THE HOME GARDEN

Hutt News, Volume 15, Issue 16, 17 September 1941, Page 2

THE HOME GARDEN

(By D. K. Pritchard, Instructor of Vegetable Culture, K.Z, Department ,of Agriculture, who writes for the Home Gardeners'

column in the "N.Z. Journal

of Agriculture.")

ASPARAGUS Asparagus, Which is comparatively easily grown, should be more extensively cultivated in the home garden, and August is the best month for planting. It is highly productive, and once a bed is properly established, cutting may be continued for two consecutive months each season, extending over a period of 15 to 20 years. To ensure best results, however, the greatest possible care should be exercised in' (1) the preparation of the bed, and (2) the kind and quantity of manures and fertilisers used. SOIL AND MANURES , The ideal soil is a deep, welldrained, rich, moist, sandy loam — not too light—which contains an abundant supply of humus. The home gardener, however, will have to make the best use of the soil available. The location of the bed should be deeply trenched and all traces of perennial weeds removed, the soil worked to a fine tilth, and, if available, plenty of stable manure incorporated with the bottom spit. Weil-weathered straw, lawn, and tender green hedge clippings can be utilised as a substitute. It would be an advantage to mix with the soil two handfuls of blood and bone, a handful of superphosphate,- and one of potash for each crown to be planted. This will ensure a good start, and, "Being a combination of water-soluble and waten-insoluble plant nutrients, will be available for some considerable time. PLANTING One-year-old crowns are best for planting. A trench should be opened in which to plant the crowns, which are better not set flat on the bottom. They should be placed on a very slight mound, with the roots spread out evenly and not covered in a tangled mass. The correct depth is about 8 inches below the soil level of the garden, but less in heavy soil, and the soil should be made firm on toj> of the roots. It is inadvisable toStsover the cr&wns to a greater depth than "2 inches. Trenches should not exceed the depth of the top soil, and the young crowns must never be planted in hard subsoils through which the soft fleshy roots cannot penetrate in their search for plant food. The crowns'should be spaced 18 inches apart, if a double row is planted, an equal distance each way between the crowns will be sufficient. Iu view of the length of time the plants may remain in the same place in the garden and the tall and abundant growth which will be produced each season, a planting site should be chosen where no other products will be overshadowed. If the soil is of insufficient depth to permit trenching, raised beds may be made by building up the soil. With the crowns spaced 18 inches apart, the bed intended for a double row should not be less than 42 inches wide; 48 inches wouid be better. In view of the subsequent development of the plants this width must be maintained. CULTIVATION Cultivation should never be neglected, but care must be taken to see that the young shoots are not covered. As the plants grow, the trenches will gradually fill through cultural operations. During early spring and summer cultivation should be regular, but not deeper than is necessary to destroy weeds and assist in. covering soil moisture. Weeds, if allowed to grow, rob the soil of plant nutrients and moisture, which are necessary for the growth and future productivity of the crowns, after-treatment Provided the suggested manurial recommendations have been adopted, no further applications will be necessary until the top growth has been cut and destroyed at the end of the growing season. Except on light soils, the whole of the fertiliser considered essential for the following season's development may be applied in one dressing and worked into the soil. Of necessity, New Zealand-pro-duced organic fertilisers will need to be used. As soon as practicable after the top growth has been cleared, a good handful of blood and bone should be spread round each crown, combined with as much soot and wood ashes as possible. Soot contains from 1 per cent, to 6 per cent, of nitrogen in the form of sulphate of ammonia, and also a little potash and phosphoric acid. It is a protection against slugs and snails, and improves the physical property of the soil. Wood ashes are rich in potash, and in addition contain lime and phosphoric acid. (At the time of writing potash is exceedingly scarce, and obtainable only at high prices. It is advisable, therefore, to conserve all woodashes for the garden.) As soon a 9 growth begins In spring nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia should be applied at the rate of {oz. of the former and l/soz. of the latter to each crown. If preferred, this may be done in solution with a watering can. Watering this crop must on no account be neglected, and occasional soakings should be given. HARVESTING No Bpears should be taken from the first year's growth, and' light cuttings for two weeks during the

second "season And a week longer in the third year will be sufficient. During the remainder of the life of the crowns cutting may extend from seven to eight weeks each season. Whatever length the spears are allowed to grow above the soil before cutting—it may be 2 inches or C inches —it is important that they should be cut before the bud begins to open. The cut should be made from 2 to 3 inches below the surface. When cutting, great care must be taken not to injure the young shoots which remain covered with the soil.

RAISING* TOMATO PLANTS Preparations for growing tomato plants for outside production should start in August, but the best time for setting the plantß in their permant location is important. To pro duce the best fruit and to bring the full crop to maturity, in outside tomato production, a frost-free period of six months is essential. Home gardeners who intend growing tomatoes in the open should therefore proceed with caution through the various stages involved in propagating their own plants.

Throughout the recognised toma-to-growing areas in the Dominion there does not appear to be any considerable difference in the "safe" time for outside planting, but this reference does not apply to a few particularly favoured localities. Except where the plants will obtain the maximum sunshine and full protection from cold winds and rain, near the end of October will be early enough; Labour Day is a good guide for outside planting. Even then, a sharp lookout should be kept until the end of the month for a late frost, two or three degrees of which will destroy the plants.

If it is intended to grow plants instead of buying them, sterilised soil is specially recommended. Sterilisation may be done by steam, but should this not be convenient, the best chemical substitute is formalin, which contains 40 per cent, formaldehyde. This may be purchased in small quantities from most of the leading seedsmen. STERILISED SOIL. If the soil to be sterilised is dry, it should be thoroughly drenched with a dilution of 1 part formalin to 99 parts water. With moist soil, however, the dilution is preferably 1 In 49. In the event of the dry soil not absorbing the liquid quickly give half at the first application and the remainder after half an hour. Immediately the soil has been treated, cover it with bags moistened with the mixture, and leave for 48 hours. After removing the covering, the soil should be stirred daily until all the fumes of tho formalin have disappeared. . Fourteen days after treatment the seed may be sown. In warm localities the seed, particularly for a main crop, may be sown in prepared beds under a glass frame. Generally, a seedling box 3 inches deep, which may be made from an apple case, will be found more convenient A glasshouse, however small, is an acquisition to any garden, and is invaluable for growing early plants.

The seedling box should be filled with a good friable soil which has been put through a sieve, the meshes of which Uo not exceed 1inch, or crushed fine between the hands. The soil should be pressed well down along the sides, and paricularly at the corners, not omitting the centre. When the soil has been levelled off on top of the box, the seed may be broadcast thinly and lightly covered with soil which has been' passed through a very fine sieve and to which has been added about one-third coarse sand. To assist germination, press uie contents of the box down firmly with a piece of dressed timber, if the box is situated in a sunny position, cover it with a piece of lightcoloured paper and a sheet of glass, which must be removed as soon as germination begins The box should be placed in the warmest position possible, and if neither a glasshouse, a hotbed, nor a coldframe is available, a glassed-in porch or verandah will be the most suitable.

From this early sowing, but depending on the method of growing, the seedlings should be ready for "pricking out" or transplanting to other boxes in about 21 to 25 days.

TRANSPLANTING, The main object of transplanting is to assist the plants to proper development and to encourage greater root production, and it is therefore necessary to space the seedlings 3 inches apart each way. When transplanting, hold the young plants by the leaves. The seedlings must never be removed by pulling, but should be eased from the bottom of the box with the small dibber which is being used for transplanting.