Garden Tasks For October

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30561, 2 October 1964, Page 6

Garden Tasks For October

Plants in every part of the garden are moving with the spring and so are weeds. Every effort should be made to control them while they are still small. The rainfall is well below average. The drier months are ahead, but gardens on light land are already drying out. In any garden efforts should now be taken for moisture conservation. Mulching should be. carried out wherever possible, with any suitable material such as straw, pea straw, leaf mould, compost, stack-bottom, or sawdust. If the sawdust is fresh, make an application of sulphate of ammonia to help in decomposition. Before applying any mulch, make sure the soil is moist and apply water beforehand if necessary. Polythene strips are suitable for mulches but must be well secured or the wind will lift them.

Irrigation equipment and hoses will soon.be in use so ensure that they are all in working condition. Germination has been rather slow. It is to be hoped that it will be hastened by improved weather. conditions now that the main sowing month has arrived. Newly-planted asparagus should be gradually earthed up until the spears have reached the normal soil surface. They Should then be left untouched throughout the growing season until the fronts turn yellow in the autumn. Rhubarb should receive a side dressing of sulphate of ammonia after the initial pulling. Other, crops that have over-wintered will also benefit from a side dressing; nitrate of soda is recommended as it is more quickly available.

In warm areas pumpkins and allied crops may be set out later in the month. Their establishment can be facilitated by hot caps, which also give protection against sudden frost.

Seeds of the following may be sown this month: dwarf and runner beans, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, cucumber, endive, kohl-rabi, leeks, lettuce, marrows, parsnips, peas, pumpkins, radish, rhubarb, salsify, silver beet, spinach, New Zealand spinach, scorzonera, sweet corn, and turnips. Cabbage, cauliflowers, endive, lettuce, potatoes, and silver beet may be planted.

Complete grafting. Make sure that all grafts and cut surfaces are covered with a sealing agent. Sprays are essential at the appropriate stages, including tight cluster, pink/white bud stage, and petal falml. Maintain the spray schedule. Finish planting of trees and shrubs this month. Balled evergreens can still be planted but for deciduous shrubs and climbers, container-grown plants should be used. Planting of tender plants should wait until late this month when the danger of frost has passed. Complete the planting of herbaceous plants without further delay. Place stakes in position for the herbaceous plants now while it can be done easily, in readiness for when the plants will need support. Thinning of shoots can be carried out to advantage.

Remove the heads from spring bulbs as they finish but retain the leaves to complete their. growth. If these have to be lifted before this happens, heel them in until they can die down naturally. ■Lindane dust should be spread on the ground around daffodils and narcissi to prevent the depredations by the narcissus fly. These pests lay their eggs on or close to the necks of the bulb and on hatching the grubs enter the bulbs and eat out the centre.

As spring bedding finishes remove it and dig over the soil, incorporating as much organic matter as possible; as an alternative or a supplement, make a dressing of a general fertiliser and rake it in.

Do not hurry to plant out summer bedding, for there is still a danger of frosts which will wipe out tender subjects.

As the flowers finish on early flowering subjects, pruning should be carried out. Evergreens that require attention can also be pruned. Hardy annuals such as clarkias, godetias, alyssum, candytuft, larkspur, cornflowers, and garden nasturtiums may be sown now. Sow seed of plants to be used for spring bedding such as wallflowers, polyanthus, anemones, sweet Williams and Canterbury bells. Plant out chrysanthemums, gladioli and sweet peas. Pests are arriving in great numbers and unless these are controlled now there will be trouble later. Include the flower garden in your regular spray schedule.

These will need mowing at least once a week. When mowing recently-sown lawns, ensure that the cutting blade is sharp and set high. Continue to feed lawns at

three or four-week intervals. Control of many weeds in the lawn can be carried out this month by applying a selective weed-killer. Choose a calm day, because drift of these weed-killers can cause severe damage to any plants to which they come in contact. Use only on established lawns.

Lawn sand at 4oz a square yard should be used on newlysown lawns. This is made with three parts sulphate of ammonia, one part sulphate of iron, and 20 parts dry sand. It can also be used to control moss, but one of the proprietary moss-killers will be more effective.

Apply water to the lawns as soon as they begin to dry, and do not wait until they turn brown. Ventilators will need to be open earlier for longer periods when weather conditions permit. Apply shading now to reduce drying out and to prevent sun scorch. More attention will be needed when watering as plants are in a state of active growth again. Damp down pathways and under benches to increase the humidity and reduce the need for constant watering. Prick out seedlings as soon as they become big enough to handle and pot up cuttings of dahlias,' chrysanthemums and fuchsias as soon as they are rooted.

As soon as bedding plants are established after pricking out they should be stood outside to grow hard. Protect them whenever frost threatens. Plants should never be taken straight from the glasshouse and planted out.

There is still time to sow bedding plants such as zinnias and those that develop quickly such as French and African marigolds, alyssum, Phlox drummondii, ageratum, and kochia. Sow vegetables such as pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, marrows, tomatoes and peppers for planting next month.