Preparation for Planting Optimised

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Preparation for planting

SoilsThe physical condition of a soilis very important to any gardeneras it will largely determine howmuch work is involved in growingplants, vegetables, ornamentalsand lawns. The chemical condi-tion of a soil is important too, butit is generally easier to add morefertiliser than to change thephysical structure.

Sandy soils have a large pro-

portion of larger soil particlescompared to clay soils. They aretherefore well aerated and draineasily but they require more fre-quent watering. Sandy soils areeasier to dig and are thereforecalled " light " soils. Becausesandy soils are composed of largernarticles they do not retain plantltrients as well as soils composed

finer particles. Therefore theye easily leached by water drain-

ing downwards. Sandy soilsusually require more fertiliserapplied at frequent intervals.

Clay soils are composed of fineparticles which mean that theyhave smaller pores for aeration butthey retain water and plantltrients better than sandy soils.

lay soils are termed heavy be-use they are more difficult toltivate, they become sticky when

wet and hard when dry.

The proportions of sand, siltand clay in a soil will determineits texture. Loams are inter-mediate in texture and generallyideal for growing plants of allkinds. When moistened, claysoils can be squeezed into a ribbonby hand while soils with a fairsand content will crumble andfeel gritty.

Organic matterPlants and animals, after they die,are constantly being broken downin the soil. Billions of micro-organisms in the soil use organicmatter as food and they, in turn,release valuable nutrient elementswhich can be taken up by plantroots. As a source of plant foodorganic manures are not as im-portant as inorgmic fertilisers, butit is the soil humus, the cement

which holds tiny clay particlestogether, which is vital to theformation of well structured soils.Humus holds clay, silt and finesand particles together to formcrumbs of soil. Larger pore spacesform between the soil crumbswhich improve soil drainage andaeration.

Heavy clay soils which havegood physical structure normallycontain high levels of organicmatter and calcium. These bothhelp to bind the clay particles intoaggregates, which improves aera-tion and drainage. Roots can moveinto the soil and take in nutrientelements held by both the clayparticles and the organic matter.The humus particles, like the clayparticles, are very small and arealso able to hold plant nutrientson their surface.

In sandy soils organic matterplays an important part in retain-ing both soil moisture and soilnutrients. Sandy soils which con-tain little organic matter are 'easily

leached, and dry out rapidly.Organic matter decomposes at

different rates, depending on theamount of fibre in the material,the type of soil, the soil tempera-ture, and the soil moisture. Inlight sandy soils, alkaline soils, and

soils which are under continuoucultivation, the rate of decompostion is faster than in heavy soiand in acid soils. Cultivation icreases soil aeration and hastenthe oxidation of organic matteDecomposition is also faster higher soil temperatures.

Digging thegardenDigging breaks up the soil and improves drainage, aeration and ro

penetration. Vegetable roots adeeper than many people real(page 33) and heavy or compactsubsoils will restrict root develoment, and growth generally willpoor.

Manures and other organmatter can also be incorporatwith lower soil layers. This effect will deepen the surface soWhen digging do not bring susoil to the surface.


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not to disturb the sequence of soil able amounts of water from thlayers. If the beds are to be used subsoil and thus dry out soilfor asparagus or rhubarb, add which might otherwise be too wegenerous amounts of organic for spring cropping.manure and a complete fertiliser.

Beds are best dug over in the Choice of crops

autumn after the summer crops Both cereals and legumes hav

have been harvested. Lime and their place for use as green manure

manure or compost can be applied The cereals include oats, barley

at the same time and the bed left wheat, ryecorn, and millet. Thin the rough until required. The legumes include tick beans, lupinsrough surface will reduce run-off peas, broad beans, and vetches

and erosion. Rotary cultivators Legumes have the advantage thacan be used to bring the soil to a they fix nitrogen from the atmogood tilth for planting but they sphere which can then be used by

should be used in conjunction with the following crop. Howevedigging or ploughing. cereals add more fibrous materia

which will not decompose arapidly ; often mixtures of bot

Building up wet and sodden. I f soil fo rn u a bal l o f types of crop can b e used. Heavnzud in your hand (a bov e) it is too

the soil

wet. I f soil crumbles easily but will benefit largely thretain the form ofyour hand when addition of big amounts of fibrousqueezed ( be lo w) then the soil is in a n material.Few soils are just right for garden- ideal condition. t o work.

ing, they may contain too much Prepare a good firm seed bed

clay, and be too sticky when wet and apply aboult 30 grams of superphosphate to th e square metreand too hard when dry, or they

may be very sandy and require Also use 30 grams of sulphate ofrequent watering and more ammonia if a cereal crop is to b

fertiliser. But both the physical sown. Seed of cereal crops can b

and the chemical nature of soils broadcast at almost 40 grams t

can be changed by the addition the square metre and legumes aabout half this rate.of ameliorants and fertilisers.

Ameliorants include mineral Green manure crops ma

materials, such as lime, gypsum, require an initial watering if thvermiculite and even sand, and autumn is dry, but thereafter n

organic matter including animal further attention is usuall

manure, compost, green manure required.

and peatmoss. Legumes are best turned in a

be allowed to seed as they withe flowering stage; cereals ca

Lime and gypsumCalcium can be added to the soil then provide more fibroueither as lime or gypsum to im- material. Crops can be choppe

prove the structure. Lime is added during the winter. Besides the UP with a 'pade and worked inwhen soils are too acid. Gypsum, leafy material which is turned is necessary tois used to improve the soil struc- under, the plant roots add a con- microbes to break this addeture when the soil reaction (pH) siderable amount of fibrous matter matter- A ligh t w aterinis satisfactory. A good dressing and open up the soil and subsoil. sometimesis from 250 to 500 g per square During the winter, green where a large bulk of fibroumetre but on very heavy soils this manure crops prevent excessive material has been added it may b

dressing must be repeated for a leaching of plant nutrients on light necessary provide nitrogenumber of years to have an effect. soils by taking up these materials for the micro-organisms ; add

for their own requirements. These t c 20 grams of sulphate o

Green manure crops nutrients are then released to the ammonia th e 'quare metre.f the home gzidener is unable to soil in the spring when the c r w

has rotted down. Green manurenure re crops should be crops with deep root systems, sucho w n on empty vegetable beds as barley, can remove consider-16


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A rrseful compost bin for the back yard. One bin (centre) can be used for newmaterial, the other (r ig ht ) can be worked and turned regularly and the third bin( l e f t ) can contain the finished compos t ready for the garden. Each bin measuresapproxinzately 1 m x 1 m x 1 m , and are corisrructerl from 40 n7m by 150 m mplanks.

crumbly it is ready to use. Siev-ing may be necessary to removesticks and large pieces of unrottedmaterial. Spray around the heapregularly with household fly sprayto control flies in the summer. Ifan open heap is used, cover thesides with a layer of soil.

Manures andfertillisersAll plants need certain essentialnutrient elements. The elementscarbon, hydrogen and oxygen areobtained by the plant from air andwater. The main ones which thegardener must supply are nitrogenphosphorus and potassium.

Nitrogen is an essential part ofprotein and the green leaf pigment,chlorophyll. I t is required ingreater amounts by leaf cropsthan fruit crops, in fact excessnitrogen will reduce the yield offruit. Plants which are short ofnitrogen become yellow andstunted. Nitrogen is supplied ina readily available form to plantsby fertilisers such as sulphate ofammonia, nitrate of soda, andurea, and in a more slowly avail-

able form by blood, and blood and

bone. Nitrogen is also containedin animal manures and is fixed inthe nodules on the roots oflegumes, such as peas and beans.

Plbosphorus is very necessary forthe early growth of plants. Itensures good root developmentand increases fruitfulness. MostVictorian soils are deficient inphosphorus. Superphosphate,

which contains phosphorus in areadily available form, is used ingreater quantities than any otherfertiliser. Phosphorus is alsocontained in a slowly availableform in bone dust and blood andbone.

Potassium is essential for growthand development of the plant andis taken up in large amounts fromthe soil. Root vegetables inparticular respond to potassium

fertilisers. Vegetables deficient inpotassium are usually of poorquality and texture, and moresubject to attack by diseases.

Deficiencies of potassium occurin southern high rainfall areas,and as a general rule completemixed fertilisers containing potas-sium should be used for vegetablessouth of the Divide.

Sulphur, calcium and magnesium

are also needed in fairly large

amounts but they are usually psent in good supply. Howethey do get into the soil in otmaterials, such as lime (calciugypsum (calciuni and sulphudolomitic limestone (calcium magnesium), superphosphate (sosulphur and calcium as well phosphorus) and sulphate of amonia (sulphur as well nitrogen).

Seven other elements are arequired in very small quantitthese are the trace elementsboron, copper, iron, manganmolybdenum, zinc and chlorMost soils contain adequamounts of trace elements they are supplied in animmanures and -compost and asome are applied indirectly

fungicide sprays. These inclcopper (Bordeaux), zinc (zinand manganese (maneb). Chloris almost always present in sficient amounts in the soil. Tavailability of nutrient elememay be upset by changes in acidity. This means that althouthe element is present in the it cannot be used by the plant.

Organic manures and fertilisare generally relatively slow

action and are applied before crop is sown or planted. Artififertilisers are used both to splement organic fertilisers as bdressings and to supply plant foduring the growth of the crop wa rapid response is required.

Organic manures andfertilisersOrganic fertilisers include animanures, composted vegetamaterial, green manure cropsprepared animal and vegetable product materials. They supsmall, but useful amounts of plfood which are not readily wasfrom the soil and they help retwater and plant foods in the s

Animal manuresWell rotted animal manures wsupply nitrogen, phosphorus

potassium to vegetables in


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readily available form along wit11other essential elements. Animalmanures vary in the amount ofplant food which they contain, asthis can depend a great deal on theanimals' own food and the amountof straw bedding or litter mixedwith the droppings.

Animal manure containing a lotof straw material can starve the

vegetable crop for plant foods,especially nitrogen, because thevegetable crop must compete forthe available soil nitrogen withthe micro-organisms breakingdown the straw. Extra nitrogenfertiliser should be added if themanure contains a lot of unrottedstraw or buzzer chips. Animalmanures should be supplementedwith superphosphate.

Organic by-product fertilisersBy-products of animal and vege-table origin also provide a valua-ble source of plant food. Thesematerials include blood and bone,bone dust, wool waste and hoofand horn.

Blood and bone is possibly thebest known of these materials.When it is applied to the soil itbreaks down to supply nitrogen

and phosphorus. The blood isacted on by bacteria and other

Cabbage showing leaf s ymptoms typical

micro-organisms which releasenitrogen in a form which can betaken up by the plant roots. Bloodand bone contains no potash.

The slower availability of boththe nitrogen and phosphorus in

the blood and bone means thatless is lost by leaching.

Some organic manures and fertilisers

Pre-plant dressings of blood anbone or similar fertiliser give good steady release of plant fooThis release may not be rapienough to keep pace with threquirements of the crop and

must be supplemented with quicacting artificial fertiliser. Bloo

Manure or fertiliser Approximate nutrient content expressed as % of the elemeNitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) Potassium Q

Animal manure*

Cow 1.0 0.4 0.5Fowl 2.1 1- 6 1.0

-

-

Horse 0.7 0.4 0.5

Pig 1.1 0.7 0.1Sheep 1.8 0.4 0.5

Prepared fertiliiserst" ne dust 3.0 10.9 ..

bod and bone 6.0 6.1 ..BloBlcrod and bone and Potash 5 :1 4.0 5.2 8.0The nutrient content of animal manures will vary according to the animal's diet and the amount of litter or bedding present.The

analysis of prepared organic and inorganic fertilisers is published in the Victoria Government Gazette.


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genI

conP 2tilis"0"

The Victorian Fertilisers Actrequires that the amounts of thethree basic fertiliser ingredientspresent in fertilisers to be ex-pressed as percentages of theelements nitrogen (N), phos-phorus (P) and potassium (K) inthe order NPK.

Experimental work at the

Vegetable Research Station atFrankston has established that anN:P:K ratio of 5 : 8 : 4 is the mosteconomic for root and leaf vege-tables where no animal manure isused while 5 : 6 : 2 is best suitedwhere fowl manure has beenapplied. We have generally sug-gested 5 : 8 : 4 for leaf stem androot crops. Other suitable com-mercial base fertilisers for leafstem and root vegetables includes

Horitco Vegetable Planter andFeeder (3 : 7 : 3), or Gro-PlusComplete Garden Food (4 : 7 : 4).A number of companies marketmixtures with equal proportions ofN:P:K such as 6: 6 : 6, which isformulated by mixing five parts ofsuperphosphate with two parts ofsulphate of ammonia and one partof muriate of potash. NPK6 : 6 : 6 is quite suitable for mostleaf, stem and root vegetables.

Summer growing crops which* t fruit or pods, such as beans~d tomatoes grow best with mix-res containing less nitrogen such

as NPK 3 : 6 : 7. Soils north ofthe Divide (zones 2 and 3)generally have good reserves ofpotassium and a fertiliser contain-ing only nitrogen and phosphorussuch as NPK 5 : 7 : 0 is usuallysatisfactory.

Perennial crops such asasparagus and artichoke benefitfrom annual dressings of. 4 : 10 or similar fertiliser aserally P tends to accumulate.

Iigh analysis fertilisers such asot 800 (NPK 8 : 11 : 10)tain almost twice as much N,md K as " low analysis " fer-ers such as 4 : 5 : 5 and con-aLyuently should be used at half

the rate.

Most mixed fertilisers packaged

Two simple methods of banding fertiliserbeneath a drill or plant row

Open up a drill deeper than the drillin which the seed will be sown, spreadthe fertiliser in a band along the drill,push the soil back over the fertiliserand firm i t down. The n open up ashallower drill f or the seed. Th e seedis sown without contacting thefertiliser.

for garden use are of the " lowanalysis " category and it is con-sidered that fertilisers of this typeare more suitable for home gardenuse than most of the "highanalysis " fertilisers offered forsale.

Distinguishing names of somecomplete fertilisers commonlyused for fertilising vegetable cropsstill contain figures which are notdirectly related to their percent-ages of NPK. The figures used inthe names of these low analysis

Complete Fertilisers correspond tothe mass of superphosphate, sul-phate of ammonia and potassiumsalts which they contain, in thatorder. Thus a 5 : 2 : 1 CompleteFertiliser contains 5 parts of super-phosphate, 2 parts of sulphate ofammonia and one part of potas-sium salts by mass, and CompleteFertiliser 5 : 1 : 1 contains 5 partsof superphosphate, 1 part of sul-phate of ammonia and 1 part of

potassium salts by mass.

Spread th e fertiliser in a band on ts~ i r faceand form a bed over the ftiliser band. T h e plant is set in tcentre of the bed above the fertiliband.

Applying manuresand fertilisersOrganic manures are best applisome time before the seed-bed

prepared. Beds can be manurin the autumn for crops to planted the following sprinStable manure and compost can spread at about 3 kg to the squmetre and fowl manure at up 1 kg to the square metre.

Very fresh manure must applied well before planting as tyoung seedling roots may be burFresh manure can be used established crops but it should n

touch the plant. It is best to mmanures from several sourcrather than use them separateManure which contains a lot weed seeds should be compostedkill the seeds.

Base-dressingCommercial arti6cial fertilisare applied either before plantior when the crop is planted.good practice is to dig over

bed and spread half the fertili


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roots by rain or irrigation wor when insufficient plant fooapplied when the crop is soNitrogen side-dressings especially necessary for levegetables.

Frequently potassium fertilismust also be applied as s idedreings while the plant is growing

supplement the initial base applition. This is usually necessarysandy soils during the cooler awetter months. It also balanheavy applications of nitrofertiliser. Apply 30 g of muriof potash to two metres of rwith each alternate nitrogen sidressing.

Foliar applied fertilisersFoliar applied fertilisers are a c

venient way of supplying nutrieover the area and then work up small amounts of fertiliser in while the cro p is growing, and lthe seed bed mixing the fertiliser small plots and to o much may be side-dressings they supplemwith the top soil. The other half applied. 'Therefore it is best to pre-plant applications ofof the fertiliser can be applied in measure out quantities for given tilisers. Commercial liquid fthe rows close to where the seed areas. tilisers are NPK salts which will be sown or the plants placed. Side-dressing readily dissolved in water andO pe n UP a dr ill row just a little Side-dressings are applications of immediately available to the pladeeper than the seeding depth and fertiliser made to growing crops. Other plant nutrient elemedistribute th'e other half of the fer- Keep the fertiliser off plant leaves including the trace elements, tiliser along this drill. Push about especially if they are wet. Side- sometimes included in solu50 to 80 mm of soil over with dressings are necessary because fertiliser preparations.the back of the rake to cover this soluble fertilisers applied in pre- A well known commercial fofertiliser and then open u p another plant or base-dressings can be fertiliser contains NPK in the radrill where the seed will be sown. washed out of the reach of plant 23 : 5 : 18 along with tr

Alternatively all the fertilisercan be broadcast but less benefitis obtained than when part isapplied in bands. Applying toomuch fertiliser, or placing it tooclose to seeds or plants can affectseed germination and damageyoung roots.

The quantity of fertiliserrequired will depend on the naturalfertility of the soil, and the amountof manure or fertiliser used onprevious crops. Commercialapplication rates range from 100to 1,000 kg of fertiliser to thehectare that is up to 100 g to thesquare metre. A vegetable garden10 m by 5 m and growing twocrops a year would require 10 kgof

complete fertiliser.Gardeners are dealing withSide dress crops l iXe tot~lntoesb y disirih~rtingf e r t i l i so irz ri rltlg arorr t~d tllc plaTa ke care t o keep the fertiliser off the leaves.


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lements. It is dissolved in watert the rate of 1 gram per litrend can be applied to the leavesnd watered around the roots.

These fertilisers can rapidly cor-ect nutrient deficiencies becausehey are readily taken up by thelant.Liquid fertiliser solutions can

lso be prepared by dissolvingurea in water at about 30 g in fivetres of water. Sulphate of am-

monia and nitrate of soda s o h -ons will burn leaves but urea cane applied as a foliar spray.

Liquid manureLiquid manure can be prepared

y soaking a kerosene tin (20itres) measure of fowl manure in

bag suspended in a 200 litrerum of water. This concentratedolution is diluted with eight timeshe volume of water and appliediberally around the plants. Do notplash the liquid on leaves.

Liquid manure is best appliedwhen the soil is moist after water-ng or after rain. Use a weakerolution for younger plants.

Starter solutionstarter solutions are liquid

ertiliser mixtures applied with thelanting water when-seedlings areransplanted. The soluble phos-hate is readily taken up by theoung seedling and promotes theapid growth of young roots. Anyertiliser which is readily solublen water can be used and com-

mercial mixtures are available.

Soil acidityand limingMost vegetables grow best in soilswhich are neutral or just slightlyacid. However, many soils,specially in southern Victoria, are

naturally very acid and this aciditymust be corrected by liming.

Soil acidity affects plant growthmainly by its influence on theavailability of plant nutrients.

Phosphorus, calcium, magnesium,and molybdenum become less

A good maintenance dressing o f lime is an amount equivalent to the tnass osulplzate o f ammon ia applied each year. Li me is best applied in the autrlmmonths before the winter rains.

available to plants in acid soils,while manganese-and an elementnot required by the plant,aluminium-can be released insuch amounts that they becometoxic.

Alkaline soils, and these includesoils that have been overlimed,will lock up phosphorus, together

with the trace elements, iron,boron, zinc, manganese andcopper.

Very acid soils also retard thegrowth of soil micro-organismsincluding those which break downorganic matter and the bacteriawhich fix atmospheric nitrogen. Inacid soils, the growth of the potatoscab organism is suppressed and itis best not to lime heavily if

potatoes are the next crop. Onthe other hand, in soils on thealkaline side of neutral, the clubroot fungus, which attackscrucifers will not thrive, and lim-ing will help suppress this disease.

The soil pHThe range of soil acidity and

alkalinity is described by a scaranging from 0 to 14, the pH scalpH 7 is neutral, less than 7 acand above 7 alkaline. Mogarden plants thrive when the sois between pH 6 and 7 and groreasonably well between pH 5.and 7 . 5 , the usual range fogarden soils.

The tolerance of various vegetabcrops to soil acidity is shownthe table on page 24. Slightly toleant crops will grow quite wellsoils of pH value up to 7 - 5 provided there is no deficiency oelements such as manganese.

Regulatingsoil pHMeasuring soil pH is only a stato estimating the amount of lim

that a soil will require to reduacidity. Soil type has a markeeffect on lime requirements

-

mumore lime is needed to raise thpH of peat or clay soils than required by sandy soils. In soutern Victoria regular applicatioof lime are advisable to bring tacidity to the desirable level.

1-- Acid Neutral Alkaline -- -+2


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Treated timber logs ~ n a k en r ~attrncti i~eedgbeds can act as gutters whichshould lead away from the gardenarea.

Underground drainage

A few test holes dug to a depthof 1 metre, in which lengths ofperforated down-piping or plasticdrainage pipes are h e d for per-manent observations, will soonshow if underground drainage isessential. The water-table shouldbe at least 600 mm from the sur-face. After heavy or prolongedrainfall the water-table may rise,but it should return to normal

again in24

hours after the rainceases.

titable drainage layout for t h e h o m eIen. A main pipe dow n a slope fr omto bottom with laterals feeding intoart angle.

Laying underground drainsSlotted plastic pipe from 35 to 50mm in diameter or agricultural tilepipes 75 mm in diameter are suit-able for most situations found in

the home garden.Slotted plastic pipes are sold in

convenient coils which are easyto carry and lay. Plan the layoutto get the best use of the drains.Pipes running across the fall ofthe land are very efficient and areeconomical both in the amount ofdrainage pipe required and of thelabor required to install the system.

The common method of drain-

ing a slope is to place the maindrains down the slope in the low-est part of the land and then laysubsidiary lateral lines across theslope of land in a herringbonelayout. The soil type of the areato be drained and the steepness ofthe land dictate the distance be-tween laterals. Heavy soils mayrequire spacings as narrow as 4 m.In sandy soils a spacing of 8 mwill often be adequate.

Digging the drains

In land that has a clay subsoil,the trenches should be dug to thelevel of the subsoil ; if this levelis less than 300 mm from the sur-face it is best to build up the top-soil into raised beds with pathsbetween. Where there is a sandysubsoil, the drains are placed ata depth of 700 mm. The bottomof the trench should be firrn witha slight and fall towards the

outlet. Irregular falls may caudrains to silt up. Special narrodraining shovels, or trenchinmachines will save a lot of harwork in digging out the trenche

Placing the pipes or tilesThe pipes or tiles are placed carefully on the prepared floor of thtrench. The top half of the jobetween pipes is covered with 15mm of 1 0 mm screenings, thethe rest of the trench is filled wisoil. This filling helps free wat

Tile or slotted plastic undergroudrairts shorrld be laid in a trencll cut or i n to the sub soil, then covered wscreenings and top soil replaced to sface level.

to drain into the pipes withoimpediment.A brick sump at the outlet is

useful inspection point and wkeep the end of the drain opeIf the outfall from the properis above the water-table it mbe directed from this point toconvenient stormwater drain pumped to a surface drain ifsuitable gravitational method c

not be used to clear the area.

Preparation for Planting Optimised

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