GARDENING NOTES

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 48, 24 February 1917, Page 10

GARDENING NOTES

(By. "Experience.")

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.

There is not much in the way of either sowing or planting to be done now. Anything in the way of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc., put out at this time 'have but a poor chance to grow to useful size. A certain amount of warmth, both in the soil and the atmosphere, is necessary to bring,on young plants. Having made some progress, plants continue to grow^-through the winter months, but my experience is that all such planting should be done during January, afc least in (he immediate neighbourhood of Wellington. It is now the proper time to bow spinach for winter use. Properly! treated, this constitutes one of the most profitable crops 01 the year. The young plants should be thinned as early as possible so as to (leave plants at least 9in apart, more rather than less. In this way the plants are induced to produce large leaves—the larger the better —and the plants standing clear of each other, gives them a long' life, so that they continue to produce large leaves until they run to seed about September. When the plants run to seed large leaves are no longer produced, but the ascending flower stems for some time give small and very tender leaves in even greater abundance as regards aggregate bulk, but this period of production is soon passed. It is well worth while to put down a good breadth in spinach. Make the drills at least 12in apart. As the soil is usually dry at this time, the drills should be watered before putting the seed in. Sow the seed immediately after watering the drills, or' the water will be gone and do no good. The dry soil with ■ which the seeds are covered will prevent evaporation, and moisture will be retained in the soil long enough to start the young plants. Thinning, as said above, should be done as soon as the plants can be handled. Blood and bone manure should be given before sowing. Apply 2oz per square yard. When the plants have commenced to grow freely give nitrate of soda, loz per square yard, and scratch it in with a rake. Keep the soil loose and free of weeds.

Turnips may be sown in larger breadth than is customary during the , summer months. They will stand longer now,but they may be sown for a month yet.

It would not be likely to pay to plant more celery, as there is not time for it to make useful growth. Though established plants keep growing, the young plants would be unlikely to advance to useful size. Planting' should on. that account bs limited, "and none dono unless there has been none planted.

Celery requires a lot of water. This may not necessarily mean that watering is a necessity. Thß proper preparation of celery trenches takes the roots far down away from the dry surface, and largely from the influence of sun heat. If the soil is deeply trenched and good, the plants will do well without watering after the "'early stages, but if the season be unusually dry, or the soil not of a retentive character, water will be needed. In old days it was customary to mould up celery by degrees as the. plants grow. The practice is seldom followed in these days ; there are reasons why it should not be done. In the Home country, where celery growing was first practised, and whence most of our knowledge of horticultural practices emanated, vegetable gurdens ar(> invariably trenched to the depth of three feet. . Yet in the Homo country the practice of moulding up by 'degrees is mostly abandoned,' for this reason: When moulding up is done, a large number of the ■ roots are' enclosed in the bank of soil thrown up, water put in" the trench does not reach "such roots, and if it is done during the dry period the plants must suffer. Before moulding up such celery as may be sufficiently advanced, it should if dry he well watered. Also give a dusting of lime and soot to destroy slugs, and drive "away wireworms. Soot is the more important of the two substances ; lime will kill slugs; but will not affect wireworms, as it soon loses . its_ burning power, whereas soot remains unimpaired and is very obnoxiousll to wireworms, which frequently are numerous ill celery trenches, where there usually is abundance of decaying vegetable matter, in which they are commonly found. They are very mischievous' among moulded up celery; they nibble the stems and give them a rusty appear- -■' THE FLOWER GARDEN. In a general way, and apart from' the propagation of geraniums and ' carnations, there is no work of a pressing nature just now except the planting of bulbs. Seed-sowing,' whether under glass or in the open, is not of a pressing nature. Seed-sowing in the open should begin with the autumn rains whenever they may eventuate. Under glass sow■ing is just as well, done a month or more later. In most cases the resulting plants are for spring planting, and there is plenty of time. General work in the garden includes trimming over plants that are past their flower time. It is always best to cut off old flower stems and withered foliage, quite apart from its necessity for purposes of neatness. Bulbs require, as a rule, deeply-trench-ed ground. Such things as ixias, tritonias, etc., are not particular, the bulbs are not planted deeply, and their root system is weak, and weather does not affect them much. Brunsvigias, belladonnas, and such like large bulbs require deep soil to accommodate the roots, which reach far down if they have the opportunity, and -'when they 4do their flower stems are strong and tall, and flowers large. Narcissi require deep planting" to keep the bulbs away from the influence of, the weather. They thrive' best when they are moderately cool in summer, a condition not to be had ne;ir the surface. The benefit of deep planting is to the bulbs. Good bulbs flower well planted on the surface, or even in moss or water, but the bulb deteriorates. Mr. Barr says plant in a hole thrice as deep us the height of the bulb.