Evening star., 1950-02-26
farm and Garden
Do Grass, Flowers, Vegetables Like Your Soil?
If not, Here's What To Do About 1t
By W. H. Younemon
Corden Editor

beds for the plants. Drainage is
essential and should not be taken
for granted.
A simple test may be made by
pouring a pailful of water into a
small hole and noting how rapidly
1t drains away. II the clay is i'm
pervious and the water does not
disappear within "a hours some
form Of drainage is needed.
The next prerequisite for good
plant growth is plant food. This
may be added either as organic
materials-ari-nal and plant re-
sidues, or as Observation-Disclosures.
Today the average gardener finds
it practically impossible to supply
the organic plant foods and re-
lies on the inorganic which are
readily available as mixed ferti-
lizers. Organic materials are
slower acting and less apt to be
wrongly used than are the chemi-
Gals.
The Commercial Formula.
A commercial fertilizer, such
as a 5-10-5 mixture contains nj
trogen, PHOSPHORUS and potas-
SUM. These are the three primary
plant foods and the percentages
OF each are shown on the tag at
tached to the package. Plants
need nitrogen for leafy growth;
grass. lettuce, cabbage and other
leafy growths need it in abundant
quantities. If this food is lacking
in the soil the leaves will be small
and pale colored. Overlooking of
plants with nitrogen produces
soft, sappy growth and for this
reason high nitrogen fertilizers
are not recommended for use on
shrubbery, roses and other woody
plants. Tomatoes and potatoes
are two vegetable crops that do
best with only small amounts of
nitrogen.
Phosphate. the second number
in the formula. is a basic plant
food that is frequently deficient
here. 1t is good practice to spread
superphosphate, the usual trade
name for phosphate, before the
soil is plowed or spaded in order
to get good distribution.
Potassium. the last number in
the formula, is seldom deficient in
local soils. However. it is needed
for good plant growth. If de-
f1cient in the soil, woody shrubs
do not mature their wood suffici-
emily to escape winter injury.
Potassium deficiency, If acute, is
shown by the browning of leaf
Sometimes the center
OF the leaf will be a paler green
than the outer edges.
Minor Elements Discussed.
There are some 10 or IL other
elements utilized by the plants in
very small quantities. However,
If they are deficient the whole
balance Of the plant is disturbed
and health is impaired. Fortu-
nately, in this area boron is the
one most likely to be lacking. To
test the needs for these minor
elements, we may apply a solution
containing a mixture of all of
them to a test area and note the
effects. if any, in comparison to
an untreated area. Boron is easily
supplied by disolving a tablespoon
full Of borax in sprinkling can
OF water, sufficient to cover one
or two hundred feet of area.
Fertilizers may be mixed with
the soil when plowed or spaded;
they may be placed in burrows
below and a few inches on either
side OF the row of seed or plants,
or they may be mixed with the
soil in the bottom of the seed row.
This latter is the most likely to
produce injury to the seedlings
unless the fertilizer is throughly
mixed with the soil. Mixing the
fertilizer with the soil when it is
is thought to be some
what wasteful and modern theory
favors placement in burrows on
either side of the planting row.
However, an even distribution of
the application is needed to avoid
injury to tender roots.
, Annual applications of humus
and fertilizer to the garden are
essential to its productiveness and
the health of the plants. The Or
ganic Observation-Disclosures
pose and must be replaced annual
ly IT the soil is to retain it's
proper physical condition. Plant
foods, If not taken up by the
annual crops of flowers, vegetables.
or grass may be lost by teaching.
In either case, replacement is
needed and plants, like animals,
make their best growth when fed
a well balanced diet regularly.