170 THE BEGINNER'S GARDEN BOOK 



open ground. It always needs careful study to decide when 

 to remove this mulch. For since late frosts may come and 

 injure the young shoots, if they start too early, the mulch 

 should be used to keep the plants from starting. Yet when 

 the frost has left the ground around these plants, and they 

 really do begin to grow, then they are weakened if they have 

 to struggle through the mulch. Watch, therefore, daily, the 

 mulched spinach or strawberries or peonies or foxgloves, 

 and when they really begin to sprout draw away the mulch 

 from the crowns. It may be left lying near for a while, in 

 order to cover the beds again if a frosty night comes. But 

 when frosts are really gone, the mulch should be entirely 

 removed. 



If the mulch was manure, it can be dug into the ground, 

 taking pains not to injure the roots of the plants, nor to 

 loosen them in the ground. Rotted leaves can be treated 

 similarly. But very coarse stuff, such as straw or corn- 

 stalks, should be carried to the compost heap. 



The work of beginning the year with an old garden is thus 

 very simple. But if the garden must be made for the first 

 time the difficulty is much greater, since even the place where 

 it is to be is not yet chosen. 



Review Questions 



1. How can we know when the frost is out of the ground ? 



2. Can we at once sow seed? What comes before sowing the 

 seed ? What must we wait for first of all ? Are different soils 

 different in this particular ? 



3. Why should we not take the mulch off the flower beds early ? 

 Why not leave it very late ? When do you mean to take yours off ? 

 Why can it not come off on the same date each year ? 



