Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-10-14
Uses of A Mulch in Summer.

Uses of A Mulch in Summer.
Comparatively few gardeners I'M
derstand the principles or theory OF
mulching. The plan is simple enough;
just use any sort of porous material
which will prevent evaporation and
at the same time allow the air to
circulate through. But the purpose of
a mulch should be understood.
For summer uses, the sooner the
mulch is put into place after the
plants are set, the better, as it will
conserve moisture, prevent the ground
baking, and incidentally prevent weed
growth.
Any porous material may be used
for mulching, some of which are corn
stalks, straw from grain, rice hulls,
shredded sugar cane and peatmoss.
Then it is also suggested that lawn
clippings, buckwheat hulls and leaf
mold are available.
A good time to put a mulch in
place is after a heavy rain and a
layer of from one inch or two inches
is desirable, depending on porosity
of material or closeness with which
it will pack. The use of a mulch is
especially desirable during dry
time, as it results in conservation of
moisture. The action is to hold the
available moisture near the surface
where plant roots can utilize it, Civ
ing plants a much larger quantity of
moisture than would be present in a
soil which was not mulched.
The idea of paper for mulching has
come into use of recent years and
has been extensively adopted in some
places. We have not heard so much
about it during the past year or two,
but presumably it is still doing serv-
ice where properly used.
In order not to have to use the
hose much in dry seasons, / use the
hoe a great deal; and when I say
that l do not mean to hoe so deep
that it almost equals spading. That
was done properly at seeding time.
But by hoeing, l mean working the
top inch or so of the soil. l stand
erect when 1 hoe. 1t is a pleasant
recreation.
Do not drag the soil about. Just
cut it, and that act will move the soil
slightly as it leaves the hoe, and it
is this little movement that relieves
the hoe. Touch up your hoe with a
milestone now and then. A dull
man has a dull hoe; and yet sharp
hoe won't make a sharp man. Now,
as the wise Solomon said, there is
{ time for everything. There is a
correct time for hoeing.
The right time to hoe is just before
a rain. You'll not always know the
right time, but if you do then that
hoeing is like taking the cover off
your garden! 1t lets the water into
it. Then, after the rain put the
cover on again, and do it as soon
as the soil ceases to be sticky. That
operation keeps the water in the soil.
Rain goes into the ground through
pores in the soil and so to mulch
or hoe after a rain corkS the holes,
so to speak, and you store water in
the ground for the plants future use.
Next, you must hoe your garden to
keep the water in it. 1t will come
to the surface, just as the oil in a
wick does, for soil water is rising
all the time and evaporates at the
surface of the soil To stop this
process, cut the soil an inch below
the surface and you stop this drain
of water.
You should never allow the top
70 n opI tho hnn will
help you. Water will rise and when
it cannot get out of the soil it will
get out only through the plants as
it should.
AS l dig the early potatoes each
day for the table, l take handful
of the vines and wrap them about
the growing tomato plants. This
goes on till all are mulched. This
fence of potato vines about each to-
mato plant helps to hold it up and
is loose, effective mulch preserving
moisture to the plant.
never stake my tomato plants
/ get tomatoes earlier by the omis-
sion. The tomatoes resting on or
near the ground get all the effects
of the reflected ground sun and
warmth, and the choicest fruit is
that which lies in the shade of the
stems and foliage and ripens slowly
out of the direct sun. Such fruit has
a decidedly finer aroma and more
beautiful color.
Grass clippings are useful as a
mulch for the finer seedbedS.