Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1921-05-05
BANKS
HELPFUL HINTS FOR
THE HOME GARDENER

y
in gardening in competition with trees
and shade. 1t can't be done success
fully. Hoeing, watering and fertiliz-
ing cannot make up for lack for sun
light. Many gardeners try to make
this substitution and fail. Good gar
den tracts may be spoiled by worth
less, often self planted, trees or shrubs.
Cut them out so that your vegetables
won't have to compete with them for
sunlight, food, and water. You will
probably find also that your back yard
looks better without them.
If it is Impractical to remove the
offending plants, or if buildings shade
your garden for a greater part of the
day begin at once to make arrange
ments for suitable garden tract.
The Garden Plan
What kind Of house would car
penter build without plan? How
would a garden which was planned
row by row, while planting was being
done compare with one carefully plan
ned in advance of planting? The pro-
fessional gardener finds plan neces-
sary for best results.
AS soon as you know where your
| garden is to be, measure your tract
and then plan your garden on paper.
A good working plan should show:
l. Location of the different crops.
g. Distance between rows.
3. If more than one crop is to oc-
cupy the same area during the season.
f. Approximate dates for making
different paintings of lettuce, peas,
radishes or other vegetables of which
more than one planting is made.
Use heavy paper and ink so that
your plan will stand a seasons use in
the garden.
In making garden there are GER
tain things to remember
1. Make every foot of land work
all the time. AS soon as one crop is
harvested another should take its place
if there is room for its proper growth.
Warm season crops, such as beans
and tomatoes and late seeded crops
like turnips may follow early cool
season crops such as lettuce, spinach,
radishes and onion sets.
g Vegetable which can be stored
for winter use should be considered
first. The vegetables will be more
appreciated when the supply is low
and the price is high.
8. First plan for the long season
crops-the short season crops will
take care Of themselves. Grow short
season crops lettuce, radishes,
spinach) between rows of long season
crops Globe radishes may be grown
in the rows Of carrots, parsnips and
beets. Small, early-maturing vege-
tables can be grown between the young
plants of cabbage, tomatoes or corn
in hills.
4. II your garden is small you can
not afford to grow crops requiring
lots of space. Potatoes, corn, and
vine crops should usually be left out
of the small garden. If these are
grown the smaller, quick growing
crops should occupy the space until
it is needed by the permanent crop.
5. Foliage crops lettuce, spinach)
are likely to do better in partial shade
than the fruit crops tomatoes beans)
6. Do not plant high growing plants
they will shade sun-loving plants.
The difficulties arising from shading
can be greatly lessened by having the
rows run north and south.
| 7. Unless you have had previous ex-
perience do not waste much time or
caulif1ower, peppers, egg plant or
other crops that are hard to grow OF
of doubtful value. These crops SO
often fail due to weather conditions
or slight errors in culture that it is
usually advisable to give their space
to more certain crops.
s. Remember that in small gar
den there is plenty of space ''up anC
down" but it is limited sidewise
Tomatoes should be trained to trel
Uses or stakes. Tall growing peas
trellised and planted between rows o.
smaller vegetables requiring no more
space than dwarf varieties and usual
ly produce larger crops. If you thinl
you must grow cucumbers try thu
trellis method.
9. variety is the Spice of Life
Provide for as large variety of vege
tables as practical. You might ge
tired of steady diet of one kind.
TO- Leave sufficient space between
the rows to provide for good tillage
1t is better to have slightly too mucl
than too little space The beginne
will need wider space between row
than the experienced gardner Be o.
the safe side.
The Best Varieties.
Ask each of a dozen expert gar
deners to make list of "best" yarie
ties and the result will be dozen diff
= ferent lists for each has his favorites