SEASONABLE WORK

Evening Star, Issue 21636, 3 February 1934, Page 23

SEASONABLE WORK

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN With a few. exceptions the season for sowing seed in this department is well over, consequently the main work now is in looking after the crops we have. Weeds are growing at a rapid rate, and must be attendee! to, so every advantage should be taken of fine days and when the ground is dry to ply the hoe vigorously to destroy them and stimulate the growth of plants or crops at the same time. All winter greens should be in now, but where this is still incomplete lose no time in getting it off hand. Sow spinnach, using the prickly variety, tor this sowing. There is still time to sow a few turnips and thin out those previously sown. Early shorthorn carrots may still be sown for drawing young. Autumn-sown onions are now ready for having their necks bent over to finish them off properly. Earth up early celery or even mum crop kinds as tne plants become full grown Earthing is only for the pur-, pose of bleaching or making them fit for use. There are various ways for bleaching celery, but the usual one is first to tie the tops together with thin strips of raffiia. Remove ail side shoots or weeds, then hank up the soil on either side. Make it fairly firm and smooth, and in five or six weeks the celery will be bleached and ready for use. Another way is wrapping brown paper around the stems and tying it to keep it in place. In this case no earthing up is required. 1 have also seen dram pipes used by closing up the tops and dropping the pipes.down over each head, hue i much prefer the old way of earthing up. Lift and dry off game and shallots. Lift early potatoes that have fairly well ripened their tops. Do not water until the tops are quite dried off or there will be a danger of their making second growth; that is, become shot or sprouted at the eyes. By this they are partly spoilt or .not nearly so good. Besides, when the tops are about halfripe is the best time to sort out and place into shallow boxes. Set size tubers to green or sprout for next season’s early planting. I reel quite satisfied that there, is not nearly enough attention paid to the proper selection or preparation ol sets for seed, nor for the quantity or quality ol future crops.

THE FLOWER GARDEN

Chrysanthemums u,ow. require special care and attention if they are to be grown for show or to produce really good serviceable flowers, especially those on pots. In the latter case watering and feeding must be careiully attended to. 'ihe season for taking the bud is around again. There are three forms of buds—the first crown, second crown, and terminal. The first crown fenerally comes with the first natural reak, gives the finest bloom-, and if secured at the proper time is very large. When 1 say proper time, that must depend upon the particular variety,’ as softie" take ’ a milch 'longer time to come to maturity than others, but it is only experience that can teach one how to tune each variety for any particular date-of blooming. A great deal depends upon taking the buds at’ the proper time. From now on the pljmts will be showing the second crown bud, and should be taken jjust as the sids shoots, which cluster or grow around the flower hud on the point of each main arm, can be pinched out with the thumb and finger, and all side shoots down the stem must be removed, and good blooms will follow. When quantity of bloom, irrespective .of size, is desired, then the

terminal bloom is depended upon. In this case do not remove these side shoots, but let them nil come away. The difference between the crown buds —whether first, second, or terminal—is that the terminal comes with clusters of flower buds at the points of shoots instead of side shoots. This terminal means the last that will form, and consequently be much smaller, though there will bo very many more of them. 1 well remember a lady coming to me in tho show once, years ago, saying: “ 1 have repeatedly purchased plants from a nurseryman, asking the bestnamed sorts, and this is what they sent me.” In most cases the variety was correct, but, as 1 explained, it was in the growing and selecting or taking the wrong bud, and, of course, not well grown. Clear off annuals when they are past flowering. Dig and prepare the beds in readiness for the planting of spring flowering bulbs and tubers. Remove the decayed stems of herbaceous plants, layer carnations, bud roses, and look over those budded earlier iij the season, and loosen or cut the ties, or they may be cutting into the stocks. Where failures have occurred, insert another bud on the back or other part of the stem.

Propagate by cuttings various perennial plants, such as pinks, carnations, pansies, violas, pelargoniums, ivy, and other geraniums. Remove seed head from rhododendrons and other flowering shrubs, including roses. Do not leave these on. They arc only a drag on the plant for no good, except, of course, if they are required for seed. Lift bulbs as soon the tops have died and place them in boxes to dry and ripen off. Separate the tubers of ranunculus as soon as they are thoroughly dried or ripened. In the case of tulips which have been lifted, separate the good flowering bulbs from the small offsets. The latter should he lined out in drills rather thickly to mature into flowering bulbs the following year. Stake and tie gladiolus and other tall-growing plants requiring supports. Do not cut off the stems of lilies until they have thoroughly ripened their stems; in other words, until the tops are ouite dead. Then, if necessary, the bulbs may be lifted and divided and planted into other places prepared for them. About three or four years should he often enough to lift and separate lilies. Very often in our flower gardens after spring flowering plants, such as tulips, ranunculus, and others, have finished their flowering there comes a lean time of flowering before the summer show of bloom begins to fill in the gap. It is a good practice to make- a sowing about now or during this month of hardy annuals and biennials, such as the following;— Antirrhinums, sweet alyssum, candytuft, clarkia, coreopsis, cornflower, poppies (Iceland and their , hybrids), larkspurs, shirley" poppies, German scabious, ‘ Virginian stock, viscaria, sweet peas, and others, ail of which may be sown now or during this month in well prepared beds and preferably in drills, so that they can be more easily kept clean and attended to. Transplant them into their flowering quarters by the end of June, picking a suitable clay for the job. Sow also Brompton and East Lothian or intermediate stocks. Mow and roll lawns, hoe and rake flower beds and borders to keep down weeds. Clip verges and hoe and rake gravel walks.

ANSWERS

“ W.S.C.”—You ask what 1 consider the best way to cover an unsightly long clay bank and to make a good show through the year. There are many things which would soon cover a clay bank, but very few which would make a good show throughout the year, as they all have their season of flowering. A good trailing rose like Lady Gay may be planted along the top of the bank in a nicely-prepared border. Peg tho growth down with bits of bent wire to give them a good start on their downward course. This fives quite an effective appearance, hen there are the mesembryanthemums (ice plants), especially the pink flowering variety which gives a wonderful display of colour in its season, and is by no means objectionable when out of flower. In this case small pockets made hero and there over the hank, filled with a little good soil, will answer very well for them, as they will grow in. almost any kind of soil, ft would depend very much upon the nature of the clay bank if you could get any kind of shrubs or flowering shrub’s to grow. “ Lime.”—You wish to plant strawberries in the ground in which potatoes were grown, and you ask if lime would be beneficial. Providing the ground was well manured for the potatoes, they would do quite well: otherwise 1 should certainly advise digging in some manure first with a little lime sprinkled over the surface and raked in. Potatoes are a very exhausting crop, and your plan would not be fair to the strawberries, ns they most likely would have to remain in that ground for a few years. Bone meal or super, and bone or blood and bone would answer in the absence of animal manure, worked in the surface just before planting. iH.C.