HOME GARDENS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 75, 30 July 1948, Page 6

HOME GARDENS

(By J. W. Goodwin, N.D.H. (N.Z.), F.R.H.S., Massey Agricultural College.) MAKING VEGETABLES GROW •Four points, each of which contribute materially to the successful growing of vegetables are: (1) Careful soil husbandry; (2) Sow and plant only the best strains; (3) Practice garden hygiene and preventive spraying, and (4) Plan crop rotation and succession. n The first point in soil husbandry is the building up of a good growing medium, as discussed in these columns a fortnight ago. The second is to supplement the supply of plant foods naturally available in the soil. Garden hygiene and preventive spraying are two points of vital importance both to ourselves and our neighbours. Insects and disease spores may be airborne or they may be breeding in a neglected corner of the garden, or on diseased plants which have not been destroyed. Spring clean the garden from time to time, remove hiding-places and burn diseased refuse and sickly plants. Spray regularly as recommended in cultural notes given for various crops from time to time. Crop rotation and the succession of crops are of the utmost importance in maintaining an all-the-year round supply of choice fresh vegetables.

Crop rotation has been planned and carried out for centuries, arid assists in retaining the fertility of the soil and the control of disease. As mentioned previously, various crops require different proportions of plant food, some in the surface soil and others deeper down. Crop rotation will separate these into •groups, so that successive crops will not draw plant food from the same soil level or in the same proportions. Vegetable “March Past” General rules for cro£ rotation are as follows: Potatoes may follow the cabbage tribe, beans, peas, onions and leeks, whilst peas, beans, cabbage tribe and celery may follow potatoes. Leeks and onions may follow vabbage tribe, beans, peas, celery and potatoes, whilst they may be followed by potatoes, peas, beans, carrots and parsnips. Celery may follow potatoes, cabbage tnbe, and most crops, and may be followed my peas, beans, onions and rncst crops. Cabbage- Tribe (cauliflower, kale, sprouts, turnips, etc.) may follow peas, beans, onions and, potatoes, and be followed by celery, onions, beet, carrots and potatoes. Peas and beans may follow cabbage, broccoli, parsnips, carrots and potatoes, and may be followed by cabbage tribe or leeks. . Carrots and beet and parsnips may follow cabbage tribe, leeks, onions, potatoes, whilst they may be followed by cabbage tribe, peas and beans.

There are several ways in which a suitable rotation may be planned. The most suitable one really depends on the garden and the range of quantity of each vegetable grown. Wherever possible, group together those plants which will take a similar time to reach maturity.By doing this, larger areas will become vacant at any one time, for green manuring or digging over. Tall-growing crops should not be planted where they will shade smaller crops. I prefer a four-year rotation, with a fifth plot growing small fruits, rhubarb or other long-er-term crop. This fifth plot may be brought into the rotation for a change, and releasing plot four to the growing of crops. Suggested plantings and treatment are:— ' *. Plot No. 1: Could be deeply dug, incorporating well-rotted organic manure, and cropped with potatoes. Plot No. 2: Deeply dug, with no manure added, and cropped with carrots, parsnips, beet, onions, turnips and swedes^ Plot No. 3: C6uld contain two crops requiring manure: (1) Celery and leeks being planted in trenches or holes require deep, cultivation, and manure incorporated in the subsoil. Once the rotation was in operation, these two would follow turnip and swedes, which could not be followed by other members of the cabbage tribe, nor should leeks follow onions. (2) The other and larger crop would be surface-rooting members of the cabbage tribe, and a liberal dressing of manure should be dug into the surface. This ground could be limed during winter and be dug prior to planting. Do not lime potato ground or the crop preceding potatoes. Plot No. 4: Would be deeply dug without organic manure. Peas and beans could follow the cabbage tribe and would benefit from liming and manuring. Spinach, silver beet and lettuce could follow celery and leeks. In the following year crops from plot No. 1 would go to plot No. 4 and those from Plot No. 2 to plot No. 1 and so on.