Beautiful Flower Garden Begins With The Soil
UNIVERSITY PARK
(Centre Co.) If you’re
planning a flower garden this
summer, start getting your
soil in shape now. Soil prepa
ration can save you time,
labor and money as well as
reward you with beautiful
plants.
“Preparing the soil is the
most important step in gar
dening,” said Robert Nuss,
professor of ornamental hor
ticulture in Penn State’s Col
lege of Agricultural Sciences.
“Have your soil tested this
spring, and use the test re
sults and recommendations
as a guide.”
A soil test measures nu
trient amounts and pH, or
about two weeks. Results in
clude levels of potassium, cal
cium, phosphorus and
magnesium, along with the
soil’s pH. Also included are
recommendations for the
kinds and amounts of ferti
lizer to apply and how much
lime if any to add to the
soil.
“If you’re planning to
Apply compost and
organic mulch to any row crop
automatically
YOUR CHOICE
Millcreek Row Mulchers
also let you drop spread
in the center of rows.
grow rhododendron, azalea,
laurel, or other plants that
prefer acidic soil, you may
need to apply a chemical
such as sulfur, which lowers
pH,” said Nuss. “Apply no
more than the recommended
amount.”
Till the recommended ma
terials about 5 inches into the
soil. While working the soil,
remove stones, sod clumps,
weeds and debris.
“Incorporate several
inches of organic matter,”
said Nuss. “There’s little
danger of adding too much.
Composted kitchen scraps,
well-rotted manures, lawn
clippings, and decayed plant
material all are good forms of
organic matter. They help
retain water and supply some
nutrients for all plants set
into the soil.”
Add 2 to 3 inches of or
ganic mulch on top of the soil
around your plants. Mulch
helps keep soil moist, pre
vents erosion, discourages
weeds, and builds up the
soil’s organic matter. “Mulch
From tree fruit to vegetable beds, from bramble crops
to vineyards, organic mulch and compost can reduce
chemical input for weed suppression, retain soil moisture,
and improve soil fertility by adding organic matter to sandy
and clay soils.
Now Millcreek eliminates the costly labor needed for
organic mulch and compost application. The remarkable
new Millcreek Row Mulcher works with all types of organic
material, and even lets you adjust the depth and width of the
mulch rows from 12" to 120" wide, from 1 /2" to 6" deep.
Starting under $6500, no other machine compares when
it comes to capabilities, versatility, and cost effectiveness.
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Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505
also tends to be more attrac
tive than bare soil in an orna
mental garden,” said Nuss.
“It keeps mud from splash
ing on your flowers and gives
the ground’s surface uniform
color and texture.”
Several kinds of mulch are
available at garden centers,
including wood bark chips,
shredded bark and peat. If
you use grass clippings,
leaves or well-decayed com
post, periodically loosen
them with a hand cultivator
or hoe to prevent surface
crusting.
When your plants begin to
flower, use a high-nitrogen
fertilizer on the soil about 6
inches away from the base of
each plant. Follow product
application rates. This will
enhance flowering and give
plants a boost for the rest of
the summer. “If you fertilize
too soon, however, you will
delay the plants’ maturity
and decrease the number of
flowers,” said Nuss. “Wait
until the first flowers open.”
Finally, retest your flower
1-800-311-1323
www.millcreekmfg.com
Grower and Marketer, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 20, 2000—Page
garden’s fertility and pH
levels each year for several
seasons. If reports remain
similar, you can reduce sam
pling to every three to four
years. “Nutrient levels and
pH gradually change over
time,” said Nuss. “It’s im-
Capitol Area Beekeepers
Short Course On Basic
Beekeeping, Milton Her
shey Farm Conference
Center and Apiary, Her
shey, noon-5 p.m.
Maryland Grape Growers
Field Day, Bill Kirby Vine
yard, Cordonva, Md.
State Horticultural Associa
tion of Pennsylvania
Summer Tour, starts at
Strite’s Orchard, 10 a.m.,
thru July 19.
Farmers’ Market Celebrates 60th
SCRANTON (Lackawanna
Co.) Co-Operative Farmers’
Market recently celebrated its
60th anniversary here.
The market dates back to
Aug. 1,1939, with opening cere
monies at the Scranton Athletic
Field parking lot (now Memorial
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• 30 Different Jams
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• Relishes & Pickles
• Syrups & Toppings
Now Available
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LABELING
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portant to keep monitoring
the soil to keep levels opti
mum.”
Soil test kits may be pur
chased for $6 at Penn State
Cooperative Extension of-
fices.
endar
Fruit and Vegetable
Rockspring.
15th International Agricul
tural Plastics Congress and
29th National Agricultural
Plastics Congress, Her
shey, thru Sept. 26.
Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vege
table Growers Convention,
Hershey Lodge and Con
vention Center, Hershey,
thru Feb. 1.
Stadium).
The cooperative expanded 10
years later, purchasing four
acres from the city of Scranton
itself. The market is the only
seasonal market of its kind in
northeastern Pennsylvania,
noted the organizers. It is solely
owned and operated by farmers.
191
Day,