NEWARK, Del.- -
Disappointed m the way
your carrots did this year?
If you get nothing but
hairy, misshapen nubbins
from your garden, take steps
to see that it doesn’t happen
again next summer. The
answer probably hes in
improving your soil.
Root crops like turnips,
beets, and carrots have a
hard time growing properly
in some of the finely textured
silt loams of upper Kent and
New Castle counties. Well
drained soils are an absolute
essential for these crops.
Spindly or deformed carrots
may be a sign the soil’s too
dense for proper develop
ment. (Excessive root hairs
means they didn’t get
water.)
Ae key to improving
heavy soil is the addition of
organic matter, says
University of Delaware
extension soil specialist Leo
Cotnoir. There are several
ways to do this.
He recommends working
in fallen leaves, plant debris,
or vegetable wastes from the
kitchen. These work best if
composted first. But if you
don’t have the time or the
inclination to start a com
A Cage isn’t enough
Improving soil will help root crops
post pile, you can add thenr
directlytothesoil.
If at all possible, shred
leaves and other materials
before doing this though.
Large amounts of bulky
organic matter will
decompose quite slowly and
you may have trouble
working the ground later on
if you don’t break them up
first.
Take care not to use any
diseased plant materials.
Destroy or dispose of these
so that they don’t contribute
to disease problems next
year.
Another excellent way to
improve your garden soil is
to grow a winter cover crop!
Annual ryegrass and vetch
are best for this area. These
are normally seeded bet
ween September 1 and
October 1. The likelihood of a
good stand is somewhat
reduced after that date.
On a small plot the seed
you’ll use won’t cost much.
Because it’s a legume, hairy
vetch has the extra ad
vantage of providing some
nitrogen, as well as organic
matter.
The mam problem with
cover crops m the home
garden is the difficulty of
working them into the
ground the following spring -
either by hand or with a
small rototiller. Because of
the quantity of plant
material produced, it can
mvolve some work. But
gardeners who follow this
practice usually feel well
rewarded for their effort.
For a small garden, ad
ding sand to a dense, finely
textured- soil can also be
very beneficial. A layer of
sand 3-4 inches thick worked
into the top of three to four
inches of soil will make a
very good growing medium.
It will cost more to do this, so
the idea probably won’t
appeal to any but the most
devoted gardeners. But you
can reduce the labor and
expense by modifying only
those areas where you intend
to grow root crops. The
medium gram sand which is
sold ter use in making
concrete is best. Avoid
masonry sand, which is too
fine.
Besides improving the
sod, you can avoid a lot of
problems simply by not
trying to work the ground
when it’s not fit to be
worked. When you try to dig
fine-textured silt loams
when they’re either too wet
or too dry, you’re likely to
end up with rock-hke clods
and generally unworkable
soil.
The above improvements
may be all that’s needed to
grow better root crops in
your garden. But if you
suspect that soil fertility
may also be a problem,
extension vegetable
specialist Dr. Mike- OrzoieK
has some advice on this
topic.
He says the biggest
problem with carrots is to
get them up and growing as
fast as possible. Since this
crop is very slow growing, it
shouldn’t be started too
early. He recommends
planting carrots in mid or
late April after the ground
has warmed up some.
Feed them lightly at
planting and then sidedress
them once a month over the
growing season, starting the
first of June.
Use one-quarter cup of 5-
10-10 per 10 feet of row with
each application.
A similiar fertility
program will benefit most
other root vegetables.
Though a tuber, potatoes
have sumlar growing needs.
It takes more than wire
to make a cage system. More
than anything else it takes
a feeder.
Sure, other components
are important, but mainly
it’s the feeder that makes the
system. That’s why Big
Dutchman’s Systems are
equipped with a SPEED
FEED chain feeder that
feeds every bird the right
amount at the right time,
without waste.
When you compare
poultry equipment remem
ber that the real test of a
cage system is its feeder.
Big Dutchman is ready for
the test.
Big Dutchman, where
proven ideas are put
into action.
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HERSHEY EQUIPMENT
ri j COMPANY, INC.
(LS C-i
SYCAMORE IND. PARK
255 PLANE TREE DRIVE
LANCASTER, PA. 17603
(717) 393-5807
Route 30 West At The Centerville Exit
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 13,1980—A13
Sidedress them May 1, June
1, and July 1 with % cup of 5-
10-10 per 10 feet of row.
If your garden soil has a
pH between 5.6 and 6.2, your
plants should have no
trouble getting all the
nutrients they need. But
below 3.6 you should add
lime. Have your sod tested
now so that you know
whether this is needed. A fall
application is best.
It wouldn’t hurt to use
some well-rotted, manure
(cow, horse, chicken or hog)
when you’re growing root
crops, says Orzolek. Put this
down in the sprmg about a
month before planting. The
manure will give the sod
better tdth and help hold
moisture. Apply it m a band
a foot wide and six to eight
inches over the row.
If some of your carrots,
potatoes or other root crops
protruded from the ground
and tops turned green, this
may mean the seed was
sown too shallow, or that the
root hit a hard spot in the
ground.
By opening up the sod with
organic matter or sand, you
should be able to prevent this
from happening in the
future. But if you see roots
and tubers sticking up out of
the ground during the
growing season, just hill
them up with soil.
Besides soil texture and
fertility, insect control is
another factor which affects
quality. If your radishes or
turnips were riddled with
holes when you harvested
them, you may want to apply
a soil insecticide next spring
before planting.
Delaware extension en
tomologist Frank Boys says
diazmon applied according
to label directions and
worked in after you’ve
prepared the ground will
help control cutworms, wire
worms, grubs, and other soil
insects that feed on
vegetable roots.
Finally, here’s an idea on
how to store any of this
year’s root crops you still
haven’t harvested. Since
most home gardeners don’t
have a root cellar, Orzolek
suggests leavmg turnips,
beets, carrots and parsnips
in the ground.
Mulched with a good eight
to 12 inch layer of straw to
keep the ground from
freezing, you should be able
to dig them as needed right
up to January, possibly
longer. The straw should go
down right now, before the
ground gets any colder.
You may actually fmd the
N flavor of vegetables im
proved with this type of
“cold storage.”
have a
nice weekend...
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