Saturday, March 01, 2008
Don't shortcut through the basics
Libba Wolfe
Libba Wolfe's column appears twice monthly in Extra.
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My son's academic career as an undergraduate at University of Georgia was less than stellar. In his 30s, he went back to school for his master's degree. When he finished last summer he called to report on his final grades.
I gushed over his outstanding performance and he said, "You know, Mom, you were right. If you go to class and do your homework, it's not so hard."
If he hadn't been three states away I would've given him a thump on the head.
How exasperated could I be -- he got that know-it-all, short-cut gene from me. Nowhere is that more obvious than in my garden. Sure, I've read a million times about taking care of the basics before I start planting. That's not the fun part. But neither is watching my garden struggle or losing plants.
Hoping to get some quick insider tips, I had coffee last week with David Talbott at Smith Mountain Lake. He is a member of the Franklin County Master Gardeners Association. It has just published a month-by-month "Landscape and Garden Guide" for our area.
And guess what? The experts know that if you're aiming for top performance you've got to do your homework.
The foundation of the garden, whether you're growing ornamentals or food, is the soil. Sooner or later you're going to have to pay attention to it. Sooner is so much easier. It will save you time and money on "do-overs."
The book is a re-issue of one the group published 5 years ago. They have added more on beefing up the soil and responsible use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Deep, well-drained soil, high in organic matter is ideal. It's also rare in our rocky, red clay area. Improving the texture of the soil allows the roots to spread and for moisture and air to easily reach them. Adding liberal amounts of vermiculite and perlite is effective but can be expensive if you're working on a large area. Digging in compost, rotted manure or chopped leaves is much cheaper.
Drainage is not the only issue. Soil nutrients are critical to success. The first step toward top performance is a soil test. The test measures the hydrogen (acid-forming) ion activity of the sample. The results are expressed in terms of pH values and tell you the acidity or alkalinity of your soil; pH 7 is neutral. Anything below 7 is acid, anything above is alkaline.
If that sounds like more than you want to know, consider this line from the Master Gardeners' book: "The major impact of acidity or alkalinity pH levels is the availability of plant nutrients and the concentration of plant-toxic materials." It is "an important determination in quality of plant growth."
Knowing your pH level will guide your decisions about soil amendments and fertilizer. If your pH is too low you may be adding ground limestone. If it's too alkaline, sulfur or aluminum sulfate is recommended.
A soil test also determines the level of soil nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and several micronutrients. Deficiencies in nutrients can result in reduced growth and flowering, loss of leaves and weak stems. A less vigorous, healthy plant is less likely to withstand drought, extreme temperatures and the onslaught of pests. Many of those puzzling late-season failures can be averted this month with applications of the correct fertilizer.
Soil test results are returned with recommendations for correcting deficiencies. Taking care of your homework now is important whether you're planting a border of perennials or a row of vegetables.
An easy, inexpensive soil test kit is available through all the area Virginia Cooperative Extension offices and at the Roanoke city and county libraries. The instructions are easy and you mail your sample back to Virginia Tech.
Depending on exactly what tests you want -- and you may as well get them all while you're at it -- the cost is $7 to $10 per sample. It takes about two or three weeks to get back your results and the recommendations. Armed with this info you'll know what to buy on the fertilizer aisle.
It's not just new gardeners who need to do the test. The Master Gardeners advise all gardeners to have their soil tested every three to five years. And for those of us who've just tried to ignore this most basic good gardening practice -- a thump on the head.
TO DO: The Franklin County Master Gardeners' "Landscape and Garden Guide" is a month-by-month guide for improving soil and growing annuals, perennials, herbs, shrubs, trees, fruit and vegetables. It has one of the most comprehensive pruning charts I've ever seen. It costs $15 and is available at Greenbrier Nurseries in Roanoke or by calling David Talbott at (540) 721-5705.
