GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 2 September 1927, Page 8

GARDENING NOTES.

(By “Waratah. ”)

LETTUCE

There is not much difficulty in cultivating this indispensable salad plant with success if the soil bo well dug and enriched with manure, the seeds sown thinly, the seedlings thinned to the proper distance in good time, and kept well supplied with moisture when necessary. The whole secret of obtaining crisp lettuce is in getting the plants to°grow quickly from the seedling stage to the time when they arc ready to cut. If the plants receive a check at any time either through lack of moisture or neglected thinning, the plants will not form good hearts and in dry weather w ill run to seed. The seeds may be sown in nursery beds, but lettuces do not transplant easily, except in very favourable weather, and the best plan is to sow in the permanent rows, which should be fifteen inches apart; the seedlings should be thinned to nine inches apart as soon as they can be handled. A plentiful supplyof water must be given when the soil is dry; if the plants grow slowly the leaves are tough and have a bitter flavour. Nitrate of soda is a good fertiliser for lettuce plants and should be given once a week in the form of a solution, using one ounce of nitrate to each gallon of water. Apply the solution to the soil round the plant; do not allow it to touch the leaves. To keep up a constant supply sowings should be made about once a month.

BEETROOT

There are two chief types of beetroot, the long and the round. The round variety is preferred by most people because of the difficulty in cooking the long variety as it is too long to fit in the utensils found in most households and cannot bo cut to fit or it will lose its colour. Beet should not be grown on soil that has been recently manured or the roots wall be coarse or forked. Soil that is poor may be improved by forking in two ounces of superphosphates and one ounce of sulphate of ammonia to each square yard before the seed is sown. A dressing of salt at the rate of four ounces to the square yard is also beneficial. The turnip rooted variety may' be sown early in .September, but the main crop should not be put in until the beginning of October. Sow the seeds two inches deep in rows twelve inches apart for tho round variety and eighteen inches for the long. Thinning out should be done as soon as the seedlings can be handled to prevent the young roots damaging each other, the round variety to three inches apart and the long to six inches. Each alternate plant should be used before the roots touch each other, leaving the final distance six inches for tlie round variety and twelve iricho,s for the long. The plants must be kept free from weeds and the soil between the rows constantly stirred with the hoe. In lifting beet care must be taken to avoid breaking the skin or the roots, as the colour boils out. if the skin or roots are damaged. The leaves should not be cut off, but twisted off about two inches above the crown.

Silver Beet or Spinach Beet is grown exclusively for its foliage; the leaves form a most excellent substitute for spinach and the fleshy mid-rib for seakale. To grow this vegetable to per-

fectiou tlie soil must be in good condition; on poor light soils the plants do not thrive. The soil should be deeply dug and well manured. The plants grow to a large size in good soil and must be allowed plenty of room. The rows should bo two feet six inches apart and the plants thinned out to eighteen inches apart. For a summer supply a sowing can bo made in the beginning of September; for winter use a sowing should be made in December or at the beginning of January. This vegetable should be grown by those who have fowls confined in runs; fowls are very partial to it and it is an excellent food for them.

PARSNIP. The parsnip will grow in almost any soil that has been deeply dug. It does not need a rich soil and the presence of fresh animal manure will spoil the shape of the roots, and also make them coarse in texture. A good time to sow is early in September. Work the soil to a fine tilth with an iron rake and sow the seed in drills half an inch deep and iifteen inches apart. Choose a day without wind if possible, as the seeds arc very light and easily blown away. Thin out the seedlings to a distance of eight inches apart for medium size roots and twelve inches for large roots. Another method of sowing is to sow four or five seeds at intervals of eight or twelve inches apart in the drills. When the seedlings appear pull out all but the strongest one in each place. This method saves much time iu thinning out the rows and prevents any damage likely to be caused to the young plants by the roots becoming entangled by overcrowding. HERBS. Thyme, sage and majoram should be grown in every garden. They may be easily raised from seed sown in September. Thyme should be sown where it is to grow; the seeds are small and should be only lightly covered with soil. Thin out the seedlings to one foot apart. Marjoram should be sown in the samem anne'r. Thin the plants out to one foot apart. Sage should be sown half an inch deep and the plants thinned out to eighteen inches apart. Mint is not raised from seed, but is propagated by division of the root; it thrives only in damp soil. It spreads very quickly and is likely to become a nuisance! unless confined to a small space. A small area should be boxed in with old pieces of iron or tin inserted in the soil to prevent the roots from spreading. RADISHES. Radishes must be grown quickly to be crisp and of good flavour. A light rich soil is required, with a moist and open situation in spring; during the hot summer months a situation in partial shade is desirable. The seeds should be sown broadcast in small patches or in rows a few inches apart. Sow half an inch deep and thin out the seedlings as soon as they can be handled to three inches apart. Sow once a month for succession. For the early sowings the turnip-rooted varieties are the best; other good kinds for summer use are Long Scarlet, White Icicle and French Breakfast. ROUTINE WORK. Finish all hedge and tree-planting as soon as possible. Lift, divide an if replant perennial flowering plants that have become overcrowded.

Take cuttings of chrysanthemums. Plant Thubarb roots in heavily manured soil.

Plante abbages, cauliflowers and let tuce.

Transplant autumn-sown onions. Plant shallots and garlic bulbs. Plant cabbages, cauliflowers and letof potatoes not less than ten inches apart in rows not less than two feet apart. G-ive asparagus beds a dressing of nitrate of soda at tlie rate of one ounce per square yard once every four weeks. Spraying fruit trees with winter strength solution may still bo done where the buds have not broken into blossom or leaf. Lime-sulpliur solution, winter strength one part to nino parts water; red oil, one part to 10 or 15 gallons water, according to the state of the trees. If badly infested with scale or woolly aphis use strong solution. Citrus fruits (lemon and orange), one gallon oil to forty gallons water as scon as an inch of new growth has been made.

Spray plums, peaches and other stone fruits with lime-sulpliur solution, one part to 100 parts water, or Bordeaux powder, one pound to 10 gallons water, as soon as the blossom has fallen to check fungoid diseases. Sow under glass Cape gooseberry, cucumber, melon, pumpkin, tomato, vegetable marrow; also seeds of hardy and half-hardy varieties of flowering plants. Sow asparagus, broad beans, beet, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cress, leek, lettuce mustard, onion, peas, parsley parsnip radish, rhubarb, spinach, turnip, when the soil is in a reasonably dry and friable condition.