Work for the month—April

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33815, 11 April 1975, Page 13

Work for the month—April

During April one can) normally consider that the main growing season has reached its climax and from now on until spring is with us again response in plants is usually slow in all but the most favourable situated gardens. Unless one has cloches or some other means of affording warmth and shelter planting and seed sowing becomes minimal However: there is still much which’ will require attention not to] mention the considerable harvesting still to be done. ; ORNAMENTAL SEC DON Most hedges respond to at] least one trimming a yearand two cuts are advisable' where rapid and uense growth occurs. This not only! makes the task easier but; also helps to keep those vig-i orous growers in better) order. Spring and autumn] are the best times to attend] to this need. When dealing with hedges; above 4ft in height it is al good idea to taper them in a) little at the top — this is of) particular significance with) the taller ones — as topi heaviness not only looks un-1 sightly but can cause prob-j lems such as restricting) light To the lower regions. If: there are growths which are: too thick for the shears to] handle do not hack them off with ah axe or slasher but I use a saw to cut them off, neatly thus avoiding ragged: ends which can invite die back. April is the month in) which ail bulb planting] should normally be completed. It is not at all uncommon to find that the planting depth is insufficient and as a consequence many bulbs do not do so well. A widely accepted rule of thumb is to plant bulbs at a depth of two and a half times the measurement of the bulb from base to tip and with smaller ones such as crocus, anemone and ranunculus a minimum of 40 mm. These guide lines are in- 1 creased for lighter soils. Blood and bone, bone meal or bonedust are the usual fertilisers used in conjunction with bulb planting and one of these can be applied and raked into the soil prior to planting. Dahlias should still be providing good displays and these plants can be left until the frost blackens their tops. When this occurs they can be lifted, cleaned of encumbering foliage, stems and soil and put in a cool-dry place for storage until spring comes around again. Where the soil is free draining there is no harm in leaving the tubers in the ground over the winter and then lifting, dividing and replanting just prior to recommencement of growth but the stems should be cut off just above ground level if this is done. Herbaceous perennials can be lifted, divided and replanted but the centre portion more often than not should be discarded and only the new growth utilised. The time will soon be opportune for the taking of hard wood cuttings which presents an easy way of perpetuating very many of the plants growing about us. The right way to take such a cutting is to select well ripened current season’s wood between 6in and 12ir in length. It should be cul immediately beneath a joint — what is corectly known as the node — and above one at the ton end. The rea

son for this is that roots > usually develop more readily’ at this point. There is still time to get the new lawn sown so that a good ground cover has been attained before the onset of less favourable weather. Chewings fescue and browntop, in the ratio of 2 parts to one by weight respectively at 34g per square metre is still regar-, ded as the best mixture for a fine turf. For quick establishment.) crested dogstail is often I added while the addition of I rye grass and even yarrow seed is preferred where' really hard wear is expected.: Yarrow is also favoured for sowing in sandy soils. With the coming of winter the hours of daylight lessen, and in consequence glass-) house plants should not be) deptived of what there is available by leaving the shading on the glass. Now is a good time to attend to maintenance and repairs such as glazing, painting and the replacement ot any rotted timbers, of •’he house. Less frequent watering of plants within will also become fairly general in appli-j cation and is preferably] done in the morning. ■ VEGETABLES Once upon a time vegetable growing was regarded, as a very precise exercise) with meticulous attention* being paid to such details as) double digging, earthing up) and blanching but today less] attention is paid to such) matters partly, pet haps, be-1 cause many of the old theo-i ries have been discounted. Take blanching for in-’ stance — well blanched cele-i

I ry was the pride of most, 'vegetable growers but today,;; with such self-blanching varieties as Golden Self Blanching and the fact that unblanched celery is more; nutritious, not so many gardeners bother any more. Mention of celery recalls to mind that this vegetable, and also its cousin, celeriac, is very susceptible to leaf' , spot, a fungous disease, which, if not controlled from its onset, will infect all the. ’celery plants in a short time. Copper oxychloride or 'izineb are the preferred controls and one or other •' should be applied imraedi- ) ately the first signs of the ■’disease are noticed. Pumpkins, squashes and marrows should be cured by] i’fielding them for a week or) J two before bringing in' for; 3 storage. Where there is a) J heavy yield which will be; . held for several months it is! ; advisable to spray them) ) with Bordeaux mixture, at ; least once a month, to reI duce the incidence of stor- . age rots developing. Regular inspection and turning over f is also recommended. Broad beans are tradi- . tionally sown either in the •] April early May period or i else in August although they ’could well be grown throughout the spring and] J summer months if so de-| i sired. They do best on heav-i ■ ier soils but will do well on! i; most others. As with other; ;; leguminous crops they rei sent acid soil and if lime; J has not been applied in the’ i) last two to three years it is; ■ ’ preferable to make an appliJ ■ ’cation well in advance of; ’sowing the seed. -’ The larvae of white but-’ -I terfly and diamond black*

noth together with aphides ire still iable to attack ail tabbages, cauliflowers and allied crops and once these jests get into the centres of’ these plants they might just as well be pulled up for it isi almost impossible then to; restore their quality. Whilst .hey are in the development; stage such crops should be[ sprayed with more residual! controls as lindane, menazonl; or D.D.T., and as they get; closer to harvesting carbaryl' and malathion should be; substituted instead. Lettuce always provides a pleasant change to the com-; position of meals, etc. in winter. However, it requires reasonable conditions to make much progress during this season and one way of j ensuring at least a few good; heads is by growing them under cloches. Such varieities as All Year Round, Imperial 615 and Webbs Wonderful are well proven varieties for sowing from now on. Recently cropped ground now vacant benefits from being sown down with a green crop which can later be dug in so as to provide a source of organic matter apart from any additional, material which may be added. Barley, oats or rye are better for sowing as such now than crops such as lupins and mustard. Any disease-free vegetable; matter that can be rottedp down should be composted.; Sowings for the month are! somewhat restricted but . broad beans, onions andp radishes can be put in. Spring cabbage, lettuce.! cauliflower, spinach and. broccoli can be planted. (To be concluded).