SUMMER VEGETABLES

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 260, 30 July 1937, Page 18

SUMMER VEGETABLES

What to Sow Now

Turnips cau be sown generally. Extra early Milan is probably the Quickest variety to sow, but only a small breadth of this should be sown, to be followed by snowball, which is a better variety, and takes very little longer to come into use. Where the seeds are sown by hand the drills can be conveniently made with the end of a rake, holding it flat so as to make a broad and shallow drill. The seeds should be sown rather thinly, covering the full breadth of the drill. Broad rows result, which require very little thinning if foots are pulled as they become, large enough for use; a large crop is obtained from comparatively little space. Early Horn carrots should be sown for the first crop. Sow as described for turnips, and a heavy crop can be taken. The roots of the horn' varieties are usable when very young and small. Thinning the rows as roots are wanted for use allows those left space to increase in size, and the crop will carry on till the larger varieties, sown later on, come into use. Where red beet is required for use during the summer months a turniprooted variety should be sown. These varieties come in quickly, but they are not so good for winter use as the long varieties, which should not be sown till November. Turnip-rooted parsnips are useful m summer. They may be sown now if they are wanted, but long varieties alone are suitable for winter use, and should not be sown till November, or possibly October in colder districts. . Celery for first crops should be sown, in boxes under glass. Use a compost of clean loam with a gbod proportion of old manure and coarse sand to give it body., Sow rather thinly, and prick off the’ seedlings as soon as they can be handled; crowded seedlings are difficult to deal with because they are very weak. White Plume is the best variety for early crops.