Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, May 17, 1990                   TAG: 9005170005
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Philip K. Blevins
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

APPLYING MULCH CAN HELP YOU GAIN A GARDENING ADVANTAGE

A practice worth considering is mulching, which offers these benefits:

Weed growth is reduced, which saves labor and reduces competition with the vegetables.

Less moisture is lost since the LAWNS & GARDENS Philip K. Blevins mulch provides a barrier to evaporation.

Erosion is reduced by the impact of raindrops, thereby reducing runoff. With runoff reduced, vegetables are cleaner.

Organic mulches add nutrients and matter to the soil improving soil structure.

Consider these mulches for your vegetable garden: hay or straw, grass clippings, leaves, black plastic, newspaper and aluminum coated plastic and foil.

Avoid using hay or grass that contain weed or grass-seed heads. Also, avoid using lawn clippings that have been treated with an herbicide.

To avoid overheating, care should be exercised when using plastic.

Call your local extension office for more information on mulching.

Making more hay

Because of the spring cold snaps about a month ago, early grass hays are heading out short.

Don't wait on them to get as tall as normal. They won't. Instead, cut them as soon as possible.

Why?

After the plant heads out, it devotes its energy to producing a stem and seed head that are low in nutrients.

By cutting soon, not only is the first cutting better, but the next cutting will improve substantially. Leaf growth and tiller development also will be greater.

Do this and the total nutrients you harvest will be greater.