The Seasons of the Garden

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Garlic sprays for powdery mildew . Experimenters in India report good control of powdery mildew fungus on pea plants that were sprayed with garlic oil immediately upon the appearance of the mildew and again 15 and 30 days later.

Calcium chloride dip can prolong apple storage life. Calcium chloride is readily available as an alternative to rock salt for winter de-icing of streets. Now researchers in India have used a solution of 4% calci um chloride in water to aid apple storage: The fruits are simply soaked in the solution for 15 minutes, then dried off. Red Delicious apples given this treatment and stored for nearly a month at 60°F showed higher quality than untreated apples stored in the same way.

Unhealthy grass may result from mowing too often. Agronomists at the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station grew Merion bluegrass in a controlled environment and clipped it either every three to four days . . . once a week . . . or once every two weeks. They found that root growth, shoot regrowth, and lateral stem formation were reduced by frequent clipping. If your grass looks sick, could it be because you're mowing it too often?

Vitamin C content of leafy vegetables declines quickly with wilting. Experimenters in Tanzania and Nigeria report that the vitamin C (ascorbic acid) content of various leafy vegetables drops drastically as the leaves lose moisture. If left uncovered, some greens can lose nearly half of their initial vitamin C in only 24 hours. To safeguard the nutritional value of your greens, cover them with a wet cloth when they're out of the refrigerator.

GLEANINGS

You may not be the only creature that knows your garden's just about to reach its harvest stage. Fortunately, there are ideas aplenty for dealing with unwanted garden visitors in Wildlife Pest Control Around Gardens and Homes, a 90-page guide available for $8.00 postpaid from University of California Cooperative Extension Publications, 6701 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, CA 94608. (Ask for publication 21385, and make checks payable to U.C. Regents.) . . . Before the next thunderstorm rolls through, take a look at How Water Moves in the Soil, a classic photographic study of the effects of rainfall, soil types, and mulches on soil moisture and nutrients. The guide includes practical tips on controlling erosic and is available for 5¢ postpaid from Crops and Soils, 677 South Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 . . . . If the insects in your garden have gotten out of hand, don't reach for the sprayer! Reach for the Entomology Booklist instead. The Booklis prepared by students at the University of Florida and updated annually, names the best and most current sources of practical information on insects (including how to identify them and control them with methods having minimal ecological impact). It's free with a stamped, self-addressed, business-size envelope sent to Annual Booklist, Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611 . . . . In dry areas, ornamentals that need a lot of water are both wasteful and bothersome. Success List of Water-Conserving Plants ($7.75 postpaid from Saratoga Horticultural Foundation, 151 85 Murphy Ave., San Martin, CA 95046) demonstrates the great diversity of drought-tolerant landscaping plants available today .... Late summer can be a good time to transplant balled-and-burlapped trees and shrubs—if you know what you're doing! The definitive word on transplanting procedures can be found in the latest edition of the Tree and Shruh Transplanting Manual. This 80-page boo is $8.00 postpaid from the International Society of Arborists, P.O. Box 71, Urbana, IL 61801.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A one year subscription to HortIdeas costs $10 (sample issue $1.00) from G. & P. Williams, Rt. 1, Box 302, Gravel Switch, KY 40328.

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