GARDEN NOTES

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25022, 2 November 1946, Page 4

GARDEN NOTES

(Specially Written tor “The Pres»."l (By T. D LENNIE. E.I.H. N-Z J THE VEGETABLE GAHDBN Make sowings of winter «re«“ s - Brussel’s sprouts, broccoli. out base, and celery should.be planted out not later than detakes from seven to eight weeKs to yelop good strong plants from seea. Dwarf French beans should be ■ Several green or go} de ”’P otid * d *in available, with little between them m “Bunner beans are always popular The varieties most fancied are White Czar, Scarlet Runner, or Prizewinner. Tnere ® a form S climbing French bean with typical narrow pods which is a free setting bean, growing about five feet h *Scw cucumbers, marrows and & a d r eVanff» ° i sSMt b corn ll is P a S palatable and prohtable plants. Golden Bantam and Dwarf C Ea n rly tO poSofs° O lo V Sto'be' earthed up when they are well h th £ h f s r ° or even covered entirely. wii» minimise the possibility of Plant main crop potatoes. Areas not required for other vegetables may profitably be used for this necesB^_f„°f s ' Aucklander, Arran BannerFavourite, Chippewa, and Dakota are re peas should now be for stakipg. This should be done even with the so-called dwarf soft^. Late or main crop sorts are due for sowing. Carrote can be sown freely. To safe guard those sown early and now about two inches high, dust horticultural naphthalene along the rows. So far tne wet spring has helped to check the onslaught of carrot fly. J All kinds of root and leaf vegetables Ca piant lettuce, cabbage, and cauliflower P1 Tb inning of young crops should be done early and weeds removed at the same time. .

THE FLOWER GARDEN Conditions for filling up the borders with plants for a summer display have been excellent lately. Most k lnds bedding plants can now be put out, and to those looking for a Prolonged display during summer and autumn, suitable selections are available. Plant chrysanthemums now. Althougn the large-flowered Japanese .types are the mainstay, newer types have great appeal to many people. Th e Pompons, with their neat midget blooms in clusters, the anemone or crested forms; and tne phantasy or thread-petaUed type, afford greater scope for charm and usefulness. Prepare for planting dahlias by digging in compost or farm manure. This plan should be followed when planting any sort of perennial plant. Sow hardy annuals in positions "'here they are intended to flower. Perennials fardia and dahlia can also be sown, outside or in boxes under glass; but tnese are better pricked out into boxes wnen quite small, and grow on until March. Asters and zinnias, it sown thinly on the border and not transplanted, are less liable to be affected with collar rot or wilting. , „ , -. Other annuals to treat similarly would include cosmos, sunflower, sweet sultan, mignonette, nasturtium and veldt daisy. Keep the flowers well picked on pansies, S oppies, anemones and ranunculi. Letng them go to, seed early means a shortened flower season. Mildew will soon make its appearance on the foliage of roses. To control this, spray with colloidal sulphur or bordeaux as a preventive. For green fly on the buds, nicotine sulphate is the best control. Pruning of spring flowering trees can be done, but only in the direction of better shaping or reducing height. This ''is most, important with such as erica, boronia and daphne, where cutting out some of the older branches getting leggy, will help to keep the bush compact. The cuts should be made down to young growths, as bare stems will not break again. THE FRUIT GARDEN Spraying can now be resumed In full vigour—lime sulphur or bordeaux for all stone fruits, bordeaux for mildew on apple foliage; arsenate of legd on. apple, pear, quince and logans. It is vital to apply this latter spray now, when the fruit calyx is open, with the chance of enough poison remaining there to account for any little codlin grub that may appear. It should be realised that the arsenic spray, with others to follow in December and January at monthly intervals, will give a moth-free crop of fruit.

Vine foliage should he thinned to expose flowering clusters. Shorten bearing laterals to one eye past the bunch. Otherwise the vine will become a tangle. Give the ■ strawberry bed a good dusting of fish manure or blood and bone, and place clean straw under the flower clusters. TOMATOES Essentially a modern fruit, the tomato is now widely grown, and the present time is regarded as the most favoured for planting. Most households find one or two dozen plants sufficient to give them ample supplies during the summer season, and that limited number should permit of careful preparation and attention, for the tomato soon goes to foliage if left unattended. Digging in of good manure or compost (18 inches between plants) and firm stakes, are the necessary preliminaries, and these are not exacting. There is a great variety available now, varying In shape of fruit and colour, and most growers have their own particular fancy. Potentate, Best of All, and Kondine are favoured for field culture. The home gardener may favour a larger fruit, of Beefsteak or Marglobe type; and these are both wonderfully solid presentable fruits of good round shape. Then the Golden Sunrise and the Oval Peach tomato are favoured by some because of the novel yellow colouring and less acid flesh. Several ornamental kinds with clusters of fruits resembling currants and cherries are sometimes seen, but are not often grown here.