Garden Notes WORK FOR JANUARY

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 95, 16 January 1943, Page 7

Garden Notes WORK FOR JANUARY

Carrot Fly Causing Damage

(By

“The Hoe.”)

Although January is one of the quietest months in the garden, there is much to be attended to in the way of weeding, mulching, watering, and checking the onslaughts of insect pests and fungi. 'Vegetable Garden: Dwarf beans and peas can still be sown for picking in autumn. Carrots and beetroot can also be sown now. Lettuce and radishes can still be sown at frequent intervals, provided the soil is well enriched with old organic matter. These crops fail if the water supply falls off, and the best way of providing them with adequate quantities of water is to use organic matter freely. At this season, all plants appreciate a mulch of old manure or composted matter. It keeps the roots cool, and each shower or watering sends some of tbe nutriment contained in the mulch down to the roots. Spray apple trees with arsenate of lead to control codlin moth. Spray plants subject to attack by aphis (greenfly) witli nicotine sulphate. Dust cabbage, cauliflower, etc., with derris powder or rotodust to cheek the activities of white butterflies. Flower Garden: Lift, divide and replant established clumps of bearded irises. Plant out asters and zinnias. Mulch dahlias, chrysanthemums, azaleas, rhododendrons, boronias, daphnes and camellias. Prepare soil for the planting of spring-flowering bulbs. Anemones can be planted now. Remove the old stems from delphiniums and mulch them with old manure or compost. Keep gerberas well watered and remove flowers as they fade. Take rose cuttings now.

CARROT FLY Carrot fly is unusually active this season, as is evidenced by the yellow, rusty and dying foliage of carrots which is such a familiar sight in vegetable gardens just now. This troublesome pest lays its eggs in the soil surrounding the carrots, specially if the soil is of a very loose nature. For that reason.it is wise always to firm the soil after planting and specially after thinning-out operations. The carrot fly can be checked to a large extent by pricking in a light dressing of horticultural naphthalene after each thinning out of the rows. If, however, the fly is already in evidence on the foliage, it can be checked, if detected in the early stages, by spraying with horticultural naphthalene.