


Basic Plant Culture 
Wore 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. The moisture is filled with dissolved chem- 
icals. 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. 
These two ideas govern all plant culture. 
Helping a 
Transplanted Plant 
The problem is that the root tips have be- 
come torn from their microscopic con- 
tact with soil particles, hence careful pack- 
ing of loose soil and then watering to 
flush it tightly into place is necessary. 
Each class of plant has separate prefer- 
ences, but generally: 
PRUNING 
The best the roots can do is far less than 
the tops need. WNursery-grown, trans- 
planted roots contain more roots in a 
practical shipping size, but at best much 
pruning of the top is needed. This re- 
duces the need for food and drink to a 
point the transplanted roots can provide 
for. 
WATERING 
Flushing the soil into place thrice a week 
for the first week or two is desirable, un- 
less a good rain falls. Also, the roots be- 
ing damaged and at a disadvantage, this 
extra water enables those roots still work- 
ing to increase their intake. 
FEEDING* 
But 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 commer- 
cial fertilizer. The amount,, small. Ordi- 
nary fertilizer application seldom dis- 
solves in time to help. 
PROTECTION 
A mulch of leaves or humus helps keep 
the earth from drying out, hence is a sub- 
stitute for extra water, after the first set- 
tling of the soil. Wrapping or wax-spray- 
ing of bark also keeps bark from drying 
out first winter—a common cause of dam- 
age or loss. 
*MANURE BRICKS—dried, pressed, cow man- 
ure. A one-pound brick readily dissolves in 
4 gal. of water. Fine plant stimulant. 8 bricks 
$2.00 (postpaid E. of Miss.) ; 50 bricks, not 
postpaid, $11.00. 
Helping a 
Plant Grow 
This is different entirely from helping in 
transplanting. Less water, more food, less 
pruning and no protection (if hardy). 
Established plants can get along without 
any assistance at all, but these things has- 
ten and improve growth: 
WATERING 
Only when drought threatens is an estab- 
lished 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 toward the surface which is very 
bad. Once a week (in drought) water 
very heavily indeed. Chemicals are thus 
dissolved as food for the roots, and the 
stale atmosphere between the earth par- 
ticles is driven out by the flood. (When 
it drans 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 quanti- 
ties 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, because later 
feeding may induce soft sappy growth 
that does not harden off by autumn (may 
be damaged the next winter). 
PRUNING 
Every spring some damaged or badly 
placed branches must be removed 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. 
[5] 
KELSEY NURSERY SERVICE 
1Z 





ae 2 “ LEAVES 
14 make food by 
4+ sun-power % 












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

Ch es ROOTS 
absorb food and 
water from soil 
Plant Flower 
The most blooms do not come on the 
most vigorous plant. Chemistry decides 
inside the stem which buds are to be leaf 
buds and which flowers. Too much nitro- 
gen makes all buds leaves. Hence, to en- 
courage blooms, you help the leaves and 
hinder the roots. 
HELPING THE LEAVES 
Not much can be done except give the ut- 
most sunlight. Remove shade, transplant 
plant, or prune out bays so light can 
enter interior of thick bushy plants. 
HINDERING ROOTS 
First, stop fertilizing (except phosphorus, 
as in bone meal). Stop watering, so food 
still in soil will not be dissolved. If nec- 
essary, prune roots with spade or trans- 
plant entirely, clipping back roots. 
THINGS TO AVOID 
Do not prune plant top severely. Do not 
fertilize heavily, nor water (except in 
emergency). These things actually delay 
flowering. 
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 60 for details; (2) 
A few kinds in which male and female 
flowers are always on different plants 
(Hollies, Yews and Buttersweet). When 
available, one male of each can take care 
of all the females in the garden. But 
males must be grown from cuttings or 
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 inex- 
ensive mixed-sex seedlings and, after a 
ew years testing, “rogue out’ (discard) 
all but one or two males. It is actually 
less expensive to plant, say, 10 seedlings 
than to buy 1 plant of known male sex! 
