In the Garden

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 25 June 1937, Page 3

In the Garden

neglected or the result may be disappointing. . • . Young lettuce should be planted out i.i suitable spots. They can be fairly close together to allow for pulling in a young state. Dust with soot if slugs are troublesome.

>t Complete the thinning of winter spinJ - ach and turnips. y No matter how deep or how shallow you are trenching, always break Up the :a bottom of the trench or furrow with a w garden fork. The same’applies when digs' ging for trees or shrubs. . , ifc Ground for early planting of' peas and potatoes should be prepared as soon as !r possible, ;e Have you arranged a definite place for n your seed beds, or are they going to D straggle in small bits here and there over the entire vegetable ground So many t> people make little seed beds, just where d there happens to be room for nothing e eise in particular. Cramped in the angles d of walls or fences or hedges, or poked up o close to fruit bushes or in the shade. The y seedlings that come up in .'these unfory tunate circumstances are quickly attacke ed by pests or disease. Mark out a defii- nite area, in a sunny spot, where there is P plenty of room for all the seeds you ini’ tend to sow for transplanting. The obt jectiou often raised against that scheme o by those who have beeii.in the habit of sowing pinches of seed just where there, i- chances ,to be a square foot of soil Or y unoccupied ground, is that a large seed d bed wastes' space later on. What is to ; n be done with, it when the. seedlings have ah been' planted they want to know, h What is wrong with .making up the. mary row bed there when the patch is finished s with as a seed bed? You can be quite e certain that the seed bed space will not ■ bo wanted after it has done its original - joo. ’MIDST THE ELOW'ERS ' :1 3 In some gardens the first daffodils of the season are now being picked. Choose a fine day for lose planting and regulate the planting according to instructions. bulbs are showing up, and the weeds are also in evidence. A good plan where the bulbs are planted in beds and in rows is to turn over the top two or three inches by digging with the garden fork. This buries the weeds and freshens up the surface. [ Seedlings and small, plants that art) in beds must be carefully tended and watched. Growth is slow, and a few slugs will soon play havoc with the plants. Early llowering sweet peas must be kept to the supports. Lavender, as old-fashioned as it is popular, is easily propagated by cuttings During the winter is the best time to do tins. Lull oft medium-sized branches with ■ a heel ’ attached. Riant them firmly m a well drained position, in full sun if pos. sible. The pieces should be about three 1 or four inches long. 1 During bad weather, when outside work 1 is at a standstill, is a good opportunity i lor making cuttings of many deciduous i and evergreen shrubs. The cuttings can f he made, and if stood in boxes with, damp I moss around the bases, they can be kept until the soil is in condition for plant- .1 ing. jISlugs and snails are very numerous and v generally reap a harvest during the wet t weather. Only an enthusiast goes out / in the rain to protect iiis hobby from tliese pests. Reduce their likelihood of r destroying your plants by carefully weeding and clearing away any dea'd wood or 3 rubbish that they may hide under. ” Sow the early spring flowering seeds •is ioilows .* Stock, cineraria, pansy, violas, antirrhinums, carnations, nemesia, poppy, sweet pea. etc. Now that the weather is uncertain do not risk sowing seed in the open beds as too much wet may rot the seeds. tor tiee and shrub and hedge plantings carefully spread out the roots, place some earth on them and firmly tread. Next (ill in loose soil even with the surface. Stake those that require support.

FINE WEATHER CONDITIONS

THE VEGETABLE PLOTS With the spell of fine weather gardening operations are well advanced. Autumn-sown onions heed to be kept free of weeds. The hoe nnlst be used between crops whenever the soil is dry enough. Attend to the earthing-up of cabbages and others of the bassica family. Draw the soil up to form a ridge, as this assists to keep the roots drier during the winter. Union, cabbage, cauliflower and silver beat plants may be set at once. Cabbage and cauliflower should be planted in small quantities eyery three weeks from now on, to give succession crops. Mow. is the time to overhaul jour hern bed. Thyme roots may now be divided and planted out. Marjoram and sage are necessary for every seasoning. An odd plant of each should find its way into every garden. Sow parsley seed thinly in drills: this makes an exceptionally 1, • accumulate. This could only be done line border round’the vegetable garden. Jerusalem artichokes should be dug up and stored. This crop, even though carefully dug, usually leaves a sufficient number of young tubers in the ground to provide for next season’s crops. This is a good time to give the various tools a thorough overhaul. They should be thoroughly cleaned, sharpened and oiled. Good, clean, sharp tools mean easier and beter work. VV inter digging is not popular with many gardeners. It is feared that they are inclined to be retrospective at this season,, and to leave the digging till the ground is required for sowing or planting. The necessity for getting all vacant ground dug at the earliest opportunity after the crops are off is very essential. Trenching is much better done in winter than left till the “turn of the year.” Any accumulation of garden refuse may conveniently be disposed 01. It is surprising bow much rubbish may be got rid of in this way. There is no particular need about leaving a level sur face as the rougher it is left the more good will be accomplished by the action of the weather. The levelling can be done just before the ground is required for sowing or planting. Shallots aru most useful. In their early stages they are a splendid substitute for spring opions. Later on, when fully developed, they are of great value for ■pickling or all kinds of culinary purposes for which onions are used. The old rule for growing shallots was “Riant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest.” There is still plenty of time if the bulbs are available . Late-sown vegetables should not bo