PLANT TONICS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1941, Page 9

PLANT TONICS

. FRED AT RIGHT TIME. i At what jjeriod are plants most in , need of (he tonics and stimulants • which fertilisers can supply? In the ■ earliest stage of growth plants, like babies, take food in small quantities. ilf there is some manure in the soil i they will obtain all the food they want : : for a while from the soil and it is not i j only unnecessary waste, but likely to : ! injure the plants if feeding begins too i early in the growing season. When I sturdy substance is to be put into the ; | structure of the plant, when the time j j arrives for rapid growth, to be made ; i and when the edible portions are be- i ! ginning to develop, a little extra stimui lain will bo acceptable and beneficialThus, when lettuces and cabbages ‘ ’ begin to heart, when the curds or heads ! iof cauliflowers show signs of forma-. ' tion, when onions begin to swell out at I the bottom and turnips reach the size ; of table tennis balls, then is the time to ! dust the soil between the rows with ■ fertiliser. Rake or hoe it into the sur- ; face or make a weak solution and Hood j the root run if there is not any likeli- . hood of early rain. At the first sign of tomatoes setting, peas and beans forming pods, marrows and cucumbers beginning to swell, start feeding and keep it up. Always remember that a succession ! of weak feeds will be belter than one ' or two heavy doses. There come a time i when plants which have to persist in ; yielding produce for a length of time begin to show signs of weariness and ' exhaustion. That is when a tonic oner- j gises them to put on another spur!. ; Sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda > sulphate of potash and in many cases | sulphate of iron will serve good purpose at these times. It is usually better i for the homo gardener, however, to use ' a well balanced compound of chemicals I as found in a good proprietary fertili- j ser than to try experiments with, individual chemicals.