Let the Fun Begin
BY VIRGIL ADAMS
OK, so your plants are up and growing. Now, let the tender loving care-and the fun-begin.
No, you aren't finished after you've prepared the soil and planted the seed. You've only just begun. It's sort of like bringing a child into the world. The real work begins after he is born. A neglected plant, like a neglected child, won't develop properly. It must be cultivated.
Of all the chores I do out there in the Back Yard, I guess I enjoy cultivating the soil most of all. The reason may be because it is so soothing to the soil-and to my soul.
In fact, I enjoy cultivating so much that I often overdo it. I often cultivate just for the pure pleasure of it, and that is not a very good reason. I need to remember that cultivation is for my plants, not for me.
There are really only two good reasons to cultivate: to break up that surface crust, and to control weeds.
While most cultivation begins after plants are up and growing, it is sometimes appropriate to start before anything emerges. An example:
You plant tiny carrot and lettuce seeds and the next day it comes a downpour. The beating rain packs the soil, and when it dries out, the crust on the top is like concrete. Your little carrot and lettuce seedlings find it virtually impossible to penetrate that barrier. So you break down the barrier.
But you do it very carefully. Cultivating before anything comes up is a delicate operation. You don't want to disturb tiny roots that are struggling to take hold or tender leaves that are trying to break through. So think shallow. And be gentle.
My favorite tool for this kind of cultivation is the ordinary garden rake. But I don't pull the tines toward me through the soil. Instead, I walk backward by the side of the row and push the tines away from me with rapid, shallow, gentle jabs.
This makes it possible for tiny seedlings to raise their heads and greet the sunlight.
As every gardener knows, the good guys aren't the only ones that raise their heads and greet the sun. Weeds butt in and that brings us to the second reason for cultivation.
Simply put, weeds are plants out of place. These unwanted intruders have no business mixing and mingling with our vegetables and flowers. Who do they think they are anyway?
The best time to go after these pests is when they are young, tender, and very small. At this stage they are easy prey to a light raking for shallow hoeing.
And baby weeds don't consume a lot of nutrients and moisture. Get rid of them before they grow up and eat like a hog. Don't let them take over your garden and take all of the fun out of cultivating!
