THE HOME GARDEN

Hutt News, Volume 15, Issue 36, 25 February 1942, Page 2

THE HOME GARDEN

(By D. K. Pritchard, Instructor of Vegetable Culture. N. 2. Department of Agriculture, who writes for the Home Gardeners' column in the "N.Z. Journal of Agriculture.")

AUTUMN SOWING AND CAKE OF PLANTS Tomato plants which have been 1 well grown should now be supplying the family requirements of tomatoes, and, with proper attention, will continue to do so for some considerable time. Warm days, cool nights with heavy dews, followed by occasional periods of high humidity, make it imperative that spraying the plants with Bordeaux mixture should be attended to if the profitable life of the plants is to be prolonged. Home gardeners would do well to : note that commercial plantings of tomatoes have not increased this season, and, although there may be a short period of plentiful supplies available in the auction markets, prices can reasonably be expected to be above normal. For those who value home-produced tomatoes, there should not be any doubt as to the necessity for maintaining their plants in the best possible condition. A former suggestion concerning liquid manuring should be adopted, and all surplus growths removed from the plants. Hoeing—always shallow —for weed destruction and to assist in the conservation of soil moisture must not be neglected. SEEDS TO SOW IN MARCH Sowing may still be made of lettuce, silver beet, spinach, and, in warm districts, carrots. Plants of the first two vegetables may be sown in a seedling box, but. when transplanted, till the plants should be grown on raised beds. This will afford the necessary drainage for excessive rain. It cannot be too strongly emphasised that vegetable plants will not give best results in badly-drained soil. Lettuce may be planted in rows 12 inches apart, and for a winter crop. 10 inches will be sufficient space between the plants. The rows of silver beet should be 15 inches wide and the plants spaced 10-in. apart. (Seed of spinach may be shown in rows 12 inches apart, and a distance of 10 inches allowed between rows of carrots. ! ■ 5 •: Varieties recmriniended are: — Lettuce. —Neapolitan (winter special), Wonderful. (yriivfer special). Silver Beet. —Broad White Ribbed Spinach—Prickly (winters, Round (summer). Carrots—Earlykrop, Early Shorthorn). The carrot bed will, of necessity, not occupy the same part of the garden as that in which the previous crop of this vegetable was grown. Two-yeur rotation is good, but a three-year rotation is better. Provided the carrot seed is sown on the land previously occupied by potatoes, sufficient plant nutrient residue should be still remaining in the soil to satisfy the fertiliser requirements of the carrot bed. Blood and bone manure is suitable for lettuce and silver beet, but, should this not be available, poultry or sheep manure will be quite satisfactory substitutes. These, however, must be applied in a perfectly dry condition, preferably after the garden is dug, and then thoroughly incorpo.r ated with the soil. Spinach must be well and quickly grown to be obtained in its best and most si:/;culent condition, and, to achieve this, the use of quick-acting fertilisers is necessary. If available mix 2 parts superphosphate and 1 part sulphate of ammonia,—-both measured by weight—and, as soon as the plants attain a height of 1 to 2 inches, apply at the rate of lib to 30 feet of row. Care must be taken to ensure that none of the fertiliser comes in contact with the foliage of the plants. Should this occur, much damage will result and the immediate growth of the plants seriously impeded. Tin 1 fertiliser must be immediately worked into the soil, and subsequent weekly dressings of liquid manure must be applied to assist quick development of -the crop. BEANS AND PEAS To obtain the maximum crop from beans and peas it is necessary that the pods should be kept closely picked and that, none are allowed to ripen until it is decided to retain suflicient from which seed may be saved for sowing next, season. Picking the beans when they are young will prolong the profitable bonring life, of the vine, and, should their use at the time of harvesting be inconvenient, they can be very easily preserved for winter use. CABBAGE, CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLI. Given favourable weather condlditions, the caterpillars of the white butterfly will for the next two months be ver.i active in destructive work, particularly among members of the cabbage family. Nicotine sulphate, arsenate of lead and derris, either as a dust or spray, will prove effective destroying agents. When the sparying or dusting of plants is being carried out, it is important that 'the centre of all plants receives lull treatment. 1!' this is not at- • tended to. the caterpillars will destroy principal growing parts of the vegetable. Weekly applications of liquid manure will materially assist i:i ma ihtai 11 ing vigorous ami healths g i"i • \v ill.

HARVESTING ONIONS Unless there is prolonged wet wea ther when onions are due, or almost due. to be harvested, bending the tops in order to induce ripening is not recommended. If it is at all possible, the onions should be permitted to ripen naturally and then pulled out of the soil. This is easily done, as the roots have almost lost their grip. Should the soil be damp when the onions are removed, place them on a verandah preferably with a northern or north-westerly aspect. Left there for a few hays, they will ripen firmly, after which if it is intended to storet hem. the tops and roots may be removed. Provided the tops are not disturbed," they may be twined round a piece of heavy binder twine and "locked" by the weight of the bulb. This operation completed, the onions should be hung in a shed or outhouse, where they will not be liable ble to become moist with rain, and where there is good air circulation. Treated in this manner, the best keeping strains of Pukekohe Longkeep onions will remain in good condition until the following October or November, and even longer.