THE GARDEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17949, 16 November 1918, Page 5

THE GARDEN.

I WORK FOR THE WEEK. KITCHEN GARDEN. Seeds to Sow.—Beans, beet, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cress, cucumber, lettuce, onions, peas, radish, savoy, tomato, turnip, spinach. What to Plant.—Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, lettuce, melon, potatoes, vegetable marrows. The frost was more severe than was generally thought. Many crops of vegetables have been quite destroyed, and some gardeners will have considerable difficulty in making good their losses. Beans can be transplanted, and where tomatoes had been planted fairly deep they will send up shoots from the eyes that were under the soil. The early potato crop was hit very hard, and those who put in good breadths of second earlies will have the best returns. No time should be lost in doing everything possible to make good the blanks. Go over all plants that have been frostbitten and cut away the blackened tops. Get Brussels sprouts planted out as soon as possible. Keep a sharp look out for the cabbage fly- When it is discovered spray all the plants, to prevent this pest from establishing itself too strongly eo early in the season. Promptly cut off all flower heads from rhubarb and seakalo. These spikes of blossom impoverish the crown, and the sooner they aro removed the bettor. Keep the hoe busy among all vegetable crops, and if possible prevent any weed from ripening its seed* HARDY FRUITS. It is to be regretted that large quantities of fruit were destroyed by last week's frost. Apples, plums and gooseberries in large quantities are, quite spoilt, and what promised to be a heavy crop of fruit has been seriously reduced. The protective value of foliage can be seen in many orchards. The fruits on trees that have very thin foliage has suffered more than that on trees with heavy leafage. All injured fruits should he removed, as the damaged fruit cannot develop into a useful sample. If left on the trees it will take some of the "force" that should be directed to maturing the sound fruits. It is rather early to say bow much injury strawberries have suffered, but in some gardens many blossoms will prove blind. Apples and pears should be sprayed to keep the codlin moth down. Thia insect is ever busy, and it is only by constant attention that it is effectively controlled. FLOWER GARDEN. Lawns that were sown in the spring are coming on fairly well. The young grass plants need a shower of rain. After rain the grass will grow very fast, and soon cover the ground. Thin seedling flowering plants, stake all that need support, Keep the hoe busy and pull up all weeds the hoe does not. cut. It is a mistake to leave a few weeds to flower and ripen their seeds early in the summer. GREENHOUSE. Flowering plants need very careful attention to keep them in good condition for a long time. Watering is the most important item. Too much, the plants soon go sick j too little, and the flowers fade, and the leaves turn brown. The plants scon lose their decorative value if neglected- Pelargoniums are one of the brightest and most popular of the spring and early

summer plants for conservatory and verandah, but one often hears the remark that " they don't last long." This is very true if the plants are watered in a haphazard way. But with careful attention they remain bright and beautiful for months. These plants make a lot of roots, and most of these are at the bottom of the pot. They grow round the ball of soil, each root getting bigger every day. Being round, there are spaces between each, where air accumulates, when tbe soil shrinks from dryness or absence, of water. To get dry is not harmful. It is good, because the air which follows the water sweetens the soil, and helpß to keep the roots healthy and vigorous. But the plant should not bo allowed to remain dry. The soil and roots should be thoroughly soaked as soon as the dryness is discovered. One watering is not enough; exactly how many is' needed depends ou several conditions: the size of the pot, how much space for water, and how firm the soil was rammed when the plant was potted. One watering may wet the surface soil, where there are but few roots, but the lower portion of the ball, where the mass of roots is, will remain quite dry. Plants left in this condition for a week or more will lose all their freshness, and most of the larger leaves will turn brown. This means the loss of quite half of the decorative value of the plants. With careful observation one can tell the condition of the soil by the colour of the flower pot. If the soil is dry the pot will have a whitishgrey colour; if the soil is damp the pot will look fresh and damp. The best way to water these plants is to plunge them in a bath of water, and leave them until they cease to "bubble." Of course, where there are dozens of plants this method would take up too much time, but where there are but a few it is the best and most profitable. You can make certain that pot. soil and roots are soaked, and all the air ejected, and there is no loss of plant food. Every time we pour water on the soil some of the goodness is carried away with the water that passes out at the bottom of the pot. but by immersing the plants in a hath or tub of water there is no loss of plant food. These remarks apply to all pot plants, and if this method of "plunging" could be practised generally all flowering plants would retain their decorative qualities for a much longer period.