IN THE GARDEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 January 1936, Page 3

IN THE GARDEN

THE VEGETABLE PLOT RECROPPING OF THE GROUND How very soon quite a lot of ground in the vegetable quarters will he cleared ! Potatoes will be harvested, first crops of‘peas will yield their last gainings, and the spring cabbage site will be available' for a winter or spring crop. Broccoli follows well upon peas and eaa’ly potatoes, and the manure used when the ground was prepared for those crops last autumn will prove quite sufficient for these plants. It is important to firm the soil, as broccoli grow soli anil weakly in hollow ground, and wul uul build‘up the firm stem and, foliage so necessary it they are to witnsta.iuj winter successfully. Plant very firmly, and give a copious watering. Two ieet and a half between the rows, and to inches from plant to plant arc suitable distances.' Any of the varieties 'W yet be planted, but good breadths ot such late kinds as Whitsuntide and Late Queen may prove especially valuable. CELERY AND CELERIAC It. is not too late to plant out celery; showery weather should, if possible, he chosen for this work, and this plants must be set out in well ina ' n "‘ < j t trenches and watered regularly should dry 'weather supervene. Nine inches to a foot from plant to plant is sufficient space, and the greater distance is recommended if available room permns. Leleriac. or turnip-rooted celery, is a %eiy useful vegetable, and is particularly acceptable in early spring, alter the supply of celery is exhausted. It may still be planted out on the level ground and will appreciate a deeply dug and wellenriched site. The plants may be set out in rows 18 inches asunder and at a distance of one foot from plant to plan . Cel on* ac: is a moisture -loving plant aim must be well supplied with water in dry weather. „ . . . ' A January sowing ol carrots is or considerable value. Young, succulent roots will he forthcoming in early autumn 01 before if conditions are propitious, and also excellent woots will mature for winter use. The carrot will grow steadily throughout autumn and till winter is far advanced. The importance or sowing now cannot be over-estimated. Anv type may be profitably employed, but an' intermediate variety is, peruaps, the most generally useful. Rows a. foot apart will give room lor development, yet, if practicable, an extra two or three inches renders cultivation easy and efficient LEEKS FOR. WINTER AND SPRING Leeks do very well when planted out in late January, and they are very accommodating plants, growing well on almost any class of ground, and proving resistance to severe weather. The sod must he dee]> and liberally enriched with farmyard manure, and the plants set out quite a foot apart Make a large hole with a blunt dibber, and place tile leek to one side of it, not in the centre, then partly fill with soil, and thorougnIv water in. On very light land it is advisable to grow llio leeks in trenches, prepared as for celery. The main crop of winter greens will he growing strongly, yet do not hesitate to fill anv vacant ground with kales, savoy cabbages, sprouting broccoli, or any other useful material. Tl a specie wilder should supervene, these later plantings may considerably augment, a somewhat depleted supply. Spinach is a .most valuable wilder crop, and, although it is often recommended to defer sowing till February, it his been abundanllv°proved that an earlier date is better. A good breadth of useful spinach licet will produce an unbroken supply of succulent leaves from autumn until early summer. Sow the seed in rows one foot apart, and thin the seedlings to three or four inches—too much space is not necessary for this crop. A somewhat sheltered position should, if possible, fie chosen, as. although the plant is haruy, it will suffer least check when shielded from cold winds and frosts. Endive should be sown for winter. Most growers of this useful salad plant make two sowings—one in early January and another at the end of the month. The thinnings will later be pricked out into frames, under cloches, etc., and a portion may remain to mature in the seed bed, hence the necessity to select a place not too bleak for this useful salading. The same rules apply to the growing of lettuces, but the provision of an autumn and winter succession ot this most important of salads will continue for several weeks to come. Turnips for a winter supply may still be sown, except in the coldest of gardens . It is, at any rate, well worth while to make a small sowing for use in autumn. Quite nice little roots will nn terialise in the course of a few weeks. Small beetroots, about the si?e of a large walnut, are delicious for use in the salad bowl, and, if a small sowing ot a globerooted variety is made at once, success is certain. These January sowings ot quick-maturing vegetables and salads are not exploited as tiiey should be. Lv their agency the enjoyment of fresh spring dishes is extended until quite late in the year. SOME USEFUL HINTS Plant plenty of gioen vegetables. It is scarcely possible to have a too great supply, and one never knows what toll the winter will exact. Play tor safety. Space must be reserved for an autumn sowing of onions to be made in February. and in the majority of gardens the seeds of spring cabbages must be sown now. Parsley may still be sown for winter use, and it is wise to select a site easy of access at a season wnen the ground is likely to Le sodden. A narrow border near a path is suitable. Remember also to reserve a small space for a bed of corn saiad or lamb’s a hardy and very useful little salad plant to be sown in mid-February. Ail ground must be thoroughly cleaned of woods before being planted; that from which such crops as early potatoes and peas have been cleared should require little preparation beyond forking over, firming, and levelling, hut a site impoverished by a crop of cabbages will need (o he thoroughly dug and to bo ■ generously manured.--R. E. A. . in the | “Amateur Gardener.” ’MIDST THE FLOWERS Continue to lift spring flowering bulbs and replant, them again as soon a.s convenient Stake dahlias and herbaceous perennials and hoe and cultivate among them. Stake ciu'iiations and ihin the buds it good blooms are desired. Keep the . sweet peas picked, water during dry ! weather and after watering mulch with lawn mowings or strawy manure. As soon as tunn-sias and oilier catch crop annuals are past their best they can be cleared out to allow the slimmer and autumn (lowering kinds to develop. Continue to cut the seed vessels off the rock garden plants, and keep the soil round them stirred up where possible. Mark Sweet Williams with a view to seed saving, and collect seed of liemesia, primrose polyanthus and oilier early [lowering plants as : t ripens. The second crop on the bush roses is | coming away rapidly and, though it is not necessary to disbud so extensively as for the first crop, a, certain thinning

of the buds will be an advantage. Spray for green fly with soapy water lo which a little black leaf 40 has been added and with coson colloidal sulphur or lime sulphur for mildew. Ramblers are abbut their best and attention should be given to thinning and tying m the young growths.