IN THE GARDEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 29 March 1934, Page 3

IN THE GARDEN

HINTS FOR AMATEURS T.m: V!iui'-TAIU.Ji BLOTS Fiie long-awaited rain vvliich fell at the beginning of tlie week should make tlie soil in condition for operations over the holiday (icriod. Vacant plots which have not yet been sown with a green cover plot sliould be attended to. Late sown beans should be kept moving by constant hoeing or judicious use of the rake. Late beans arc a luxury, but they must be given plenty of attention or they will not be a success. Make a sowing of onions. Giant Rocca is a popular variety at this season. Jf potato onions have been stored for seed they should be looked over and all doubtful looking bulbs removed. Silver beet may be sown or planted. Tt should do now. Green kale also may be planted. Top-dress cabbage and cauliflower with a litle superphosphate. This is the time to start them growing again. Cabbage and early cauliflower should be planted and sown in districts where the cabbage fly is on the wane. From now on the soil will contain appreciably less beat. If green manure crops have not been sown, they should be put in at once. It will be necessary to see that the seeds are well buried or the birds will get' most of them. Parsley should bo sown for spring use.

Radishes may also be sown in warm spots, but the. soil must be well prepared. Lettuce can be sown, but only in light, warm land. Tt is too late for them to come to any size if they are planted in heavy land. If the soil is very wet, sow on raised beds

Sow turnips for winter and spring use. They will do really well on light land only. This is the best time for cleaning out all drains. Winter crops depend largely on the drainage. Vegetables are easy to grow in the summer, but it requires a lot of labour and fore-thought to have them ready for use in the \yinter. The most important factor is perfect drainage or as near as possible. If there are now more carrots than required for immediate, use, it is better to lift and store them. It will probably be necessary to use a fork to loosen them and they may then bn drawn out. The tops sliould be cut off fairly close to the stem, and the roots may be at once stored. If put into a heap in a convenient dry spot, and covered with litter and perhaps a. little soil to retain this in place, they will keep under these conditions quite sufficiently long for the purpose. If not lifted after growth is completed, they are likely to split following heavy vain. Globe beet which is well advanced, may be treated in the same way. If grown 100 largo they become coarse. Globe beet should be used before the long beet which keep beter

’MIDST THE FLOWERS Geraniums perhaps planted a year or so ago have grown large, out of shape, and untidy. Now is a good time to give them a complete overhaul. The plants should he lifted and the roots and tops cut hack hard. The old stumps can I lien he planted in a well- drained, sunny position. Shade and dampness are fatal and are the cause of the plants being so badly attacked by rust. They do not need much manure, in fact, none at ail. If ground is in fair condition, a little sand and leafsoil is good]' however. The old stumps can also be''potted up. In this case after potting keep them rather dry until they begin to sprout, then water them only at long intervals until they begin growing freely ,again. A number of the cutiugs should lie put in at this season, and will root freely.

The disagreeable odour which comes from flowers in vases is due to the decay of the stems and leaves in the water. Therefore remove all the flower leaves before putting flowers into vases. This is a good time for planting cyclamen in the open ground; the bulbs aro beginning to make roots, and the soil is warm and moist to start them. When planting only bury the corm about half-way; if entirely buried the. damp soil causes the flower stems to damp. Both early and late (lowering sweet peas can bo sown now. Where tho seed was sown earlier the plants will be ready for transplanting. Paris daisies, or Marguerite chrysanthemums: Old plants that have done flowering should be cut back, utilising some of the healthy lops for cuttings to produce young stocks. Most bulbs can be planted now, and the earlier the better, but see that they are got in right way up and resting on the soil on the bottom of the hole. Make the holes with a trowel and not with a dibbei;. Pressing the bulbs into the top soil is also wrong. Attend to the lhinning : out of seedling annuals sown in the open as soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle. Allow each plant sufficient room to properly develop. Some of the thinning may be utilised for transplanting. Seedling annuals sown in the open should be thinned out when the plants are large enough to handle. The thinnings can he planted up; at this time of the year they transplant very well. Cuttings of calceolarias, penstemons, antirrhinums, verbenas and marguerites will root well now if planted in sandy soil and kent shaded till they root. After lifting daftodils and drying them, the question of dividing the bulbs before planting is one over which amateurs often fail. They will try to break off every little offset, and the result is that many are rendered useless bv having no root base. Unless the offsets aio'quitc distinct, and not connected hv any sheathing skins, they should not be broken off. It is much better to leave (lie sidoshoots on, and to replant the hull) without dividing it than to break them off to ho useless._ Chrysanthemums are now swelling their bud*, and weak liquid manure, applied omr or twice a week' will help t hem. • Cow manure soaked in water lor a day or so is all right, but do not overdo the nitrogenous manures, such as sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, or fowl manure. A little is all right, hut two much will cause tho petals to damp. Plants in the herbaceous border that are coming into flower should be carefully staked and tied up. Most of the autumn bloomers are tallisl) growers, and have to contend with stormy weather.