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More Q&As on Hurricane Ike-Ravaged Landscapes Dr. William M. Johnson, County Extension Agent-Horticulture Texas AgriLife Extension Service Galveston County Office 5115 Highway 3 Dickinson, Texas 77539
On a sandy loam soil, salt levels may be reduced to tolerable levels by next spring if sufficient rainfall occurs. On heavier clay soils, additional time will be needed for salt levels to drop to acceptable levels. In areas where salt water ponded for long periods of time, also expect effects to last even longer. What to do when rainfall does nor measure up to the prescribed wish list? Deep watering by hand or an underground irrigation system on a regular basis comes in a close second to being an effective means of leaching out excess salts in the soil. Question: I plan on submitting a soil sample at one of the drop-off points in the county. How much soil is needed in a sample? How long will your soil testing program be made available? Answer: We have received phone calls about the feasability of first collecting soil samples and submitting them to one of the drop-off sites to save the need to pick up submission forms and sample bags beforehand. This is an acceptable approach provided you follow some important steps. First, you will need to print the special submission form available at the following website: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/ You should read and follow the directions on the form for preparing a good soil sample—the results and recommendations provided on your soil test report will depend on the soil sample submitted being representative of the area being sampled. Be sure to enter your name, address and other information requested on the form. Lastly, you may place your soil sample in a ziploc plastic bag. You do not need to transfer the contents of the ziploc bag to an “official” sample bag but be sure to include your name, phone number and sample number on each bag. The amount needed for each soil sample submission is critical. There is a fill-to line provided on sample bags. When submitting samples in ziploc bags, be sure to include at least 3 cups of soil. Regardless as to whether your soil was flooded by tidal/salty waters or you just want to know the soil nutrient level of your soil in preparation for the spring growing season, take advantage of this offering at the reduced fee of $6.00 in addition to the saving on shipping costs for sending soil samples to the testing laboratory. Question: My yard in Galveston received several feet of tidal flood water during the Hurricane Ike onslaught? The soil still has a sewage smell. How long will this odor last? Answer: I received this query by e-mail. While my area of expertise is horticulture, I offered the following opinion: I suspect that the lingering smell is still a factor primarily because the population of microbes normally present in soil took a hit from the saline/salty water. But given time and good soil moisture levels, the normal biological activity of the diverse food web of fungi, bacteria, protozoa and other microbes in soil that breaks down organic matter in sewage will do their job. The lack of rainfall and excessive levels of salt deposited on soils flooded by tidal water reduced the biological activity of soil microbes. Hand watering or irrigation of affected areas will encourage resumption of biological activity since microbes require moisture to function well. The ample rainfall over the area a few days ago will certainly be of benefit. Adding compost to the area would also be beneficial since compost contains a variety of beneficial microbes that help breakdown organic matter. Question: Hurricane Ike devastated my citrus trees. I lost a lot of grapefruits from my prized tree. A decent crop still remains on the tree and I want to know if the County Citrus Show will still be held? Answer: Yes, we plan on conducting a citrus show on Thursday, December 11, at the Walter Hall Park Pavilion in League City. Additional updates will be provided in following columns. Another commonly asked question on citrus after the initial shook of Hurricane Ike was: Would citrus fruits fallen by high winds eventually ripen? The short answer would be no. Don't expect citrus fruits to increase in sweetness or ripen more fully once picked or fallen from the tree, as do peaches and some other fruits. Fruit color is not an accurate indication of ripeness, because some fruits can develop fully colored rinds well before they can be eaten. Even in a normal year, sampling fruit from a given tree is perhaps the best way to ensure that fruit are ripe and the flavor is to your liking. |
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For
more information contact: OR - visit our website |
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This web site is maintained
by Master Gardener Laura Bellmore, under the direction of William M.
Johnson, Ph.D., County Extension Agent-Horticulture & Master Gardener
Program Coordinator. |
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