The leader-tribune. (Fort Valley, Peach County, Ga.) 192?-current, April 16, 1997, Page Page 3C, Image 15
Fertilizingmz By Kim D. Coder Georgia Extension Service For years, people have thought of fertilizer as a magic bullet they could to right all the past wrongs in and street tree care. They think mature trees need lots of nitrogen because of their massive size. These myths are killing our trees. Unlike animals that consume the they need already in usable forms, trees only take in the most of essential elements. Roots for and gather simple build¬ blocks from the soil and ship to the leaves. In the leaves, trees use light en¬ to build and weld simple pieces the complex molecules of life. Inside a person, food is broken and used to build bodies and for energy. Inside a tree, the foods and building mate¬ manufactured in the leaves are to all parts of the tree. Trees don’t take in “food" but synthesize their own. They can make their own food using elements from soil and air. Fertilizers aren’t food for a tree. can’t feed a tree. We can only that all of its basic needs are and help keep it from getting Trees, especially in yards and streets, have many needs for essential elements. Some these elements are easy to come Some aren’t. Many people see the unfertilized 120 S. Camelia Blvd. A 825-2626 94 CUP ART SERVICE IMS Jp\25 97 ! W * \ \ Poly Sprayer operating 25 97 3 qallon 18” i capacity. rotating brass 4 Cu. Ft Wheelbarrow ■ wand. 48” nose. - 1 i Great for a variety Homeowner's wheelbarrow _ I o( applications. features seamless steel tray. 71968 14' pneumatic tire and j hardwood handles. 75793 MX ■ HAND l9 97 rffiF 30 3Q. ^6ro> ye ars 0 '"sive / Mower u -baod, / ' 7799- fl 22 - . g-position tingeftf) height adjustment. increased High wheels tor t traction and better mobility. 1 73517 /1 MX {g‘éfisx’ , .ru ‘7»? r‘s‘axa“ r' »r \ w: v A trees of the forest, back lots and scrub areas as proof that no fertilizer is needed. But most people aren’t willing to accept the unhealthy, slow growing, pale and stressed trees of untended areas. We all have special expectations of our yards that demand strong growth, few pests, rich green colors and long-lived trees. For all that, trees can require extra elements. We tend to rake, gather, bum, bag, bake, vacuum and destroy any and all natural recycling in our land¬ scapes. And we plant highly com¬ petitive plants right next to the base of trees. The once fertile soil system slowly loses organic materials, helpful mi¬ croorganisms and valuable elements. It becomes an artificial world that must have fertilizer, lime and or¬ ganic matter added to keep trees healthy and growing. Beware. The road to fertilization is paved in wood (that is, stressed and dead trees). Many people think added fertilizer will correct all prob¬ lems of bad maintenance, tree abuse and ignorant neglect. But fertilize!*, especially those * containing nitrogen, can actually mask many other landscape prob¬ lems. Law. mkI GanleR Leader THbont Wednesday, April 14,1997 Raised *iv:i 1 Gardening Has Oear Advantages By Wayne J. McLanrfas Georgia KxSenskm Service For the gardener, raised beds offer control over soil composition and drainage. And those things are criti cal to a successful garden. Where the soil is poor (or nonex islent, as in a rocky area) and drain age inadequate, raised beds make it easy to create areas of fertile, well drained soil. They often save time and money. They’re much cheaper than install ing a drainage system and then truck ing in topsoil. You can fill a raised bed with a soil mixture that meets special needs, too. Coupled with precise drainage control, this lets you grow rhododen¬ drons, azaleas and other plants that are fussy about their root environ ment. Another advantage to raised beds is that they elevate plants to where they’re easier to tend—and to enjoy, You'll appreciate this if you’re plan ning a garden that invites or requires active involvement, such as a veg etable garden or a garden for cut flowers. Most people don't work in the garden in rainy weather. They don’t want to compact the soil or get their feet muddy. But raised beds are de signed for walking around, not in. So there’s no reason for mud to delay timely planting and harvesting, Spaces between beds may be left in sod, mulched or even paved with stone or brick. Raised beds are also a boon in (oominq Highway 41 North Centerville ( 912 ) 953-4602 Rental Plants For Special Occasions, Weddings, Etc. Beautiful Ferns, Tropicals, Hanging Baskets UNUSUAL BIRD HOUSES Bat Houses - Pudding Poles FLORISTS: Call us for: m cs> Large Tropical Plants m <&■ Trees / Shrubs B Jackson & Perkins Roses ^fl for planting I Are Now Available a Hand Painted Gourds a l .. Call Us for The Unusual Tlant. Or fiard To fill Garden Area. We ?(ave fresh Traduce In Season low-maintenance schemes. They keep plants organized. And they coo fine soil, dead leaves and other debris within their borders. So they reduce the work needed to clean up the yard. To reduce maintenance, many at tractive landscape designs uae wised beds separated by expanses of nicely detailed paving. Such a design can enhance your home and your garden, And itcan give you the time you need to enjoy both. Having permanent beds means you can permanently install structures such as trellises and fences, too. This allows you to build them for the long run out of durable materials such as pressure-treated pine, redwood, cy press or cedar, Raised beds have other strong points, too. Higher Yields Probably the most important rea¬ son for the raised-bed revival is more production per square foot of garden, A well-managed traditional garden may yield 0.6 pounds of vegetables per square foot Research shows that raised beds can more than double that yield, Raised beds don’t require the usual space between rows because you don't walk in the bed to cultivate or harvest So you can plant vegetables closer. You can space them just far enough apart to avoid crowding but close enough to shade weeds, A voiding SoR Compaction Soil compaction can cut yields in Pace 3C half. Water, air netallmi toughtimcmoviiigthroughaoilcotn penned by melon, tiBers or human feet Plows, tillers or spades have heea the usual answer. But you can avoid the problem completely by making beds narrow enough to work from the sides. Soil organic matter content can be increased greatly without get ting bogged down due to better drain age. Ease of Feat Cowtrol If burrowing rodents are abtm dant, line the bottom of the bed with poultry wire or hardware cloth. Discourage rabbits by placiag their favorite foods in a framed bed with s low fence. The narrow dimen¬ sions of beds even make it practical to suspend bird netting on flexible conduit frames. Weed control is easy with plastic mulch, too. One roll can span the width of the bed. waver LOMtrYtnwi Several watering systems can en sure the water gets only where it’s needed. Canvas soaker hoses, perfo rated plastic sprinkle hoses aaddrip type irrigation disperse water in a long, narrow pattern well-suited to beds. They also reduce disease by di reding water to the ami instead of wetting leaf surfaces as overhead irrigation does. (Or. Wayne McLanrin is akorti culturist with the University of Gear gia Cooperative Extension Service.)