PREPARING SWEET PEA TRENCHES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 88, 15 April 1933, Page 6 (Supplement)

PREPARING SWEET PEA TRENCHES.

Sweet peas are deep-rooting plants and require . a plentiful supply of nourishment to bring the blooms to perfection;. therefore the ground must he deeply dug or trenched, and generously enriched with good manure, the preparation of the ground, of course, being done some time before the seeds or plants are put out. The present is the time to prepare the ground, and if the plants are to be grown in a row, a piece at least 3ft wide must be prepared. If more than one row is to be planted, a distance of at least 6ft should' be allowed between them. A good method where ground is limited is to grow the peas in clumps, in which case the prepared ground should be at least 3ft in diameter. The ground should he prepared by digging or trenching to 3ft deep. Of course, all cannot trench to this depth, but the deeper the ground is prepared the better the result. A good dressing of stable manure should be applied to the bottom spit. Near the top a dressing of bonemeal should be mixed with the soil, and also a dressing of lime. One pound of bonedust and half a pound of slaked lime should be allowed to the square yard. It should be well -mixed with the soil, and not simply scattered and left in layers. The ground should be left rough, so that the air can pass freely into it until required.