In The Garden

Northern Advocate, 15 March 1944, Page 5

In The Garden

VEGETABLES Sow cabbage, cauliflower, endive, spin* ach (winter, or prickly seeded), lettuce, parsnips, radish, silver heel, turnip, carrot. The first sowing of onions for early crop may be made. Plant out celery cabbage, and cauliflowers. Lightly hoe between rows of growing crops. Plots that have carried exhausting crops may be trenched and rejuvenated with' compost, or greenstuff in readiness for a later crop. Earth up celery and leeks as they require it Lav down new lawns

FLOWERS Nature has been pruning in a big way. The recent storm has broken branches off trees and brought down a lot of twiggy dead wood covered with, lichens. This should bo collected and burnt. Tree branches should be cut away neatly and the cut edges painted with lime wash or A storm teaches us that it is wise to keep trees and'shrubs pruned the way we want them to grow. The advantages o.i pinching out the tips of branches to make more compact bushes is easily seen. In some situations the small tree with upright stem and spreading or bushy top is fancied. To obtain this tie the main stem or stems firmly to a strong stake. Then lightly prune, or pinch out the growths as they appear so as to keep the bush shapely. Recent heavy rains have destroyed many troublesome insects, but slug's and snails look like being plentiful this year. Keep the ground turned over, and untidy corners cleaned to expose eggs to their natural enemies. Wasps have a use in the garden. A few days ago I found a wasp devouring a fine large green caterpillar. Trees and shrubs •seem wonderfully free from pests when there are wasps about. Compost heaps are necessities in the garden now. and this year there is a good supply of weeds, grass cuttings etc., to keep them going. Refuse from the house should be added to the compost; also soot, wood ashes, and soil should be sprinkled over it to keep down flies and help in the manurial value of the compost. March is a good month for liming the ground. Manure may be put on a few weeks after liming, if necessary. Continue to sow seed. Plant seedlings; also plant bulbs; also anemones and ranunculi. etc, for spring show of bloom. ROOT CROPS Turnips and swedes should be thinned out to about nine inches apart, so as to give the “bulbs’* every chance to swell. Carrots and parsnips need not. be thinned out to the same distance as these vegetables may afterwards be used as they are thinned out. They may he small and rather tedious to handle, but they are easilv cleaned and very palatable. These vegetables do not, show the same response to application cf liquid manure as foliage vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce etc., but they like a fairly rich and deep soil, bottom heat, good drainage and available phosphate and potash, as for example, super and woodashes. LAWNS The present is probably the best time of the year for laying down new lawns. There is still warmth and the autumn rains supply the necessary moisture: and there is not the same crop of weeds as are met with in the spring and early summer. The grass should be encouraged to come away and make growth as quickly as possible. Don't leave the sowing too late,’ say later than the middle of next month. From now on to the end cf March is a very suitable time. Good soil and good drainage are necessary, and the soil should be levelled and settled before sowing Sow thick! v and evenly Too often too little seed is used. Don't use cheap seed mixtures. For our soil brown top is favoured as the dominant grass in the mixture, together with small quantities of chewing’s fescue and poa pratenses.