THE GARDEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 6, 19 October 1935, Page 3

THE GARDEN

WORK FOR THE WEEK THE GREENHOUSE. (Written for the “Guardian” by J. A. McPherson, N.D.H., N.Z.) Owing to attacks from red spider and mite, balsams do not give of their best out-of-doors. As greenhouse plants they make a good showing, especially the double varieties with soft pastelshaded flowers. Sow the seeds now and transfer the seedlings singly into thumb pots. The plants do not take kindly to any check, so care is necessary in seeing that they are on into five-inch pots before the roots properly fill the smaller-sized ones. I Another good plant for greenhouse work is the cefosia, the tall growing plume varieties lasting right into the autumn. Like balsams they resent any check at the roots and must always be grown on quickly until the five and sixinch pot stage is reached. Sometimes they can be bedded out-of-doors, but not until the very warm weather comes round. As a cut flower they are excellent for indoor work. Sow the seeds in gentle heat this week and remember to keep the seedlings always on the move. Shade the greenhouse roof in order to keep strong sunlight from burning the young foliage of begonias. Pot on gloxinias, streptocarpus, coleus, and fuchsias. Seeds of asparagus if sown now will provide good plants to furnish fiveinch pots next spring and summer. Quietly dry off cyclamen, but do not roast them in the sun.

• THE FLOWER GARDEN. The delightful scent that is to be obtained from wallflowers at the present time, especially during the evenmgs, can be carried on into the summer by using sweet-smelling annuals. Three very prominent ones are nightflowering stock, mignonette and nicotiana (flowering tobacco). The latter grows fairly tall and the seedlings should he planted at the hack of the borders, but always in close proximity to the house. Night scented stock is rather straggly looking during the daytime, but if the seeds are sown m a bay or recess near a window, the slightest current of air will bring the delightful scent of the flowers into the room. Mignonette, like the preceding plant should always be sown direct into its permanent position. There are several varieties, but all have the characteristic scent which makes this plant so popular. Its correct place in the garden is alongside pathways leading to the house, or grouped in small bays along the front of the herbaceous border. .Seeds of mignonette and nightscented stock can be sown now and plants of nicotianas set out in about three weeks’ time. A sharp frost early this week reminds us that it is a little early to place tender bedding plants out into their permanent positions. Many of us are inclined to become impatient and try to hurry out the bedding plants/ but provided the are not spoiling in the boxes it is hardly worth the risk. All types of annuals may be sown broadcast into their permanent positions for by the time they have germinated all fear of frosts should be over. Sow thinly and later on use the thinnings for further planting. t Do not plant asters in the same piece of ground for two seasons running. Owing to wilt, collar rot, and damping off diseases that attack these plants it is only asking for trouble. They will do quite .well in newly broken-in soiL provided water is given during the period when they are building up into good plants. Wallflowers that have been used tor formal bedding . can, when finished flowering, be dug up and thrown away. It is useless trying to keep old plants. They are great robbers of the soil, and the beds should be manured with well rotted stable or cow manure before the summer bedding is planted out. On ground over-lying hot shingle it is difficult to hold violets during the summer on account of the leaves being attacked by red spider. Constantly spraying both sides of the foliage with lime sulphur and keeping the plants well watered will go a long way to help them. New beds may be planted now. Lift and divide the old crowns, replanting only the healthy and outside portions. Space them twejve inches apart each way and do not bury the actiial tops of the crowns. They delight in cool root conditions and best,of all where they can be shaded from the glaring afternoon sun. It is now necessary to spray roses to keep in check attacks of greenfly. Use any nicotine compound such as Black Leaf 40 and always he guided by the directions on all bottles and packages. Newly planted roses if only throwing up one or two new shoots can be made to branch nicely if the shoots are pinched back by fully one-third of their length. This will keep the blooming late, but it certainly builds up splendid hushes which will he a pleasure to prune next season.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. REQUIREMENTS OF GREEN CROPS. The Cauliflower. Here we have a vegetable that is in great demand during mid-summer and autumn. Failure with this crop can usually be put down to bad cultivation for ho plant responds so quickly to good treatment as the cauliflower. It must have very deeply worked soil and a plentiful supply of rotted stable manure or cow dung into the land during autumn and winter. In spring while breaking down the top soil into a fine tilth the following artificial manures can be used: 4 parts superphosphate, 1 part nitrate of soda, and 1 part sulphate of potash, applied at the rate of 8 pounds per 40 square yards. Liquid manhre may be given

as a stimulant during the whole of the growing period. The seeds of cauliflower are usually sown - in early spring, so that by now there should he a. steady supply of plants available from the seed beds. The seedlings should be handled with care during transplanting, and damage to the roots through exposure to winds should be avoided. Much better results are always obtained when the seedlings have been lined out with as little check as possible. Each plant should be watered into position and throughout the season care taken to see that they clo not suffer from drought. From now on till the end of November continue to plant out batches ol young seedlings. The late plantings will heart up towards early winter provided no excessively heavy frosts occur. The cauliflower is frost tender, and while the late heads are developing they should he protected from the frost and severe weather by breaking a leaf and letting it fall over the head. The Cabbage. Throughout the whole of the year some form of cabbage should be available in our gardens. At the moment the market is filled with semi-hearted plants of such early varieties as “Flower of Spring” and “Enfield Market” two splendid varieties for early work and ones that will carry on welkin the summer. These are then followed by a heavier type as represented in the varieties “Succession,” Winningstadt” and “Copenhagen Market” which carry us on till the drumheads and savoys are ready.

Those cabbages coming to maturity at the present time have been planted in early winter on warm situations and quietly grown on during winter ready to rapidly develop on the first signs of lengthening days and warmer soil conditions.

If one has a greenhouse an early summer batch can be raised during late winter, pricked off into boxes the same gs annuals, and be ready for setting out at the beginning of October. Such carefully grown seedlings take only a few weeks, once they are planted out, to reach a stage where every second one in the rows can be cut for using. The spring and summer types of cabbages require to be quickly grown under similar conditions to cauliflowers, hut when it comes to the late winter types the soil must not 'be over-rich, nor must it be too free, otherwise the plants will develop with huge coarse and unusable outside leaves and hearts that are by Ho means tight. This latter fault, often assisted by severe weather and frosts, often leads.to splitting and ruining the hearts of what appears to he well-grown drumheads and savpys. Keep the land well firmed round this type of cabbage, and even firmer still when it comes to the question of successfully raising Brussels sprouts. The Lettuce. Lettuce being marketed at the present time arei the product of plants set out in the late autumn and nursea through the winter, or they have been raised under glass and the plants set out in extra sheltered situations in early spring. As has already been stated in this column, lettuce requires to, be grown exceedingly fast if the crisp and sweet flavoured heart is to be obtained. Plenty of well-rotted stable manure or cow dung, dug into the soil in late autumn will form the base of the feeding material, while a good stimulant can be worked into the top spit of soil in early spring. Make this latter consist of 2 parts nitrate of soda, 4 parts superphosphate, and 1 part sujlpliate of, potash, applied at the rate of 8 pounds per 40 square yards. Copious supplies of liquid manure can be given during the growing period. Current Work. Hoe up crops of early peas and provide them with supports. Even the dwarf types of peas will give a better crop if supports are given the plants. Backward crops can be assisted by applying a. little sulphate of ammonia, one ounce to the running yard of row. Hoe up. young cabbages and if far enough advanced cut every second plant for early use. This also gives the remaining plants plenty of room to develop. Keep early potatoes well hoed up and commence to- plant the main crop. A good fertiliser for potatoes consists of 4 parts superphosphate, 1 part sulphate of ammonia, 1 part sulphate of potash, apply at the rate of 12 pounds to, every 40 square yards, or dust round the plants before earthing up.

Continue to sow carrots, parsnips, peas, beetroot, beans, cauliflower, cabbage, radishes, lettuce, turnips, spinach, maize, mustard and cress, onions, and silver beet.