WORK for OCTOBER

Press, Volume C, Issue 29637, 6 October 1961, Page 10

WORK for OCTOBER

This month is a most important one so far as planting and sowing are concerned, whether you are primarily interested in vegetables or flowers. Vegetable Garden— Sewing.—Maincrop sowings of brassicas su as brusaela sprouts, cauliflower, autumn cabbage and kale, may be made towards the end of the J««nth. when tender vegetables may also be sown. These include runner beans, dwarf beans, marrow, pumpkin and sweet com, although they may all be sown earlier under glass if you have a frame or glasshouse. Suceessional sowings of quick maturing crops may also be made, including letttuce. radish, peas and turnips. TMnninr of row crops, such as beet, carrot (if sown now) and paranips, will be needed later in the month to avoid overcrowding, if you were able to get early seeds in last month. Planting of summer cabbage and cauliflower for early supplies will be needed, and potatoes and onions for maincrop. Early tomatoes may be planted towards the end of the month. Flower Garden — Spring bedding displays have not yet reached their perfection. so don't be in too great a hurry to plant out summer bedding. It is stiUf ar too ® aJ^7 lender sorts, such as salvia. zinnia* French and African tnan« golds, lobelia and heliotrope, unless you are in a favoured situation. Hardy types, euch as antirrhinum, may be planted if you have vacant space. Spring bedding may be flower, and the beds prepared for summer but this will probably not be until early November this year. Ptant gladioli, sweet peas and chrysanthemum*. Violets may be lifted and divided before replanting in a fresh bed. Dahlia tubers may be divided when eye* are obvious. Stake herbaceous border plants early, before they get too tall, and reduce the number of stems m such vigorous types as perennial aster, helenium and phlox, which tend to become overcrowded. Better flower* will result. Sow polyanthus, stock, delphinium, aquilegia, geum, Canterbury bells and Sweet William for next season* displays. These will be transplanted this autumn. It is not too late to plant shrub* which have been balled or pot-grown. The lawn will need regular mowing now, and a treatment with hormone —2.4. D or M.C.P.A. —will help to clear some of the weeds. Wait till growth is reasonably vigorous, and if necessary, give it a little stimulus with sulphate of ammonia before applying the hormone. Mowing may be carried out within 48 hours, but it is best not to compost the first clip. Avoid spraying new lawns, however —even autumn-sown lawns can be damaged by treatment too soon. Sow new lawns, but don’t delay. Fruit Garden— Grafting may be carried out now. Any top working should be carried out without delay, but frameworking may still wait a little, a* will rind grafting method* of grafting. Budded rootstocks should be grafted over, to eliminate any “misses " Spraying will be needed from this month onwards according to the spray schedules given on this page at intervals. Glasshouse— Bedding plants may still be raised, especially tender varieties. Make sure you harden off your plants adequately before planting out. Cyclamen may be dried off as soon as the foliage shows signs of yellowing, if you intend to keep them for a further year. Rooted begonia, fuchsia and dahlia cuttings may be potted up. Pay much more attention to watering and ventilation, particularly during these hot days we’ve been having lately, and be prepared to apply shading if needed.