Evening star., 1912-07-04
HINTS ON WATERING PLANTS.
When Best Results Can Be Obtained.
Things to Be Avoided.

From the London Mall
On first consideration it does not seem
possible that there can be much to learn
in the simple matter of garden watering;
but such grave and disastrous mistakes
can be made in this direction that a few
hints should prove useful to amateur
horticulturists.
1t should be said at once that the water
ing of whole beds and borders should be
delayed for as long as possible, moisture
only being given artificially to such sub
jects as must have a fairly damp soil in
! which to prosper, and, Of course to small
Seeding plants. Overwatering is fire.
quently cause of loss.
BY keeping the surface well loosenad
with the hoe, SO that every drop OF rain
sinks into the soil, the time when the
hose or water can become absolutely
necessary may be put OF for several days.
But when the day arrives on which water
| ing is essential, let 1t be a thorough soak
ing you give the plants. A mere sprink-
| ling of moisture then does much more
harm than good.
| Water applied direct from the main
| through a hose or can Is not beneficial to
| plants. On the contrary, it frequently
| does them injury.
If there is no storage of rain water
! available. do not let cold tap water touch
| the stream onto the surface round the
stems or place some o,d. decayed manure
| round the plants and pour the water cnto
| it.
| In hot weather watering should be done
| In the evening unless there are young
plants which are liable to be attacked by
slugs. Such plants it Is advisable to
| m>is.en in the morning.
| 1t is always better If planting can be
done in damp weather. A point to re-
member during this time Of bedding out
! Is that the ground must be we'll moist
| ened. When the bedding has to proceed
| in dry weather the soil should be watered
the evening before the rlants are put In.
/ Pot plants need less moisture in dull
than In sunny weather. A good test Of
the condition OF the soil is to tap the side
Of the pot and give the plant water If the
pot rings hollow. There should always
| be space to hold water between the
soil and the rim of pot. and when the
plant is watered this space should be
! filled to overfiowng..
Stir the surface sol! of a pot plant fre-
quently. thus doing the plant the same
| service of keeping it's soil porous as is
done with the hoe in the open beds. Re-
| garding the sort Of water to use, failing
a supply of rain water, 1t Is well to NIL
| a butt from the main and let 1t stand in
the open air as a storage from which to
| take the moisture required for pot plants.
When watering is done in dry weather,
let it be done generously. Roses. dah'ias
and big strong clumps of herbaceous
things need someth ng like gallon of
wafer to each plant. Sweet peas should
haze the same quantity. for 1t is absolute
ly fatal 20 let them become jry at the
| roots.
II IS good plan also to sprinkle sweet
peas overhead after hot day. II your
sweet peas are making no progress, give
them a good soaking one evening with
Ilain water, and the next evening mix
half an ource of nitrate Of potash with
! each gallon OF water. giving two gallons
of the mixture TO the yard run of plants