Submitted by: agcomm, Wed Dec 31 10:25:49 1997 Hortiscope Ron Smith, Extension Horticulturist North Dakota State University Q. I have the opportunity next spring to spread either cow or horse manure over my garden area. My neighbor tells me to use less horse manure because it is "hotter." Will it tend to burn the crops more than cow manure will? Is she right? Can you help? (Carrington, N.D.) A. Oh, the questions I get! Yes, horse manure can have a higher burn potential than cow manure, but it DEPENDS on where and how long it has been stored. For example, if cattle manure is stored indoors or under cover before being spread, it could have a higher salt content than horse manure that has been stored outdoors. Also, it depends on the quantity of straw that is mixed with either manure, but usually cattle manure has a higher straw content. No simple answers, right? So to be on the safe side, I recommend not applying the same amount of horse manure as cow manure, but reducing the horse manure by about 25 percent to 30 percent. Q. I have read quite a bit about the effectiveness of these crop or row covers. I practice square foot gardening as you do. Is there a dependable product you can recommend that would do the trick for us over our squares? Thank you. (Bismarck, N.D.) A. Tufbell row cover can be obtained from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, PO Box 2209, Grass Valley, CA 95945; telephone (916) 272-4769. If you saw the ends of the Tufbell row cover to snugly fit the shape of the raised bed gardens (4 feet by 10 feet), it will stay in place in even the strongest of winds without need for clips or tie-downs. Protection is thus available from winds, cold and insects. Tufbell should also work well in the fall and enable extension of the growing season until severe cold sets in. By presprouting seeds and using the Tufbell we have grown many crops not considered practical here. When I first came to North Dakota 12 years ago, I was told that head lettuce would be difficult to grow without split heads. Using a material known as Remay, I successfully grew lots of head lettuce! Q. I am having some evergreens pulled out and want to know how I can get the grass to grow where the trees used to be. There are large areas underneath the trees that haven't had grass growing. The person removing my trees told me it was pine tar from the trees that kills the grass. I plan on putting down some black dirt. Is there anything else that I can do to ensure good grass growth? (Fargo, N.D.) A. The most likely contributors to no-grass-growth under the evergreens is a lack of sufficient light and a smothering mulch created by continuous needle drop over the years. When I was living in Georgia, I used to enjoy walks through pine forests--the needle mulch was so thick and the shade so complete that, almost nothing else grew. Q. Enclosed please find two apple exhibits. Exhibit A comes from the family farm north of Turtle Lake. It is a good producer and an excellent keeper. It is good for fresh use and for processing. Exhibit B comes from a lot in McClusky. I took some with the owner's permission and the apple has an excellent tangy flavor and is also excellent for processing. I would like for you to identify them for me. I have no idea what their botanical names might be. I am also enclosing a catalogue clipping which offers a Japanese Persimmon hardy in zone 4. I live in a protected area here in Beulah close to zone 4. Please tell me what you might know about the Japanese Persimmon. I am wondering whether any type of persimmon might be reliably hardy in the Beulah-Hazen area. My last question involves walnuts. It seems that a few folks have luck with growing black walnuts despite the fact that they are listed as zone 4 hardy. Why don't more people grow butternuts instead? The butternut is listed as being zone 3 hardy. It is a better quality nut, and it reaches maturity and produces sooner than the black walnut. Please tell me what you might know about this subject. In closing I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I also thank you for all the useful information which you have afforded me in the past. On a personal note, I truly wish that you could appear at some sort of lecture let's say in Bismarck so that I as well as other interested folks might hear your input. (Beulah, N.D.) A. Identifying apples is done mostly by consensus. Many are like trying to identify the difference between twins. Dr. Jack Carter, Larry Chaput and I came up with the following: Exhibit A - Minjon; Exhibit B - Sweet Sixteen. I have enclosed our current circular H-327, "Fruit Tree Culture and Varieties in North Dakota," to help you consider others. Much depends on the seed source for the hardiness of the black walnut species in our region. If you plant some, make sure they have come from a North Dakota source. Black walnut is favored, I suppose, for the potential value of it's lumber, in addition to the nuts. The butternut is a beautiful tree and is valued as a timber source. It could be that people take pride in growing something that is not supposed to make it in our region. I wouldn't put any dollars or effort into growing persimmon, in spite of what the catalog says. They need a great deal of moisture and well drained soil two things North Dakota is usually short on. Besides, their fruits don't ripen until late October and by then, as you know, we could be entering winter. ### NDSU Agriculture Communication Source: Ron Smith (701) 231-8161 Editor: Barry Brissman (701) 231-7866