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KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD » CHERRYVILLE EAGLE « BESSEMER CITY RECORD * BELMONT BANNER ¢ MOUNT HOLLY NEWS ¢ CLEVELAND TIMES
Today's savvy gardeners don't just gripe about their soil,
they do something about it
Experienced gardeners
have learned that flowers, shrubs
and trees have a number of things
in common with people. How they
fare in their later years, for ex-
ample, depends in no small mea-
sure on the environment they
grow up in.
Of course, genetics plays a
part, too. That's why, when buy-
ing live plants, it's wise to take the
time to select those specimens
which appear to be the most vig-
orous and healthy. Everything
else being equal, those are the
ones that have the best chance
of developing into the kind of
ptantings that will make you
proud.
Once the plants are se-
lected, however, it's the environ-
ment they are planted in and the
care they get which will determine
how well they will do in the long
run. Most gardeners realize the
importance of periodic waterings
and regular feedings throughout
the growing season, so they take
care of those basics. That's good.
But to protect your investment
and get your new plants to per-
form to their maximum, one must
go beyond that.
What is often overlooked is
the soil that the plants are grow-
ing in. It’s easy to dig a hole, place
the plant in the hole and return
the same soil to cover the roots.
Jt with very little effort, that same
Amending the soil produces
several benefits. By improving the
porosity of the soil, more water
The votes are in. What kind
of playing surface do athletes pre-
fer? According to a 1994 NFL
Players Association (NFLPA)
league-wide player survey, 85
percent of the 965 players who
responded preferred play on natu-
ral grass, 7 percent preferred ar-
tificial turf and 8 percent had no
preference. Other survey results
showed that 93 percent of the
players believe that artificial turf
is more likely than grass to con-
tribute to injury.
“In this survey, we have
heard from the true experts on
playing surfaces—the players,”
said Gene Upshaw, NFLPA ex-
ecutive director.
From the gridiron to our own
backyards, homeowners also see
the safety benefits of a properly
maintained lawn and landscape.
According to a 1994 Gallup sur-
vey sponsored by the Profes-
sional Lawn Care Association of
America (PLCAA), 45 percent of
Americans recognize that grass
provides a safe, high-quality play
area for children.
The top five benefits of a
well-maintained lawn and land-
scape listed by Gallup are:
elt beautifies the neighbor-
hood. /
elt provides a place of
beauty and relaxation for the fam-
ily, employees or visitors.
Turf voted best playing surface
by athletes and homeowners
ot reflects positively on its
owner.
*|t increases real estate
value.
elt provides a comfortable
place to entertain, work or visit.
“Lawns are a positive invest-
ment in our well-being and bot-
tom line,” said Ann E. McClure,
CAE, executive vice president of
PLCAA. “They're also beneficial
to the environment.” dd
According to the Environ-
mental Protection Agency’s pub-
lication Healthy Lawn, Healthy
Environment, “Healthy grass pro-
vides a feeding ground for birds,
who find it a rich source of insects,
worms and other food. Thick
grass prevents soil erosion, filters
contaminants from rainwater and
absorbs many types of airborne
pollutants, like dust and soot.
Grass is also highly efficient at
converting carbon dioxide to oxy-
gen, a process that helps clean
the air.”
For more information on the
environmental benefits of a
healthy lawn, PLCAA recom-
mends the brochure Healthy Turf,
Healthy Earth. For your free copy,
send a self-addressed, stamped
envelope to PLCAA, attn.:
Healthy Turf, 1000 Johnson Ferry
Road, NE, Suite C-135, Marietta,
GA 30068.
7 Ak oN
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From Page 2
irritating skin, fleas can also cause
tapeworm infestations, behavioral
changes and, in young or very old
animals, anemia.
But you can battle flea at-
tacks if you take the proper steps.
Outside the house, apply a
proven product such as Sevin®
brand carbaryl insecticide to
shrubs, woody areas, around
entranceways and to areas where
your pet sleeps or rests. Inside
your home, wash your pet's blan-
kets and other bedding material
in hot, soapy water. Be sure to
vacuum your carpets and uphol-
stered furniture regularly, paying
special attention to crevices and
corners near baseboards where
fleas love to hide. Immediately
dispose of the vacuum bag so that
it will not become a breeding
ground for fleas in your closet.
and fertilizers find their way into
the root zone and are retained
there for use by the plant. There
is also less run-off. At the same
time, more oxygen becomes
available to the plant roots, which
themselves are encouraged to
spread out and develop into a
sturdy underground network to
take in vital nutrients and mois-
soil can be upgraded tremen-
dously so the plants will become
established more quickly, then
grow into better specimens.
There are two easy ways to
upgrade the soil with a variety of
soil conditioners. One is to
spread the materials over the
planting bed and till them into the
soil. Another is to mix the condi-
tioners with the existing soil that
is taken from the planting holes
before replacing it around the
plant roots.
Both methods are satisfac-
tory and can turn almost any soil -
into a planting area in which your
flowers, trees and shrubs will
thrive. ; : :
A variety of soil condition-
ers can be used. If you prefer 10
mix your own materials, you may
select from a number of products,
such as manure, organic humus,
peat moss and the like.
Lance
Res: 704-825-1176
Pager: 833-9211
Ffoulks Lawn &
Landscape Service
John
Res: 704-825-2796
Pager: 833-9226
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Linwood Produce
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805 Cleveland Avenue, Kings Mountain 739-7308
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615 N. Post Rd., Shelby, NC
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420 W. Franklin Blvd.
Mon.-Sat 9am-5:30pm
866-7654
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BESSEMER CITY
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