Milford chronicle., 1957-05-31
Home Gardeners
Questions & Answers

Questions directed to the county
agent on garden or farm problems
in the public interest will be ans
wered regularly in these columns.
QUESTIONS: By Mrs. H. W., Dover
ID Is compost same as organic
material?
(2) Is the organic material and
humus considered fertile
enough to raise all vege-
tables?
90 Is it necessary to use
starter solution when first
transpianting the plants?
(4l Is it necessary to use fer
tilizer later on the plants?
ANSWERS: ~ Compost is de-
composed organic material.
lime, fertilizer and soil.
(2) Organic material alone does
not usually give top yields
for all vegetables. 1t may
vary widely in plant food
value.
60 A starter solution is liquid
fertilizer, the form in which
plants take up food. Used
in the proper amounts, it is
a tremendous help for trans
planting.
(4) Side-dressing is the term
used for applying fertilizer
while the plants are growing.
Most plants benefits from the
use of added fertilizer, espe-
0fnI1rv r1sf .
growing season.
QUESTION: How to eliminate
chickweed? Is it too late to do
anything at present, as / under
stand fall is the time to really
start your war on it?-M. S.,
FELTON,.
ANSWER: DinitrO and some other
materials can be used to control
chickweed and it should be ap-
piled in November or December.
Spot spraying is probably best.
Yes, it is too late to do anything
at present.
QUESTION: Is there an ecOnomi-
cal leaf grinder for leaves and
other materials for composing?
w. S. P.
ANSWER: Yes, if you consider a
price of $4,000 economical.
QUESTION: If you have plenty of
sycamore leaves but little else,
how is the best way to compost?
w. S. p, Dover.
ANSWER: Sycamore leaves decay
slowly, but you can compost
them with lime, soil and fertiliz-
eT. Keep the mixture wet to has
ten the process.
QUESTION: How do we test soil
for acidness without getting to
the Experiment Station in New
ark?-L. D., Dover.
ANSWER: Some lime companies
have acidity testers. VO-Ag de-
partments in schools also may
run acidity tests. You can buy
color test kits from supply
houses which are reliable to a
degree. Soil samples are tested
free of charge at the University
of Delaware for the need of lime
and fertilizer. The samples may
be left at the county extension
Office in the p. o. Building at
Dover. They will be sent to New
ark and the answers and recon-
mendations will come back by
mail-usually within two weeks.
QUESTION: Should flowers be as
crowded as you have placed them
in your window box? (at the
short cOurse) G. NJ, Wyom-
ing.
ANSWER: Plants may be crowd
ed" somewhat in a window box
because they usually get better
care than in other situations
People tend to change plants fire.
quently in window boxes.
QUESTION:: If you use window
boxes in the front of the house,
is it good taste to also use them
around the sides and back?-
Mrs H., H., Dover.
ANSWER: A little is good, more
may be too much. This would
seem to be a good rule to con
slider. Window boxes should en-
hance, not dominate, the scene.
They should merge into rather
than overwhelm the home.
QUESTION: Is it possible to grow
seedlings from the little red pods
that grow on the Dogwood tree
after the blossom falls off?-G
Men, Smyrna.
ANSWER: Yes, but termination is