Operations for February

Northern Advocate, 18 February 1939, Page 3 (Supplement)

Operations for February

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN \ Sow cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, dwarf beans, spinach, turnips, silver beet. Plant cabbage and cauliflower. Marrows and pumpkins may still be benefited by liquid manure. [ Plant leeks for winter use. Spray tomatoes; also remove lateral shoots. Sow mustard, oats, or other suitable crop for digging in later. Leeks and celery will benefit by applications of weak liquid manure. Lift and throw back kumara vines to prevent their rooting at the joints. Onions and shallots should be lifted and stored ns soon as they I are ready. It is better to string onions than to sack them. They keep better, and are more easily inspected. The present is an excellent time for digging or trenching. After removing a crop, give the soil a good work over, and leave it to air for a week or two. Potatoes should be carefully stored. Don’t leave them exposed to the attack of the potato moth. Make a sowing of endive for winter salad. Lift potatoes as soon as the fops have died down. Strawberry beds now out of use should be well dug over ana limed before growing other crops. THE FLOWER GARDEN Slips of carnations may be put in. Use short, sturdy side shoots. A little sand placed at the base of the slip will assist rooting. Primulus gladioli may be planted for late flowering. Dahlias will benefit by weak liquid manure given once a week. This will not be necessary if the soil has been well manured previously. Sow seed of perennial climbers, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Watch out for caterpillars and grasshoppers, and spray with arsenate of lead. Sow seed of Iceland poppy, primula malacoides. ranunculus, anemone, winter-flowering sweet peas. Keep the weeds down before they have a chance to seed. / Backward late flowering chrysanthemums may be lifted in tins or tubs for flowering under glass. Give the plants a thorough watering before lifting, and don’t let the soil drop off the roots. Plant petunia, nasturtium, lachenalia. freesia, grape hyacinth, geranium, hyacinths, etc., in window boxes. Plant daffodils, the yellow jonquil, etc. The latter will stand more shade and water than most of the spring-flowering bulbs. An early planting may be made of anemone, but best results are obtained from- March planting.