Winter Overhaul of the Home Garden Can be Done in May

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 84, Issue 4, 15 April 1952, Page 308

Winter Overhaul of the Home Garden Can be Done in May

By

C. L. NAPIER,

Orchard Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Hastings

WINTER CROPS should be well established by May, and as extensive spring plantings will not begin for some weeks, gardeners should be able, io take advantage of the relatively slack time to overhaul their, equipment. Clean, sharp, and efficient equipment assists considerably in speeding up garden duties and making them less laborious,

BESIDES the checking of tools and other equipment there are many other tasks that can be done during the month. Compost bins can be repaired or constructed, the tool shed tidied up, and other small jobs done that never seem to be completed during the busy summer months.

Good Tools Important One of the most important items in the home garden is a set of good tools suitable for all major operations. Gardening can be made pleasant if gardeners pay attention to the types of tools purchased and particularly to the condition in which they are kept after purchase. After use all tools should be cleaned or scrubbed thoroughly and then dried. Coatings of rust or dry, hard soil on implements such as spades, hoes, and forks can make work very tiring. Clean spades, like sharp knives, assist to reduce the physical effort needed in using them. After being cleaned most tools benefit from a light coating of oil or grease. An oily rag kept in a tin containing a little oil and placed beside the tool rack is very useful. Tools can be rubbed over after they have been cleaned and then placed in their position on the rack. Unless it is reasonably sharp, no tool, however clean, can be used without effort. Spades and hoes, particularly the push type, are the most important in this respect. All tools can be sharpened easily and quickly if a good file is available. The illustrations on page 309 show how the file should be held and used when sharpening a spade. . Hoes and shovels can be sharpened in a similar manner.

Push type or Dutch hoes should be sharpened on the upper edge only and draw type or chop hoes sharpened

on the forward edge. Spades and shovels should be sharpened on the back edge. No garden implement should be sharpened on both sides. Torpedo or fish-tail hoes are often sharpened on both the leading and trailing edges, as this makes it easier to destroy weeds when the hoe is passed sideways between plants in the rows. Orderly Tool Shed An orderly tool shed is pleasant to work in and tools tossed into a corner are difficult to sort out when required. There are many types of tool racks, all of which assist in keeping the shed tidy and add to the life of the tools. Shelves or cupboards should be set aside for articles such as garden lines, vegetable seeds (which should be stored in vermin-proof containers), files, labels, and spray materials. Spray materials should be kept out of reach of young children, as almost all of them are toxic. If they cannot be stored on high shelves, they are best locked in a cupboard. All onions, tubers, and pumpkins and squashes stored in the shed should be in positions where damage to them is not likely to occur during winter. However, they should be stored so that periodically they can be checked over easily for storage rots and attack by vermin. An abundance of tools is not necessary and only those required for major jobs should be purchased. A good range of tools for the average home garden is shown m the upper illustration on page 309. The mechanical cultivator may be unnecessary in some gardens, but saves many hours of hand hoeing. Price ranges at present for these tools are: — Spade, 275. 6d.-355. Narrow trowel, 2s. 6d. Rake, 6s. 6d.-10s. 6d. Wide trowel, 2s. 3d. 1 Draw hoe, 95.-14 s. 6d. Wooden labels, 12in., Torpedo hoe, 10s. 6d.-14s. 6d. 17s. 6d. per 100 Scarifier, 18s. 6d.-30s. Hand fork, 3s. 6d.-6s. 6d. Digging fork 18s. 6d.-30s. Garden line (fishing line), Potato fork, 18s. 6d.-30s. 4s. 6d. per hank Mechanical cultivator, File, 3s. 9d. £3 -£l4 Garden hose, jin., Watering can, Is. 2d.-ls. Bd. per ft. 18s. 6d.-375. 6d. Sprinklers, 2s. 6d.-£5

Spray Equipment

Some type of spray equipment is essential in a home garden if diseases and pests are to be kept to a minimum. It is also necessary to have the equipment in good order if spraying is to be done quickly and efficiently. All appliances should be cleaned out after use, and at this time of the year some larger repair jobs may be necessary. Washers on all types may need renewing and hose lengths on bucket pumps or knapsack sprayers should be replaced if perished. Leaking hoses or joints reduce greatly the pressure of such pumps and thus their effectiveness. One common occurrence with spraying appliances is the blocking of the nozzles. This is often caused by inefficient strainers, particularly on bucket pumps and knapsack sprayers. The strainer at the base of the bucket pump should be renewed, if necessary, and any holes in the strainer of the knapsack sprayer sealed up. It is also a good plan to take all nozzles apart and clean them thoroughly to remove any threads or particles of dirt. All spraying equipment should be stored in a position where it is not likely to be damaged. Bonfires Have Disadvantages At this time when much clearing of refuse is being done, gardeners are sometimes faced with the problem of disposing of considerable quantities of vegetation. The easy way out is to ,burn it and scatter the ashes over the garden. Unfortunately, although a bonfire saves time, much of value is lost from the material so treated. All plant refuse that is not diseased should be returned to the soil fresh or as compost. This is . essential if the structure of the soil is to be maintained. Burning reduces the vital organic structure of the refuse which is so essential to soil improvement. However, the ash remaining is valuable as a fertiliser, as it contains in inorganic form most of the elements originally contained in the plant. The two major elements remaining are calcium and potash, but much can be lost by leaching, so that ash to be of full value as a fertiliser should be collected when cool and stored in a dry place until required. Some coarse materials such as woody hedge clippings and prunings or noxious weeds are unsuitable for composting and should be burnt. The

bonfire area can be kept neat and tidy if an old 40-gallon drum is used as an incinerator; one set up is shown in the illustration on page 313. In this instance a low, three-sided concrete foundation was constructed and iron rods fitted on to it. Both top and bottom were removed from the drum before

setting it in place. Although this drum is in a permanent position, it is always tidy and the ashes can be added readily to the adjacent compost bins. Composting Composting is a more satisfactory alternative to the bonfire for using organic waste. In this way the full value of the material can be made use of. Material for composting becomes available all the year round, but at this season a greater quantity probably will be available. Gardeners who have not thought it worth while to make compost would do well to construct a heap and to ascertain the

amount of valuable material made available from it.

What to Compost

Practically all materials can be composted, but the following are best burnt or otherwise disposed of: Virusinfected and insect-infested materials, perennial weeds, materials containing paints, creosote, and oils, glass, plastics, and printed matter.

For best results plant refuse should be mixed with animal refuse such as stable manure or poultry manure. Besides giving a more balanced compost the manures assist in the breakdown of the plant material. Materials such as sawdust, shavings, and straw are all valuable in the compost heap, but should be used sparingly, and in any case should be mixed well with animal refuse or fresh plant refuse such as lawn clippings. All household refuse such as peelings, tea leaves, and food scraps, including bones, build up in quantity in a surprisingly quick time and provide valuable material for composting. The rubbish tin should therefore contain nothing but coal ash, tins, bottles, and the solid materials mentioned previously. Building the Heap The compost heap is best built in the most sheltered part of the garden, such as under a shelter tree or on the sheltered side of a hedge or shed. This will guard against leaching of plant foods by heavy rains or excessive drying out by winds. The compost heap is best built directly on the surface of the soil. If the soil is heavy and drainage poor, a layer of very coarse material such as hedge clippings or shavings should be laid down first. If drainage is good, a shallow depression can be dug to coincide with the area of the heap. The heap can then be started in this. Aeration of a heap is important, and, if it is not efficient, the breakdown of the material will not be thorough. The illustration below shows how an old bed wire has been used to assist aeration. The bed wire can be stood on bricks, and to ensure that air reaches the centre a field pipe or length of metal down-piping should be fitted as shown. Some means of preventing vermin from entering the heap should be fitted to the outer end of the pipe. The heap can be begun around the ventilating apparatus. The size of a heap also governs the speed of breakdown. If a heap is too large,

air may not reach the innermost layers; if it is too small, the material may dry out rapidly and the heat generated by the micro-organisms is lost rapidly from the relatively large surface area. For best results heaps should be at least 1 cub. yd. The order in which materials are incorporated can vary considerably, but a few points should not be overlooked. Green or fresh material should be alternated with dry material such as straw. Animal or poultry manure should be alternated with other materials and, if possible, mixed with straw, sawdust, shavings, and other dry matter. A suggested order would be: — 1. Coarse material as a foundation. 2. Finer vegetable matter 6in. thick. 3. Straw or other dry materials, dampened and lightly trampled, Ift. thick. 4. Animal manures 3in. thick or a generous sprinkling of nitrogenous fertilisers. 5. Soil or compost about lin. thick. To ensure alkaline conditions and thus encourage micro-organism

activity lime should be incorporated. It can be applied with the soil or sprinkled lightly over the coarser materials. This can be done also with the nitrogenous fertilisers, such as dried blood or blood and bone. Layers can be repeated as material becomes available. If little animal manure or fresh material is available an activator will be necessary for satisfactory breakdown. This can be made up by mixing sulphate of ammonia, superphosphate, muriate or sulphate of potash, and lime in the ratio of 4:3: 1 : 2 parts by weight. A liberal sprinkling of activator on each layer of plant refuse will assist breaking down. All dry material such as hay is best lightly tramped down, as it then comes into contact with the activator better and also tends to hold more moisture. The same material probably will require the addition of water. If heaps are large, a rake handle or similar object can be built into the heap in a vertical position about Ift. from the base. When the heap is completed the rake handle can be withdrawn and the vent remaining will assist in improving aeration. To exclude flies and vermin the heap should be coated with a layer of soil about 2in. thick. If the sides have been built to taper gradually to an apex, the soil will remain firm and the finished heap will shed excessive moisture. If desired, a covering of iron can be fixed, but a watch should be kept to see that the heap does not become too dry. If the heap appears to attract flies, it can be sprayed with a D.D.T. preparation. Turning To break down organic matter efficiently micro-organisms require ample supplies of air and moisture. This is why good ventilation and ample moisture content in the original plant refuse are recommended. If heaps are too large, are packed too tightly, or are not moist enough, breakdown can be slowed up considerably. Also, breakdown may not be as rapid in bins constructed of brick or concrete or during the cooler periods of the year.

Partial breakdown only will occur if correct conditions are not maintained and the resultant compost will contain much material of a woody nature. Compost in such condition no doubt would be valuable for improving the texture of light or clayey soils, but for other types of work it might be too coarse. To ensure more complete breakdown or to speed up the process turning may be necessary. Temperatures in compost heaps or bins can easily rise to 150 degrees F. In about 4 or 5 weeks the temperature usually falls about 40 or 50 degrees and it is at this stage that the heap can profitably be turned. Turning should be done so that the outside of the heap is deposited on the inside of the new heap or bin. If the material is dry, it should be watered until moist but not wet. The fall in temperature indicates a slowing down in bacterial action and the turning increases aeration, which encourages renewed bacterial activity. Turned heaps should be rebuilt to a shape similar to the originals. If a series of three bins is used, it is possible to have matured compost in one, maturing compost in the second, and fresh material in the third. Compost Bins Although compost heaps can be made to look tidy, compost bins are neater. Bins also provide better means of turning the compost and. are less likely to allow the entry of vermin or flies. They also guard against excessive leaching of plant foods, notably nitrogen. Bins can be constructed from packing cases, loose timber, old oil drums, bricks, or concrete. The ideal type is a series of two or three bins all opening to one side so that any one can

be worked independently of its neighbours. Each bin can of course be constructed separately, and this would be easy with cases or \ drums. If bins are to last, they should be constructed; from durable material. Many designs can be adopted, but with all ease of access is important. A very simple design is partly illustrated at right. Each bin consists of four collapsible sides fastened together as illustrated. Two opposite sides can have the wire loops attached toward each corner and heavy gauge staples can be driven in the positions illustrated on the remaining two sides. A length of No. 8 wire makes a suitable locking device and runs through both bottom and top loops at each corner of the bin. The complete bin can be dismantled by withdrawing the four lengths of wire. Some gardeners will no doubt have quantities of used bricks available which would make admirable and durable bins such as those illustrated below. The very neat bins at right have grooves moulded into, corner posts to take movable front boards. Besides ■C X • . . n

lacilitatmg turning from one bin to another the movable fronts allow easy removal of small lots of compost when required. The hinged lids keep out excessive moisture and restrict the entry of flies. A heavygauge, small-mesh netting flooring was built about 4in. above the soil. The bottom front board is fixed so that air can pass beneath it, allowing ample ventilation. Suitable sizes for a range of compost bins are 4ft. x 3ft. for, the first and 3ft. x 3ft. for the second and third. All measurements are inside ones. If the rear wall is built 3ft. 6in. high and

the front wall 3ft. high, .. sloping lids can be fitted when convenient. Extra volume for the first bin is recommended, as raw material takes up more space than partly decomposed material. Other Tasks for May Planting and , sowing are rather restricted during May, except in localities with fairly temperate winters. Cold soil and, air temperatures and excessive soil moisture slow up some soil micro-organism activity and germination of seeds. Seeds thus

checked are subject to attack by soil fungi, a common cause of poor germmation of peas during early spring. _. .. Planting Lettuce plants can still be planted in milder districts. Raised beds will assist in keeping the soil reasonably warm and dry. To keep up steady growth a liquid fertiliser may be necessary. Quick-acting ones such as nitrate of soda are beneficial and can be applied at the rate of loz. to 4 gallons of water through the watering c ‘ Spring cabbages and cauliflowers not transplanted last month in favourable localities can be set out now. Soil for these plants should be rich in decomposed organic matter. The soil can if thought necessary be built into low ridges 24 to 30in. apart and the plants set along these at about 18in. intervals. If growth is slow during subsequent weeks, an application should be made of the fertiliser recommended for lettuce. Silver beet plants can still be set out it northedi distrS. They are gross feeders and do best on very rich soil. Organic matter or a fertiliser made up of 3oz. of superphosphate, 2oz. of dried blood, loz. of sulphate of ammonia, and loz. of sulphate of potash a square yard should be incorporated. If a further winter boost is needed, the liquid fertiliser already mentioned can be applied.

Sowing Seed Peas can be sown in small quantities where soil conditions are particularly favourable. Low ridges will assist in warming and draining the soil. Germination can often be improved by treating the seed with a seed-dusting preparation before planting. Mercuric or copper-sulphate-based compounds are considered the most effective.. An easy method of treatment is to put a good pinch of the compound with the seed into a closed container. A few seconds’ vigorous shaking will coat the seed. Spinach is a vegetable that thrives during the cooler periods of the year, and if soil and climatic conditions are at all suitable, a sowing can be made now. If growth appears slow, the spinach should be treated with liquid fertiliser in the same way as lettuces. Radish seed of turnip-rooted varieties can be sown, preferably in raised beds. As this vegetable does not stand in good condition for very long when once mature, small sowings are best made about every 4 weeks. Radishes should be grown quickly if they are to be of good quality. Reminders Remaining tubers of kumaras, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, and yams, if matured, should be harvested. If root crops are still in the soil, they should be checked for possible disease attack and lifted if necessary. —: —-ft.

All tubers and bulbs must be stored carefully as outlined in the February issue. Asparagus beds should be cleaned up and fem growth removed, if this was not done last month. All vine crops should be harvested before risk of damage by frosts. A further sowing of broad beans can be made, if the soil is not too wet, in double rows in wide drills made with a draw hoe blade. In harvesting of brussels sprouts the lowest sprouts should be removed first. Liquid manure should be applied to leeks not yet matured and they should be earthed up to lengthen and bleach the stems. Weeds should be kept down in all plots, particularly seedling beds, special attention being paid to perennial weeds. Old crops such as tomatoes, beans, and cabbages should be cleared and vacant plots dug over. All stakes used for tomatoes, peas, and beans should be collected, tied neatly in bundles, and stacked in the shed until required. Crops for next growing season should be planned and the aim should be to have various types, such as legumes, roots, and leaf vegetables, in different plots from the previous season. It is best not to work the soil if it is very wet. This applies particularly to heavy types such as clays.

Reduction of Soft Rot in Stored Carrots

EXTENSIVE losses are caused by bacterial soft rot [Erwinia carotovora (Jones) Holland) • .iii- a •• j • i v \li r 'ns j- r in vegetables during transit and in store. Vegetables form an excellent medium for the growth of bacteria, but tor their development the bacteria must have access to the internal tissues and have suitable incubation conditions. In this article D. W. Dye, Plant Diseases Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Auckland, describes the results of tests of chemical methods of controlling the disease.

TN JURIES in vegetables are an almost A inevitable result of harvesting operations and handling. High ternperature and humidity regularly develop in confined spaces and greatly promote the growth of bacteria The resultant “sweating” or condensation not only favours bacterial development and invasion but also moistens dead wound tissues and facilitates infection through such channels. Chemical Bactericides DacTenciaes Refrigeration greatly reduces bacterial spoilage of produce,' but as there is no general provision of refrigeration for vegetables in transit or in store in New Zealand, protection by chemical means would be advantageous. To be effective a bactericide for post-harvest treatment must be able to reach soft-rot organisms which are already deposited on the surface of the host. It must not damage the product and the residue must not be toxic to man. Because of possible deleterious effects on vegetables as human food, the chemical must not penetrate the host tissue. It must be safe to use, inexpensive, and easily applied. The germicide may be in the form of a gas or a wash. As water is often used in the preparation of vegetables for market, treatment could be

conveniently applied as a wash. Ex-

periments have been carried out to test the value of dipping bagged carrots in various compounds. As an additional treatment some carrots were thoroughly sun dried. Results of Chemical Tests It was found that Bordeaux 6:8: 100 (copper sulphate 61b., hydrated lime 81b., water 100 gallons) and 12 : 16 : 100, “Cuprox” 31b. and 51b. in 100 gallons, “Copper Sandoz” 2Jlb. and 51b. in 100 gallons, “Perenox” 51b. in 100 gallons, and copper zeolite 51b. and 121 b. in 100 gallons were very efficient in protecting carrots from soft rot in the presence of large numbers of responsible bacteria and under conditions of temperature and humidity favourable for their development. In tests a comparison of two concentrations of materials showed that there was little difference between them. Exposure to bright sunlight sufficient to dry the carrots thoroughly gave as good a protection from soft rot as did the copper solutions. . The practicability of the sun-drying method would, however, depend on the weather and on the amount of surface moisture at the time of harvesting, and its efficiency would depend on whether the carrots were turned to allow all-over sun drying. “Phygon” lib. and 21b. in 100 gallons, “Arathane” 21b. in 100 gallons, “Ven-

turicide” 21b. in 100 gallons, and water treatments proved ineffective in preventing soft-rot decay. “Phygon”, “Arathane”, Venturicide”, and the sun-drying and water treatments had no effect on the appearance of carrots. “Perenox” and “Copper Sandoz” treatments caused a barely noticeable light-brown deposit on the roots. Bordeaux, “Cuprox”, and copper zeolite treatments left a noticeable blue or green deposit, which could not be regarded as seriously affecting the vegetables’ appearance for market. No treatment gave any detectable taint to the roots, which were scraped and cooked in the normal way. Success of Copper Compounds Thus it has been found that the copper compounds tested were toxic to the soft-rot organism and did not damage the product, and that any residue on the cooked roots was not toxic to man. There was no noticeable penetration of these solutions into the tissue and no detectable taint, and they were safe to use. Most of these materials are readily available and relatively inexpensive. It is recommended therefore that when soft-rot infection is expected, particularly in heavily infected areas during wet or humid weather, post-harvest chemical treatments be applied to control the disease during transit of the vegetables and when they are in store. It is suggested that before they are sent to market bagged carrots be dipped in Bordeaux 6:8: 100, “Cuprox” 31b. in 100 gallons, “Copper Sandoz” 31b. in 100 gallons, or “Perenox” 51b. in 100 gallons of water. The choice of a material would be governed by availability and cost.