VEGETABLE GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18571, 1 December 1923, Page 4 (Supplement)

VEGETABLE GARDEN.

NECESSITY OF STAKING. The fierce,, drying winds experienced during" the early parts of the week have necessitated extra care being given > ■to staking and tying up all plants needing supports. "' Tall growing plants especially, if at all exposed to such winds are liable to be so whipped about and damaged that their cropping capabilities ? become : impaired, so that every care should be taken to protect the plants as much as possible. It is in such weather that the beneficial results of de«p.' hoeing and .keeping -, the soil well stirred are plainly seen, as much more healthy, vigorous growth is made than when the soil is left undisturbed. Keeping a nice loose surface prevents the rapid loss of moisture by evaporation, while it admits the warm, moist air to percolate the - soil and invigorate •> root growth. Ground, on the other hand, that is left unbroken quickly becomes' parched up, ; a bard crust being formed that exclude the elements necessary ;to growth. The thinning out of young seedling crops must have attention, whether it be in the seed bed from which they are. ; to be planted, or left to grow in the permanent beds. This is best done when the plants are in the young;seedling stage, and when; they can be easily removed without disturbing the plants left to form; the crop. The thinning must in every case be regulated; by the varieties grown, the size the roots or tops attain to, but in T every.; case sufficient space should be ' allowed between jjftdj. fas the plants to fully develop.

early sown crops hate so far da& -.■>_- fj markablv well. . Pea« hav t been fafrfo H plentiful, and from this time onward *W H should be a good supply. French' j£Lw f ]: too, are growing well and are setting fat '; II freely. Broad beans, a* usual, are by ml I | means plentiful, the Holers failing to m* W on aeount of the damage caused b* I humble bee. . • " * --. - . v : 1 :-- • . POTATOES. '-. Slifft 1 Potatoes, so far, have done will : | are rapidly developing their ; croos. S» '" ' g season has evidently been favouiiiblfe W ■■ - I them, for with few exceptions, crap-,' £111 I looking exceptionally healthy- an d \J k I little affected by disease. Spraying hw 1 ever, should in no case he neglected J ! I it is usually at the flowering period thai ' I the disease attacks and pnrcads n,J : 1 rapidly. . * m | •- TOMATOES. . - 'i- : Early planted tomatoes are now taskm* ■ I rapid headway, and will need I special ar-'*!' tention in removing all superfluous V Securing the plants by tying up to strong 1 stakes, trellises, or whatever method of * training is adopted, as well as frequent!* 1 I spraying the plants as a preventive of I fungoid disease. With proiw culture it i. 7 1 surprising the amount of fruit that can be 1 I grown.upon a few plants, and there is I scarcely a cottage garden but has space • i enough to grow sufficient fruit to supply- ft household requirements. The plants win I grow and thrive will in any ordinary - I garden soil that has been well worked 'I' and cropped with vegetables but should J) have no fresh manure applied at the tim« I of planting. Fresh manure results in too -&lV rank growth and entails too much labour I' in stopping and thinning Hut in addition 1 to this, the plants will not produce tfc» t number of bunches or set their fruit »<■ . I •freely as when the plants are making mote i sturdy, and short jointed growthf Tl> * 1 amount of growth alio ved to each* "plant 1 will depend upon the system of &S£ • 1 adopted. The simplest method of train * I ing for the amateur, and one that wiliwp give the most satisfactory results is fo i allow only one or, at most, two of 5 the *■ leading shoots to grow to each plant. These should be securely staked and tied f up as they advance in growth. All side, I j laterals should lie removed from time to I time as they commence to glow, and if the ; I plants are not unduly forced with manure'■&-1 the bunches of fruit should form at short distances apart from near the : bottom to the' top of the stem. By cemfiain,, the - growth in the manner stated the flowers se: more freely, resulting a - larger and better bunches of fruit, wails nearly the whole of the fruit will prop, erly mature and ripen. I;, on the other , hand the plants are avowed t|p grow away unatopped or unthroned, although more bunches may form, only a; mm |l percentage will ripen, and tlies* will-not attain anything like the size or qualitr of the fruit that have received fair ! i treatment.. It is after the fruit is set • , that every assistance should be given and ' i when mulching and liquid maaare'ean be '■■ i applied" with advantage. :' « ; ¥fe#&«

■ 9 ASPARAGUS. • .- ■- ''--■■ ■.'■;■■ ?■«*': In cutting asparagus care must be Men not to cut so close as to weaken theroots for next season's crop. Often' the tendency is to cut every reasonable 5 size-' head that'appears above ground,J tmstihl' to any weaker, shoots that may corao i>j>" later to, carry on root action. • This 'ii a mistake, for under too close cutting tiie roots are weakened instead of increasing * in strength, each year, as they should do if a few strong shoots were allowed' tg grow up from each plant. ' Too many shoots however, are by no -means' an. advantage, and it would be. better to'itnSM out some of the weaker than to'depriVa the plants of all the stronger shoots. '/' 1 SKJCCESSIONAL CBOPS. There is still plenty to do in so whig t* keep up successional crops, thinning . otit, hoeing, earthing up plants that need it; 1 and staking all plants needing supports. From this time onward every enort ebouldi " be made to keep up a supply of season- ■'; able crops by sowing at reasonable inter- : vals and \in such quantities as to ' fill re* quiremerrts. In small garden* especially, v such crops peas, which- is s the?favout^^£; . vegetable at , this _ season,' can "pnlyj *><* kept up by successional sowing. beans too, are always in demand during the summer, and with reasonable < treat-' ment produce abundant crops. To keep - up a supply small sowings should be sown || at intervals of about three weeks. Scarlet | and other runner .beans are really most:-; profitable crops for gardens of limited area:ji or although a little later. in coming into bearing an abundant crop caa be obtained,: from a very small space, while with fair • treatment they" continue >tb.^bkr? almost. throughout the summer. From this time, onward salads will be it great demand. Fortnightly sowings should ,be made *of '". mustard, cress, and radishes, while a small. bed ,of lettuce should be sown every iew weeks. ■ These should be sown in groomls l that have " been well enriched with mannre, an d allowed ' to grow.where sown, and; kept well supplied with moisture until, read for use. :-~ -;: :•