The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-05-04
Victory
Gardens
by X. e. LainE

The following distances between
rows have been found satistac-
tory for home garden crops in this
locality: early rsdishes. inches
with an occasional path 70 inches
wide; onions and carrots. l2 inch.
es; lettuce, turnip. parsley, beet.
and satisfy, Is inches; parsnip.
spinach, dwarf okra, Kohl rAhi. rs
inches: chard. Chinese cabbage.
Chinese winter rsdish, bush snap
beans, cslery, and baby bush lima.
"a inches; tall okrs.. cabbage, pep
per, egg plant. and large bush
lima. 80 inches: late broccoli, late
caulitlower. brussel sprouts. and
corn, So inches; muskmelons. sum
mer squash, and cucumbers. TO s
feet; vatermelons. pumpkins. late
squash and late tomatoes. 7 to s
feet. Wider spacing may be ne
cesssry to permit cultivation
with large type cultivators. Slight
ly closer spacing is possible where
II is unnecessary 10 provide a
path.
Radisbes. onions, psrsnips, beets.
spinach, and chard are usually
planted about an inch apart in the
row In the home garden. The
chard and beets are thinned to
stand about 2 or inches apart
when about inches high, the
trimmings being used for greens.
Many people prefer to can beets
when they are about an inch or
Ia inches in diameter. IL so,
II is unnecessary to thin the beets
TO stand more than an inch apart.
Some people, who do not care for
beet greens. do not thin the beets
until a substantial number OF them
are large enough for canning.
They then go through all the rows
of beets pulling out and canning
all that are ready. The rest are
left TO grow until they too are
large enough to be canned. Two
or three "pullings" will usually
thin the patch thoroughly. If
the beets are Unexplained between
rows OF young strawberry plants
or tomatoes, melons. etc, they
must be removed by the middle
OF July. That usually results In
two or three pullings, the last
one OF which strips the row clean.
even though some OF the beets may
be less than an inch In diameter
Beets that are to be stored for
winter are thinned TO stand 2 or 5
inches apart.
Chard is also sometimes planted
in little hills s or inches apart
like Chinese cabbage with 2 or
3 seeds in each hill. Later. these
are thinned to plant in each hill.
Onions that were planted from
seed are thinned when about the
size Of lead pencil OF piece of
chalk. the trimmings being used
as green onions on the table. The
remaining plants are allowed to
mature and are harvested and
stored for winter use.
Parsnip seeds terminate very
slowly Therefore we plant them
about one inch apart and then
SOW a few early radish seeds
about 2 inches apart in the row.
These are then covered and press.
ed firmly The radishes GERM.
nate rapidly. As soon as the
young parsnip plants have ap-
peared, the radishes will be large
enough to eat and should be
pulled. The psrsnips are then
thinned TO stand about 5 to 6
inches apart
Fresh satisfy seeds terminate
nearly 100 per cent. Since sal.
silly plants are difficult to pull
out, ii Is considered best 10 plant
the seeds one at a time about 4
inches apart. Then thinning is
unnecessary.
Peas are planted very early
when the soil is likely 10 be cold
and when 1t would not be wise TO
plant them very deeply nor 10
press the soil very firmly. be-
cause II IT should rain heavily
for several days many Of the seeds
might decay, especially In heavy
soil. But sometimes It does not
rain, and, consequently. the seeds
terminate very slowly and un-
evenly. Therefore some people
soak the pea seeds in lukewarm
water for two to four hours until
they have swollen to full size
Then the swollen seeds are plant.
ed about one inch deep. covered,
and pressed lightly. They usually
terminate promptly. thus making
nice even row OF plants. II is
important not to soak the seeds
any longer than necessary, be.
cause they are likely to decay II
deprived Of air for too many hours
Sweet potato plants are obtain.
ed by placing healthy medium sized
sweet potatoes at least = inch
apart and 8 to I inches deep in
moist sandy soil about April 25
to 80. This may be done in a hot.
bed. greenhouse. or simply in a
box In warm place in the home.
The box need not be more than s
inches deep. because II does not
rsatfar 10 tho Datoa,a.. ,I-.z-,