The Wolf Point herald., 1924-05-29
PRACTICAL ADVICE
: FOR THE GARDENERS
(Montana A. C. Extension Service)
Transplanting


The last of May and the earl
part of June is usually considere,
setting out time in Montana for sucl
plants as cabbage, cauliflower, eel
cry, melons and tomatoes. Nothing
is gained by moving warm season
= crops like tomatoes, cucumbers Of
melons out of doors until the sol
and the nights are fairly warm
Cabbage and caulifower plants, il
properly handled, may be moved tc
the field a little earlier.
1t is best to select a cloudy day
for transplanting if possible and the
evening is "a better time than the
morning. Plants of medium size
will transplant better than the very
small or the very large plants.
E Plants should be firmly established
in the soil in which they are grow
ing before being transplanted.
While it is good practice to reduce
the amount of water during the
hardening off period before trans
planting, several hours before the
plants are moved they should be Civ
en- a thorough watering. The plant
should be removed from the soil
carefully with a good supply of the
soil clinging to the roots. Bare roots
more than two inches long may be
cut off as there is little possibility of
saving them.
AS it is almost impossible to save
all of the roots it is often well to cut
off about one-half of the leaf sur
face of the plant so as to maintain
the proper balance between roots and
leaves. Entire leaves or parts of
leaves may be cut away.
The soil in which the plants are
placed should be well prepared. The
roots should be spread out in the
hole that is prepared to receive them
and the soil should be pressed firm
ly about the roots. Loose soil about
the roots checks the spread of mois-
ture.
tt is best not to have the soil in
which the plants are placed too wet.
Tt is we'll to set the plants out and
then let the water run down the fur
rows between the rows until the
moisture soaks we'll up to the plants.
A few hours after the water has
been turned off the furrow may be
covered over to check evaporation.
Tn non-irrigated sections where sufh-
cient water is not available, the
plants may be set in their places
with the holes only partly filled ana
water poured in the holes to help
settle the soil about the roots. When
the water has soaked away the holes
NAV be filled with loose soil.
Beets f
While beets may be sown quite !
carly in the season, it is best to wait
until the soil has warmed up before !
the main crop. For a sue Z
cession of crops paintings may be !
made every week or two until the G
season is we'll advanced. For a fall +
and winter crop seed may be sown
until July 1st in the higher altl- +
tudes and two or three weeks later c
when the seasons are longer. Dur e
mo extra warm seasons young plants
NAV not be able to survive the sum-
mer heat and in such cases 1t IS pest
% rely upon the earlier planting Tor
he winters supply.
Beets should be sown rather thick
v in rows and when the plants are .
.our to six inches high they should :
70 thinned out to from three to SIX :,
nches apart. Trimmings may be a.
made gradually, rather than all at :, :
nee. particularly, where it is desir- 7,
d to use the tops for greens. Grim r
on Globe, Crosby's Egyptian and Il
Detroit Dark Red are desirable va - =
ieties. es
Smooth peas may be planted as -
oon as the soil is put in condition -, :.
4 the spring while the wrinkled -
inds should not be planted until 81
he ground has warmed up con- !. H.
iderably. fl
The dwarf varieties may be plant ~ ~
4 with rows as close as 18 inches, D, D.
lille for the tall growing kinds -
,ere should be allowed from three =.
, four feet between rows. Dwarf 10
cas- are more convenient for the "a "a
ONE garden since they do not re- a. a.
ire supports. The tall ones require -
ushes or trellises of some kind up
n which to grow. ba
In planting, six to twelve seeds to ~ ~
le foot are recommended and they ~
,ould be covered two or three inch e. e.,
deep. Pods should be picked when ~ ~
ell filed and before the seeds begin az a.
harden. Favorite varieties are 'i-'
laska, Blue Bantam, Abundance, -,
merican Wonder, Stratagem and T.. =.
elephone. A
Questions and Answers he
@. Every year I lose number OF ais
a1on+e ,iuht after setting