Seasonal Gardening Notes

Hutt News, Volume XII, Issue 23, 24 November 1948, Page 13

Seasonal Gardening Notes

(By "HORTI.")

Of chief interest among gardeners and flower lovers during the past week was the /lower show staged by the local Horticultural Society in conjunction with the Hutt Valley Federation of Women's Institutes. The display of floral work, the excellent lay-out, and the quality of the individual blooms created much favoiu-able comment from the large number of people who attended the exhibition.

Poor Vegetable Section

From the home gardener's point Of view, however, the display of vegetables was most disappointing. It is indeed remarkable that for a district of this size with the many gardens cultivated so little interest is taken in exhibiting vegetables. I feel sure that after spending some time around the vegetable exhibit and overhearing remarks passed there are many keen gardeners who would derive much pleasure in placing the results of their efforts to be judged with that of their neighbours on the show bench. The exhibiting of vegetables has much to commend it. It gives the gardener an incentive to produce better crops and also brings him in touch with his fellow-competitor, with whom he can discuss the merits or demerits of various garden plants and methods of culture. To those who visit the shows I would suggest that for the next exhibition, which will be held in February of next year, gar-

deners in the Hutt district make an effort to stage a' display of vegetables that will give an indication of the splendid crops that I am sure are being produced in this fertile valley. The following notes,are for the benefit of those gardeners who may be doubtful of the requirements for the exhibition of vegetables. The choice of subjects should have direct relation to the utility of the crops, and to their intrinsic value for food. The selection of varieties should.be the very best obtainable, it being folly to devote care and space to the cultivation of inferior stocks when the same efforts with a highclass stock will yield infinitely better results.

The or examples selected for exhibition should be the most perfect in every detail, avoiding everything of a freakish or excessive development, and should be shown in the condition in which they are most suitable for practical use.

Preparation for exhibition should consist of removal of all dirt, discoloured foliage, and anything offensive to the eye or detrimental to the pleasing appearance of the vegetables, but must not include any interference with or manipulation of the specimens with intent to deceitfully alter their appearance or in any way to tamper with or "fake" them in an endeavour to mislead the judges.

Haying then carefully selected and prepared the produce, the exhibitor should for his own advantage, and for the credit of the show, strive to display the exhibit in the best possible manner that every item may show itself to full benefit. Finally, neat labels should be placed on every item, bearing the correct name of the subject and variety for the enlightenment of visitors to the show.

To Grow Good-quality Turnips Those who fail with turnips do not appreciate how important it is to grow them in soil with a high (humus content. Turnips need to be grown quickly if they are to taste as they should, and without check if they are not to go to seed. It is ihe attention that must be given to the soil before seed sowing, therefore, that makes all the difference. If the ground was well manured in the spring there should be no need to dig in well-rotted manure or compost now. On ithe other hand, if an area has to be used that is not in "good heart" it will be advisable to dig in compost a spade's depth about one bucketful to the square yard. The compost in this case should be properly rotted. In addition use an organic fertiliser like fish manure or blood and bone 4 ounces to the square yard. The soil for turnips needs to be in fine condition and moderately firm. Sowing a few seeds at every six Inches along the drill will save much time in thinning and is hot so wasteful. Seed will germinate in about ten days, and apart from thinning and regular hoeing the plants will not require any further attention.

Vegetable Marrows The vegetable, marrow is a popular summer vegetable and generally receives scant attention at the hands of most gardeners, who usually allot it a space in some odd out-of-the-way corner of the garden. True, it is an accommodating plant, but to produce marrows of good quality and flavour they need rich growing conditions with copious supplies of water and feeding, particularly When the marrows are swelling. Another common fault among many gardeners is that they dislike cutting the marrows when young and quite small, and aim at growing large marrows. It should be remembered that a large seedy marrow is coarse and of poor flavour, and the cutting of the fruits when email does not exhaust the plants and production is maintained, but once they are allowed to swell the seeds the plants are soon exhausted and the crop soon finished. Seed can be sown on the site where they are to produce a crop. Holes are prepared by digging

out the soil to a depth of about, two feet and refilling with about twothirds rotted manure, good compost or even rotted leaves. Nobody grows marrows on mounds of soil nowadays. This practice originated in large gardens in the days when good supplies of manure and heaps of rubbish were obtainable. Any attempt to copy the idea in small gardens is doomed to failure because the heaps or mounds forming the marrow bed are bound to dry out. The best plan is to select an open site for the marrows, although a little shade during part of the day will do no

harm. It is unnecessary to pinch and stop the marrows except insofar as is necessary to prevent them from going next door. Marrows bear male and female flowers. The female flowers have a baby marrow beneath them and the male carry a core covered with pollen. Although insects should fertilise the female flowers some gardeners prefer handpollinating. This operation is quite simple: you take a male flower, remove the petals and push-the core into the centre of the female flower. Use a different male flower for each female. Marrows must be kept watered, otherwise the fruits will fall off. Use fertilisers sparingly or the marrows will be all seeds. If any roots appear on the surface topdress them with soil or compost. To those with limited space I would recommend the "bush" varieties of marrows. They can be obtained in both green and white and are early and prolific.

Heavily-cropped Apple and Pear Trees

Many local gardeners have one or two fruit trees in their gardens and feel most gratified to see their trees bearing, heavy crops. For young trees in particular there are two major reasons why the crowded fruits should be thinned while, they are small. First, you get bigger and better fruit, for in the end the weight of the bigger fruits makes up for the loss of those sacrificed and the crop is generally of better quality. Second, reduction of the crop means less strain on the energies of the tree. If you attempt to bring too big a crop to harvest you may injure the tree's fruiting capacity in future years, for by overtaxing its energy the tree will have nothing to

spare with which to build up the buds for next year's flowers and fruit. Some discretion should be used, however, in thinning apples and pears. The ability of the tree to carry its crop can be determined largely by its leaves, their size, number and condition. If a tree is carrying much fruit and at the same time is luxuriant in foliage then it can be thinned lightly, with clusters reduced to two or three fruits. But if a tree has had many blossom buds and now has a somewhat light coat of leaves it is advisable to thin rather heavily to single fruits per cluster. The trees which really pay for thinning are the cooking apples. They tend to set fruit in clusters and it is as well to thin the clusters to singles and doubles. . Dessert apples should be thinned carefully. It is best to remove the fruits with the shortest stalks in any one cluster, since they are likely to be pushed off later anyway. When you leave clusters of fruit you get more damaged apples since pests such as caterpillars, weevils, and other fruit-eating insects find it easier to hide and migrate from one fruit to another.

What applies to apples applies to pears.. If the foliage is luxuriant and' in robust health the trees are likely to carry their crops without being -overtaxed. If the foliage is thin, then the fruit must be thinned.

To Preserve Cut Flowers

, There are certain flowers, chiefly those which exude a milky sap from the steps when cut, and including poppies, guems, and various other fragile blossoms, which either shed their petals or droop very rapidly. This may frequently, if not always, be prevented by a very simple means. Before commencing to cut prepare a kettle of boiling water, and pour some into a basin. As each flower is cut dip the end of the stem about two Inches in the boiling water, holding it there only a few seconds. Keep adding water from the kettle to maintain the temperature of the water in the bowl at practically boiling point. Merely hot water is useless; the end of the stem must be scalded. The sap in the stem is thus congealed, and the effect upon the lasting capability of the flower is very remarkable.