European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                April 1985 the stars and stripes Page 17 Weed an slug Kominicki staff writer my Garden started out by Chance appropriately since most of the harvests have been by the same wed moved into a newly built House and the Back Yard was a Jumble of uneven construction material and half submerged my the landlord was to turn this lonesome lot into something that duplicated the Well kept lawns of the a generous size vegetable plot at the Back of the prop i would mean that much less ground had to be dug seeded and and later fertilized and think of the clean the Sun and All those fresh salads made from produce Only moments out of the Beans with radishes with tomatoes that lolled Jui cily on the no More Jolly Green giant for this the neighbors were the first 10 feet were barely turned Over before a Shower of tools and Friendly advice began tumbling Over the use this youll need this kind of the soil Here is too acid for garlic will keep the mosquitoes after watching for a the old Guy who lived Over the Back Fence beckoned me he raised a single Finger and gravely murmured one like a a stockbroker to the Young he who could argue with this guru of ground hed been planting things in his Back Yard for half a he was willing to teach me to grow perfect and he didst seem willing to take no for an i squeezed the Beans and radishes and tomatoes in at one end of the plot and planted two and for a four week stretch that fall we ate the crop baked and boiled and French in soups and salads and and Learned the first Rule of backyard gardening never Plant two rows of anything you do not truly most of the other basics can be found in How to books at your local Bookstore or but there Are some things that Only experience read failure can teach Here Are a few of them ignore the in chances Are Good that the people living on either Side and you will be experienced do not try to compete with for they will Embarrass pick the vegetables you want and grow never mind that the neighbor is raising hybrid asparagus and youve settled for Garbanzo plan for gardening is no fun if every thing you Plant Dies or Doest come As a Novice youll need Success to fortify your so shoot for plants that grow like members of the bean especially runner can take excessive abuse even if ignored for several still radishes grow easily and quickly enough that repeated crops can be raised in a single tomatoes require More but with a Little they can be a Cash crop for beginners looking for an easy let nature lend a starting some plants from seed can be so take the easy Way out whenever onions and for sex can be started from onions and garlic from your buy Young Tomato plants at a Nur Sery or Garden shop forget trying to Start them on your windowsills in late you always get More than you you will have to Weed and not just because the neighbors May come to complain if you do Weed ing keeps the Young veggies youre trying so hard to nurture from being choked to for easy soak the Garden Down and then wait until the water has settled in a Little the weeds will come out with a lot less tugging if the Earth is not shake the dirt off the Weed roots and smooth it Back around your there is Little Joy in so accept it As the tiresome chore it break up the Monotony by keeping a Beer in one hand and a portable tape deck till never rain when you youll have to water its Best done at once your plants a Chance to Cool so the cold water is not a Shock to watering cans and hoses Are but a sprinkler is enjoyably passive you can water tie Garden and still watch the if everyone else in the neighbor Hood is watering at the same a sprinkler often wont work there May not be enough water pressure to drive youre not alone out beneath your soil is an incredible array of Worms and other Slimy things that will do their Best to get your veggies Afore As soon As you go to packs of other nocturnal beasts rodents and who knows whats will appear for an but lat night lat night visitors can be foiled by putting up a Chic Ken wire Fence in extreme by strategic place ment of the underground requires More serious the unrivalled Leader of this pest pack is the slugs Are the Snail without Shell things that turn up when you flip Over a big Rock or an old slugs Are extremely vegetarian and like nothing better than the Sweet shoots of what you Hope will be future european variety slugs rank As the worlds with the Lima Maximus reaching lengths of up to 6 if your Garden has therell be telltale nibble Marks and gnawed holes in leaves and Young look for the threadlike slime trails that slugs leave As they crawl there Are commercial slug stoppers on the but a couple of old fashioned tricks May solve the prob slugs love so leave a Grapefruit half or other Sweet fruit in the the slugs will crawl in and stay after a Day or you grab the grape douse it with strike a and so Long slugs have another soft spot put a Saucer of suds among your tomatoes and were talking virtual the slugs will drown themselves getting to the some gardeners suggest burying the Saucer a bit so the lip is at ground but others recommend not making it easy for the Little in Ive they just pop a can of Pearl and set it upright in the the slugs take it from heh youll also have to watch for Small Black which appear in late june in my neighbourhood and can leave even the Hardy runner Beans in As sorted other bugs too numerous and Nasty to describe Here will come and the neighbors can be a useful source of info on How to Deal with the Cycle of life can work for Start a either in a Heap or a wooden or wire in one Corner of your anything that Bio degradable can be tossed in by next can be worked Back into the this includes Kitchen garbage if youre ambitious enough to walk Back to the compost in Coffee attract Worms that will Speed the and dont if nothing grows the first Therese always those wonderful vegetable markets across your friends will never