THE GARDEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 27 November 1942, Page 6

THE GARDEN

Seasonal Notes for Amateurs THE EARLY PLANTINGS At this time of the year it is essential to keep the hoe going between growing rows to conserve the moisture in the soil. Keep hoeing around the gooseberries and around the fruit trees to keep the weeds down. Watch the earlier planted vegetables, for, this season, there is an annoying tendency for carrots and similar crops to run straight to seed. If you see signs of this, do not hesitate to use them young as they will be useless if left. Watch the lettuces, too, and use them steadily during the week rather than let them run up into flower. Beet roots are by far the best when they are young, so use them when they reach an eating size. This applies particularly tb the earlier varieties. Tap-rooted varieties should now be sown for developing later. More carrots should be sown as ground becomes available, and broccoli for late planting should be sown in tne seed bed. Early broad beans will soon finish and make room for broccoli and cabbage to come on for the winter months. Celery and leek seed should also be planted in the seed bed, and successional sowings of lettuce, radish, and mustard and cress should be made about every fortnight. THE SMALL FRUITS

The strawberries are ripening fast and straw will keep them off the ground. Nets and frames should be used to keep off the birds. Gooseberries should be thinned and used for stewing as soon as they are big enough. It is likely that many gardeners will this year allow their gooseberries to ripen rather than sacrifice valuable sugar for gooseberry pies. Raspberries and red currants are promising good crops this season. Both need protection from birds or alternatively, picking early and regularly, to beat the hungry birds. Red currants, particularly, will ripen easily if they are picked when the top branches are showing colour. Spread them on a tray under some muslin and they will be all ripe in a day or two. CONTINUE SOWING Some amateur gardeners who, limited in time, do not take quite the same care as the enthusiast, tend to sow and plant, cultivate and weed vigorously during the spring, and later spasmodically water and hoe the resulting crops, with the result that they have freshhome grown vegetables only for a limited riod. With the hot weather arrived, and more care necessary in planting, conditions may not be so pleasant and conducive to sowing and setting out but a little effort and thought now will prolong, for a long time, vegetable independence. Do not be content with the peas you have up and flowering, sow further rows for developing later. It has been almost impossible recently to buy silver beet, which any garden will grow in quantity. Why not sow some now? Catalogues and enticing advertisements of home grown vegetables make interesting reading for nearly all, but few take the necessary action to put their visions into practice.

Providing some effort is made to work the ground free of lumps and several good soakings given, if it is too dry underneath, almost any vegetable and most flower seeds may now be planted with a good chance of success. Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli! leeks and parsnips, if sown now, will be useable right into the winter months. Pumpkins and marrows will keep well and main root crops of carrot and beet, turnip and swede will prove very useful even if by space limitations you can only sow a few of each. It takes very little time to prepare and sow mustard and cress in a box and the flavour they give to salads make the small effort well worth while. Butter beans give a good return and scarlet runners will perhaps yield the best return of any vegetable.