GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 January 1925, Page 3

GARDENING NOTES.

(By “Waratah.”)

Flower Garden. There is not much to do in this department now, beyond keep in-}? the beds and borders free from weeds, tying up tali plants to .stakes, removing flowers as soon as they have faded and applying water when necessary. A dose of liquid manure once £t week will greatly benefit such subjects as asters, dahlias, sweet peas, pansies Penstemons and zinnias; if the soil is dry. sufficient plain water to thoroughly soak the soil about the roots of the plants to- which the manure is to be applied, should be supplied a> few hours before the manure is applied. .If first class bilooms of dahlias are desired the plants must have copious supplies of water in dry weather aiid the newer buds thinned out when they are small, so that only a few flowers are in full bloom at the same time on each plant. Now is a good time to clip hedges, if clipped now the hedge wall refurnish itself before the winter months, and the autumn growths will be ripened enough to .stand the frosts of winter. If clipping is done in February of March the young growth* made afterwards are liable to be damaged by early frosts, if the hedge is composed of plants of a tender nature. Vegetable Garden. Tomato plants will require constant attention in keeping the plants tied to their supports as growth advances, and removing the laterals as they appear. The plants must be sprayed every third, week with Bordeaux mix. ture( lib. Bordeaux powder to 10 gallons of water) to prevent attack by the furgoid diseases which attack the tomato plant. Any de’ad flowers adhering to th e-fruit should be removed as they afford a lodgement for the spures of “Black-rot,’’ a disease, which, as its name implies causes the fruit to turn black and decay with great rapidity. Caterpillars are now likely to attack the fruit and to prevent damage by them, Arsenate of Lead should be added to the Bordeaux mixture at the rate of two even teaspoons full to each gallon. All fruit sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or arsenate of lead should be washed before using. Cabbage Aphis is one ol the worst insect .pests in the garden, and usually begins to be troublesome at this season of the year. It increases with such rapidity, that unless remedial measures are applied as soon as the pest makes its appearance, it is .almost impossible to keep them in check. Kerosene emulsion made with soft-soap and kerosene is a. good • remedy. Dissolve .jib of soft-soap in 2 quarts of boiling water, adding immediately 1 pint of kerosene. Churn the mixture thoroughly with a syringe, then add 10 times its volume of water. This mixture is most effective if used warm. Spray thoroughly the undersides of the kav.es of the plants, where the insects usually congregate. Another pest which attacks cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli and turnips during the summer months is the caterpillar of the diamond-back or cabbage moth. As soon as they are seen prompt measures must be taken to destroy the caterpillars, or they will consume all the winter greens before the end of the summer. The kerosene emulsion advised above for cabbage aphis is a good remedy, or arsenate of lead at the rate of two teaspoons full to -a gallon of water may be used while the plants are young, it must not be used on plants when nearly ready for use as it is highly poisonous, and adheres to the leaves for a considerable time.

Celery plants should, have copious supplies of water in dry weather; if the s-oit is allowed to get dry, the plants are liable to bolt to seed or the stems will be hollow and pithy. An occasional dose of liquid manure will greatly benefit the plants, (but nitrogen in the form of nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia should not be given, for although it encourages growth it tends to cause the stems to become soft and hollow.

Cucumbers, pumpkins and marrows will be growing vigorously now and will need plenty of water in dry weather, the long shoots should be pegged down as advised in previous notes, and the plants will be benefited by pinching out the ends of the long shoots, to induce laterals or side shoots on which the fruits are borne. Stopping the long shoots will also assist the setting and development of the fruits. A dose of liquid manure once >a week will greatly benefit the plants. Leeks should be planted but now. To get long lengths of white stem the best method is to prepare trenches in the same way as for celery. The plants should be spaced 10 inches apart and well watered after planting. Another method of planting., is to draw drills 4 inches deep, and drop the plahts into holes 6 inches deep made with a blunt dibber. As the plants grow they can begradually earthed up, by this method white stems 9 to 10 inches long can be obtained. Leeks need plenty of water during the growing season, and must never be allowed to become drv.

Sow for succession peos. French and butter beans, carrots, turnips, beet, silver beet, mustard, tress lettuces, endive and radishes.

Parsley may be sown now. If spinach is required. the New Zealand variety should be sown now. Soak the seeds foi' 24 hours before sowing. The young plants should be thinned to 2 feet apart.