HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-04-29, Page 45Preparing soil is important
Before sowing vegetable
or flower seeds, it is im-
portant to make sure your
soil is in good condition, says
T. J. Blom, Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food
extension horticulturist.
Good soil drainage is one
of the most important fac-
tors. For clay -type soils, add
strawy manure and sand to
improve water and air
movement through the soil..
Sandy soils tend to dry out
quickly:•and may require the-
addition
headdition of peat moss to
increase the water -holding
capacity.
To determine the fertilizer
requirements of your soil,
Mr. Blom recommends
taking soil samples' for
testing. Soil test boxes are
available at. local offices of
the Ontario Ministry' of
Agriculture and Food. Soil
tests, conducted by the Land
Resource Science Depart-
ment at the University of
Guelph, cost ;1. These tests
check levels of phosphorus,
potassium, magnesium and
pH in the soil.
Soils that are too_ acidic.,.
require the addition of about
25 kilograms of limestone
per 100.square metres.
Early spring is a good time
to spread manure on th%
garden. Use about one cubic
metre of cow manure per 100
square metres. If you are
using poultry manure, apply
about one quarter of one
cubic metre per 1000 square
metre s.
If manure is used., it is note.
necessary to use chemical
fertilizer.
As soon as the soil is dry
enough to work, Mr. Blom
suggests fototilling or tur-
ning the_ soil under. Weeds
particularly those which
propogate by root, should be
removed from the soil before
planting begins.
Choose vegetables for location
and family preference
,by•H..Tiessen
Department of
Horticultural Science
University of Guelph
When choosing vegetablesto
grow, consider the size of
garden, family preference and
the garden location. You can
double the yield of the average
family garden with a little
planning.
Select a location with Ithe
most sunlight, good drainage
and good soil. If the garden is
small, improve soil conditions
by adding topsoil, peat,
• manure or • some other ad-
ditives.•
You can get higher yields
from crops grown in small
areas with better en-
vironmental conditions, even if -
some of them are artificial,'
than you can get from larger,
shaded and poorly -drained
areas. A daily minimum of six
hours.of sunlight is necessary.
1f the only sunny areas are
patios or open driveways,
grow 'plants 30 to 45; cen-
timetres
(12 to 18 inches) in
boxes of topsoil!.
In a small • garden, con-
centrate on one or two
vegetables, such as tomatoes,
peppers and radishes. Avoid
space -consuming crops, such
as squash,' melon, cucumbers
and potatoes. In other words,.
grow crops that respond to
intensive cultivation.
Choose s ch space -saving
crops as carrots; beets, onions,
radishes and lettuce. As soon
as theharvest of one crop is
completed, another can be
planted in itsplace.
Continuous cropping of
tomatoes and peppers is
desirable. If you have a small,
out-of-the-way place with
adequate sunlight, plant two to.
four plants of slicing
cucumbers on a trellis to meet
family needs throughout' the
summer.
You could: also grow
perennials, such as asparagus,
DECORATIVE
VEGETABLES
('enain kinds of vegetables are
dccorauve as well as delicious.
They could he called "cut and
come again". You do not harvest
the whole plant hut, rather, leases
or tips of branches.
"Oil and come again"
vcgctahles can he grown among
many garden flowers. You can eat
the ' cgeiahles. ycl pessershy will
notice only the flowers.
Plain Swiss chard. New
/.caland spinach, parsley or curly
kale among your flowers this
sprang, hut please, don't eat the
daisies!
rhubarb and • olives in the
perennial flower borders
Through proper selection of
vegetables, intensive•
cultivation ' and proper
management, you can harvest
a large volume of vegetables
from a small growing area.
Page 11
Well it may not come close to the Guinness Record, but this cucumber's bigenough to
make lots of good, juicy eaViag. Ken Stewart of Rrucefield, whe grew wand 2� pound-, I.21
inch Iong coke, says his secret is the bushel of cull apples he buried in his garden. (News -
Record photo)
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