Basics
From Antivist
Revision as of 19:31, 16 August 2007
Contents |
Sowing
Sowings should be made at four different times. This is because of the effects of frost and because seasons vary, some being early, others late in opening. For the latter season, the time between the early sowings should be increased in an early spring and made about the time that the earliest trees, such as silver maple open their buds.
To take advantage of the cool fall weather, a second crop of cool-season vegetables may be grown.
Fall garden vegetables do not thrive in warm weather and too early planting will stunt some kinds and cause others to become coarse, woody, or pithy and unfit for use.
Cultivation
The function of cultivation with vegetables is to conserve moisture by eliminating weeds, to close up cracks and provide a loose, rough surface which will absorb rainfall and prevent runoff. Deep cultivation destroys many roots, reduces the yield of most vegetables and is unnecesary. Shallow surface cultivation is recommended for all vegetables, especially in un-irrigated soils and in dry seasons.
Mulching
Mulching gardens with straw or other litter such as hay or manure is a practical way to increase yields and produce vegetables of the best quality. The benefits are greatest with long-season crops and in dry years. Though straw mulches have increased the yields of nearly all vegetables, their use is not recommended with early short-season crops such as leaf lettuce, peas, spinach, seeded onions, cauliflower, and early cabbage. With root crops such as carrots, beets, and parsnips their use does not appear advantageous and with transplanted onions is of doubtful value. The difficulties of applying straw more than offset the advantage which most of these crops might gain. Straw mulching has been found desirable with all long season crops except sweet corn. Straw should not be applied until the plants are well established. A mulch of 2" to 4" is adequate. Deeper is unnecessary and undesirable.
Between 10 and 15 tons of straw are needed for mulching an acre, or about 500 pounds foro 2,000 square feet.
At the end of the season, straw mulches should be removed and burned because of the unfavorable effect upon the soil when such a large amount of dry organic matter is plowed under. This isi most serious with un-irrigated or sandy soils.
With potatoes, the straw mulch should be applied before the plants come through the soil. With other crops, such as tomatoes, eggplants, and other transplanted vegetables, before transplanting or after the plants are established, preferable at the latter time.
Irrigation
Irrigation will be found desirable at some time in practically every season and often in many seasons. Except for hastening seed germination in a dry spring, irrigation is seldom needed before July and not after August.
Needless or excessive irrigation early in the life of the plants might cause the development of shallow root systems. However, vegetables should be kept growing steadily. Knobby, growth-cracked, hollow, rough-shaped, double and otherwise undesirable vegetables are produced when growth is uneven, especially when a period of abundant moisture follos one of prolonged drouth.
One inch of water, in one rain, or from irrigation should maintain vigorous growth of most vegetables for five to seven days during hot weather, and 10 to 15 days in cooler weather.
Smaller amounts or larger amounts of water at one time are less desirable, because the soil will be poorly aerated for a time and the loss from rotting, blight, etc. will be increased.
