Evening star., 1953-11-01

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for proper culture-whether 1t be
towering bulbs or other plants
is a well-drained soil.
Since this is the season when
spring Towering bulbs are plant
ed, the gardener should be re-
minded that bulbs must have
proper drainage If they are to
do their best.
Few bulbs will persist for long
and remain free Of rotS in q
poorly drained soil.
Dormant perennial plants soon
disappear If the beds are soggy
wet during the winter. Last
spring many shrubs, trees, bulbs
and plants drowned in carefully
prepared holes and beds be-
cause of inadequate subsurface
damage. Clay soils are usually
retentive of moisture and unless
they are properly handled will
not allow moisture to pass
through them. AS a rule, though,
it is the clay soil that is most
likely to contain the minerals
that are essential to plant
growth.
The drainage problem may be
caused by tight clay topsoil
such as usually result when the
basement clay is leveled off
around the new home. Or, it
may be from an impervious layer
Of clay below the top soil. This
can best be determined by dig
ging q few holes to various
depths, filling them with water
and then noting how quickly the
water seeps away. Usually the
water will disperse quickly into
the top 6 or 8 inches of soil.
II 1t does not seep out of sight
in all the holes within "a hours
the soil may be considered poor
" drained.
Drainage Is Important.
Subsurface drainage is impor-
tant and must be solved in some
manner. If it is caused by a rela-
lively thin layer Of hardpan
within q foot or two of the sur
face the remedy is not so diff
cult. Hardpan layers may be
broken up below or close to the
beds with pick or crowbar. The
feasibility Of this method can
only be determined by digging
and testing the soil.
Where the clay is of such q ma
ture that it will not permit the
excess moisture to pass through,
then the problem is to supply
artificial drainage. This usually
consists of a ditch or drain to
carry excess moisture away from
the beds and borders. Since open
bitches are more or less difficult
to keep clean, interfere with
working, and may be a source
OF mosquitoes, most gardeners
prefer to rely on tile drains laid
a foot or more below the surface
Of the ground.
Before tile is laid it will be 4.
necessary to provide for drainage
within the bed or border. In a
few cases it may be desirable to
completely eXcavate the beds
and borders, cover the bottom
with a 6-irch layer of coarse
gravel which should be covered
with weeds or grass to prevent
soil from filling the spaces be-
tween the rocks. The tile drain
would then, be laid to tap this
strata, and if laid with slight
fall from the bed to the outlet,
excess moisture will be quickly
removed. q
Ditch May Serve. Z
A ditch filled with coarse
gravel and, if covered with grass
or other materials to prevent
clogging with dirt, will serve as
well as will drain tile.
Should this method of drain
age prove unfeasible because of
lack Of outlet or for other rea-
sons, then the best solution is
to raise the beds 6 inches or
more above the ground level.
This will necesSitate the use of
walls or other materials to hold
the soil in place.
Still another practice may be
employed, although it is not de-
Sirable, and that is to plant bulbs
and plants in the clay soil with
out any effort to improve the
soil structure. In other words,
the addition Of compost, peat
moss. gawduSt, sand, or other
material which will loosen the
soil and permit aeration and
moisture to get into the soil only
serves to increase the sogginesS
Of poorly drained soil. BY
emitting these soil improvement
practices 1t is often possible for
bulbs and plants to live and
flower, however poorly, because
very little moisture can pene-
trate the surface.
HumuS Improves Soil.
Dhere the subSoil drainage is
adequate then the problem of
getting rid of excess moisture In
the surface may be achieved
through the addition of materials
to the tight clay which will sep
arate the particles and keep
them separated. For years farm
erS and gardeners have mixed
decayed vegetable matter (hu-
mus, green manure crops and
other plant matter, as well as
sand, cinders and ashes into the
soil to accomplish this. Now the
use Of chemical soil conditionerS
is being substituted for the hu-
mus. Cultivating, subsoiling, and
other mechanical devices are also
used for this purpose.
Keeping a mulch cover over
the soil also helps to keep the
soil open, permitting water to
percolate through to the subSur-