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Show By I I - K V A. TINDALL Mulching Utah garden soils may very well be one of the most valuable cultural practices of gardening. Originally all mulches were organic materials such as straw or composted material. These organic materials can provide many beneficial effects. These include: the control of annual weeds and grasses, the elimination of cultivation and the resulting damage to plant roots; the reduction of moisture through evaporation; water retention, decreased runoff and erosion and the regulation of temperature. Other benefits of mulching include cleaner, more easily harvested crops, the reduction of fruit rot, and easier movement through advantaRcs in increasing crop ylvlil-- . and In controlling weeds, but their virtues in no way deny the value of a natural mulch. organic A natural mulch is frequently applied soon after the emergence of the crop seedlings or following transplanting. A delay in application of an organic mulch may be desirable if the soil temperature has not warmed sufficiently during the spring season. The soil temperature under the organic mulch will be reduced. Mulching depth will vary with material selected. A primary objective of the mulch is to prevent or greatly reduce the ger-mination and growth of annual weeds and grasses. Therefore, the amount used may nixinV live bushcln ol u u v .n.V pBloetf,oreor about 50 lbs. ot dry material. application, mix one pound of actual nitrogen fertilizer to five bushels of sawdust. The fertilizer will decrease the time for decomposition. If no nitrogen was added the bacteria would utilize some of the nitrogen in the soil and the garden plants would suffer. Using organic materials as mulches may cause an increase in pests and an en-vironment for diseases to over winter. Necessary precautions and treatments to reduce these problems may be needed. The use of plastics as mulches is becoming more popular. This is especially true in areas like Utah where the soil MeamrlpycrtraaiunrsplaVnrti in.gV,s. -V cleaKr prin protUiiv contact with a smooth soipl lasKulArfcacVte cmtotaiev increase the sort temperature by 10 degrees of more. This in turn will promote early maturity and increased yields of many plants. The clear plastic will not eliminate weeds from growing under the plastic and necessary steps herbicides around transplants) to control the weeds should be taken. Black plastics will not increase the soil temperatures as much as clear plastics because the sun's radiation is reflected back into the atmosphere. Weed control under black plastics is very effective Continued on page 11 the garden during very wet periods. Surface mulches will provide conditions for plant roots to develop throughout the surface inches of the soil to absorb water, nutrients and oxygen. Luxuriant stem, leaf, flower and fruit growth follows the development of vigorous, extensive root growth. Many materials are available for mulching. The selection of a particular material depends upon the cost, availability, the season of the year and also the crop to be planted. Until recently the types of mulches were all natural. In the past few years, university researchers, commercial farmers and home gardeners have experimented with black and clear plastics as mulches, and have achieved good results. Natural and synthetic mulches have both advantages and drawbacks. It becomes the individual gardeners decision which material would fit his own specific needs. The plastic mulches may have great vary from one to two inches for sawdust, peat moss, cotton seed hulls and ground corncobs and up to four to eight inches for course or fluffy material like straw, hay, corn stalks or other simUar material. Apply mulch evenly around transplants. If the mulch becomes saturated or wet, avoid any packing around the stem or trunk of the plants. This is to insure free air circulation at the base of the transplants. This will decrease the chance for disease. The mulch should be maintained at its original thickness. As the volume decreases, new material should be added. The mulch will gradually decompose and improve the soils tilth. As an organic mulch is continually used, a marked im-provement in your garden soil will be seen. The ease and enjoyment of working in your garden will be evident. Where sawdust is available, it is com-monly used as a mulch. The material is recommended to be partially decomposed and applied at 1 to V,2 inches deep. This is Handbook helps gardeners Home gardeners and farmers alike can benefit this year from the 1984 Utah Weed Control Handbook now avaiable, noted Rick Chase, extension weed specialist, Utah State University. In addition to recommendations for weed control in field and fruit crops, the hand-book gives control recommendations for highways and roadways, rangelands, waterways and weed control in small areas. Conversion tables are given for con-verting to tsps., tbls. and cups per 1,000 square feet the herbicidal recom-mendations that are given on the label in pounds, quarts or pints per acre. Chase explained that after you determine how much herbicide to apply on your small area, you determine how much water to mix with it in the sprayer. He suggests marking off a known area such as 100 square feet. Start with a full tank of water, spray the 100 square feet as you would if you were spraying with a herbicide. Then measure the water required to refill the spray tank. That way you know the amount needed to spray the 100 square feet. Multiply that amount by 10 to determine how much water is needed to cover each 1,000 square feet. The Weed Control Handbook published by USU Extension Service can be obtained at cost of $1.50 through the local county extension office. Chase also suggests that gardeners obtain the extension publication "Weed Control for the Homeowner," available at the county extension offices throughout the state. Nfi ' WHYDOITYOORSEinWhenChemLawns Whyfightweedsalone? W With ChemLawn you'll win rjf ll AVVVWl-- t V ) year-roun- d lawncareprogramcostsabout the battle against weeds "SJl 1 7 lJ .11 1 fc thesameasifyoudidthesamethings ! f jj :'X?jL guaranteeyou a more weed-green- -a-nd have a thicker, M r K 7urself-An-lawn, too. Guar- - x v--4 'jUJK "K Jr rvw'elawn-wlt- hout ,he b:,ck-br,ki- n wo,1- - anteed. Because we keep v SS$ coming back until you re "- - . .iiiA A XOwTHECOUPONBELOW-ORCA- LL completely satisfied or we ll V J'Cm J V" refund vour money. "55drttSWi J'f T t O IL OO'll WET) LIKE TO GIVE YOU A FREE, MOVttVvV VV kj 2 JL I LAWN ANALYSIS covering the 15 trouble spots in every - WlTlnNV ' yf i t jX"' lawn. Things like grass type-- is it right for your area? J jl 1 A fJ CHEMLAWN GUARANTEES, -c- rabgrass and broadleaf weeds-ins- ect problem- s- f jJ VJvBECAUSE WE KEEP COMING BACK. even whether you're over-o- r under-waterin- grow deeper, J Nt"!) If you wish, this free analysis is all we'll do for you. strengthen the sod, and fill in t J jft--- X. J? But if you say yes to ChemLawn care, here's what else ugly bare spots. 14 J T A welldo: THEN, WET1 DE-B- IT. A I lAfC f C&EWdfZl WEIL GET RID OF THE WEEDS. We can zap over 60 Since lawn bugs can do a lot of damage before I f ) kindsofweeds.rightdowntotheirroots.Inthespring, they're even noticed,yourSpe-cialis- t will get I N P. O. Box 1598, Orem, Utah 84057 well apply a special crabgrass control and we'll come them beorethey can seriously U harm your lawn. I backatjusttherighttimetowipeoutbroadleafweeds. Guaranteed. j S,STr Guaranteed. Your ChemLawn Specialist will keep coming 1hl.rt.sults,fn1yfa.c,nnlys,sh.1nRn1.nn,yfrontdol,r. WE COMEBACK TO RED YOUR LAWN. Our custom-- back-w- ith free service calls 1 within 48 hours. I blended feeding turns your lawn a darker, richer riven free consultations on the best ways to mow, I green. Guaranteed. Your Specialist will make roots water, dethatch.and'overseed. ) I I Address (' 1984.Cfieml.awnCorpirati()n.Chiintl.awn'isamarito(ChemLwnCorptratii!irfiittT('dinL'.S radcmarkOffitC-Cily Stale Zip |
