GARDENING NOTES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 August 1929, Page 8

GARDENING NOTES.

(By “Waratah. " )

LEEKS. Leek* are a very useful vegetable- for life- i|i winter. They arc easily grown ami do not suffer from Lite depreciations of any posts or diseases, and the flavour is milder than that of onions, .Seeds may be sown in gentle boat in August for early plants, hut for ordinary' purposes sowing can take place early in September out of doors, bo produce plants for setting out in Decerniior or January. Sow in drills half an inch deep and nine' inches apart. Sow thinly and thin out to am inch apart. To get. log ’lengths of white stem the best method is to prepare trenches in | the 1 same way as for celery. These trenches, if prepared now, may be. used J to grow lettuces or spinach until the / leeks a lie ready for transplanting. Lt is hardly possible to over-manure leeks. I and during the growing season liquid • manure should h ’ freely applied. Water copiously during <lry weather. Another micthod of growing leeks, is to draw drills four inches deep in Home well manured so Hi, and put in the plants with a dibber. without filling the' Jioles, hut merely pouring some water on, the roots resting on the bottom of the hole, a« the roots, if dibbled five or six inches deep in the four-inch drills, will have sufficient protection from air, and tile hole will fill pa graduality from 1 the sides. The drills should be .18 inches apart and the plants nine inches apart. This method will produce steams blanched 9 or 10 inches long 1 , if earthing up be done towards the' end of the season of growth, If grown in 4reaches, either a single or a. double row I may he planted nine inches apart. I To blanch the stems the earth must lie earthed up graduaiHlv so that growth i s no t chocked. Another method, is to use stiff brown paper collars; these should he placed on early in winter. BEET. Beet grows heist in :a; deep rich. soil, but it must be free from' fresh; animal manure, which causes the roots to be coarse and forked or amia-shapeii. Soil that is poor wil he improved by forking in before sowing two ounces of superphosphate and one ounce of sulphate of .ammonia to each square yard. The turnip-rooted varieties are usually sown on account of the difficulty of cooking the long kinds. They are also ready to use much sooner. Make a. first sowing in, August in drills two inches deep and one foot apart. Early thinning shoulld be practised in order to ■prevent the young roots damaging each other. Thin out to about four inches apart, and us© each, alternate root as soon as large enough. Beet should lie used before they become large and fibrous. For this reason it is advisable bn make several small sowings during the summer, the last about, the beginning of November. When the Hong varieties' are grown the seeds should he sown about the end ot September in drills' 18 inches apart and the seedlings thinned out to 12 inches apart. SILVER BEET. Silver beet is not a popular vege-i table, but- is uneful as a-standby crop when other vegetables'are scarce. It is J afso a very useful vegetable to grow for fowls, who are particularly fond of it. and when they are confined, to runs it is an excellent food and medicine. To obtain good leaves and fleshy mid-ribs the soil must he In good condition. The seeds should be sown in drills two inches deep and two feet apart and the plants thinned out to 18 inches apart. If a. summer siupoly is required seeds may he sown in "late August; for a Winter -supply sow about the end of Decomibeir. The green portion should he cooked a,s ispinaeh ami the mid-ribs as MCakale. I f some celery seeds he added bo the water when the mid-ribs are rooked they will taste, almost exactly f 'like stewed celery. GARLIC.

(Jarlie should be planted now in rows one foot apart. Six indues should be allowed between the “cloves,"pressing the.ye down a little more tilra.ii their own depth in the yoi.l. The “cloves” should, be taken out of the silvery .skin which covers tlie compound buHlb and planted singly. ONIONS. Onions should be grown on soil that lias had a good quantity of well-decayed manure: worked into it; fresh nvaniiire is apt l;o make the plants run too much to top. If artificial manure be used 1 a inixtuire of two parts superphosphate, two parts isuilipha.te of potash anr] one part blood and bono is the best. This should be forked in on the surface at the iraitc. of four ounces per square yard when the soil is poor, and two. ounces if in, fair condition. Tlie bed must lie made very film by treading or rolling, or the bulbs will be thick-necked or of poor quality. Autumn-sown onions may be transplanted now in rows eighteen inches apart; the distance, the onions should he placed apart depends upon, the size desired. If Kin:® onions are required plant four .inches apart, for large onions from six to. nine inches apart. Trim off the ragged ends of the roots and a few inches off the tops ; do not bury the bulb l , only the roots should ho inserted an the soil. Seeds .should' be isown in August or September, as soon as the soil is warm and dry enougl i. Sow i,u drills, omequarler inch deep and eighteen inches apart, aiid thin out the seedlings before they become overcrowded'. In November*, give a. dressing of nitrate of soda, one ounce per square yard, ahd another in one month’s time.

Deep hoeing must be avoided with the onion- crop, as the object is to keep tlie ground solid and oani.se the bulbs to enlarge on the .surface. Onions for Pickling;—These should be sown, broadcast in wide drills or small beds and a s evenly as possible, to avoid unnecessary thinning. The soil should not be too rich or the bulbs will grow too large. Silver.skin is the best, variety.

In some seasons the onion mildew is very injurious. When this attacks the lops have a coating of a, grey velvety colnuir. The leaves soon wilt, dry up and the growth, of the plant ceases. Spraying with Bordeaux .mixture (one pound of Bordeaux powder to ten gallons. (jf water) is the best cure. Sulphur dusted on the plants when young during wet weather will also preventt the disease appearing. P lIUBA.RB.

Some manure should now he placed mimd! roots of rhubarb; any kind of animal or fowl manure will answer tho purpose. 11 should bo spread in a. layer two inches thick. When organic manure is not available artificial manure should be used, a. mixture of equal, parts of superphosphate and sulphate of potash should lie used at the .rate of four ounces per ..square yard, forked lightly in round tho plants. If boxes or tubs are. placed over the plants tho rhubarb wilt be ready for use much earlier than when allowed! to grow in the ordinary way. I f ally fresh manure lie available it should be placed round the boxes and will, by tlie heat engendered make very early growth. ROUTINE WORK.

[finish planting nil kinds, of trees, shrubs, etc., as soon, ate possible when conditions are favourable. Prune fruit trees and bushes. Prune roses. Plant garlic and shallots.

J Sow broad beans, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, cross, lettuce, mustard, I onion, peas, parsley, radish, spinach, j ' turnip, as soon as the soil is m a suit-I 1 able condition. j 1 Sow under glass Cape gooseberry, cucumber, melon, pumpkin, tomato, vegetable marrow, and seeds of half-1 hardy annual flowering plants. i Place seed potatoes in shallow boxes ; to sprout. Keep in a dark place fill j sprouts appear, then in a light airy, place to keep the shoots hard and sturdy. Protect from frost at night. Those sufficiently sprouted may be planted four inches deep and twelve inches apart in rows two feet apart in a warm sunny position, when the soil is in a suitable condition. It is not advisable to plant in very wet soil. Sow down new lawns. Plant cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce , plants.