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Show Gardening Sees New Developments By Alvin R. Hamson Extension Horticulturist, Utah State University Use of plastic tunnels is new. All the have combinations possible not yet been fully tested. It may be possible to use tents relatively The gardening boom continues unabated in 1982 with several new develop- providing less ventilation early in the season and inments. crease the ventilation by These include use of making slits with a razor plastic mulches, plastic tunnels, drip or trickle irrigation, vertical garclose dening, planting, insuccession terplanting, planting, container gardening, and landscaping with vegetables. Plastic Mulches The Intermountain area is characterized by high altitude, generally high light intensity, and extremes of temperature from cold at night to warm in the day. Here, gardeners could profit by using sheets of either clear or black polyethylene plastic as mulches for such crops as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, muskmelons, and watermelons. The clear plastic provides a greenhouse effect to increase soil temperature. The plastic transmits sunlight which warms air and soil beneath the plastic just as a greenhouse is warmed on a bright, sunny day. Black mulch, plastic, used as increases the soil temperature, but less than clear plastic. It absorbs heat from the suns rays but doesnt the transmit sunlight. The air space between the plastic and the soil prevents some transfer of heat to the soil. Black plastic does have the advantage of controlling weeds that could be a problem under clear plastic. A smoky colored plastic, intermediate between the clear and the black, could the transmit some a giving sunlight, greenhouse effect while reducing some light intensity, thereby controlling some weeds under the of plastic. Plastic Tunnels Warm season vegetables can be grown early using plastic tunnels formed over the rows. Stiff wire hoops placed in the soil at both sides of the row of vegetables hold the tunnel upright while tucking the sides of the plastic under the soil holds it firmly in place. Some of these tunnels are sold as kits. Some have small slits cut along the top of the tunnel to give ventemtilation. Though perature under the plastic increases during the day, the ventilation slits bring the nighttime temperatures to almost the same as if the vegetables were exposed without any covering. Page 10 blade later as daytime become temperatures higher. Vegetables grown in our climate require irrigation. Where irrigation water is expensive, drip or can trickle irrigation of use most efficient provide water in a garden. Keep in mind careful filtering must be provided to remove particles from water which could plug the emitters and restrict water flow. arid Remember, success of trickle irrigation depends on the efficiency of filtering the water. Even culinary water often contains small particles which must be filtered out to prevent plugging the emitters. Some systems use ll plastic tubing. The water is introduced into an inner plastic tube. It has small openings to equalize the pressure water of that passes to an outer tube and trickles from there into the garden row. Provided the water is clean, the relatively tubing inexpensive uniform approvides plication of water. bi-w- A system of vertical gardening is attracting increasing interest. It allows growing a maximum of vegetables from a relatively small area by trellising such plants as pole beans, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, and even muskmelons. Slings must be provided to hold the fruit when the melons slip from the vine. This system of intensive gardening may be used in regular soil or be practiced on raised beds with the soil mounded up. The beds are most successful if a good garden soil is enriched with addition of organic matter such as composted sawdust, well-leache- d manure, spoiled straw, leaves, or any and even the Carefully provide adequate power tillers to cultivate and eggplant, control the weeds before the compact types of cucumbers irrigation water, but dont in vegetables fill the rows. may be grown containers. put on too much. These people must resort to Vegetables requiring more Any of a variety of conSome room for root development close tainers may be used such as planting. made of paper products, vegetables respond to close are not suitable for container planting. However, with gardening. large plastic or clay pots, Roots grow well in moist buckets, tubs, or even plastic crops such as sweet corn be careful not to plant too close. soil. They will not grow in bags. Soil enriched with Some excellent varieties of soil saturated continually organic matter or artificial sweet corn can be planted as within water. Take care to soil mixes are used in the close as one foot apart in provide good drainage in containers for growing the to each of the containers. rows ' vegetables. three feet wide and still develop two large ears. These include Jubilee and Sugar Loaf. such as Vegetables carrots, lettuce, table beets, spinach, and green onions 0 might be planted in small beds to increase the plant population in a relatively small area. To get a second crop on the -- microorganisms AUTO PARTS same land, plant later vegetables in the rows of early vegetables. Later crops such as cabbage, FOR YOUR FARM EQUIP. tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and egg plant can be planted in rows of early vegetables such as lettuce, radishes, spinach, garden beets, and green onions. A little experience with intercropping will indicate the best spacing and the best time for making the second planting. Productivity of a small garden can also be increased by using succession planting. While harvesting early vegetables, remove the entire row, then plant a later vegetable in the same row. This technique will not allow the second planting vegetable quite so early as with interplanting. However, it is easier. The soil can be refit and any weeds present can be controlled. It is possible. This method is available to those whose lot is too small or there is no area of soil available for a good garden site. Lettuce, radish, spinach, small plant types of tomatoes, peppers, We Have . . . BEARINGS Fafnir. First in farm machinery bearings. HYDRAULIC HOSE ROLLER CHAIN BIG BELTS BIG FILTERS AUTO PARTS Phone 896 - 8458 the most Versatile, Easiest handling Coupler in the World ABC Easily connected by shoving the two ends together from the carrying position. The pressure against the gasket and coil spring, seals and holds the coupler together. When pressure is off, the gaskets drain then a simple twist-pu- ll will uncouple them. The Ball and Socket coupler allows irrigation pipe to follow the natural undulations of the land with its 22 degree flexibility. other readily available organic source. Remember, where large amounts of organic matter are. used, you must provide to adequate nitrogen decompose it in the soil. This is necessary to prevent nitrogen deficiency caused action of soil by Virtually anyone who has the interest may enjoy some activity in gardening. It may be a small container of herbs grown on the kitchen window, containers growing a few select vegetables, a vertical garden with small variety of vegetables, or a relatively large productive home garden providing a bounteous harvest of quality vegetables for the family. YOUR AMES DEALER IS: SNYDER IRRIGATION AMD AGRI SERVICES, INC. SYSTEM ENGINEERING i DESIGN as they break down organic matter in the soil. Many may not have adequate space to take advantage of the popular of system planting vegetables in widely spaced rows where they can use 170 West Main Redmond, Utah 84562 Nathan C. Anderson Sales & Design-Redmon- Supplement to the Salina Sun Ut. & Res: (801) 529-714- IRRIGRTION EQUIPMENT 6 Gunnison Valley News A DIVISION OF LOCKWOOD CORPORATION Thursday, April 29, 1982 |