WGETABLE MEDLINGS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 297, 12 September 1941, Page 4

WGETABLE MEDLINGS

When To Thin Them Out

The vegetable seedlings—the parsnips, turnips, lettuces, and so onwill soon become tall and spindly If.' they are allowed to remain crowded in seed-bed or row. Prompt thinning is therefore most important The correct time to thin is when the seedlings have made the third leaf, or first rough leaf; Prior to that stage the young plants are easily bruised. When you do the thinning the ground should be moist enough and soft enough to enable the rejects to be drawn outcleanly— which means that you must, do the thinning after rain or a good watering. Do the thinning of the various vegetable seedlings by stages. Turnips and kohlrabi have to stand at 4in. apart ultimately, parsnips at Sin., and carrots at 6in. But the first thinning should leave the seedlings at lin. apart. That gives you a better final choice. Weed seedlings grow faster than seedlings of vegetables. So, as you do the preliminary thinning pull out all weeds that are in the rows where the hoe cannot touch them. In the seedbeds, where broadcast sowing has been done and hoeing is k not practicable, all the weeding; must ■be done by .hand. Each week now you should use the Dutch hoe between the rows. Besides getting rid of young weeds the hoeing, aids in the aeration and sweetening of the soil and in the natural working up of plant food. ' .. i,. ’