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Extra Feeding 
Don’t depend on organic matter only for feeding your 
vegetables. While it has some fertility value, it won’t 
provide enough. Remember that vegetables growing in 
a garden are in an artificial environment. You don’t 
want natural growth; you want crops to mature as soon 
as possible, and this means extra feeding with suitable 
fertilizers. Properly used, chemical fertilizers furnish 
plant food at lowest cost in most readily available form. 
Provide extra feedings throughout the summer. 
Mulching vs. Cultivation 
Sometimes half-truths are as good as whole ones. The 
furor created by the book, ““Ploughman’s Folly,” which 
advocated a trash mulch at the surface, made sense as 
far as the mulch was concerned. By plowing or digging 
in the conventional way and then mulching, the home 
gardener can take advantage of good soil preparation, 
plus the very real saving in labor that comes from using 
a mulch. 
With the right mulch, there is no need to weed, no need 
to stir the soil, and once that mulch is applied, the need 
for watering (at least in normal seasons) is all but 
over. This should save hours of valuable time. 
How To Mulch 
A mulch is merely a covering of some material which 
won't support weed growth and which is porous enough 
to trap air. This porous quality is important because it 
keeps down the loss of moisture from the soil and also 
keeps the heat of the sun from penetrating deeply and 
hurting root growth. 
A perfect mulch is well-rotted, old manure. Never use 
fresh manure for a mulch because it will ferment and 
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rot and some of the gases released in this process can 
damage plants. But, when well-rotted, manure not only 
keeps down weeds and saves moisture, but can be worked 
into the soil after the growing season is over. 
If grass clippings are allowed to lie on the lawn for a 
day or two to cure, they can be applied in thin layers, 
and gradually built up to form a thick mulch. If not 
dried, they may ferment and cause some trouble. 
Peat moss, if moist when applied, and if kept moistened, 
makes a perfect mulch. But since it may suck water 
away from the plants unless already moist, it must never 
be applied bone dry, nor should it be allowed to dry out. 
It is clean, weed-free and a good insulator. Vermiculite, 
buckwheat hulls, rice hulls, ground corn cobs and clean 
straw are other materials that are satisfactory. 
When To Mulch 
Most gardeners wait too long to mulch. The soil should 
be moist, but not wringing wet. If spring rains have 
made the ground soggy, wait until you can cultivate 
without packing, and then apply. If the ground is dry, 
soak the soil thoroughly before mulching. 
Mulching And Watering 
Always keep in mind that a mulch does not add any wa- 
ter to the soil, nor does it prevent the loss of water 
through the leaves of the plant. If rains heavy enough 
to penetrate the mulch do not fall, then you will have to 
water. This can be done by removing the nozzle from the 
hose and allowing it to flow out on top of the mulch. If 
the mulch is thick enough, there will be no soil washing. 
You will find the answers to most problems in this book, but it will pay you to come in 
our store where you will get personal help and expert advice on all gardening questions. 
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