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+ HF | So Un cle Tho The other day the thermometer at the side of the house read the highest | can remember it reading in years, 104 F. or 40 C. The cornis fair shooting out of the @round. You can almsst hear it, or could perhaps if my hearing was better. The weeds look happy, but the peas, that like cooler weather to grow in are looking a bit peaked. To accom- modate the heavy growth that the heat and high humidity is encouraging, remember to use a water soluble fertilizer at half strength on your flowers and those vegetables that could benefit from some additional feeding. | use a 15-30-15 mix on my flowering plants. Now maybe this is the time to explain a bit about fertilizer. The first thing one thinks of these days, with everyone wanting fewer chemicals in their food, is the natural fertilizers such as manure. Manure is good for conditioning the soil, that is introducing more organic mattertothe soilso that it retains moisture better, and does not become hard as in the case of clay soils. It is a good mulch, but the actual introduction of nitrogen to the soil from manure is slow and in small quan- tities. As plants need nitrogen to grow and main- tain healthy leaves, this should always be present in the fertilizer. The sign that the plant is not get- ting enough nitrogen is healthy new leaves with yellowing, falling off mature leaves. Since leaves are a very important part of the plants physiology, they are needed for robust flowering and healthy fruit. | said the numbers on the fertilizer | use are 15-30-15? That means that there is 15 parts nitrogen to 30 parts phosphorous to 15 parts potassium. During periods of rapid growth, the phosphorus absorption and renewal cycle around a soil particle takes place constantly. if the concentration of phosphorus in the soil solution istoo low, or ifthe rate ofrenewal is too slow, plant mas's Ga Zr rdening Column growth is retarded. To be effective in restoring phosphorus to the root areas of plants, soak that area with a dilute solution. The water will hopeful ly carry the phosphorus to the roots. The most effective way of guaranteeing the plants have suf- ficient supply for their growing period is to piace the fertilizer in a slow release form, well mixed into the soil, in a concentration recommended by the manufacturer, in the area the roots are likely to occupy. Now potassium, the third percentage listed is potassium. Plants remove more potassium from the soil than any other nutrients except nitrogen and caicium, thus without a sufficient supply your plant does not attain its best growth. Now | was going to mention ways of extending your gardening season, but it seemed more im- portant to give some advice on helping your plants weather this heat and humidity, and still live up to your expectations. But its nottoo late to put in a second planting of beans or beets, or even sweet corn. You could also try a packet of cucum- bers and a few zucchini seeds, to extend their season as well. If the misses were alive she would have me change zucchini seeds to seed, as she used io say she never saw a zucchini seed that didn't sprout and produce in unimaginable quantities. She must have had fifty recipes for zucchini breads, muffins and casseroles. Oh well, they were filling. Don't forget, as the blossoms fall from the roses, to prune the rose hip off. This is aiso the time to give the roses a feeding. they can be fed at the end of each blossom cycle up to August, then they should not be fed again until spring. But more about putting roses and other shrubs to bed for the winter in a later issue.