Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 12 · column 5 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
By Kenner P. Love
Extension Agent, ANR
Crop & Soil Sciences
Following are November gardening tips from the Rappahannock Extension Office.
• After the ground freezes, mulch small fruit plants such as strawberries. One inch of straw or leaves is ideal for strawberries. Small branches laid over the straw or leaves may be used to keep mulch in place.
• Remove grass and weeds from trunks of fruit trees and grapes to prevent damage by mice and rodents. Leave a bare circle (one foot wide) around tree trunks when spreading mulch to keep mice from feeding on the bark. A collar or fence of poultry wire or a commercial tree guard approximately 18 inches high will deter rodents and rabbits.
• Remove all mummified fruit from fruit trees, and rake up and destroy those on the ground. Also, rake and dispose of dropped apple and cherry leaves. Good sanitation practices reduce reinfestation of insects and diseases the following season.
• Break the crust on the surface of any sawdust mulch you have around blueberries, shrubs, and perennials to improve the absorption of water from fall rains.
• Plowing that leaves the soil bare throughout late fall to early spring can create problems such as leaching and erosion. It is too late to plant cover crops to hold nutrients in the soil, but mulching could help preserve soil that otherwise might be lost during heavy rainfall.
• Be sure not to store apples or pears with vegetables. The fruits give off ethylene gas that speeds up the
96.2%