 |
by Rett Davis | |
Gardening Q&A by Rett Davis appears in
Alamance County's daily newspaper, The Times-News,
every Sunday in the Accent section. Each week's installment is
posted to this
website, beginning with January of this year. Scroll to the bottom of
this page to navigate to other Gardening Q&As. Please contact
Rett via e-mail with questions
or
comments in regard to this column.
Question:
Is there a certain time of the year better than another to put
out lime on a lawn?
Answer:
Lime can be applied at anytime of the year. However the timing
of lime application is usually determined by what you want to grow. In
the case of lawns, lime can be applied at anytime. However, winter
months are more desirable because rainfall is frequent and not so
intense. Summer rains tend to be more in the form of cloudbursts and
thunderstorms. Lime can be washed away. Winter rains are longer in
duration and the lime has a greater chance of moving through the soil
profile. Soil tests will determine the exact quantity of lime needed.
The tests are still provided free of charge by the N.C. Department of
Agriculture. In absence of a soil test, you can apply 35-50 pounds of
lime per 1000 square feet of lawn. Lime is generally applied every 2-3
years to a lawn that is receiving yearly applications of fertilizer. If
you only had enough money to buy either lime or fertilizer, lime would
be your best choice. Unfortunately liming is left out of most lawn care
programs. Lime will begin reacting with the soil immediately and will
start the process of reducing soil acidity. Lime does not dissolve
fast. It can take a year to move 1 inch in clay soils. So put on some
warm clothes and get busy liming.
Question:
I am concerned about the presence of hawks in my
neighborhood. There are two that have flying over my bird feeder and
roosting on a nearby tree. I am worried about my small dog. Is there
anything I can do to run them off?
Answer:
It is not uncommon to find hawks watching bird feeders. After
all they want to be fed too. They are watching for squirrels which is
one of their preferred foods. However, they also have a taste for
pigeons, doves, and an occasional songbird. According to my good
friends in the N.C. Wildlife Commission, hawks are pairing up with their
mates right now. They are also establishing their territories. So it
is not unusual to see more than one together.
It is not likely they would attack a dog. Our largest hawk, the red
tailed, would have trouble picking up and flying away with an animal
that weighs more than 4 to 5 pounds. Since they are a protected species
you should not shoot them. I would recommend changing your bird seed
mix. Do not put out mixes containing sunflowers or corn. Substitute
safflower seed for the sunflowers. Squirrels do not like safflower.
Make you own mix with safflower, proso millet, and perhaps a little
thistle. Hopefully the squirrels will move on and the hawks will look
elsewhere for a meal.
Question:
I wanted to sow clover last fall but never got around to it.
I would like add it to a pasture and in an area that has recently been
cleared.
When would you recommend sowing clover?
Answer:
Favorable results have been obtained by broadcasting seed onto
a frozen soil surface. The freezing and thawing aids in covering the
seed. Ladino and red clover would be the best choices of clover to
use. Be sure to buy inoculated clover. A rate of 6-8 pounds per acre
is sufficient. Late January and February are the preferred months to do
this. Lespedeza can also be sowed at the same time. This is a good
choice for cleared areas, logging roads, and embankments. The variety
'Kobe' is preferred over Sericea.
Question:
I was driving through part of the county last week and saw a
sign that said 'Agricultural District'. What does this mean?
Answer:
It means that this farm or forest tract is enrolled in a
voluntary agricultural district in Alamance County. The owner of such
farm or forest is telling all adjoining neighbors that he or she is
actively involved in farming. Therefore if you live nearby or are
considering moving to that community you may experience one of many
farming activities that occur on that farm. That could include,
application of manure, noise from farm machinery, slow moving vehicles
on the roads, pesticide spraying, irrigation motors running all night,
and noise from animals. Odors from animal operations can also be
expected. It is not zoning. It is a 'right to farm' issue. These
districts are spreading throughout the state as more people move to the
country and settle near working farms. Many new residents have never
smelled manure, silage, nor been kept awake all night by calves weaned
from their mother. The reality of country life has odors and noises
that are unfamiliar to them. Often times the forests that adjoin their
property are clear cut and their world around them changes over night.
The location of Agricultural Districts in Alamance County are posted in
the Register of Deeds office, Alamance Planning Department and the
county's Inspection Department. The maps are updated monthly as more
landowners participate in this program.
Thymes-To-Gather will hold their monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 21,
2003 at 7 PM at the Agricultural Building, 209 N. Graham-Hopedale Road,
Burlington, NC.
Interested in herbs? Come join us! Call Jenny Wilson at 570-6740 for
details.
Gardening Q&A Navigation Options
If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis
Continue to the next
installment
