Evening star., 1943-03-07
Your Garden Is as Good as Its Soil
Proper Condition to Get Results

The problem of selecting a suitable
piece Of ground and putting it into
proper condition for vegetable gar
den Is confusing to the inexperi-
enced. Advice has been generally
broadcast to select an open sunny
plot. This, however, is general in
formation and is not a sufficient
guide for the beginner.
Sunny sites are. of course, neces-
sary, as vegetable crops do not make
good growth in even light shade.
They must have sun for at least five
hours a day, preferably all day.
Morning sun is much more benefi-
cial to plant growth than afternoon
sun.
Even the inexperienced will recog-
nize the importance of selecting
site where tree and vine roots do
riot rob the vegetables Of food and
moisture.
While a certain amount of slope
In the vegetable garden is desirable,
anything over very slight slope
increases the difficulty in protect
ing the soil and plants from wash
ing. A slope to the east is usually
considered the best, although
southern slope is equally advan-
tageous in producing early crops. A
northern slope is colder and the
crops will mature bit later, but
otherwise is not Objectionable West
slopes usually suffer more from dry
ing out.
The question that stumps most
gardeners is the soil. 1t can be
simply turned over with spade.
But will it then grow vegetables?
How to tell is the big question. If
1t grows a luxurious crop of weeds,
grass or shrubbery, the chances are
that 1t will grow vegetables. If, on
the other hand, it is from some
basement excavation and is full OF
brick bats and cinders or II 1t has
been trampled into putty-like sub
stance, it is doubtful If anything
can be grown in it without extensive
semodeling.
However, even the heaviest clays
or the lightest of sands can be made
into productive vegetable gardens,
although the cost is usually pro-
hibitive. Heavy clay soils can be
"broken up" (made more friable)
through the addition of coal ashes,
sand, decayed vegetable materials
(humus), and to a limited extent by
adding lime. Since most Of these
materials are not available or are
too costly, few gardeners should at
tempt to use the very heavy clays
this summer. OF course, If the plot
Is to be used for several years, then
other and less costly methods may
be used to improve them-such as
growing green manure crops.
Sandy soils usually lack sufficient
humus to keep them from drying out
and to prevent plant food from
teaching away. However. they can
be worked and the plant food can be
supplied in small doses at frequent
intervals SO that respectable crops
can be obtained the first season.
Sandy soils need numus in quantities
to bring them to the ideal condition
where they produce bountifully and
do not suffer from drought. Here
again, the green manure crops are
the most practicable and inexpensive
source Of humus.
As mentioned above, few gardeners
will have the stable manures avail
able, or rotted straw, or sufficient
quantities Of compost and peat moss
Is too costly. The only alternative is
to spade or plow under every bit of
plant material available, including
weeds, grass, trash and other litter.
This will supply only a fraction of
the material needs, but it will help.
A liberal application Of lime on the
freshly spaded or plowed ground
will help bit by. making the clay
more friable, although it does not
increase the water holding capacity
Of the soil.
All of the newly prepared soils will
need liberal application of phos-