THE GARDEN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19107, 27 June 1930, Page 11

THE GARDEN

NOTES FOR THE AMATEUR.

By

D. COMBRIDGE.

Our weather conditions have been quite in keeping with this season of the year. Winter time is on us and its evidences are everywhere. Frost, rain and cold, each doing their beneficial work on plant life and the soil in which the plants grow. On account of the fact that so little may be sown and so little planted in the gardens, it is easy to think that nothing can be done, especially as the evenings N are dark and opportunities few. One good occupation, however, is to review the past season’s work and memorise, or, better still, jot down the lessons the season has taught. No two years are ever alike and the reason some things do well one year in a certain spot and not so well another year in the same spot, in spite of having had the soil changed, is all instructive if notes are made of conditions, or they can be remembered, and noted down as being a likely factor in the cause. There are causes over which we have no control and their results must work out to the logical conclusion, but often the result of a cause may be minimised by some hidden work that is quite overlooked by the average garden-lover. Work properly done has a lasting benefit in vegetable and plant growing over a period of many years, and the result of that work shows its effect in so many ways. For example, the production of fine roses is the work of two or three seasons’ judicious cultivation and pruning, but back of that for continued success lies proper soil treatment prior to planting. Only one of the results from proper soil treatment is the blight resistant properties of the roses; not that they do not get attacks of blight and diseases, but they are more healthy and vigorous and t.hus_ do better. The actual depth of soil in which a plant lives is not just ah that influences its success or failure. i here are chemical changes going on. each at their own soil level, and these chemical actions arc being moved about from place to place or from level to level through the movement of moisture in the soil. Moisture in this sense does not mean water in bulk. As soon as soil gets lull of water it becomes waterlogged, all its air content is excluded, and the micro-organisms cease to work or even exist. But soil in a good state has each particle like a sponge or a piece of blotting paper, which absorbs'a certain amount and leaves the .surplus for the surrounding particle. . The amount of air in the particle is certainly very small, but is still sufficient to make it what is known as porous. The falling of water on the soil by me medium of rain is the means where >y moisture is added to the soil, but t is to be noticed that the verv heavy bowers beat the soil quickly' into a state in which, instead of getting into it, a lot of the rain runs off it. This is

evidently a provision to preserve the vital forces of the top soil from being washed right down into the sub-soil, there to be lost for want of air. On the other hand, light misty rains get well into the soil because each particle can get sufficient and the surplus gets deeper, to the benefit of the whole body of soil. On the other hand, moisture is also always rising from the subsoil through the action of the heat of the atmosphere and through a law known as capillary action, which is, that the moisture makes for itself ducts out into the outside air. This capillarity of soils is their chief value, especially to germinating seeds and' quick-growing plants, because it is by the medium of this moisture that the micro-organisms can work. This capillarity is only present when soil is in a good friable condition, and it only works in soil of such friability, whether deep or shallow. As soon as solid, compact soil is found this condition ceases. Thus a sub-soil of marl or clay is usually the base from which the moisture rises, and in wet districts this sub-soil is so saturated with water and air fails to penetrate it that it forms what is known or spoken of as the water table. If this is near the surface the ground is always cold and wet in the springIf it is well down the soil may be cropped fairly early and with good success. In the course of ordinary cultivation the top eight or ten inches of soil gets fairly well worked and well cropped, and as its vitality is used up, means are taken to renew it by fertilisers, both natural and artificial. These all fill their sphere and must be used with discretion, but plans for renewing the top soil slfould alwaj-s be in hand. (To be continued next week).