Farm Scene for the Salisbury Post
Darrell Blackwelder
September 25, 2001

     Fungal diseases and immatures insects over­winter in debris
from spent vegetable and flower crops. Over wintering disease and
insects pose a serious problem for next season's crop that is
easily rectified with a few simple tasks.
     Fall clean up of spent garden and floral debris is very
important in controlling many of the diseases that seem to be a
consistant problem for home gardeners. Now is the time to clean
spent vegetable and floral debris for those that are not
continuing with a fall garden.
     Take time to construct a compost bin and compost the spent
garden materials and leaves. Add soil and fertilizer periodically
turning the heap to accelerate the decaying process. Compost is a
natural source of nutrients for plants.
     Deep plowing spent gardens and flower beds reduce the
incidence of disease and insect problems. This cultural practice
smothers many of the fungal spores that cause problems in the
summer such as southern stem blight.
     Exposure to freezing weather is another method of reducing
over­wintering fungal spores and many species of insect larva.
Plowing and exposing roots of weeds and other debris also kills
nematodes.
     Plant a cover crop as soon as the soil is workable.  Cover
crops such as rye grain, wheat, clover, or oats reduce erosion
and add much needed organic matter when plowed under as green
manures in the spring. Green manures help also improve the tilth
or workability to the soil.
     Research has proven that certain cover crops reduce certain
weed populations in many crops. Weed pressure was greatly reduced
at the West End Park Garden from last fall cover crop planting.
For example wheat cover crops seems to reduce certain broadleaf
weed populations in early spring plantings.
     Take a few moments to take a soil sample. Home gardeners
need to sample every two to three years.  As I have mentioned in
previous articles, soil sampling  will save much time and reduce
unecessary nutrients into the environment as well as dollars in
producing ornamental and edible crops.  Sample boxes
and forms are available from Cooperative Extension located at the
Agriculture Center on Old Concord Road in Salisbury.  Samples are
sent by homeowners for testing to the North Carolina Department
of Agriculture in Raleigh.  Reports will arrive in a few weeks,
however, the closer to sprin planting, the later it takes to
receive and impliment the results.