GARDENING NOTES

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 27 January 1933, Page 7

GARDENING NOTES

(BY “SALVIA.”) planting late: crops A week or two lust owing to dry weather in sowing and planting can always be made up by deeply working and manuring the ground and placing it in the best possible condition for the ciups ’to be sown and planted. Showers will have a better chance to penetrate ground that has been; kept under good cultivation. After the long dry spell the sowing and planting of crops for autumn and winter use trill need all the more attention. Further sewings tan be made of peas, dwarf beans, carrots, parsnips, tin-nips, spinach, turnip or stumpro.viecl beet,’ lettuce, leeks.' parsley, as well as another sowing of cub huge, cauliflower and other colworts for later planting. . . Kumaras* are now throwing -out their runners freely and should be kept frequently hoed while this operation can be performed without injuring the runners. As growth advances the runners •should be •occasionally lifted to .prevent them from taking root and so check the development of the tubers. With egg plants it is important that the plants be kept in a. healthy, growing condition. from the time they are planted until the fruit is obtained, su that occasional watering may be necessary. A good heavy mulch, however, will in a great measure lessen the labour ol watering. ■ - - • ■TOMATO CROPS-

Tomatoes arc now rapidly developing their fruit and so far they have been little affected by disease. Hus, however, should not prevent spraying as a preventive, adding arsenate of lead to the fungoid solution with the intention to destroy caterpillars that may attack the fruit. When growingfreely few plants need more attention in keeping superfluous growths under control. It is. in fact, the main factor in the production and development of heavy crops of fruit. It i,s when the plants are at this stage that artificial stimulants can. be applied with advantage, either in a. liquid form or sprinkled around the plants before rain or watering. ONIONS.

From- this time onward the onion crops will need watching. As soon as they are ready for lifting they should be pulled and left on the ground until dry and ripened before being stored. Amateuir growers are often at a loss •to know the best- time to lift their onion's. As soon as they are matured the tops invariably drop over natural i.v. and when they have become yellow and partly dried and shrivelled near the bulbs they are safe for lifting. At this time the root action has practically ceased and the bulbs part from the soil with the slightest touch. As the lifting proceeds the roots should be turned up to the sun, the onions being allowed to’remain on the ground for a few days to allow their becoming thoroughly dried and ripened before storing. Every advantage must be taken of favourable conditions for the planting out of cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli. Brussels sprouts and others of the brassica family. To grow these crops to the best advantage a deep rich soil is essential. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, sprouting broccoli and kale succeed well in soils of a. fairly retentive nature, while cauliflower succeed best in soils of a lighter nature. The chief difficulty with all of the brassica family during the dry summer weather is to protect the foliage from the ravages of the flv (or grub). Beioro planting a good plan is to dip the plants in a solution of arsenate ol lead. This will adhere to the under side of the leaves and will for a time at least protect the foliage 1 from this pest. Occasional spraying will, however, be necessary during dry, hot weather, either with arsenate of le;.id oi- niecotiuc sulphate, spraying so that every portion of the foliage is moistened with the material applied. c:hr y s a nthem um s .-

Chrysanthemum plants will require constant attention irom this up to the time of flowering. Superfluous shoots that form from time to time -should be removed, as they detract from the strength of the selected shoots that are to grow on and produce the show blooms. Y.Tien the plants are allowed to grow naturally without stopping the 'first break, as it is termed, is caused by the - formation of a flower bud in the point of growth. '1 Ins checks the upward flow of sap and causes side shoots to start below the aforesaid bud. When the lateral shoots are about two niches long, three or four is a safe number to reserve to grow on to produce the show blooms; the others are removed.

The system usually practised by present day growers for show purposes is to nip off the tops of the young plants when they are about nine inches high, which causes all the varieties to break uniformly and produce Awarder growth. They select three, or. to be <m the safe side in* the event oi one of the shoots being destroyed by caterpillars, four of the strongest of the side shoots to grow on and produce the show blooms. These must be regularly tied to their supports, and a constant watch kept for caterpillars or leaf diseases, rust being the worst. On the first appearance of rust or before spray with Bordeaux or other approved fungicide, to which arsenate of load may be added to form a combined insecticide and fungicide. Chrysanthemums being shallow root ing, stimulants are best to be applied at intervals from the present time until -the .bmls begin to show colour,, when, they should be discontinued. An oxces-s of nitrogenous manures at the time of planting promotes too vigorous long-jointed sappy growth that is mqre subject to disease than the firmer ami slower growth. and less easily controlled.

The surface soil around the plants .should be mulched with short manure and an occasional application of weak liquid manure, given every week until the buds show colour. An ideal liquid manure may be obtained by dissolving half an ounce of each of nitrate of potash and sulphate of potash in a gallon of water. Cow and fowl manure in liquid form well diluted are valuable stimulants. To give a change vary the liquid manure, and always apply when the soil is wet with rain or clear water.