Frequent light waterings will cause roots to grow near the soil surface. The roots are easily damaged during hot dry days or when the garden is cultivated.

A watering can or garden hose is sufficient for the small garden. Buy a hose long enough to reach all points in the garden. Hoses are made of vinyl plastic, rubber, or a combination of the two. Better grade hoses are usually reinforced with nylon. A double reinforcing gives added life.

Purchase a hose that is guaranteed for several years. Also, get one with 1/2-inch or 5/8-inch inside diameter, as it reduces your watering time considerably compared to a 3/8 inch diameter.

For larger gardens a lawn sprinkler saves time. A sprinkler should be positioned so the garden gets uniformly watered. Do not water on a hot sunny day or when it is dry and windy, as much of the water may evaporate before it reaches the soil.

Trickle irrigation can be used by the home gardener. This new system has small diameter (1 to 2 inches) plastic tubing with tiny holes punched every 4 to 8 inches along its length. The tube is placed along the row of plants. Water is supplied from a garden hose.

As the system operates at very low pressure (3 to 5 pounds per square inch), a pressure-reducing valve is needed. In addition a fine strainer is inserted in the line to remove foreign matter so the holes are not plugged. Because of the slow rate of flow, several rows or the whole garden can usually be watered at one time. This system needs to remain on for a longer time than when a sprinkler is used.

The advantage to this type of watering system is that only the soil near the plants gets wet, and the savings in the amount of water used can be 50 percent or more. Trickle irrigation equipment is available from some garden centers and greenhouse suppliers.

The successful use of pesticides to control insects and other garden pests depends largely upon three factors:

1. Selection and correct dosage of the proper chemicals.

2. Proper timing of the application.

3. Use of spraying equipment that is properly adjusted, calibrated and operated.

For most home garden pests a general purpose spray or dust will do a good job. These can be bought at a local garden center. For the small garden, purchasing the chemical in an aerosol can or self-contained duster is the most economical and the most convenient to use.

Where special chemicals are needed or for the large home garden or orchard, some type of pesticide application equipment is needed. The simplest of these is the hand atomizer or sprayer, available in capacities of from 1/2 pint to 2 quarts. This sprayer is inexpensive so several can be purchased, one for each type of spray material used. Separate sprayers are advised for weed killers and insecticides to prevent plant damage that could occur.

The plunger type duster is commonly used to apply insecticides and fungicides in powder form. A morning with a slight dew on the leaves and no wind is best for applying dusts.

The compressed-air sprayer provides better atomization and spray coverage, especially to the underside of leaves. It is available in capacities from 1 to 5 gallons. Its spray will reach to the top of most dwarf fruit trees.

Since these sprayers are not equipped with an agitator, they must be shaken frequently when wettable powders are sprayed. Use should be limited to calm days to avoid spray drift to nearby plants or a neighbor's yard.

The compressed-air sprayer is the most popular type of home garden sprayer.

A knapsack sprayer contains a 4-to 5-gallon tank carried on the back and shoulders of the operator. A pump located at the bottom of the tank and operated by a handle maintains an air pressure. When the valve on the nozzle is open, the air in the tank forces the spray out.

Power sprayers may be operated with either a small gasoline engine or an electric motor. In most power sprayers pressure is developed by a pump action directly on the liquid spray material. Generally they are capable of spraying the tops of trees 30 to 40 feet high.

Jobs for which power sprayers are used include spraying garden crops, fruit bushes, and orchard trees. Most are mounted on two wheels and equipped with handles for moving manually. Some are available to pull behind a garden tractor. A pressure regulator, a relief valve, and a pressure gage should be on all power sprayers.

Safety is important when using spray equipment and applying pesticides. Read the label carefully before applying any pesticide. The label will tell you the crops that can be sprayed, the amount to use and how it should be applied.

Some pesticides require protective clothing and a face shield. Store this clothing in a separate place and wash it separately from other clothes. Store all pesticides in a locked cabinet or box to keep children and pets from being poisoned. Wear gloves while applying a pesticide or wash your hands immediately after you are done.

Small animals may attack a home garden. Woodchucks, rabbits, raccoons and household pets will feed on and damage the plants. Hexagonal wire netting or welded mesh wire can be fastened to wooden or steel posts to fence out the animals. Box traps or smoke bombs may be more effective on some animals. All these materials are available from garden centers or department stores.

Good quality seeds and plants are important in obtaining high yields and quality vegetables. Information on the varieties best adapted to your area and the recommended cultural practices are available from your county agent at the nearest Cooperative Extension Service office. Seeds can be purchased from garden centers, department stores or through seed house catalogs. Advertisements of seed companies can usually be found in the garden section of your local newspaper in early spring.

Some vegetables are better grown from transplants or bedding plants.

Top, working with peat pots which come as wafer-like disks and swell when placed in water. Above, discarded food cartons are among many types of containers that can be used to start plants.

Seeds are started in early spring in greenhouses and then marketed after the last frost by garden centers and roadside markets. Transplants will give you vegetables much earlier than plants grown from seed in your own garden.

Fruit tree stock and small fruit bushes are also available from garden centers in spring and fall. They are available either as bare root stock or as container plants. Both will start to grow easily if given the proper soil conditions.

The home gardener wishing to start seed for early plants will need pots, starting soil, and fertilizer. Peat pots or peat pellets are available for this use. These items and other gardening aids such as plant stakes, bean poles, and tomato cage wire are available at local garden centers.

Plants need nutrients to grow. Some are provided naturally from the soil, but others must be added either as organic or synthetic fertilizers. Bone meal, fish meal, and animal manures are examples of organic fertilizers. These are available from garden centers by the bag.

If you live in a rural area, you may be able to get cattle or horse manure from a local farmer. Because farm manures are often diluted with straw or other bedding materials, they help lighten the soil and allow it to hold more moisture.

Commercial fertilizers can be added to the soil to increase the amounts of nutrients. They work fast. Commercial fertilizers are always labeled to show the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These are available in two ways:

1. A liquid or a water-soluble form which is mixed with water and applied with a watering can, or,

2. A granular form that is spread by hand or applied with a fertilizer spreader.

Mulches are materials that are used between the rows and around the plants to keep the weeds down, conserve moisture, and improve the garden's appearance. Organic mulches, those that can be later incorporated in the soil, include lawn clippings, leaves, peat moss, wood chips, bark, and straw. Aluminum foil and black polyethylene plastic are both inorganic and can usually be rolled up and reused the following year. These materials are available from most garden centers.

Often your garden will produce more than you can use at the time.

Most vegetables can be preserved by freezing or by canning. The major expense associated with freezing is purchasing a freezer. This will cost several hundred dollars and is an investment that will take a number of years to pay off. It will also increase your monthly electricity bill by several dollars. A self-defrosting freezer costs more to operate than the non self-defrosting type and should not be purchased. For freezing you will need some containers either plastic or paper.

Some specialized canning equipment is essential for preserving safe and attractive products. This equipment includes a canner either water bath or steam pressure, pint or quart jars, and several kettles for precooking or blanching the foods to be canned. This equipment is usually found in most department stores.

Before using any of the equipment discussed, read and follow the instruction manual. The manual will tell you how to safely operate the equipment and how to maintain and store it.