Now Is Time To Get Ready For That Fall Garden
August 7, 2010
This year, many gardeners celebrated spring by planting a vegetable garden and were rewarded with a bountiful harvest. Others were disappointed with a smaller than expected harvest and too many problems to count. Both groups of gardeners should rejoice! The hot weather may not indicate it, but it’s time to begin a fall vegetable garden.
But before we enjoy a fall harvest, there’s work to be done preparing the fall vegetable garden. Gardeners must take action now–drastic action. Some of those plants that have been nurtured from “babies” in the spring to monsters now must be pulled out. It is recommended that most plants, but especially weeds, be removed. Leave the okra, cherry tomatoes and beans if the foliage is healthy and they are still producing.
Large-fruited tomatoes may have some small ones still hanging on, but, unless you have at least 10-20 good-sized fruit, pull them out. The largest, best tomatoes you had this spring were the first ones produced. The tomato plant has gotten old, diseased, and damaged by insects; it will never produce an abundance again. Pull the old plants up and discard them.
The next step is to decide if your garden is in the right location. The major consideration for garden placement is sunlight. All vegetables require some sunlight; the most popular vegetables require full sun. “Full” sun means at least eight hours of intense, direct exposure. If such exposure is not received by crops such as tomatoes, peppers and squash (vegetables that contain seed), the plants grow spindly, they have weak stems, drop blooms and are generally nonproductive.
Some leafy vegetables such as broccoli, collards, spinach, and lettuce tolerate shadier conditions than other vegetables, but if your garden does not receive at least six hours of sunlight daily, you will not be successful growing vegetables.
Another key to a successful harvest is proper soil preparation. In Northwest Florida, most soils are less than perfect for vegetable production. So we must improve our soil through the addition of organic amendments.
Adding liberal amounts of organic matter to all types of garden soils is a highly recommended practice. Compost, rotten grass clippings, or leaves applied to the garden surface two to four inches deep and tilled or worked into the soil, greatly improve sands or clays.
After adding organic amendments, its best to wait several weeks before planting. Extremely fresh organic material, when introduced to the native soil, causes a rapid increase in the numbers of soil microorganisms. These soil microbes reach tremendous numbers as they help to decompose or break down the organic materials to a more usable form. If young plants or seeds are planted while these microbes are highly active, there is a good chance that they will experience nitrogen deficiency, root rot or seedling blights.
A small amount of fertilizer can also be applied during soil preparation. This may be helpful if the organic amendments are too fresh. A little extra nitrogen will help speed up microbial activity.
Some gardeners will also amend the soil with lime during bed preparation. While lime may be necessary in some situations, don’t add it until you’ve had a pH test run by a reliable lab. Too much lime in the soil may be just as bad as too little. A high pH, caused by excessive lime, can cause many problems such as making some nutrients unavailable to plants. So, keep in mind the old adage, “Don’t guess, soil test!”
So, even though the temperatures are unbearable, it’s time to prepare for the fall garden. Stay tuned for future articles on vegetable gardens in Northwest Florida.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County
Winning Cantonment Lottery Ticket Worth $57,770
August 6, 2010
Someone who purchased a lottery ticket is Cantonment is $57,770.12 richer.
The ticket from Wednesday night’s “Fantasy 5″ drawing was one of four sold with the numbers 6-15-19-24-33. The ticket was purchased at the Bindu Food Mart #1 at 1239 Muscogee Road.
The other three winning tickets, also worth $57,770.12 each, were sold in West Palm Beach, Pinellas Park and Tampa. There were 368 tickets matching four of five numbers worth $101 each. Anther 9,994 tickets matched three numbers for $10 each, and 99,300 matched two numbers for a free Quick Pick ticket.
Prosecutor: No Decision In Political Sign Case Until After Election
August 6, 2010
The State Attorney’s Office won’t decide until after November’s election if charges will be filed against Greg Brown II or Doug Broxson over campaign signs.
Greg Wilson, chief assistant State Attorney with the 14th Judicial State Attorney’s Office, has delayed making a decision in the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office cases, saying that the delay would have no adverse impact on any criminal case. But, he said, filing charges at this point could have an impact on the political process.
“Having carefully considered the nature of the charges alleged in both cases and the extreme likelihood that the immediate filing or dismissal of charges in either case would unduly influence the political process, it is the decision of this Office to defer making the final charging decision on both cases presented for review until after the November General Election has concluded,” Wilson said.
Read the complete letter, click here.
In the first case, House District 1 candidate Greg Brown and his wife Jennifer allegedly stole seven or eight small political signs belonging to Broxson from the public right of way at the corner of Highway 87 and Highway 89 near Milton.
The second case concerns the unlawful placement of political signs on the public right of way in violation of both county and state ordinances. The report alleges Broxson had the campaign signs place unlawfully placed on the right of way, and also alleges that Jason Broxson unlawfully recorded and disclosed the conversations between the Browns as they removed the campaign signs.
State Attorney Bill Eddins requested that Gov. Charlie Crist appoint the special prosecutor from Panama City to investigate the sign theft allegations.
Using a night-vision camera, Jason Broxson videotaped Brown and his wife Jennifer removing campaign signs belonging to Doug Broxson. Brown has not denied that he and his wife removed Broxson’s signs, but he calls the entire situation a “masterminded set up”.
The video has sound, with Brown and his wife caught speaking. The volume of the conversation is very low; however, text superimposed on the video suggest what is being said.
“Is that good?” the video alleges that Jennifer Brown said after removing signs.
“Wait…your fingerprints are still on the ones laying down,” the video claims Brown responded.
Brown said he had permission from the property owner to remove the signs, but Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser records appear to show the signs were nearly 200 feet from private property. Brown said he “was totally under the impression” that the signs removed from the intersection were on private property.
Brown and Broxson are two of the four Republican candidates seeking the District 1 House seat. Ricky Perritt and Ferd Salomon are also seeking the post. Florida House District 1 includes the northern two-thirds of Escambia County, most of Santa Rosa County and a portion of Okaloosa County. The seat is being vacated by Greg Evers who is running for Florida Senate District 2.
Looking For A School Supply List? (Updated With EWMS, Ransom)
August 6, 2010
School starts Monday, August 23 in Escambia County. Here are the school supply lists from each elementary school in the county, plus Ernest Ward and Ransom middle schools:
- Bratt Elementary
- Jim Allen Elementary
- Molino Park (Molino Park Wish List)
- Ernest Ward Middle
- Ransom Middle
- Bellview Elementary
- Beulah Elementary
- Blue Angels Elementary
- Brentwood Elementary
- Cook Elementary
- Cordova Park Elementary
- Ensley Elementary
- Ferry Pass Elementary
- Hallmark Elementary
- Hellen Caro Elementary
- Holm Elementary
- Lincoln Park Elementary
- Lipscomb Elementary (Lipscomb Wish List)
- Longleaf Elementary
- McArthur Elementary
- McMillan Pre-K
- Montclair Elementary
- Myrtle Grove Elementary
- Navy Point Elementary
- Oakcrest Elementary
- Pine Meadow Elementary
- Pleasant Grove Elementary
- Scenic Heights Elementary
- Semmes Elementary
- Sherwood Elementary
- Spencer Bibbs Elementary
- Suter Elementary
- Warrington Elementary
- Weis Elementary
- West Pensacola Elementary
- Yniestra Elementary
Back To School Sales Tax Holiday This Weekend in Alabama, Florida Next
August 6, 2010
Back to school shoppers can tax advantage of tax free savings beginning today in Alabama and next weekend in Florida.
Alabama — August 6-8
Alabama’s sales tax holiday will be August 6-8. However, Escambia County, Atmore and Brewton will not be participating. In Atmore and Brewton, shoppers will save the state’s four percent tax, but still pay the county and city tax rate. Flomaton will participate, with back to school purchases in Flomaton exempt from the state and city tax, but not the one percent county tax.
For complete details on exempt items in Alabama,click here (pdf).
Florida — August 13-15
In Florida, the school sales tax holiday will be the following weekend, August 13-15. It will be the first school sales tax holiday in the Sunshine State since 2007.
In general, Florida’s sales tax holiday will apply to “the sale of books, clothing, wallets, or bags, including handbags, backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags, but excluding briefcases, suitcases, and other garment bags, having a sales price of $50 or less, or on sales of certain school supplies having a sales price of $10 or less for the period beginning 12:01 a.m., August 13, 2010, and ending at midnight, August 15, 2010,” according to the Florida Department of Revenue.
For complete details on exempt items in Florida, click here (pdf).
Florida defines books as “a set of printed sheets bound together and published in a volume.” Newspapers, magazines, other periodicals and audio books are not books and will be taxable during the holiday.
Clothing is defined as any article of wearing apparel, including all footwear (except skis, swim fins, roller blades and skates) intended to be worn on or about the body. Clothing does not include watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, handkerchiefs or sporting equipment.
School supplies include pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, notebooks, notebook filler paper, legal pads, binders, lunch boxes, construction paper, markers, folders, poster board, composition books, poster paper, scissors, cellophane tape, glue, paste, rulers, computer disks, protractors, compasses and calculators.
The state also has a rule about where purchases can be made or, more importantly, where they can’t be made.
For example, eligible items are not exempt from sales tax if purchased at a theme park or entertainment complex. So, a T-shirt with a cartoon character on the front purchased at Disney World would be taxable, although a similar T-shirt purchased at a department store would be exempt.
Eligible items also lose their tax-exempt status if purchased at a public lodging establishment, aka a hotel, motel, resort, beach cottage, or airport.
Century’s Buck Showalter 3-0 As Orioles Boss
August 6, 2010
Things are looking up for the Baltimore Orioles under the leadership of Century’s Buck Showalter. The Orioles beat the Los Angeles Angels Thursday night 5-4.
Since Showalter’s debut as manager on Tuesday, the Orioles have won three in a row, putting 20 points on the scoreboard. Before the Century grad became boss, the Orioles had lost 14 of their last 17 and were averaging under three runs per game.
It was the first Oriole sweep over the Angels since 1999.
Cheese Toast? Nearly 40,000 Pounds Of Cheese Burns On I-10
August 6, 2010
A semi trailer with 39,600 pounds cheese burned on I-10 Thursday afternoon in Escambia County, shutting the interstate down for hours.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Singh Jaspal of California, was eastbound on I-10 just inside the Florida line just after 2 p.m. when he noticed the brakes of his trailer were on fire. He disconnected the trailer from the semi.
The fire destroyed the trailer and the shredded five-blend cheese, according to the FHP. Fletchers Towing organized the cheesy cleanup and removal of the trailer — a process that closed the interstate for about five hours.
The driver of the truck was not injured.
NOAA Revises Hurricane Outlook
August 6, 2010
It looks like the Atlantic Basin remains on track for an active hurricane season, according to an outlook released Thursday by the National Weather Service. The forecast was issued just before the peak of the hurricane season — late August through October.
NOAA’s updated outlook is projecting, with a 70 percent probability, a total of:
- 14 to 20 Named Storms (top winds of 39 mph or higher), including:
- 8 to 12 Hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or higher), of which:
- 4 to 6 could be Major Hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of at least 111 mph)
The predictions include the three storms that have already formed this season — Alex, Bonnie and Colin. These ranges are still indicative of an active season, compared to the average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes; however, the upper bounds of the ranges have been lowered from the initial outlook in late May, which reflected the possibility of even more early season activity.
“August heralds the start of the most active phase of the Atlantic hurricane season and with the meteorological factors in place, now is the time for everyone living in hurricane prone areas to be prepared,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.
All indications are for considerable activity during the next several months,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “As we’ve seen in past years, storms can come on quickly during the peak months of the season. There remains a high likelihood that the season could be very active, with the potential of being one of the more active on record.
Pictured top: Hurricane Alex, the first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, hits northeast Mexico on June 30.
Heath Burkett Inks Baseball Scholarship
August 6, 2010
Nothview High School’s Heath Burkett signed a scholarship Thursday afternoon to pitch for Emmanuel College near Atlanta.
Burkett said he chose the Lions over Tennessee Temple University, Greensboro College in North Carolina and Brewton Parker in southeast Georgia. The Emmanuel Lions are in the NAIA and the Southern States Athletic Conference.
During his senior year on the mound for the Chiefs, Burkett had a 2.35 ERA and was 5-1.
Pictured top: Heath Burkett (center) signs a baseball scholarship with Emmanuel College Thursday afternoon as his father, Rodney Burkett (right) and Northview Coach Sid Wheatley (left) looks on. Pictured inset: Burkett on the mound during his senior season with the Northview Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Security Guard Violently Attacked Near Solutia Park
August 5, 2010
Authorities are investigating an early morning attack on a security guard near Solutia Park.
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the 26-year old female security guard employed by Securitus was attacked while making routine rounds at Ascend Performance Materials on Old Chemstrand Road in Cantonment.
The guard told deputies she was checking a bathroom in an outlying building located on the fitness center grounds near Solutia Park. The bathroom should have been locked, but the guard said she was immediately jumped from behind when she opened the unlocked door. The victim said a black male with a white shirt and dreads held a knife to her throat and said he would kill her if she screamed.
The guard told deputies that a struggle followed, and she was struck several times on her head and face with her own 7-inch long steel and plastic security wand. She said her shirt was ripped during the struggle. The guard was apparently knocked unconscious for an unknown length of time during the struggle.
It was not known exactly what time the incident occurred early Wednesday morning. Her last security log entry was 4:06 a.m., and she called for help on her radio at 4:35 a.m.
The guard was transported by ambulance to West Florida Hospital for treatment of wounds to her head and face, as well as what deputies termed “defensive knife wounds” to her arms.
An Escambia County K-9 unit was called to the scene but was unable to locate a suspect.
Deputies have not established any motive for the attack; the investigation into the incident continues.