Your Problems

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 147, 22 June 1940, Page 7 (Supplement)

Your Problems

KAY (Item it era) asks: Will you please identify enclosed leaf, also at what season may I cxpcct the plants to bloom t The plant is Stackys lannta antl it flowers during summer. + + + +" OLD HONKB (Onchungu) writes: Gould you please tell me ho to to make use of bones so as to use than for manure. They arc too hard to break up. To decompose hones in small quantities pack litem layer by layer with wood ashes in a barrel and keep the whole moist, not wet, either with water or liquid manure. In a few months* time the bones will come out in a line powder, and is a useful fertiliser which may be used in the place of bone-meal. + + + + 2?EW CHUM (Avondale) says: I am told that there is a difficulty in. growing ■ root crops here due to some deficiency in the soil, potatoes, I am told, do not do well, plenty of top. but nothing underneath. The soil by the way seems heavy black and holds the water a good deal. (1) Does the soil need plenty of lime, and if so is burnt shell lime the best to tisef (2) The variety of potatoes best- suited for this soil. (a) What artificial manure is best to' use for potatoes, carrots, parsnips, leeks, beans, peas, cabbage, cauliflower? (-1) The section is covercd with. high grass; should I dig this in to form humusT (5) Would frcesia* and Iceland poppies from seed do well in this soilt (1) Personally I do not think that for vegetables your •'soil needs much lime, and I cannot recommend you tp apply much. A little might do good and, if you apply any, use agricultural lime. This is actually ground limestone. (2) I should recommend .Gamekeeper. (3) The best manure to use for root crops would be bonedust and superphosphate: for leeks, cabbage, cauliflower, blood and bone; ami for peas and beans, superphosphate. (4) Yes, hut when digging chop the grass and turf into small pieces with the spade. (5) Yes, both would do well in .vo.ur soil. +++ ' + SANDIIIXGHA M writes: My garden soil will not grow Icttucc, beetroot or carrots, although it appears to me to be good soil. Lettuce struggle along for four or five months and then go to seed without forming proper hearts. Jtect and carrots arc also failures. The soil is friable and I have seen to it that plenty of water has been given it, not a very difficult job this last wet summer. Evidently the soil lacks some essential ingredient, and I shall be glad if you can tell nic what the trouble is and how to remedy it. The element lacking in your soil is available nitrogen. This can be applied by means of organic manure, such as stable manure or decayed vegetable refuse. However, these may not be available and in that case you should use either sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda. These are found in the ordinary proprietary mixtures of manures. In your ease it would be advisable to apply some nitrogen by sprinkling along the row or around the plants a little of cither of the above forms of nitrogenous manures. The first application should be given when the plants have made three or four leaves; that is, at the time of thinning or transplanting from the seed bed. Only about a saltspoonful should be given to each plant and the manure must not be allowed to touch the foliage. Probably a better way would be for you to dissolve a dessertspoonful in a gallon of water and give each plant a little of the solution ; in the case of carrots and beetroot the solution can be run along the row. I am taking it for granted that you apply superphosphate, bonedust, or some other similar manure at the time of digging or sowing. In many cases the reason of failure with these crops in a light sandy or volcanic soil is that it is not firm and close enough, the remedy for this, of course, being to tread or firm the ground just before sowing the seed.