SEASONABLE WORK

Evening Star, Issue 21316, 21 January 1933, Page 18

SEASONABLE WORK

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN The hot, sunny change experienced of late has been a delightful contrast to the heavy and boisterous winds experienced previous to and during the holidays. Fortunately there were a few nice rains which were very acceptable and did a deal of good to recentlyplanted and growing crops. The hot days have lent themselves favouramy to hoeing, raking, and the destruction of weeds. The hoe and rake diligently used, among growing cropis are not only beneficial to them, but death to weeds. Crops of all descriptions that are going out of season should be cleared at once, especially cabbage stumps and dead leaves, for if left in quantity they .will soon become offensive. Those who are favoured with a warm situation—that is,, where, early frosts are not troublesome —may still make sowings of peas and even French beans, using the dwarf early varieties of peas for this late sowing. Sow spinach of the prickly kind. This ■tands best for a late sowing. Sow also silver beet for spring use. Take advantage of cool changes to plant late broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Take up and dry off shallots and garlic as soon as the tops turn yellow. Keep a watchful eye upon celery, and on no account let it suffer for want of water, or it will run to seed. Late varieties may still be planted, but during hot spells the plants should be shaded and = kept moist until they become well established. Bend down the tops of autumn-sown onions.' This will help to finish them off... In a week or two after that pull them and lay them out to ripen off. This should be done when the ground is hot, and dry. • ■ . , Outside .tomatoes should be kept securely tied to stakes, and all side shoots pinched put as they appear. Those placed against a wall or a paling fence should be kept securely nailed.up and stopped as with all other toinatoes. ■ When sowing seed of any kind during the hot spell care should be taken to make the soil moist before sowing or the seed cannot germinate. THE FLOWER GARDEN Spring flowering bulbs that have ripened off their- tops—such as narcissus, tulips, hyacinths, etc.—should bo lifted at once if not already done, and the ground prepared by digging, manuring, or trenching or put into a good state for their reception later on. When the tops of ranunculus have turned yellow cut them off close to the ground, and lift them when quite ripe. •Remove dead flowers from shrubs, especially such heads of rhododendrons. The sooner faded flowers are removed the better will be the next season s flowering. Remove faded flowers or seed poos from roses, and do not be frightened to remove a little of the top old wood. The autumn display will be the better for it, and the sooner after the first flush is past the better. Do not allow big seed heads to form, as they are a drag upon the plant to no advantage whatever except, of course, they are required to ripen for seed. .Dahlias and other tall-growing plants should he securely staked and . tied to supports. . , . Delphiniums should have their laded flower stalks cut down to the ground. If this is done promptly after their first flpwering, they will send up a second lot of flowering stems and make quite a l -fine display. , , , Remove all faded flowers and dead leaves, as things go out of season. • Beds aind borders should be hoed and raked to keep down weeds. Regularly mow and roll lawns. Ihe clippings from a clean lawn, may be used to advantage for top-dressing between plants, for mulching, and also for strawberry beds. This later on may he dug ip with advantage to the ground and plants. Hedges of all descriptions may be clipped as growth demands. THE VINERY Continue to pinch put laterals, or, I should say, pinch them back as f previously advised. This must never be neglected, or they soon become a tangled mass of growth, to the detriment of the fruit. Thinning should be attended to, and where the bunches are still crowded, pick out a few berries here and there to relieve the crowding. Tend carefully to ventilation. This is a very dangerous time for scalding of both leaves and berries. The -worst period for the scalding of the fruit is just about the time of stoning. Watering is best done in the afternoon or evening, so that the moisture shall be dried up on the leaves and berries before the heat of the hot sun affects them. Ventilate early on sunny days. THE TOMATO HOUSE Fruiting is now at its full, and all ripe fruit should be picked as it ripens. This will give the later fruit a better chance to develop to its full. Pinch out all side shoots as they appear. Run

the hoe liglitly over the surface to keep down weeds and conserve moisture, also to admit air to. the roots and sweeten up things generally. This will tend to prevent or keep down mildew. Ventilate freely on all fine da5 T s. A stuffy atmosphere must be guarded against. All side shoots should be pinched out as they appear, and by pinching out the top of each plant at about sft or so, the fruit near the top will develop much better than if the plant were left unchecked. As ripening of the fruit advances, less water will be necessary. ANSWERS •• Constant Reader.” —For four years in succession your carrots have been affected badly with blight.—l feel sure there is something wrong in the ground cultivation. When carrots get a check and stand still for a time they are soon attacked with pests of some kind. Trench the ground deep and well manure. Do this early in the season for the weather to act upon it, and I feel sure vegetables of all kinds will do much better with you, “ A.C.”—You have just received some gladiola bulbs from America, and you wish to know when to plant them. —Plant them straight away. They will still flower. “ Olearia” asks when and how to plant an olearia hedge. Dig the trench two spades deep, and place spme manure between top and bottom spit. Do this as early in the autumn as possible. It will then be in good condition for planting either at the end of April or the beginning of May, or leave until the severe frosts are past in spring. “ Greenhorn.” —Yon wish to know when to sow seeds of the following:— Dahlias: In spring on a little bottom heat. Carnations and pinks; Sow at once to have them well up before winter sets in. Sow in well-drained pots with free, turfy loam, and cover with square of glass and grow on. Lavender and violets: Now or early spring in pots or seed boxes under glass. Shade until up, then prick out. Phlox and nemesia: Sow in spring under glass. Brompton Stock: Sown in November they will not flower in winter—not until next spring or early summer. They may still bo sown to flower next season. “ Fertiliser.” —The material forwarded is practically all soot, and is a strong fertiliser. As yon can get a lot of this you may use it for dusting along the bottom of trenches on, the clay. When used on the surface dust it lightly over the surface or along between the rows of growing crops, not on the leaves. It also makes an excellent dressing for onions used as above, also as a liquid manure about the colour of weak tea. “ Bay.”—(1) You must not bend the tops of your onions over until they have formed fair-sized tubers. Then bend them over to finish them off. (2) Your butter beans grow all right to three or four inches, then the leaves die off. There must be something wrong with the ground conditions. Bad drainage or stiff heavy cold soil. Make the soil lighter and warmer by the free application of burnt garden rubbish, wood ashes, or sand. Severe, cold or frosts will also turn them yellow or practically destroy them. (3) Ground conditions again have made the cauliflowers go in the manner described. Trench your ground two spades deep, and manure well with the above ingredients well mixed. This will, I feel sure, give you better results. ‘‘ C.B.”—The trouble is due to a fungus, which sometimes appears on the leaves when the tree is young. It will probably disappear as the tree grows older.