Putting Humus Into Soil

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23275, 18 February 1939, Page 10 (Supplement)

Putting Humus Into Soil

(~)NE of the secrets of dry weather gardening is to ensure plenty of organic matter in the soil. Humus, is all important, and if first-rate plants are to be grown, the application of organic manures during a dry season is necessary. Plants growing in a soil with a sufficiency of humus are usually healthy, and are not attacked by pests and diseases as readily «is those grown in soil deficient in organic matter. Once organics have been applied, then pertilisers can be used to stimulate the crops and supply ' deficiencies. Stable manure is difficult to get, but efficient substitutes can be obtained in the shape of spent hops, fish manure or green manures. Green., manuring is an excellent method of adding humus to the soil. This consists of growing plants for the purpose of digging in before they mature. Most green manures, like rye and mustard, give back to the soil the food absorbed during growth. But when members of the legume family are used, that is, clovers, peas, vetches or lupins, a good deal of nitrogen is collected from the air and added to the soil. Sometimes green manure is slow in decomposing and calcium cyanamide can be used to accelerate the rotting, and to add nitrogen and lime. Whatever plants are used, they should be cut down just before they flower, and then chopped in pieces with a

spade. The calcium cyanamide should then be applied at tho rate of one ounce to the square yard. Leave the material for seven or eight days, then dig in. If possible, another green manure should be sown over the same piece of ground, to again be dug in, in its turn in winter.

The advantage of this method of green manuring is that it not only enriches the ground, but cleans it also. Those who have no spare land for green manuring, should. save all tho vegetable matter they have and pile it in suitable heaps, to dig in during winter.