Basic Plant Culture 
HE root of a plant is a mine, completely hydraulic. 
The tiny 
root-ends draw in moisture and this is carried through the 
larger roots up to the leaves. 
solved chemicals. 
The moisture is filled with dis- 
In no other way can food or water enter. 
The leaves of a plant are chemical factories; sunlight is their 
power. 
They combine the chemicals from the roots with carbon 
from the air and make food-bearing sap which feeds growing 
parts everywhere. 
HELPING A 
TRANSPLANTED PLANT 
The problem is that the root tips 
have become separated from the 
soil. The contact must be micro- 
scopic hence careful packing of 
loose soil and then watering to flush 
it tightly into place is necessary. 
Each class of plant has separate 
preferences and are described at the 
beginning of the sections under 
“Deciduous Shrubs”, ‘Evergreens”, 
etc. But generally: 
Watering 
Fulshing the soil into place thrice 
a week for the first week or two is 
desirable, unless a good rain falls. 
Also, the roots being damaged and 
at a disadvantage, this extra water 
enables those roots still working to 
increase their intake. 
Pruning 
The best the roots can do is far less 
than the tops need. Nursery-grown, 
transplanted roots contain more roots 
in a practical shipping size and less- 
en the difference, but at best much 
pruning of the top is needed. Thsi 
cuts off the need of the plant for 
more food and drink than the trans- 
planted roots can provide. 
Feeding 
Frequent watering flushes the food 
out of the surface soil quickly, hence 
one or two of the waterings might 
be enriched with manure water, or 
dissolved commercial fertilizer. The 
amount, small. Fertilizer in the soil 
seldom dissolves in time to help. 
Protection 
A mulch of leaves or humus helps 
keep the roots from drying out the 
first year, hence is a substitute for 
extra water, after the first settling 
of the soil, Wrapping or wax-spray- 
ing of bark also keeps bark from 
drying out first winter—a common 
cause of damage or loss. 
FOR PERMANENCY 
American Bog-Peat—Not peat-moss, but 
more solid and far better for acid- 
loving plants like Rhododendron, Blue- 
berries, Azaleas, etc. Just as good for 
ordinary garden use. Finely ground to 
be as good-looking as peat-moss. Food 
value higher (Nitro. about 212%). We 
offer stout fiber drums containing 1/2 
cubic yard of peat, sun-dried, weight 
about 140 pounds. Price f.o.b. Utica, 
Ohio, $5.75 each. (Customers in the 
east will save money by ordering f.o.b. 
New York warehouse at $6.75 each.) 
10%, discount in 5-drum lots. Spread 
1” thick, a drum covers 162 sq. ft. 
(mulch) or spread 14" thick (lawn con- 
ditioner) it covers 650 sq. ft. 



make food by 













HEARTWOOD (inactive) 
SAPWOOD - carries food 
and weter upward 
CAMB1U™ (growth layer) 
INNER BARK = carries 
leaf-food downward 
OUTER BARK (inactive) 

ROOTS 
absorb food and 
water from soil 




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HELPING A 
PLANT FLOWER 
The most blooms do not come on the 
most vigorous plant. Chemistry de- 
cides inside the stem which buds 
are to be leaf buds and which 
flowers. The decision is usually 
based on relative amounts of root 
foods (nitrogenous) vs. leaf prod- 
ucts (carbohydrates) present in the 
sap. Too much nitrogen makes all 
buds leaves. Hence, to encourage 
blooms, you help the leaves and 
hinder the roots. 
AW ES 
[oe 
Helping the Leaves 
Not much can be done except give 
the utmost sunlight. Remove shade, 
transplant plant, or prune out bays 
so light can enter interior of thick 
bushy plants. 
Hindering Roots 
First, stop fertilizing (except phos- 
phorus, as in bone meal). Stop 
watering, so food still in soil will 
not be dissolved. If necessary, 
prune roots with spade or transplant 
entirely, clipping back roots. 
Things to Avoid 
Do not prune plant top severely. Do 
not fertilize heavily, nor water (ex- 
cept in emergency). These things 
actually prevent flowering. 
Page 4 
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HELPING A 
PLANT GROW 
This is different entirely from help- 
ing in transplanting. Less water, 
more food, less pruning and no pro- 
tection (if hardy). Moreover, estab- 
lished plants can if desired get 
along without any assistance at all. 
These things hasten and improve 
growth: 
Watering 
Only when drought threatens is an 
established plant in need of water, 
except for kinds set in insufficiently 
moist positions, or with insufficient 
shade. Do not give frequent small 
waterings—they draw the roots to- 
ward the surface which is very bad. 
Once a week (in drought) water 
very heavily indeed. Chemicals are 
not only dissolved as food for the 
roots, but the stale atmosphere be- 
tween the earth particles is driven 
out by the flood. When it drains 
away, fresh air is drawn into its 
place. Since roots need oxygen to 
breathe, this “pump” effect is very 
important. 
Feeding 
Most plants in ordinary garden soil 
need no fertilizers. But some do 
(roses, etc.) and any plant can be 
hastened materially in growth by 
putting reasonable quantities of any 
fertilizer on the top of the ground 
in May. On top, so it dissolves and 
sinks down to roots. Scratch it in, 
to prevent blowing. In May, be- 
cause summer feeding may induce 
soft sappy growth that does not har- 
den off by autumn and is damaged 
the first winter. 
Pruning 
Every spring some damaged or 
badly placed branches must be re- 
moved from trees and shrubs. Every 
year or two, old heavy shrub stems 
should be cut out at the ground to 
keep the plant young and healthy. 
HELPING A 
PLANT FRUIT 
A flower is a fruit in most cases 
and in most kinds of plants. But two 
exceptions exist: (1) Inbred named 
varieties of fruits. These must be 
cross-pollenated for heavy yield. 
See page 59 for details; (2) Three 
kinds in which male and female 
flowers are always on different 
plants—Hollies, Yews and _ Bitter- 
sweet. When available, one male of 
each can take care of all the females 
in the garden. But males must be 
grown from cuttings and grafts to 
be certain of sex and hence (hav- 
ing small sale) cost much money. 
The easy way out is to plant a group 
of inexpensive mixed-sex seedlings 
and, after a few years testing, 
“rogue out” (discard) all but one or 
two males. It is actually less ex- 
pensive to plant, say, 10 seedlings 
than to buy 1 plant of known male 
sex! 
