Hello Tom Here,

The operation of “hilling” consists in drawing up the soil about the stems of growing plants, usually at the time of second or third hoeing. It used to be the practice to hill everything that could be hilled “up to the knees,” but it has gradually been discarded for what is termed “level culture”; and you will readily see the reason, from what has been said about the escape of moisture from the surface of the soil; for of course the two upper sides of the hill, which may be represented by an equilateral triangle with one side horizontal, give more exposed surface than the level surface represented by the base. In wet soils or seasons hilling may be advisable, but very seldom otherwise. It has the additional disadvantage of making it difficult to maintain the soil mulch which is so desirable.

Rotation of crops.
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Another thing to consider in making each vegetable produce its best, and that’s crop rotation, or the following of any vegetable with a different kind at next years planting.

With some vegetables, such as cabbage, this is almost imperative, and practically all are helped by it. Even onions, which are popularly supposed to be the proving exception to the rule, are healthier, and do as well after some other crop, provided the soil is as finely pulverized and rich as a previous crop of onions would leave it.

Here we have fundamental rules of crop rotation:

(1) Planting vegetables of the same family (such as cabbage and turnips) shouldn’t follow each other.

(2) Vegetables that feed near the surface, like corn, should follow other deep-rooting crops.

(3) Leaf and vine crops should follow root crops.

(4) Quick-growing plants should follow those of all season types.

These principles should help determine the rotations to be followed in individual cases of course. The proper way to attend to this matter is when making the planting plan. You will then have time to do it properly, and will need to give it no further thought for a year.

Now with the above suggestions in mind, and put to good use , it will not be difficult to give your gardens those special attentions which are needed to make them produce their very best.

Just wanted to say thank you for reading!

Posted in Gardening with TLC