Soil primarily had its beginning from rock together with animal and vegetable decay, if you can imagine long stretches or periods of time when great rock masses were crumbling and breaking up. Heat, water action, and friction were largely responsible for this. By friction here is meant the rubbing and grinding of rock mass against rock mass. Think of the huge rocks, a perfect chaos of them, bumping, scraping, settling against one another. What would be the result? Well, I am sure you all could work that out. This is what happened: bits of rock were worn off, a great deal of heat was produced, pieces of rock were pressed together to form new rock masses, some portions becoming dissolved in water. Why, I myself, almost feel the stress and strain of it all. Can you?

Then, too, there were great changes in temperature. First everything was heated to a high temperature, then gradually became cool. Just think of the cracking, the crumbling, the upheavals, that such changes must have caused! You know some of the effects in winter of sudden freezes and thaws. But the little examples of bursting water pipes and broken pitchers are as nothing to what was happening in the world during those days. The water and the gases in the atmosphere helped along this crumbling work.

From all this action of rubbing, which action we call mechanical, it is easy enough to understand how sand was formed. This represents one of the great divisions of soil sandy soil. The sea shores are great masses of pure sand. If soil were nothing but broken rock masses then indeed it would be very poor and unproductive. But the early forms of animal and vegetable life decaying became a part of the rock mass and a better soil resulted. So the soils we speak of as sandy soils have mixed with the sand other matter, sometimes clay, sometimes vegetable matter or humus, and often animal waste.

Clay brings us right to another class of soils clayey soils. It happens that certain portions of rock masses became dissolved when water trickled over them and heat was plenty and abundant. This dissolution took place largely because there is in the air a certain gas called carbon dioxide or carbonic acid gas. This gas attacks and changes certain substances in rocks. Sometimes you see great rocks with portions sticking up looking as if they had been eaten away. Carbonic acid did this. It changed this eaten part into something else which we call clay. A change like this is not mechanical but chemical. The difference in the two kinds of change is just this: in the one case of sand, where a mechanical change went on, you still have just what you started with, save that the size of the mass is smaller. You started with a big rock, and ended with little particles of sand. But you had no different kind of rock in the end. Mechanical action might be illustrated with a piece of lump sugar. Let the sugar represent a big mass of rock. Break up the sugar, and even the smallest bit is sugar. It is just so with the rock mass; but in the case of a chemical change you start with one thing and end with another. You started with a big mass of rock which had in it a portion that became changed by the acid acting on it. It ended in being an entirely different thing which we call clay. So in the case of chemical change a certain something is started with and in the end we have an entirely different thing. The clay soils are often called mud soils because of the amount of water used in their formation.

The third sort of soil which we farm people have to deal with is lime soil. Remember we are thinking of soils from the farm point of view. This soil of course ordinarily was formed from limestone. Just as soon as one thing is mentioned about which we know nothing, another comes up of which we are just as ignorant. And so a whole chain of questions follows. Now you are probably saying within yourselves, how was limestone first formed?

At one time ages ago the lower animal and plant forms picked from the water particles of lime. With the lime they formed skeletons or houses about themselves as protection from larger animals. Coral is representative of this class of skeleton-forming animal.

As the animal died the skeleton remained. Great masses of this living matter pressed all together, after ages, formed limestone. Some limestones are still in such shape that the shelly formation is still visible. Marble, another limestone, is somewhat crystalline in character. Another well-known limestone is chalk. Perhaps you’d like to know a way of always being able to tell limestone. Drop a little of this acid on some lime. See how it bubbles and fizzles. Then drop some on this chalk and on the marble, too. The same bubbling takes place. So lime must be in these three structures. One does not have to buy a special acid for this work, for even the household acids like vinegar will cause the same result.

Then these are the three types of soil with which the farmer has to deal, and which we wish to understand. For one may learn to know his garden soil by studying it, just as one learns a lesson by study.

In deciding upon the site for the home vegetable garden it is well to dispose once and for all of the old idea that the garden “patch” must be an ugly spot in the home surroundings. If thoughtfully planned, carefully planted and thoroughly cared for, it may be made a beautiful and harmonious feature of the general scheme, lending a touch of comfortable homeliness that no shrubs, borders, or beds can ever produce.

With this fact in mind we will not feel restricted to any part of the premises merely because it is out of sight behind the barn or garage. In the average moderate-sized place there will not be much choice as to land. It will be necessary to take what is to be had and then do the very best that can be done with it. But there will probably be a good deal of choice as to, first, exposure, and second, convenience. Other things being equal, select a spot near at hand, easy of access. It may seem that a difference of only a few hundred yards will mean nothing, but if one is depending largely upon spare moments for working in and for watching the garden and in the growing of many vegetables the latter is almost as important as the former this matter of convenient access will be of much greater importance than is likely to be at first recognized. Not until you have had to make a dozen time-wasting trips for forgotten seeds or tools, or gotten your feet soaking wet by going out through the dew-drenched grass, will you realize fully what this may mean.

Exposure.
———

But the thing of first importance to consider in picking out the spot that is to yield you happiness and delicious vegetables all summer, or even for many years, is the exposure. Pick out the “earliest” spot you can find a plot sloping a little to the south or east, that seems to catch sunshine early and hold it late, and that seems to be out of the direct path of the chilling north and northeast winds. If a building, or even an old fence, protects it from this direction, your garden will be helped along wonderfully, for an early start is a great big factor toward success. If it is not already protected, a board fence, or a hedge of some low-growing shrubs or young evergreens, will add very greatly to its usefulness. The importance of having such a protection or shelter is altogether underestimated by the amateur.

The soil.
———

The chances are that you will not find a spot of ideal garden soil ready for use anywhere upon your place. But all except the very worst of soils can be brought up to a very high degree of productiveness especially such small areas as home vegetable gardens require. Large tracts of soil that are almost pure sand, and others so heavy and mucky that for centuries they lay uncultivated, have frequently been brought, in the course of only a few years, to where they yield annually tremendous crops on a commercial basis. So do not be discouraged about your soil. Proper treatment of it is much more important, and a garden- patch of average run-down, or “never-brought-up” soil will produce much more for the energetic and careful gardener than the richest spot will grow under average methods of cultivation.

The ideal garden soil is a “rich, sandy loam.” And the fact cannot be overemphasized that such soils usually are made, not found. Let us analyze that description a bit, for right here we come to the first of the four all-important factors of gardening food. The others are cultivation, moisture and temperature. “Rich” in the gardener’s vocabulary means full of plant food; more than that and this is a point of vital importance it means full of plant food ready to be used at once, all prepared and spread out on the garden table, or rather in it, where growing things can at once make use of it; or what we term, in one word, “available” plant food. Practically no soils in long- inhabited communities remain naturally rich enough to produce big crops. They are made rich, or kept rich, in two ways; first, by cultivation, which helps to change the raw plant food stored in the soil into available forms; and second, by manuring or adding plant food to the soil from outside sources.

“Sandy” in the sense here used, means a soil containing enough particles of sand so that water will pass through it without leaving it pasty and sticky a few days after a rain; “light” enough, as it is called, so that a handful, under ordinary conditions, will crumble and fall apart readily after being pressed in the hand. It is not necessary that the soil be sandy in appearance, but it should be friable.

“Loam: a rich, friable soil,” says Webster. That hardly covers it, but it does describe it. It is soil in which the sand and clay are in proper proportions, so that neither greatly predominate, and usually dark in color, from cultivation and enrichment. Such a soil, even to the untrained eye, just naturally looks as if it would grow things. It is remarkable how quickly the whole physical appearance of a piece of well cultivated ground will change. An instance came under my notice last fall in one of my fields, where a strip containing an acre had been two years in onions, and a little piece jutting off from the middle of this had been prepared for them just one season. The rest had not received any extra manuring or cultivation. When the field was plowed up in the fall, all three sections were as distinctly noticeable as though separated by a fence. And I know that next spring’s crop of rye, before it is plowed under, will show the lines of demarcation just as plainly.

Your rose gardening efforts might have been zilched by
extreme weather conditions, diseases, and viruses. The
dreaded mosaic disease affect 9 of 10 rose gardens and
block spots are as infectious as the common cold.

But don?t give up yet. There are several precautionary
measures you can adopt in order to protect your
precious rose garden.

Extreme Weather Conditions – There is not much you can
do to change the weather and short of erecting a
hot-house you can?t even protect your roses from harsh
climates. However, you can keep an eye out – and when
you see harsh weather approaching take protective
measures like covering your roses with tarpaulin to
keep out the rains and so on.

Cleanliness – On a regular basis, clean the beds and
remove dead leaves, fallen debris, clippings, and so
on.

Hygiene – It is not just enough to clip away the dead
stems and leaves. You must also brush them away from
the rose beds and dispose of them in trash cans.

Regular Pruning – Most gardeners will prune the sides
of rose bushes without really thinking about what is
going on inside. Well, you need to prune within the
bush as well so that enough air is circulated to the
inner flowers, leaves, and stems.

Plug the Cuts – If you prune, you leave behind exposed
inner area of stems. Seal them up with a special plant
glue so that diseases and other insects cannot erode
or eat away the delicate inner parts.

Roses are a rage. Whichever country you go, whichever
part of the globe you trek, a rose has a universal
appeal across cultures. Let us discuss the intricacies
of this beautiful flower, from a horticulturist's
point of view. Roses can be classified in several
types and so can rose gardens.

Gardens can have rose species from the genus Rosa.
These look very attractive because these rose flowers
can grow to be big in varying colors of white, red, or
pink.

Old European Garden Roses are hybrids that were
popular before the Rosa chine sis took prime place of
beauty in the 18th century. The good old garden rose,
humble yet popular, is perfect for new gardens.

It weathers extreme cold very well, can be resistant
to many rose diseases, looks lovely when it blooms and
emits a heady fragrance.

New age roses, better known as modern roses a man-made
variety made from a cross bred tea rose. Several rose
gardens contain such roses along with a selection of
shrub roses. These are popular because they look
pretty, are tough and durable, and very tolerant of
most types of rose diseases.

If you feel particularly adventurous, you might
commission a botanist to cross-breed and create your
own distinct type of rose. It will cost a small
fortune but it will be worth the extra cost. Organized
in various and varied types, a rose in any incarnation
rules the world of the flowers.

That truth never changes.

Rose gardening is a hobby that has few matches. One of
the greatest gifts that Nature has provided man with
is a flower. The rose, especially has inspired poetry
over generations and civilizations, the rose is a most
coveted prize for a lover.

Getting the rose to bloom perfectly in one's garden is
one of the few unadulterated joys one can experience
in this complex world.

But it might be of great importance to keep the tricks
of trade up your sleeve when you venture into this
field that has tested many a connoisseur.

In order to maintain a rose garden and enjoy the
beauty and fragrance of the rose, remember the
following tips:

- The bloom should be good, and for this certain
measures should be adopted. Buy good plants, which are
young and field grown organically

- While planting your roses, opt for a well-ventilated
place which attracts direct sun rays and is also
properly drained

- You may need to water the roses if natural rainfall
dwindles. Take extra care that the soil is drained
properly so that the roses don?t become damaged due to
over watering

- Regularly dust and air the roses every week or so to
get rid of tiny insects

- Remember, winter mulching is important. Use a straw
or some other material in order to protect the roses
from low temperatures. Armed with these points, you
are good to go in the rosy path of rose gardening

The most important factor while planting your roses is
to check the pH balance of the soil which states
whether the soil is acidic or alkaline. The soil test
will determine what compounds are to be added to the
soil while preparing the flower bed.

Once the soil texture is ascertained and the soil is
ready, it is time to purchase your rose plant. This
step is crucial and there should be no compromise on
the quality.

Whether you choose from a plant grown in a pot or a
bare root plant which is dormant, the quality should
be the best. It is said that healthy plants which are
dormant give a better bloom than those with long new
shoots.

Again, though early spring is considered to be the
ideal planting season for the roses, it is better to
check from a well-known local nursery.

A well-cultivated soil makes planting easy and smooth.
The roots are soaked for few minutes and the broken
root-ends need to be pruned. The roots should never be
kept exposed to the air which may end up in drying the
root fibers.

The hole should be approximately one inch in width and
depth enough for the roots to spread out. You should
refill the hole till three-quarter and water the plant
thoroughly.

Once the water gets soaked properly, the hole has to
be filled fully and the soil is made firm around the
roots. The planting procedure is same for potted
plants where the pot has to be removed and the
planting continues from spring to fall.

Roses are considered to be the representation of love.
From time immemorial, roses have adorned the likes of
kings and queens. Even for the commoner, the rose was
the moment when he transcended his commonness to
aspire for the higher plains.

So, the demand for roses has always been good. Rose
gardening thus has been in vogue throughout the
history of the civilized world. To get a good harvest
of roses, you have to look after the garden at all
times of the year.

Fungal infection is very common for every breed of
rose. In summer, fungus usually appears on the rose
petals and black spots also seem to appear on the
flowers. Insects like red spiders are the main
troublemakers as well.

Normal utilization of chemicals controls the majority
of these infections as well as of the sucking and
chewing insects. But some insects are also beneficial
to your roses.

You can prevent your roses from any type of insects
through a lime-sulphur spray in early spring followed
by a regular regimen of fungicide every 10 days
beginning in mid spring. Remove all the infected
stems, leaves, or canes and discard them. You have to
continue this program until the rust is gone.

In a word, your roses should be fertilized regularly.
If you have planted your roses right now, you can
begin fertilization after the first time it blooms.
Otherwise, while your roses are blooming, they can be
fertilized every two or three weeks. It is also good
to remember that chicken manure is great for roses.

People are often tempted to consider miniature roses
as indoor plants, not knowing the fact that though the
flowers are miniature, the plant itself can grow to a
height of four to five feet.

But if at all these easy-to-maintain flowers are to be
grown indoors, a few simple measures will give the
best results.

The primary requirement for the miniature roses is
ample and direct sunlight, the lack of which may
result in stretched out branches and gaps between the
leaves. To prevent this, additional light arrangements
have to be made.

Moreover, watering the plant once in a week keeps it
healthy. Spraying the upper and inner sides of the
leaves keeps the spider-mites at bay and leaves the
plant dust-free. Also, the pot should be neither too
big nor too small but just about the size to make the
plant grow comfortably.

As a matter of fact, the miniature roses can be grown
in flower pots, hanging baskets as well as in the
ground but it is mandatory that they receive direct
sunlight.

While planting it to the ground, the roots should be
free of tangles and placed carefully into a one foot
deep and wide hole which is to be leveled properly
with loose soil. Proper care has to be taken for the
first three weeks.

Watering the plant is a must and even later the soil
has to be kept moist always. The outdoor plants
usually blossom from spring to winter. A covering by
mulch may help to protect them from frost and wintry
chill.

Gardening is an art. And of all the flowers that bloom
in the whole wide world, the rose is the most
celebrated. The rose is a beautiful flower and
naturally you have to maintain it properly. There are
a few steps for planting a rose and they are as
follows:

The best time for planting rose beds is in the spring.
You can plant them in early spring or mid spring
according to your convenience. But one thing you
should remember that if you plant it in mid spring
then you have to be careful that all the frost has
dissolved.

Warm climate is necessary for this activity. Choose a
spot carefully because roses require proper sunlight
(at least 6 hrs.) to bloom nicely. Roses also like
soil which is drained properly, however, water is also
necessary for blooming roses. If you don't water
deeply enough then the roots will become shallow.

To encourage big and beautiful blooms fertilizers are
also necessary. You have to fertilize the plant once
every six weeks. To avoid any type of fungal diseases
and infections, spray a mix of dish soap and baking
soda.

Lastly, exercise extreme precaution. Roses cannot
adjust to extreme temperatures. If you are a gardener
from a warm climate, then plant your roses where they
will receive the morning sunlight.

In cold countries, roses must get exposure to the high
noon sun. To reiterate, an important thing you should
keep in mind is that roses do not like extremes of
heat and cold.

You might feel your rose gardening ventures are
thwarted at every step – what with the hard winters
wreaking havoc on the tender roses. Then the strong
summer heat with the blistering sun and monsoon rains
lashing down on them, you might wonder why you bother
at all. Well, there is more bad news.

Rose Gardening Fungus – This white, powdery mildew is
deposited on the top and bottom of leaves and stems.
It corrodes the growth of the plant and ultimately
kills the flowers and stems.

Rose Garden Rust – This is an orange powder which
appears on the underside of leaves and has the same
detrimental effects as rose gardening fungus.

Rose Garden Black Spots – As the name suggests, these
appear as tiny black spots on the leaves and the stems
of your rose plants. If you ignore these, they just
might destroy your rose garden in no time at all.

Rose Mosaic Disease – This appears like an intricate
yellow-green mosaic pattern and is amongst the most
deadly rose viruses that can affect your plants.
Apparently, there is no viable treatment for this
disease.

If you are aware of these pitfalls then you are also
armed with valuable knowledge. There are several
solutions and remedies for such rose gardening
problems.

The first step is to know the problems. If you are
aware of the possible issues then you can also take
preventive steps to solve the problems. So take heart,
read more articles like this one, and your rose garden
will never face any pitfalls.