Popular Vegetable Varieties For Canterbury Conditions

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29909, 24 August 1962, Page 8

Popular Vegetable Varieties For Canterbury Conditions

Before sowing seed or planting out the seedlings, the ' ground should be thoroughly cultivated. The fastidious gardener is not satisfied until he has got his seed bed as level as a billiard table. While it is not necessary to go to that extent, remember that roughly-prepared ground will give uneven germination as the seed will be covered with varying depths of soil and could possibly be washed out in heavy rain. The soil should not be so loose that the young root finds itself in an air pocket on emergence, nor yet so compacted that the young shoot cannot force its way to the surface.

When the soil is sodden, the golden rule is to keep off. When a handful of soil that is squeezed will just hold together and not form a hard compact ball is the ideal time for making up the seed bed.

Planting or sowing should be done with thought. Estimate how much produce you are likely to consume in a given period. Personal experience is the best guide, and sow or plant accordingly Try to follow a successional sowing plan to avoid having all youi crops coming tn at the same time followed by a lapse until the next lot is ready.. By sowing peas at two-weekly intervals a continuity of this favourite vegetable can be assured. Mention must be made of a frequently misunderstood term. When reference is made

to a winter, summer or spring crop, this refers to the maturing period of that particular vegetable, not to its suitability for winter, spring or summer sowing. Winter cauliflower, such as Phenomerial Main Crop, may be sown inDecember, and planted out at the beginning of February for harvesting in May or June.

Depth of sowing is important and the details on the seed packet are more of a guide than a definite instruction. Much depends on your soil, the season, and the availability of soil moisture. Personal judgment is an important factor. Small seed such as lettuce or carrot requires a shallow drill between a quarter and halt an inch, while the larger seed, such as peas and beans, should be sown one or two inches deep. After the drills have been raked over, they often need a little firming and this can be done by gently tamping down with the rake held vertically to the ground. Many are often bewildered when confronted by attractively designed seed packets arrayed on the display stands at the local seedsman. The attractive illustrations may tempt one into buying the wrong thing. To help you choose the right seeds, the following list will prove of some assistance. It is not meant to be exhaustive in its selection, but is intended as a guide to varieties that have proved to be suitable for Canterbury conditions. Asparagus.—Coniston, Mary Washington, Paradise. Beans.—Dwarf: Prince, Canadian Wonder, Black Wax, Top Crop. Runner: Scarlet runner. Detroit Red, Essex Wonder, Fardentoso. Broad: Early Long Pod, Broad Windsor, Exhibition Long Pod. Beeiroot.—Detroit Red Globe.

Flat Egyptian, Derwent Globe. Brussel Sprouts. Fillbasket. Scrymgers Giant. Cabbage.—Spring: Flower of Spring, Enfield Market. Summer: Golden Acre. Succession. Winter: Best of All, Omega. Cauliflower.—Summer: Early London, Snowball. All the Year Round. Winter: Phenomenal Early, Phenomenal Main Crop, July Queen. Celery:—Golden Self-blanch-ing, Tall Utah (green). Cucumber.—White Spine, Long Prickly, Stockwood Ridge, Crystal Apple. Kohl Rabbi.—Purple Vienna, White Vienna. Leeks.—Musselburgh, London Flag. Lettuce. Summer: Webbs Wonderful, Great Lakes. Winter: Imperial 615, Imperial Triumph. Marrow.—Green Bush, White Bush, Long Green Trailing. Onions.—P ukek o h e Long Keeper, Californian Red. Parsnips. Hollow Crown, Oxheart, Student. Peas. William Massey, Greenfeast, Onward. Potatoes.—Early: Epicure, Arran Banner, Chippewa. Main crop: Aucklander. Sebago, Dakota. Pumpkins.—Golden Hubbard, Red Warren, Butternut, Buttercup Radish. French Breakfast, Sparkler, White Icicle. i Silver Beet. Fordhook -Giant, Lucullus. Spinach.—King of Denmark, Bloomsdale Savoy. Swedes. —Superlative, Lains Golden. Sweet Com.—Golden Bantam Cross. Marcross. Tomato. Kondine, Carters Sunrise. Potentate, Tatura. Turnips.—White Stone. Purple Top, Golden Ball.