Planting time governed by soil and situation

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32678, 6 August 1971, Page 11

Planting time governed by soil and situation

Conditions have allowed a reasonable amount of gardening activity in the past week or two. Where the ground is wet it is better to wait until it dries before trying to do anything with it, as frequently more harm than good is done. Vegetable section

The time to begin sowing and planting of vegetables depends on the soil and the situation of the garden. Past experience should provide a good guide as to just how soon work can commence.

Careful planning of the planting and sowing programme will provide not only a continuity of supply but also reduce wastage to a minimum. In this way the whole area devoted to vegetable growing can be utilised to maximum advantage. Rotational cropping has already been discussed , in a recent article on preparations for raising vegetables. A rotational scheme can be followed on restricted areas, just as well if not quite so easily as on larger ones. The main point to appreciate is that it can be arranged to suit personal requirements. The forcing of vegetables is far more widely practised in the Northern hemisphere because of the severity of the winters which preclude most outdoor work. By forcing a crop supplies can be supplemented and maintained and in some instance; it also produces a more desirable crop.

Rhubarb is one such vegetable which is frequently forced. Overseas this is usually done by lifting the plants from the open ground and inducing them into growth in special forcing sheds. The rhubarb which is obtained by this method is usually more tender and sweeter while the stalk has considerably less leaf. Forcing can be carried out quite easily in the home garden, by covering the whole plant with a box of adequate size. When the rhubarb is long enough the box can be removed and the stalks pulled off in the normal way.

Useful broad beans i Broad beans can be sown i now. This is a very nutritious • vegetable, high in proteins I and carbohydrates, which could well be sown at other ( times of the year as well as late autumn and late winter. It is an easy and reliable cropping plant to grow which succeeds best in the heavier soils but will do reasonably well under most types. As the seed tends to rise a little with germination and because the plant is easily damaged by wind shallow planting is inadvisable; a depth of three inches is not too deep in light soil. Chocolate spot disease and aphides are .two of the most probable ailments of broad beans, but the application of timely controls, such as ’ thiram and menazon, respec- J tively, should greatly reduce the incidence of both. Pinch- ; ing' out of the tips is a ; recommended. procedure 1 when- the plants have set a ; good percentage of blooms, . to hasten filling and ripening 1 of the lower pods. Although canned and frozen peas are usually much | cheaper to buy and certainly , easier to obtain in this way ] than to grow them in the | garden,, there are still many i gardeners who prefer their i home-grown products. To < succeed, it is necessary to i have suitable ground for ( under cold, wet and heavy i soil conditions, soil-borne dis- i eases will account for con- i siderable losses of seed < through to the seedling stage, i It pays, at all times, to use ( only seed which has been t treated with a fungicide, i Little Marvel and William s Massey are two good early Varieties for sowing now. i If you are forwarding any i plants under glass do not pverlook the point that they must be well hardened off t before they can be put; per- < manently outside; otherwise c they are likely to succumb | to the cold. « i

Potatoes prepared for greening before planting should be checked and turned over occasionally. A watch should be kept for pests, such as aphides on sprouts, and a dusting over with liii-

dane will help to keep them free.

Where conditions are fav- ' ourable the following seeds - can be sown: asparagus, beetl root, broad beans, carrots, cabbage, cauliflowers, kohl rabi, lettuce, onions, silver beet, spinach and turnips. Asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, rhubarb and shallots can be planted out." Fruit section Pruning of all fruiting subjects should be completed i during this month. This should be followed up immediately by a clean-up spray. To be fully effective this spray must be really throughly applied, to the point of run off which is contrary to the usual directive for spraying procedure. ■ Tar oil wash used to be the main spray used at this time of the year and it retains its popularity with some gardeners because of its effectiveness: it is toxic to aphides, woolly aphis, mealy bugs, scale insects and codling moth; it will also dispose of moss and lichens. However, today winter (red) oil, or superior oil is more likely to be used. There is also lime sulphur, evil i smelling and liable to stain < woodwork or break down if; not used within a short time ' after mixing, but nevertheless most effective. It is predom- i inantly a fungicide but will i also destroy scales, mites and ■ moss. It can be used i throughout the year but it is I likely to cause russetting of fruit and also leaf damage i in some cases. For this rea-i son it is usual to combine it i with colloidal sulphur later ’ in the season. 1 Bud movement

Bud movement is a crucial period for stone fruit for at this juncture such diseases as leaf curl, stone fruit blast, brown rot and die-back can manifest themselves in the tree. Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride should be applied at this stage, which occurs just as the buds begin to swell. It should be noted that this spray will not give immunity for the rest of the season and it is necessary to make subsequent applications of one Of several materials if the stone fruit trees are to remain free of pests and disseases.

Towards the end of the month all fruiting subjects, whether they are deciduous or evergreen, tree or bush, vine of cane, will benefit from a fertiliser application. This can- be made up to suit requirements or a complete granular fertiliser can be applied. The important thing is to give a balanced ration of an appropriate amount to the subject.

Handfuls to a large tree are ineffectual and several pounds to a small bush can be a drastic measure. Check on

requirements first and apply accordingly.

Ornamental section

Rose pruning should be . completed in the next fort--1 night to three weeks as the r buds are beginning to break . now. Late pruning can delay - flowering whereas early pruni ing can promote slightly ear- : lier flowering, although in both cases the prevailing weather is a big influence. Where thick wood has' to be - cut away, as in the case of 1 neglected plants, it is as well s to remember that cut surfaces ■ do not callouse over as in the > case of many other woody I subjects. For this reason t stubs should not be left and s where areas in excess of half ■an inch are exposed there ! should be covered with a sealant. Do not forget to apply ) a clean up spray after comi pleting the pruning. > As soon as these jobs have • been completed the rose bed ■ should be forked over, but , care should be tqken not to , disturb the roots of the ; bushes. Blood and bone, ’ compost or fish meal are ideal manures to incorporate in the • bed when turning it over. Lawn care ! Lawn maintenance should ! occupy attention towards the end of the month and the be- ' ginning of the next one. Vig- : orous application of wire or ; bamboo rake over the entire area will remove dead grass and other accumulated deb- | ris which will suppress the development of new growth. This should be fol(lowed up with spiking or coring of the surface and to be affective needs to penetrate at least 6in into the ground. This is done to improve aeration and is particularly desirable in heavy soils and areas subjected to heavy traffic. A top dressing of fine dry soil is optional, depending on circumstances. Fertiliser, at the rate of 1-2 ounces a square yard is also desirable. A mixture comprising 3 parts sulphate of ammonia to 1 part superphosphate (by weight) is the usual application given. The addition of weed killer may also be warranted and is best applied when weeds are in active growth. Fuchsias and hydrangeas can be pruned now and, together with dahlias and chrysanthemums, they can be started into growth in preparation for taking cuttings shortly. Mainy chrysanthe-. mums will in fact already be sprouting and cuttings can thus be made right away.

In the glasshouse careful watering and ventilation are still most necessary. Pay attention to spacing of plants to avoid cramping which can retard growth or invite disease. Watch for the presence of aphides, slugs and mites; also mealy bugs which can rapidly debilitate plants if left unchecked. As cyclamen pass out of flower watering should be gradually reduced but drying off at this stage should be avoided.

A good many seeds can be sown now under glass. These include tuberous gloxinias, streptocarpus and coleus. Slow-developing bedding plants such as petunias, salvias, fibrous begonias and verbena should also be sown now.