STIMULANTS FOR CABBAGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 282, 18 February 1928, Page 26

STIMULANTS FOR CABBAGE

It is not generally realised that in most gardens autumn or winter manuring are not sufficient to carry the crops to perfection; summer stimulants also are necesary or at least are highly beneficial. The nature of these stimulants should vary in aeordance with the special requirements of the crop. The various members of the cabbage family need supplies of nitrogen. All soils contain a proportion of nitrogen but few of them sufficient to satisfy the greed of a cabbage. Sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of soda are the two chief nitrogen providers. The former is considerably cheaper than the latter and will therefore commend itself to most. It is slower in action and needs more moisture to dissolve it, but that is no disadvantage if it is sprinkled on the ground rather earlier than the nitrate would be, and in showery' weather, or, alternately, if the land is heavily watered imediately after an application. Not more than soz. per square yard should be used and it must not touch the leaves or stems or it will burn them. Once a month is often enough to apply the dressing. Any special cabbage plants that are wanted for show might have something more than nitrogen. What is usually done it to water them twice, at an interval of a fortnight, with the following: loz. sulphate of iron to 2oz. of sulphate of amonia in a gallon of water.