28 LANDSCAPE GARDEN SERIES 



tilizer is taken up before it is washed away. Fertilizers used to revital- 

 ize old shrubs or trees, or to create flower growth in perennials, or as 

 a lawn dressing, should be applied at this time. 



CULTIVATING THE SOIL 



The summer care of shrubs and flowers is also very important as 

 this is a time of extreme trial, on new plantations. The soil in the bed 

 or border should be cultivated, giving it the same treatment that would 

 be given a garden in which one was raising prize vegetables. After 

 the soil has become packed from rains or from watering, cultivation 

 should be done as soon as the ground has dried out enough to be 

 worked easily. The purpose of this is to keep the ground loose about 

 the roots and to preserve the moisture in the soil. Surface cultivation 

 provides a layer of finely pulverized soil through which the natural 

 capillary action of water in the soil is discouraged. The fine earth acts 

 as a mulch of the simplest form and thereby discourages evaporation. 



The sight of the bare ground is objectionable to some degree, but 

 if the beds are kept neatly edged and the cultivation is done uniformly, 

 the appearance of the border will not be as bad as it might seem. The 

 good that is done should more than offset this objection. 



WATERING 



Watering is advisable mainly as an emergency measure. The 

 ground should not be sprinkled, but should be soaked until it will not 

 take up any more water. When it is possible to dig small ditches 

 about the plants, these can be filled and refilled with water until the 

 moisture has penetrated to a depth of several inches; then the trenches 

 can be filled with earth. 



When sprinklers are used they should be of a type that bring about 

 an even distribution of the water. There are various standard systems 

 that will accomplish this. A simple way of watering lawns is to lay 

 the unnozzled hose on the grass, allowing a steady stream of water to 

 flood the ground. If the water does not run off, the hose can be left in 

 one position as much as a whole night. Watering slopes will be greatly 

 facilitated by punching holes into the sod and bank. 



SUMMER MULCHING 



The need for watering can be largely prevented by the use of 

 summer mulches. A mulch is spoken of here as a layer of a material 

 which will be of a consistency to discourage evaporation from the soil. 

 The mulch may be finely pulverized earth, cut straw, hay, grass clip- 

 pings, litter, or well rotted manure. Summer mulches should be applied 

 before the extreme hot weather sets in and after a rain or watering. 



