Testing the Soil for Its Acidity
Much has been written about testing garden soil for its acidity or alkalinity, otherwise known as its pH factor. If your plants are growing satisfactorily, forget about pH testing. However, if you’ve improved your soil with organic materials and you water and feed your plants properly, and you still get poor results, it might pay to test the soil. Inexpensive soil-testing kits are available at most nurseries. An alkaline soil can be improved by adding peat moss.
Mulching flower beds, herb gardens, shrubs and trees helps to conserve moisture and keep the soil cooler and control weed growth. Many kinds of mulches are carried at nurseries. Those made of bark pieces that break down quickly and improve the soil are preferred. Peat moss, though beneficial when mixed with soil, does not make a good mulch; it’s too light and can be carried away by wind or water. Nor does Nitro Humus, in spite of its name. Some tree services sell ground bark and branches in large quantities, but unless the material is partly decomposed before it is used, it will take nitrogen from the soil as it breaks down. Steer manure is a good mulch for roses, though it can mask their fragrance for a while.
Soaker hoses--inexpensive and widely available at nurseries--administer water at a slow rate, greatly reducing evaporation and runoff. Stretch the hose along rows of vegetables or through flower borders, or coil it around the bases of trees or shrubs.
Bougainvilleas bloom best when the days are very warm and they are watered very sparingly. To further encourage bloom, use a low-nitrogen fertilizer such as 0-10-10 or 2-10-10. Nitrogen promotes growth at the expense of bloom.
Fertilize citrus trees now, if you haven’t already. Ammonium nitrate is a superior source of nitrogen for citrus trees. Although it is more expensive than other nitrogen sources such as sulfate of ammonia, the results are worth the added cost.
Many leafy herbs can be frozen for fall and winter use. Among those that freeze well are basil, burnet, chervil, chives, dill, fennel, French tarragon, parsley and sweet marjoram. Wash the herbs, remove the leaves and pat them dry. Then place in labeled plastic sandwich bags and store in the freezer.
‘Romanesco’ broccoli produces a head that resembles a clump of individual light-green sea corals. It has a sweet, delicate flavor that vastly exceeds that of common broccoli. Although it has been grown in Italy since the late 1800s, it has only recently come to the attention of gardeners in this country. Seeds for ‘Romanesco’ broccoli are not available at local nurseries; but you can order them by mail from Shepherd’s Garden Seeds, 7389 W. Zayante Road, Felton, Calif. 95018.
