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Show Gardens Value Measured In Many Ways We measure the value of a home garden in various ways. The avid gardener counts as recreation and relaxation the time spent in the garden. Many people grow a garden primarily for the value of the food produced. Families find that a garden has significant value scared about food and drouth. They have been advised by'church and government leaders to use available space and water to grow vegetables where possible. EVEN WITHOUT that concern there is much value in growing your own food. in providing opportunity to Studies have indicated that teach their children to work returns of eight to ten dollars and appreciate the products an hour can be obtained from of their labors. Perhaps the labor spent in gardening. richest rewards of gardening This is calculated on the enjoyed by all come from the retail value of vegetables produced. enjoyment of exquisite qualMany gardeners may not ity of garden fresh .vege-- : be that labor efficient, but tables. As we consider capiuliz-in- g they can enjoy the unsurpason these values of gard- -' sed goodness of vegetables ening, we realize that much right from the garden. For that we might say here is example, sweet corn haralready well known by the) vested moments before it I VARIETIES PLAY an , puddling or balling, important part in the valuBefore working the soil, of your garden. Tomato vaiO check it by digging about six ieties planted in the garden inches into the soil with the can be selected on the bans shovel to determine the of early and intermediate moisture content. Squeeze a handful of the soil. Upon yield to be enjoyed throughout the summer and later releasing pressure if the ball of soil crumbles readily, it is yield for table and canning. Varieties of other vegetables sufficiently dry for plowing can be selected to suit the or spading. If the ball of soil local situation and individual remains plastic and does not desires. (See Extension Circrumble, it is too wet to till. cular 313, Vegetable VariPrepare the soil in such a eties for Utah, available manner that it is not overly from County extension ofThe most desircompacted. fice.) Planting early maturable garden soil will be ing varieties of vegetables is pliable, with a fine surface particularly advisable where seedbed and a relatively water supplies are likely to loose subsoil which may be run short late rin the season. water easily by penetrated On the other hand, varieties and air. of vegetables that mature Take special care in a dry . Most of the transplanted crops will be ready for transplanting in the garden band three inches to the side and slightly deeper than the seed or at least three inches in five to six weeks from planting if grown at temper- deep. If the fertilizer is banded, the amount which is normally broadcast to 100 square feet may be placed in approximately fifty feet of row, three inches to the side and approximately three atures near inches deep. Since each gardener has a favorite system to use in growing a garden, spacing is somewhat an individualized matter. Those with sufficient of THIS HAS THE definite advantage of requiring less fertilization and less water than to produce a much larger garden. It will also be and soil in the hole and Arm the soil well bo that growth begins immediately after transplanting. ' To stimulate early rooting and minimize the transplant- ing shock which normally occurs, use a pint of starter fertilizer that is. high in phosphorus. Mix it according to the directions and pour it around the transplant when it is planted- - in the garden. cropping where an early gardens to supplement the fond supply. People are is cooked and served cannot be duplicated in flavor. Gar-- , den fresh peas and beans far surpass those that have been allowed to stand for even a few hours and rapidly lose their sugar. Oats Important Hay Crop Oats will take on added importance as a hay crop this water-shoyear, says Dr. H. R. Guenthner, University of Idaho extension rt agronomist. Increased planting of oats is likely as farmers try to insure adequate supplies of forage for their livestock, Guenthner pointed out. To get maximum yield and quality, plant oats early." he said. The recommended varieties are Park, Random. Otana and Cayuse and each of them yields about the same amount of forage. Peas can be planted with (Kits in order to increase the protein content of the hay. Guenthner said spring peas perform well in northern Idaho while Austrian winter peas are preferred in irrigated areas of southern Idaho. Planted with a tall variety of oats such as Swedish Select, the peas will climb up the grain plants and make heavy growth, Guenthner later have better storage qualities to be considered. University specialists and county extension agents have been advising people who use water from irrigation systems to apply water to their soil as soon as it is available in canals and ditches. They have suggested that those who use culinary water to sprinkle their soil would do well to irrigate while water is yet plentiful. THEY CAN USE the soil as a reservoir of moisture for the growing season. The water which enters the soil is held on the soil particles. Excess water will drain from the soil by the pull of gravity, leaving the soil with the maximum amount of water which it will contain, depending on the particle size of the soil. When the soil profile to maximum depth of crop roots has been filled to capacity, that water will be irrigated land, ers plant about 50 pounds of available for the roots of peas and 50 pounds of oats garden vegetables when the per acre. On dryland, these garden is planted. Allow sufficient drying of seeding rates can be reduced 30 to 40 per cent," the UI the surface of the soil for extension specialist said. adequate soil preparation said. On grow- year to properly fertilize vegetables for maximum plastic also prevents the growth. If an excess of growth of weeds if it covers nitrogen is applied, vegeta- tive growth will be encouraged and the crops will be large and succulent and will suffer more severely from drouth. A balanced fertilizer containing one part of nitrogen to two parts of phosphorus will facilitate growth of vegetables without the soft succulence caused by exces- sive nitrogen. Phosphorus applied in balance with nitrogen hastens maturity which will be especially important in a dry year. Fertilizers with analyses of or would adequately supply the 16-2- nutrients approximately at o the ratio. Three of or four to pounds five pounds of the other per 100 square feet will supply the nutrient requirements for most vegetable crops. one-tw- 0 Garden soils in Utah generally do not require potash because this is supplied adequately as a soluble salt in the irrigation water. For most efficient application of fertilizer, put it in a most of the area between the rows and it warms the soil by absorbing the sun's rays during the daytime and transmitting them to the surface of the soil. In addition to warming the soil, conserving water and enhancing maturity, the plastic prevents rotting or discoloration of fruits which normally would touch the soil. THIS IS PARTICULARLY an advantage for tomatoes, cantaloupes and watermelons. Other materials such as straw, leaves and organic compost may be used for mulching to conserve mois- ture., If plastic is used, provide a means for irrigat- ing under it. To get early production of vegetables in the garden you may transplant such crops as tomatoes, peppers, egg- plant. broccoli, cabbage, onions, celery, and with particular care, cucumbers, cantaloupes and cauliflower, watermelons. trans- garden and remove the entire block of soil from the pot with the plant so that it is not broken. Place the plant possible to employ techniques such as intercropping or succession cropping. Intercropping is the practice of planting a new crop before a previous crop has been harvested. Succession cropping is the planting of a second crop after an earlier crop has been harvested. It is possible to use a technique known as companion, experienced avid gardener.' Extension agents in counties over the state see a great mounting interest in growing these crops after USE CARE IN transplanting to avoid shock to these plants and they will develop fruit early in July. Dig a relatively large hole in the spacing. GET THE MOST FROM YOUR GARDEN. Theres real satisfaction in growing a good garden, Jimmy and Debbie Merrill, of College Ward, tell their county agent, Ray Burtenshaw. degrees F. It planting in the garden. Early varieties of tomatoes, for example, might well be grown in gallon cans and tied to a stake so that they will be a foot to 18 inches tall with several clusters of small fruit set on the plants by the time they are transplanted to the garden about May 20. land for a large garden generally use motorized equipment that requires spacing between the rows to accomodate the equipment. On the other hand, if you are growing a garden in the city on a relatively small plot, you may wish to use a closer crop such as radishes may be grown in a row with carrots or beets which grow ' more slowly. Relatively few radish seeds would be plant-e- d with the beets or carroW-so that no unusual crowding will occur and the early radishes will be harvested within the month. Moisture may be conserved and rate of maturity increased by applying various types of mulches. Black plastic, if applied to warm season crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cantaloupe or watermelon increase the rate of maturity of these crops. The black 70 to grow larger transplants in gallon cans or relatively larger pots than are customarily used. This will enhance quick maturity is possible Before transplanting the , l plants, it will helpto slightly, harden them by withholding water and lowering the temperature. Dont do it with celery and onions which may be induced to bolt. It is usually not wise to transplant tender large plants to the garden until the weather has moderated sufficiently that there is less likelihood of freezing temperatures after transplanting. If cold weather is encountered after transplanting, or danger of frost occurs, protect the transplants by covering them with several layers of newspaper placed over the top of the plants or with some structure which prevents freezing. Get the most value from the water you use on your garden by irrigating to meet the plant needs. Remember that sandy soils with larger soil particles will hold only about one-hainch of mois- -' ture per foot of sand while clay soils that have many more soil particles for moisture to attach to will hold two to three inches of water per foot of soil. You will need to lf irrigate sandy soil more frequently but not for as long maintain adequate moisture in the crop root zone for the vegetables to grow. Apply the water with care so very little of it runs off. Cheek the amount applied so that is just wets the root zohe. Finally, to get the most satisfaction and value from your garden, plan to use or store the vegetables as they are ready. Information on to preservation and storage will be available from your county extension office. |