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Show Prepare That Garden Now For Fall, Winter FARMINGTON -- There is still time to get your plants and your garden in shape for winter, says David E. Whiting, Horticultural Horticul-tural Agent, USU for Davis County. MANY PEACH and apricot trees suffered from Coryneum Blight, a fungus disease last year. To correct this problem before it gets a strong hold next year, spray immediately after the leaves drop. It might be necessary to shake off the few remaining leaves so the spray can be applied. The best sprays for Coryneum Blight, a fungus that causes dieback of twigs and spots on fruits, is a fungicide that contains copper (fixed copper). Examples of appropriate products are Lilly Miller Mocrocop, Captan, chlorothalonil and zineb. TENDER PERENNIAL plants and rose bushes should be pro- , tected for the winter, Mr. Whiting says, by applying a mulching material like bark, sawdust, straw or soil around the plants after the ground cools. . . . ' People with clay soils can help loosen the soil by adding organic matter such as leaves, lawn clippings, plant debris, etc. to the soil. Fall is a good time to plow under the organic matter so it will decay during the winter. SANDY SOILS benefit equally well from organic matter that is worked into the depth of the soil. Do not plow under diseased plants, Mr. Whiting cautions. MANURE IS another source of organic matter but it can introduce intro-duce a healthy crop of weeds into the garden area. Organic matter will pull nitrogen from the soil. Lightly fertilize the organic material with nitrogen before plowing, Mr. Whiting suggests. REMOVAL of plants and leaves is a wide practice to adopt each fall. Old plants and debris provide a winter home for many undesirable insects and slugs. Leaves on lawns can smother the growth and weaken the root system of grass. Mr. Whiting recommends a late fall fertilization of nitrogen each fall to keep the lawn thick and healthy. LAWNS SHOULD go into winter with around 2.5 inches of leaf blade. Winter disease problems increase with excessively long grass. Short grass will not be able to supply foot needs to keep the roots in good health. |