¢ 
(GROWING PAINS continued from page 8) 
Next, the mechanics of the thing. If you dig out a 
bed to fill with peat, you likely make for yourself a 
drainage problem. All ericaceous plants require 
large amounts of oxygen. Waterlogged soil or peat 
“chokes” them out, so the drainage must be good. 
Besides it’s less work and less costly to make up beds 
of boards or cement blocks on top of the ground. A 
couple of inches of stoker clinkers, or even sandstone 
%”’ up to 2” in the bottom of the bed is fine. If one 
side of the bottom of the bed is 3 or 4 inches higher 
than the other, the drainage will be better. If you 
use boards for the sides of the beds, better give them 
a very good coating of wood preservative because 
peats will disintegrate them pretty quickly. 8 x 16” 
cinder or cement blocks, just set on top of the ground 
in a straight line will likely prove lower in cost over 
a period of several years. If you use blocks, place 
them with the holes up, and you can drive stakes in 
the holes to support shade, and thus make a good 
looking as well as practical job. 
Then, you’re ready for the peat or soil. If you use 
domestic peats you will find the next few suggestions 
helpful. Fill the bed to the top of the blocks or 
boards with peat. Don’t firm it. Water it well with- 
out too much pressure. It will settle some. Let it set 
for 24 hours and fill it up again. Soil tests will likely 
indicate that the peat is not too sour, and can stand 
a little “adjustment”. You are shooting for a pH of 
about 5.0 to 5.5 and most domestic peats (not all, 
but most) will test very close to 6.2. You can use 
aluminum sulphate to lower the pH, but it’s quick 
and then it’s gone. And the aluminum sulphate, if 
used too liberally can be toxic to the plants. Sulphur 
is slow and easy, and postive. A pound of sulphur to 
4 or 5 square yards is about right. Second growing 
season, apply a little more, say 1 lb. to 10 or 12 sq. 
yards. 
Because domestic peats are not dehydrated, there’ll 
be some bug's in them. Some years ago we had a 
carload which was loaded with cutworms, and these 
rascals chopped off hundreds of fine little plants 
before we learned what was doing the damage. DDT 
is good insurance. You can mix it with the sulphur 
and apply about 4 lbs. sulphur and 1 lb. 10% DDT 
dust to 20 square yards of surface. If you happen to 
have a lawn fertilizer distributor, you can get this 
DDT-sulphur mix on evenly and properly spread. 
They can be put together and then applied. Use DDT 
dust rather than liquid. It will do a better job and 
continue to act for several years. 
When you have your bed ready next comes planting 
the plants. Remove the plantbands on all ericaceous 
plants. They root close to the surface, and the plant- 
bands will hamper root development. Set the plants 
about 10” x 10” in staggered rows across the bed. 
Plant them about %” deeper than the top of the soil 
ball, and firm lhghtly. It’s best to plant from the 
sides, of the beds if you can, so that you will not 
firm the peat with your weight. After you have the 
plants in, water them reasonably. Don’t ficod them. 
When the plants are planted the next matter is 
(Continued on page 12) 
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