FOR GARDENERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 299, 11 September 1908, Page 3

FOR GARDENERS.

WHAT TO DO TO-MORROW. A BUSY PERIOD. The mild weather early this week and the warm rain havo had a stimulating effect 011 gardens, and one has been almost able to Bee the plants grow. The gale of yesterdayivas unwelcome, but that will not stop operations as hoavy rain would do. If the ground remains moderately dry for the rest of the week, there should be a lot of garden work accomplished. It is a time for extensive plantings' and sowings, and the ground is in splendid order for plant growth. Will there bo any more frosts? That is a point of suprem'e interest to every gardener just now. With a' continuance of the present weather, arid an assurance against frost, one could reasonably set out even tomato plants and certainly sow french beans in .the open. If the french beans were cut down by hard weather it would be comforting to, reflect that the seeds cost but littlo, and other seeds can immediately be put into their places. The Bame may be said of tomato plants if one grows'them from seed in boxes at home. French beans will stand transplanting, and although they are not usually sown in boxes, a week.or two may be gained by :starting them in that way and removing them carefully, to the outdoor quarters when there is less fear of weather troubles. The mode of protecting them from frost by boards, as described -last' week, is also available for those who want early crops. The weather seems to justify plenty of courage in making early sowings. i ' For sowing and planting to-morrow afternoon, select what is wanted from the follow-' ing lists:— PLANTS. Cabbage. Artichokes. Cauliflower. Asparagus ■ Herbs. .. Seakale. Rhubarb. Lettuce'. Onions; ' i • Also plant potatoes. ' ' Seeds. ' Broad beans. Cress. French beans. Celery.' ! • Butter beans. Parsley. V Peas. ' Turnips:' Cabbage. ' Swedes. t ' / Cauliflower Kohl-rabi.- : ■.Broccoli (early). Radish;' Lettuce. . Parsnips.. ... Onions. Carrots., Leeks. Spinach. Mustard, Seeds in Frames. , Tomato. . Pumpkin. Marrow. Squash. . Melon. Cucumber. . Also.set.kumeras in boxes tp sprout. . Flowers. Sow in open ground seeds of candytuft,! convolvulus, coreopsis, larkspur, mignonette, nasturtium, poppy, sunflower, sweet pea, and other hardy annuals. • ■ Sow in frames seeds of aster, balsam, cosmos, • dainthus, 'gaillardia, pansies, petunia,' phlox, .stock, and verbena.' ' Plant out roses, violets, primrosoS,•'•wallflowers, etc., and summer-flowering bulbs, such' as gladioli. Spade Work. ' Gardeners with spare time to-morrow after* noon ought, if the weather be still dry, to. dig'deeply any ground that is still unplahted. This will let^the air: penetrate to the subsoiland mellow it. Deep digging, eyeii between rows of planted thingsj is-advisable so long as the digging does not move- the roots of the plants alongsiderSvhich 1 extend "pbrhaps Gin. or 12in. from the plants. It is better not to dig at . all. than to dig and damage., Extremo care is necessary in this respect, as the mere moving of tho soil in which the roots are actually lying checks the plants in their'growth.-, In digging ground that' is free from weeds, it is not necessary at this timo of year to turn the soil right over, except in the case of a new plot that has not previously been'dug this season.! Insert the spade to-its full depth, lever up the . soil sufficiently to loosen it, arid form air-spaces,' and then withdraw the' spade. This is a quick mode of digging and has all the effect of breaking \ip the soil and aerating it, without turning up the moister part to dry. For there is not too much moisture in the soil this spring. Great benefit will follow in better growth of the crops as a Tesult of this Repeated spading of soil unoccupied by roots. But unless the gardener can be quite' sure he is not- exposing or disturbing the roots growing close at hand he had better put his spade rigidly away. .A Surface Mulch. A good mulch ofyloose soil on the surface of tho ground betrasen growing plants and rows of seedlings •very important. 1 Keep the hoo going ■ among them for this purpose. Old strawberry beds, in which the plants are too close together to be conveniently hood, may have a covering of loose soil spread between them instead. Before this is done a light sprinkling of superphosphate should be put round them, if this has not already been done —applied about as thinly a3,,one puts salt on one's dinner. The future; rains will carry this to the roots, and all the feeding that will be needed for the rest of the sea-son-will be confined to-weak liquid, riianurings with' soot water, or other soluble, nitrogenous fertilisers. Similar treatment maybe uestowed upon flower beds. . ' v . Clean Manures. As explained in a former article, gardeners who desire to avoid the dirt and inconvenience attaching to the. use of; stable litter may get all tho benefit'they desire by digging in bonedust, or by using as a top-dressing superphosphate, and finally giving- 'liquid dressings of nitrate of potash (saltpetre) or nitrate of soda, or soot'. A sixpenny bag (41b.) of superphosphate, purchasable at' the seedsmen's, will be, sufficient for one dressing on a plot of land 21ft. by 21ft. 'in sizeabout l-100th part of an acre—;and no tinie should be lost in getting it applied. ' The liquid manurings of the nitrogen-giving .mai terials mentioned may be applied", a'little later in frequent doses. ' ■