPM; 180” Cut
* Five-Year Limited Gearbox Warranty; 7 Ga. Deck
* Two Year Limited Driveline Warranty; l/4”xl0-l/2” Side
Skirts
* 200 HP Divider Gearbox; 150 HP Outboard Gearboxes
* H.D. Drivelines and Dishpans; Rated For Up To 3-1/2”
Diameter Material
J&M MACHINERY CO. INC.
Greensburg, PA 15601
412-668-7850
CHARLES H. SIEPIELA, INC
Honesdale, PA 18431
717-253-3334
The Society of Farm Women
Berks Co. Group #4 met on April
14 at the home of Barbara
Shaner, New Berlinville.
The group made cookie trays
for shut-ins in the area.
During the business meeting
conducted by Feme Kulp the
group decided to raise the
amount given annual for Family
& Consumer Science scholar
ship to Boyertown’s outstanding
senior and 9th graders at East &
DUGAN TRACTOR, INC. BINKLEY & HURST BROTHERS
Mansfield, PA 16933 INC.
717-662-3200 P.O. Box 0395, Lititz, PA 17543
717-626-4705
ERB & HENRY EQUIPMENT
INC.
New Berlinville, Pa. 19545
610-367-2169
Berks Society 4
West Junior High.
The Ways & Means commit
tee distributed Stanley books.
Members will take orders until
the next meeting. The date for
our yard/bake sale is June 20.
The next meeting will begin
at the home of Cherry’s Flowers,
Boyertown, for the program and
then proceed to Georgeanna
Fullerton’s home, Boyertown,
for the business meeting.
Servis 1348,1548,1948
Servis 2160
m
Servis-Rhino*