Page 6 Advertisements Column 3

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30045, 1 February 1963, Page 6

WORK IN FEBRUARY Vegetable Garden No time should be lost in planting out winter brassicas where this has not yet been attended to. Cabbage seed, variety “Flower of Spring,” can be sewn at the end of this month to make provision for the late winter and early spring period. Harvesting of many crops will begin in earnest this month, but adherence to a watering schedule should be maintained with the exceptions of onions. Celery that has not yet been planted out should be put in without delay. Watering will prevent celery bolting and impart the crispness and succulence of flavour so often lacking when attention to this has not been maintained. The merest sprinkle of borax along the rows will correct boron deficiency where at all prevalent. This is recognisable by the yellowing and dying of the leaves and brown cracking across the stalks. Keep a watchful eye on your beans and make regular pickings. This will result in more tender beans and will also encourage further production. Can peas be sown at this time of the year? This is a common query. It is a speculative business as to whether a worthwhile harvest can be gathered before the onset of severe weather, even with fast maturing varieties such as William Massey. Clean straw should be spread on the ground underneath bush types of tomatoes so as to keep the fruit clean. Continue to tie up staked tomatoes and pinch out side shoots. When they reach the tops of the stakes pinch out the top Apply water regularly for heavy rain following a dry spell will cause the fruit to split. Tomato caterpillar can cause serious damage to tomatoes if left unchecked Control can be achieved by spraying with D.D.T. Sowings can still be made of beetroot, spring cabbage, lettuce, radish, parsley and spinach. Well-developed plants of winter brassicas, celery, leeks and silver beet can still be planted out in the early part of the month. Aphis, cabbage white butterfly, caterpillars, and perhaps earwigs will be the most troublesome pests this month and malathion, lindane or D.D.T. will be suitable controls. Vacant plots could be sown down with a green crop such as lupin, mustard, or oats, which can be dug in to provide organic matter. Fruit Garden Preparation should be made to receive the fruit which will be picked this month and in succeeding months. Clean out the fruit shed of any rubbish and keep any clean boxes that may come to hand. A few plum varieties will be ripening tills month and later in the month there will be apples such as Delicious and Cox’s Orange ready for picking. These apples should not be left on the tree too long sis they tend to lose their flavour. Peaches, where brown rot is troublesome, should be sprayed with captan. Two sprays should be applied, the first three weeks before picking and the second one week before. Strawberry runners can be laid down where a new planting is intended. Select the proposed area that is to be your new strawberry bed and apply a liberal dressing of compost which should be worked into the soil Prepare the bed in time to receive the young strawberry plants in late autumn. It may be necessary to spray raspberry canes with lead arsenate against bud moth grub. These can be pruned this month if not already done: cut out the old canes that have fruited at or near ground level; loganberries and other hybrid berries can be treated in a similar manner as soon as the fruit has been picked. Where the home gardener wishes to raise his own fruit trees, budding of apples can be carried out Flower Garden Go over bedding plants, shrubs and herbaceous plants and remove faded flowers and any developing seed pods. This will improve the appearance and will prolong the display. Keep chrysanthemums well tied up and as the buds appear carry out disbudding so as to leave only one bud. This should be done as soon as the buds are big enough to handle. Disbudding should begin at the top of the stem nearest the main bud and then continue down the stem. Periodic sprays with Lindane will control aphis and also prevent attack from gal) midge If mildew becomes troublesome, karathane should give control. As gladioli pass out of flower the flower sterns should be cut out The corms can be lifted some weeks after flowering and heeled in, in a corner of the garden, to allow the foliage to die down. Make out lists of bulbs that will be required for spring bedding and dispatch to the supplier without delay. The earliest flowering kinds, such as Iris reticulata, snowdrops and crocus should be planted as soon as they are received. Rambler roses can be pruned as they pass out of flower. This consists of cutting out wood that has borne flowers. A preparation should begin this month for the lawn which will be sown during March. Dig over the ground, removing perennial weeds during the process. Level the ground, and roll or tread it Continuous raking will break up lumps and will help to destroy germinating weed seed. Mow the lawns less frequently during the dry weather. Set the cutting blade higher so that less grass is removed and take off the collecting box so that the grass is allowed to lie where it falls. Glasshouse Ventilators can be left open night and day except in the windy weather. Shading will be necessary to prevent excessive drying out and plants from suffering from sun scorch. Continue to apply shirlan A.G. to control Leaf mould on tomatoes, and if botrytis is troublesome thia can be controlled by thiram. Remove the lower leaves as the fruit begins to ripen on the lowest trusses so that more light can reach the ripening fruit At the places where the leaves are removed a watch should be made for botrytis which may invade the wound. Seeds of Calceolarias can be sown this month to provide a spring display and care must be taken that the seedlings do not scorch. Cinerarias may also be sown. Primulas should be pricked off as soon as they are big enough to handle.