Overgrown appearance of Southampton Old Cemetery divides opinion

7:00am Sunday 10th August 2014 in News By James Johnson, Senior Reporter

CHILDREN laugh and play, running about and riding their bikes.

Elderly people walk together in the sun, admiring the flowers and looking for squirrels in the trees.

Dragonflies, butterflies and birds sit in the trees and fly through the air.

The only sound other than the plants rustling in the wind is the hum of an occasional car driving past.

These all sound like hallmarks of an idyllic park in the countryside or a nature reserve but instead theyre features of an unusual cemetery in Southampton.

The citys Old Cemetery, at the southern end of the Common, divides opinion among nearby residents and those who walk through it.

Some are enamoured with the untamed foliage and animals that scuttle around, while others consider the lack of maintenance disrespectful to the thousands of dead who lie there.

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Is overgrown cemetery a wildlife haven or an insult to the dead?

Dear Angie: What's the best way to reseed my yard so I don't destroy the grass that has started growing? We used a grass that grows well in our hot and humid climate, and in partial sun. Much of the seed "took," but the grass is patchy and thin. I'm thinking we didn't lay down enough seed. I need advice on the best reseeding method. Jessica M, Greenville, S.C.

Dear Jessica: Rest assured that spreading seed over grass won't hurt your existing lawn. But if the new grass isn't growing well, you likely didn't properly prepare the soil or keep the seed sufficiently moist the first few weeks.

In other words, it takes more than simply tossing out grass seed and hoping for the best to transform thin turf into a lush lawn.

If you're experiencing only a few small bare spots, spot-seeding may be your best solution. Rake the bare area and lightly spread the seed.

For larger patchy areas, it's better to perforate or aerate the soil and then spread seed or slit-seed. A "slit seeder" or "slice seeder" is a gasoline-powered machine that slices even rows into soil and drops seed into the rows, for more soil-seed contact and a higher percentage of germinated seed than you'll get with just spreading seed. Slit seeders are most typically used to apply seed over an existing lawn, where mature grass or weeds may block new seed.

After seeding, add a quality starter fertilizer. To protect seed and help keep it moist, cover with a thin layer of topsoil, compost or other weed-free organic material.

Early fall is generally a good time to reseed a lawn, but review instructions for the specific type of grass you want to grow. For best results, new grass needs a month or more after germination to grow strong before the first frost. Seeding can also be done in spring, if grass has time to mature before the height of summer heat.

While adding seed won't hurt existing grass, be careful not to walk on newly germinated seed until the plant is strongly established.

Common mistakes to avoid include over- or under-watering. The lawn layer that contains the seed must be kept moist, but not soaked, for the several weeks it takes to germinate. Water about three times daily, at late night or early morning, midday and late afternoon.

Once the seed germinates, water regularly and deeply until the grass plant matures, usually an additional couple of weeks.

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Ask Angie: How to reseed a thin, sparse lawnBest way to reseed depends on the condition of your lawn

Although August usually brings hot, dry days that remind us that summer is not yet over, this month is a very good time to begin thinking about fall maintenance of your lawn. Labor Day weekend is right around the corner and typically signifies the start of fall activities designed to help ensure a lush, healthy lawn, including a minimum of pest issues, for the coming year. Maintenance activities encompass three primary practices.

Aeration involves pulling plugs of soil to open the surface for better nutrient and water movement. Crumble the plugs and let the soil fall loosely into the holes. This procedure helps reduce thatch as well as compacted soil throughout the yard. Aeration is an excellent frontrunner to fertilizing since it allows the nutrients in fertilizers to move more readily into the root zone of your lawn. Aeration helps cool season grasses recover from summer stress and vastly improves grass density and color.

Aeration equipment is available from local rental stores. Keep in mind that machines differ in design. Some aerators use spoon tines to pull soil plugs three to four inches deep on three- to four-inch centers and are considered by lawn care authorities to do an excellent job. However, aerators that force hollow tines into the soil are deemed even better. Regardless of the type of aerating equipment used, any amount of aeration of the soil is better than none.

Over-seeding is the practice of spreading additional grass seed to an established lawn. Use of a power rake prior to over-seeding is recommended to improve contact with the soil, which in turn improves seed germination. Even if your entire lawn does not require reseeding, power raking the small areas where the grass is sparse or completely gone is worth the effort for optimum results. In some instances it may be appropriate to renovate the entire lawn. If so, spraying with an effective weed and grass killer in August will control existing vegetation until the area can be power raked in early September.

Numerous over-the-counter seed products are available to homeowners including both cool-season and warm-season grasses. However, the most prevalent for this part of Missouri are cool-season grasses which are primarily limited to three options: (1) turf-type tall fescue, (2) Kentucky bluegrass, and (3) a blend of the two with a ratio of 90 percent fescue to 10 percent blue grass recommended.

Fescues grow well in full sun to partial shade, develop deeper roots, and thus generally require less water. The Kentucky bluegrasses provide deep color and finer texture. A combination of the two offers the strengths of each while masking the weaknesses of the other. Be wary of any blend that includes 20 percent or more ryegrass; ryegrasses are neither heat nor drought tolerant and they are susceptible to many turf grass diseases.

Before applying any type of fertilizer, begin with a soil test to determine the needs, if any, of the soil in your lawn. Soil pH is important because it affects the availability of nutrients to the grass. Results of a soil test will report nutrient levels, soil pH, and information about lime requirements. Soil test kits with instructions are available at your Pettis County Extension Office.

A wide variety of fertilizers are available including both organic and inorganic types. Look for fertilizers with a good balance of N-P-K (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) and with slow-release nitrogen. Fertilizer released into the soil over a longer period of time requires fewer applications and allows the grasses more time to efficiently utilize the nutrients.

For cool-season grasses (not warm-season grasses such as zoysia or Bermuda) apply 2.5 to 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Spread the total pounds over two or three applications throughout the fall. For example, after aeration and over-seeding, apply one pound of nitrogen (per 1,000 square feet) in early to mid-September, a second pound in October, and the third pound in November.

These fall practices for lawn maintenance offer a deeper root system and a significant improvement in weed control throughout the following season. Call the Master Gardener Hotline at 827-0519 or contact your local Extension Office if you have questions about the health and beauty of your lawn.

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THE GARDEN SCENE: Prime time for fall lawn maintenance

It took awhile, but the timing couldn't have been better for picture-perfect synthetic turf to be rolled out at Lake Mary.

The fabricated field, a rich green, with bright white yard lines and red end zones that burn your eyes if you stare too long, was right on time as practice kicked off Monday for a football team already proud to be coming off the first 10-0 regular season in school history.

"This is big for Lake Mary," senior receiver and cornerback Julius Washington said as he glanced back at a tapestry that looks like space-age blades of grass sprouting from a black, rubber playground surface. "It's fast to run on. It definitely gives it that college feel."

Lake Mary athletic director Doug Peters talked about the aesthetic value of starting a school year with a splash. He also mentioned dollars and sense.

Peters said the school will save about $10,000 annually on field paint and $5,000 on pesticides with a FieldTurf product that won't attract mole crickets. No more watering or resodding. And no more renting fields at Lake Sylvan for early-season soccer team practices. They can follow the football team onto the pitch without fear of tearing it up.

Peters said the cost was $780,000 for the turf and a rubberized track due in during December's holiday break. Zero school-district dollars were spent. He hopes to pay the six-year financing off early, in part by renting the facility out for community sports and anything else that might fit.

"I'm going to be like Barnum and Bailey getting groups in here," he said. "And I believe we'll see more people coming to our games. You drive by, and you can see what we have. It's fantastic for our lacrosse and soccer [teams]. It's another reason for people to support our kids."

Boosters have stepped up. BurgerFi signed on as a corporate sponsor to the tune of $100,000 and in return has signage seamed into the sideline of the field. Locally owned Percopo Coatings pledged to repaint faded concrete stadium seating so it matches the dazzling turf. A new scoreboard was delivered Tuesday.

The field will be on display for seven Rams varsity home games this fall, counting an Aug. 22 preseason Kickoff Classic against Class 6A power Daytona Beach Mainland. A ribbon-cutting ceremony that night will salute supporters who made the field of dreams happen.

Three other Seminole County schools have fabricated fields: Lake Brantley, Oviedo and Master's Academy. West Orange sparked the trend when it installed a ProGrass field in 2006. Bishop Moore and Lake Highland Prep also went synthetic, as did Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium, which is shared by Mainland, Seabreeze and Bethune-Cookman University.

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Lake Mary goes green, and radiant red, with synthetic turf field

Published: Monday, August 4, 2014 at 9:25 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, August 4, 2014 at 9:25 p.m.

Residents of Tuxedo, Zirconia and Green River could have a new public park by this fall, after county commissioners on Monday authorized a $328,328 construction project at the former Tuxedo Mill site.

We should be substantially complete by the Thanksgiving timeframe, said County Engineer Marcus Jones.

The board of commissioners voted 5-0 to award Allison Contractors of Hendersonville a contract to develop the long-awaited Tuxedo Park. The vote comes nearly two weeks after the Green River Community Association gave the company's plans and bid its blessing in July.

The company will clear and grade the site; install stormwater controls; build and pave walking trails and parking; import topsoil and sow grass in a meadow and lawn area of the park; plant trees and shrubs provided by area citizens; put up split-rail fencing; and erect a flagpole and signage.

County officials found out July 11 that Tuxedo's park was not among the 17 projects chosen this cycle by a state authority for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant.

Commissioners had socked away $225,000 in reserves last year to use for construction or as a match in case the Green River Community Association won the dollar-for-dollar grant. They'd also budgeted $200,000 in the current fiscal year in case the PARTF grant failed.

Last year, Henderson County Parks and Recreation was denied in the first PARTF cycle but received notice just before Christmas that it had won a $500,000 grant to help pay for its new Athletics and Activity Center.

But a PARTF representative told county officials that the authority's delay in deciding this spring's grant cycle caused by a delinquent state budget process made it unlikely the community association would get another crack at grant funds until 2015.

Jones said Allison's bid was so favorable that it would cover the work foreseen in the grant application anyway.

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New Tuxedo park should be ready this fall

When Lehigh University came into a windfall of land donated to the school in 2012 by the Donald B. and Dorothy Stabler Foundation, it came with one piece of baggage.

A chunk of the 755 acres of donated property included contaminated limestone tailings a form of zinc mining waste that the state insisted had to be cleaned up before that portion could be developed.

Nearly two years later, Eastern Industries, the local company that holds the mining permit for the land and is responsible for its remediation, is close to finishing the job, state regulators say. It has stabilized the property, layered clean soil and rock over the zinc piles and seeded the newly-graded property to stabilize it.

Now the company just needs to grow some grass.

"This was an agreed-upon remedy, provided the vegetation takes," said Colleen Connolly, spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection. "DEP will inspect to see if the planting and seeding is satisfactory at the site. Eastern Industries just has to make sure the vegetation progresses."

DEP and Lehigh County Conservation District inspectors visited the site in June to inspect the work, she said.

"It is a process DEP required, and we have been following their protocol," said Rusty Taft, Eastern's land permit and environmental manager.

The cleanup was designed to prevent dust emanating from the mining waste, which includes zinc and arsenic, from being caught up and dispersed in the wind.

State officials had initially given the company until the end of August 2013 to complete the regrading, and the end of September 2013 to grow the grass.

Last year, Connolly said, dust from the piles was not blowing off the 139-acre former mine site, and it was not a public health threat.

Originally posted here:
Zinc mining waste cleanup in Upper Saucon nearly complete

Conservation efforts in a new USDA program has drawn the interest of more than 5,000 groups through some 600 proposals in the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, ahead of a July deadline to qualify for federal funding, according to a news release from USDA Monday.

Back in May USDA announced the availability of some $400 million in grants with a ceiling of $20 million per project, aimed at creating conservation partnerships between private companies, tribes, local communities and non-government partners. USDA announced the program as part of an effort to improve water quality and critical wildlife habitats with third parties or work directly with producers in watersheds and other conservation areas.

The RCPP is expected to competitively award funds to conservation projects designed by local partners specifically for their region. Eligible partners include private companies, universities, non-profit organizations, local and tribal governments and others joining with agricultural and conservation organizations and producers to invest money, manpower and materials to their proposed initiatives.

With participating partners investing USDA's $1.2 billion funding in the next five years can leverage an additional $1.2 billion from partners for a total of $2.4 billion for conservation.

The RCPP has three funding pools that includes 35% of total program funding directed to critical conservation areas; 40% directed to regional or multi-state projects through a national competitive process; 25% directed to state-level projects through a competitive process established by NRCS state leaders.

In May USDA announced the designation of several critical conservation areas that include the Great Lakes Region, Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Mississippi River Basin, Longleaf Pine Range, Columbia River Basin, California Bay Delta, Prairie Grasslands and the Colorado River Basin.

"This program is an entirely new approach to conservation," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. "By establishing new public-private partnerships, we can have an impact that's well beyond what the federal government could accomplish on its own. And we put our partners in the driver's seat, allowing them to find creative solutions to the conservation issues in their local areas. The overwhelming response to this new effort illustrates an eagerness across country to partner and invest in innovative conservation projects."

Also on the conservation front, agriculture specialists with University of Missouri Extension announced they are researching the viability of inter-seeding cover crops into corn and soybean fields. When it comes to planting cover crops producers typically have to wait until after fall harvest to lay seed, and experts say that often is not the optimum seeding window for cover crops.

Researchers are looking at a number of different delivery methods as well, including via airplane or high-clearance seeders to drop cover crop seeds, such as cereal rye grass or crimson clover, into the existing crop canopy at the optimum time.

Charlie Ellis, MU extension natural resources engineer, said in a news release that inter-seeding shouldn't cause a yield loss since existing crops are mature. He said some soybeans planted in 15-inch rows, however, may be knocked down, while 30-inch beans can be inter-seeded with little crop damage.

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Conservation Program, Cover-Crop Research Advance

By BRUCE A. SCRUTON

bscruton@njherald.com

STILLWATER It is an irony that has Stillwater farmer Lia Chammings laughing as she complains.

While she is still arguing with Public Service Electric & Gas to properly restore her hayfield off Mount Holly Road, a bale of hay from another part of that same field won first place at the New Jersey State Fair.

Last year nearly four acres of that hayfield were peeled back and thick black plastic tarps were laid down, along with drainage pipes and a layer of quarry processed stone, to create a road and construction areas, as work began to dismantle 85-year-old transmission towers and build new, 185-foot-tall towers.

Chammings, a Township Committee member, is a hay, grain and forage farmer who grows crops on several properties in town for several owners.

Along Mount Holly Road, however, are the fields of Partridge Ridge Farm, owned by her family and producing some of the best hay in the area, good enough to be sought after by horse owners whose animals require a better mix and quality of grasses.

It was the thought of construction in those fields that caused Chamming to become public with her concerns.

As the work progressed, there were issues with protecting migrating amphibians in the spring seeking out the wetlands that cross the hilly property.

There were also issues with access gates being left open or unlocked, allowing trespassers into the back areas that previously were inaccessible to their off-road vehicles.

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Farmer faults powerline work cleanup

Why do the plants we don't want appear to grow better than the plants we do want? Is it just nature's way of rebelling against our desire for orderliness? Are our gardens being overtaken by anarchists?

Realize we are outnumbered. Just one lambsquarter plant can produce 72,450 seeds in one growing season. If we all devoured lambsquarter or were awestruck at its beauty, this information would be good news. Perhaps we should be shifting our culinary cravings and aesthetic preferences.

But for most of us, weeds compete with our garden plants for light, nutrients and water.

Familiar weeds possess a few common attributes. They go through their life cycle rapidly, flower quickly, produce vast quantities of seeds and have some seed adaptation for travel by wind, water or animals. By midsummer, weeds can produce a waist-high fortress and you're ready to surrender.

As garden author Roger Swain says, "there are no pacifist gardeners." Once you decide to grow anything, whether it's for food or beauty, you will at one time or another find yourself in literal hand-to-hand combat with weeds.

The battleground is bare soil. Bare spots in the lawn next to the driveway. A new tilled garden bed is prime area for weeds to grow. Weed seeds that were dormant for years now have open territory to conquer.

Once you have decided a plant is a weed, your first task is to identify the plant. Knowledge of a plant's life cycle is the key to control. Annuals such as crabgrass, foxtail, lambsquarter and buttonweed live one growing season and must come back each year from seed. Biennials such as burdock and poison hemlock live two years producing the seed in the second year.

With perennials such as dandelions, creeping Charlie and quackgrass, the same plant comes back each year and they also produce seed. Weed identification websites include turf.uiuc.edu/weed_web/index.htm and weeds.cropsci.illinois.edu/weedid.htm Or bring plant samples to our office and we can help you.

"Identifying Weeds in Midwestern Turf and Landscapes" is a great booklet for $8.50 available through University of Illinois Publications. Go to pubsplus.illinois.edu/ or call 800-345-6087.

Got weeds? Here are some weed-management options.

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Sandra Mason: Are the weeds winning in your garden?

Traditional Grass Seeding
A quick few clips of my Father educating my nephew (and myself!) in the art of grass seeding using a traditional grass sowing machine referred too as a "fidd...

By: daveondigital

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Traditional Grass Seeding - Video