The Week's Work

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 66, 19 March 1938, Page 17 (Supplement)

The Week's Work

THE FLOWER GARDEN. Cuttings of Perennial Phlox can be rooted now. Use the tips of undowered shoots. Cuttings of Pentstemons, Antirrhinums, Shrubby Calceolarias, Violas and Pansies can be planted. Annuals that have finished flowering should be pulled out and the ground prepared for bulbs, etc. Now is the time to plant spring flowering bulbs, suck as Narcissi. Make a planting of Anemones and Ranunculus. Paeonies can be lifted and divided now if necessary, but do not lift them if *it can be avoided. They do not like being disturbed. Lift and plant Liliums as they go out of flower. Layers of Border Carnations should be severed from the parent plant when rooted. Prepare ground for new Carnation beds. Planting can be done as soon as ground is ready. Keep the spent Dahlia blooms cut away. Disbudding of large blooms is essential. Disbud Chrysanthemums as they develop. Watch for aphis and caterpillars. THE GREENHOUSE. Winter flowering plants such as Jacobinias, Peristropha and Thrysacanthus should be given a topdressing of rich soil. A plant or so of Begonia de Lorraine, including its varieties, should be cut back to force them to produce cuttings for rooting early. Show and Regal Pelargoniums should be shaken out and repotted as soon as they commence to send out shoots. Liliums, Auratum, etc., that have been flowered in pots should be stood outside. Keep the soil moist until the foliage begins to die. THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Make an attempt to kefep this portion of the garden as clean and free of weeds as possible. Too often does the autumn find the vegetable garden a wild, tangled mass of crops and weeds, presided over by hordes of insect pests. Rows of peas that are over should have the old haulm cleaned off and the sticks or supports put away for next season. Any weeds or vegetable waste is best buried right away. There is no space in small areas for compost or manure heaps. Savoys, Brussels Sprouts, etc., should have l 'the lower leaves pulled off and buried. Spinach for winter use can be sown now. This requires a rich, quick soil. A planting of Silver Beet or Perpetual Spinach can be made now. They are good " cut-and-come-again " green vegetables for winter use. Tomato plants have suffered from storms, but do not entirely neglect them. With a little trimming up the plants will send out a good shoot which if staked and looked after will produce late fruit. Cut away all old, useless stalks. A sowing of Lettuce made now will give a supply for a long time. Sow in row*, thin out, and plant the thinnings. These will come on after tho .• left where they were sown. THE FRUIT GARDEN. Gather Apples and Pears as they mature. Handle carefully to avoid bruising Give stone fruits a partial pruning to allow sun to get to the centre of the tree. It will be advisable to give very late varieties of apples a further spraying with arsenate.