Farm and Garden

Penn State Extension

Franklin County

181 Franklin Farm Lane

Chambersburg, PA 17202

Telephone: 717-263-9226

For the week of May 2nd, 2011

http://extension.psu.edu/franklin

COMING EVENTS and WORKSHOPS:

Monday, May 2^nd to Friday, May 6^th - Penn State Extension Water Testing Program - Two groups of water tests will be provided. Group 1 includes coliform bacteria, E. Coli, and nitrate. The price is $39. Group 2 includes coliform bacteria, E. Coli, nitrate, lead, pH, and total dissolved solids. The price for this group is $71. Test kits can be purchased at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Office from May 2 to May 6 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The sample must be collected and returned on May 10 between 8:30 and Noon. For more information, phone 263-9226.

Tuesday, May 10^th – 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. - Spring Awareness Day, Kauffman Community Center, 7289 Ruritan Road, Chambersburg. Speakers will include: Linda Horst, Penn State Master Gardener speaking on “Container Gardening”, David H. Wingerd, from EstatePro speaking on “Down Sizing”, and Mim Huffman assisted by Nancy McGinnis presenting a “Springtime Food Demonstration.” Pre-registration is required. A hot lunch is included. Please call the Extension Office at 263-9226 to register or email mko4@psu.edufor more information.

Tuesday, May 10^th – starting at 10 a.m. - Franklin Graziers Pasture Walk will be held at the farm of Danny Strite called the Amazing Grace Dairy located in Mercersburg. For additional information, please call the Extension office at 717-263-9226.

Thursday, May 12^th – 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. - All About Tomatoes – everything you wanted to know about tomatoes, but were afraid to ask. Master Gardener Ray Eckhart shares his enthusiasm for growing America’s most popular home grown vegetable (or is it a fruit? – come to the class and find out!) Topics include a brief history, tomato terms, varieties, selection, planting techniques, fertilizer requirements, pruning, tips for season extension, and troubleshooting for pests and diseases. On top of all that, you get to take home an heirloom tomato plant. The cost is $10.00 and will be held at the Ag Heritage Center. Please call 717-263-9226 for additional information or to register.

Friday, May 13^th – 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Master Gardener Vegetable Plant Sale at the Greenhouse across the street from Penn State Extension, 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg. Choose from over 40 varieties of Historic, Heirloom, Hybrid, Heritage, and Fresh Market Tomatoes, Sweet and Hot peppers, Eggplants, Brassicas, and some Zukes and Cukes. Please call 717-263-9226 for more information.

Friday, May 20^th – Doors open and Silent Auction begins at 4:00 p.m.; Live Auction starts at 6:30 p.m. - 1^st Annual 4-H Benefit Auction, Hurley Auctions, 2800 Buchanan Trail East, Greencastle. The auction will benefit Franklin County 4-H programs. Many different items and services have been donated by local businesses for the auction. Come and support 4-H!

Saturday, May 21^st – 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Master Gardener Plant Sale - Franklin County Master Gardeners have adopted a new day, new time, new venue, and new features for their annual plant sale. Shop under the trees next to the trout stream by the Penn State Extension building at 181 Franklin Farm Lane in Chambersburg. Other new features this year include demonstrations on dividing and maintaining perennials, houseplants on outdoor vacation, a Garden Q&A station, and tours of the Horticultural Demonstration Gardens. Please call 717-263-9226 for more information.

To Fertilize or Not to Fertilize

With spring upon us (and halfway over), everyone is enjoying the warmer weather and people begin to get excited about improving the exterior surroundings of their homes. This process begins with their lawn and how they will produce the lush green “carpet” that so many strive to achieve.

Many homeowners feel that they know what their lawn needs just by looking at it and analyzing it with the naked eye. And, in some ways, this eyesight analysis can be beneficial because while you are looking at the lawn you will also notice your trees, shrubs and other plantings and whether or not they made it through the winter unharmed.

However, when it comes to determining your lawn’s fertilizer needs, it is best to do that with more tools than just the naked eye. You might be able to look at the grass in your lawn and see that it is a bit yellow, so you determine it needs nitrogen. Even though this may end up being a correct guess, you still will not really know for sure. And, it is important to be certain of your nitrogen needs because excessive nitrogen can actually kill your grass. The most accurate method of determining your nitrogen needs is through a soil test. You can also use a soil test to figure out the phosphorous and potassium levels in your lawn.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that over applied fertilizer does not get used by your lawn, giving it a greater potential to runoff into storm drains or nearby creeks and streams. When these nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorous, get into the surface water, algae growth increases and can cause harmful effects to fish and other aquatic organisms. Additionally, even though we cannot physically see the Chesapeake Bay from Franklin County, homeowners should always think about the fact that our creeks and streams eventually end up in the bay along with any excessive nutrients that have gotten into the water.

So, if you are asking yourself the question of whether or not you should fertilize your lawn this spring, get a soil test done first and then you will have your answer. You can either hire a professional to do the soil test or do one yourself with a prepackaged kit. Soil testing kits can be purchased at your local home improvement store or at the Franklin County Penn State Extension Office.

If you decide to purchase the soil testing kit from the extension office, it will cost you 9 dollars, which includes the mailing envelope, standard analysis and report. You also have to pay the cost of postage to send the soil sample to the lab, but having an accurate analysis will definitely be a step in the right direction to turn your lawn into a lush green “carpet”.

Ironmaster's Mansion Meeting

On Thursday, May 12^th, the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association will meet at 7:00 PM in the Ironmaster’s Mansion located at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Debra Bowman, Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, will be the featured speaker. She will be speaking about the Ironmaster Mansion Restoration Project and the Conservancy’s educational effort to help communities called “ReVisionPA.” She will also be giving a tour of the mansion. The meeting is open to the public and there is no cost to attend. The address for Pine Grove Furnace State Park is: 1212 Pine Grove Road, Gardners, PA 17324. The park is easily reached from I-81. Visitors should take Exit 37 to PA 233 south then travel for eight miles. To reach the park from the south, at the intersection of Route 30 and PA 233, take PA 233 north for 13 miles. Pine Grove Furnace State Park website is: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/pinegrovefurnace/pinegrovefurnace_mini.pdf.

The Central Pennsylvania Conservancy is restoring the Ironmaster’s Mansion at Pine Grove Furnace State Park . This building, a longstanding historical structure, is an important landmark in our local history and through volunteer efforts will remain a viable community center into the future. For years it has served as a hostel and has been frequented by many Appalachian Trail hikers as a famed half-way resting area.

The Ironmaster’s Mansion, registered in 1977 with the National Register of Historical Places, holds stories tracing back to 1827 when the bricks to construct the building were made on site. It is the location of not only the Pine Grove Furnace, but an Underground Railroad site, the half way point of the Appalachian Trail, and home to many famous families in Pennsylvania’s history.

ReVisionPA is an education initiative of the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy that focuses on three approaches to help citizens and leaders become more experienced and informed decision-makers — visioning services, workshops, and programs. The concept behind ReVisionPA is that the more people experience the role natural resource assets play in their community, the more in-tune they will be with opportunities to protect and enhance them. Conservancy experts help communities examine how different zoning, planning, and management strategies can help to maintain the balance between natural, human, and economic resource assets.

The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association (CWOA) is an organization of private forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania. For more information about the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association and the April 16^th meeting, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net).

Live Bluebird Nestbox

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has launched this year’s live video feed from a bluebird nestbox on the grounds of its Harrisburg Headquarters. To view the live feed, visit the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) and click on the “Bluebird Live-Feed” icon under the opening photo in the center of the homepage.

“This annual video feed has been one of the most popular additions to our website, which clearly demonstrates that the best way to get Pennsylvanians – in fact most Americans – excited about wildlife is to show them what makes wildlife so irreplaceable and priceless,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “This live webcast helps educate the public about the importance of wildlife and how to make backyards friendlier to wildlife, and also provides a way for folks to simply get closer to bluebirds.

“The nestbox camera provides the public a closer look at the entire nesting process of bluebirds. How many people have ever seen a bluebird form a nest by plowing the materials with its wings? Nest-forming is a fascinating example of nature at work. And it’s something you’ll never see unless you’re checking out our nesting camera.”

As of Friday, April 29, 2011, there were four eggs in the nest.

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