GROWING CELERIAC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20072, 9 October 1928, Page 17

GROWING CELERIAC.

METHODS OF. CULTURE.; Gardoners who are not able to carry out tho extenaive preparations for celery would do well to grow celeriac which may be used as a substitute. Celeriac, known also a3 the turnip-rooted celery, is easier to cultivate and forms a swollen root which is used for soups or as a separate vegetable, The leaves are of no uso at all. Tho time for sowing ccloriac extends until the middle of this month so those who are desirous of growing thi3 crop may sow seed now in a box and prick the seedlings off, when large enough, into good soil. The preparation of the ground may then be seen to. This is a comparatively simple matter as the crop is not very exacting in its requirements. A loose friable soil is preferred and a fair amount of food is required. The preparations should consist of working the soil deeply and incorporating a fairly genorous amount of manure or compost. When the plants are 4in. or sin. high they may bo transplanted, putting them out about 9iri. apart in rows 15in. apart. In warm districts it is quito safe to sow, in tho open. Where this is dono tho seed should bo sown in drills 15in. apart, as above, and the seedlings thinned out in duo course to 9in. Plenty of moisture is reuired by celeriac and it should not be allowed to suffer on account of dryness during tho hot summer. ROUTINE GARDEN WORK. ATTENDING TO THE CROPS. Now that spring is well advanced the gardener will be very busy, not only with putting in suceessional crops, but also with attending to tlioso already in. The latter work will include tho hoeing, staking, thinning out, weeding and earthing up of the various crops according to their requirements. It is time that the main crop of potatoes was in if it is to be successful. As a matter of fact, it is rather later than desirable, so there should be no further delay in planting tho sots. Those that are well up should be earthed up when they aro about 6in. high. Before being earthed up tho fertiliser mixture may bo sprinkled about the bases of the stems if tho application was not attended to at the time of planting. Superphosphate should bo used chiefly and a little sulphate of ammonia and sulphate of potash may be used in addition in tho proportion of 1 of each to 6 of superphosphate. This mixture may bo applied at the rate of 3oz. per square yard if none has been given previously. Early potatoes should be dug as soon as they are ready, so that the ground may bo prepared for other crops. In order to determine whether the crop is ready the grower should burrow into the ridges. If good sized tubers are met with it may be taken for granted that the crop is ready for digging. Other work in connection with potatoes consists of spraying them at regular intervals in order to prevent attacks of the Irish blight. Successful applications from the time tho plants are 4in. high until the crop is harvested are required in order to keep the plants free from infection. As mentioned before, the sprays to uso for this purpose are Bordeaux 4—4—40, Burgundy 4—5—40, or lime sulphur 1 in 80. The sowing and planting of the various crops mentioned last week may be carried out as soon as the ground has been prepared. Second sowings of the various root crops may be made at any time now. Prior to sowing any root crop ono should make sure that the soil is loosened as much as possible, and with this object in view the plot should be forked over thoroughly just before sowing tho seed. The food for root crops is supplied by means of artificial fertilisers, which aro applied just before the seed is sown by dusting along each row and working it in by means of the hoe. About 2oz of superphosphate may bo applied to every one and a-half yards of row. In the case of turnips a snghtly ligher application is advisable.. For beetroot an extra application of coarse salt at tho rate of_2oz per square yard may be made. When all applications of fertiliser have been worked in, the drills may be drawn and the seed sown. Carrots, parsnips and beetroot may be sown an inch deep, but turnips require to be sown less deeply. Tomatoes which were recently sown should bo pricked off as soon as they are large enough to handle, which is just as the first pair of true leaves begin to show. Tho boxes of seedlings should bo placed in a warm place and hardened off. On no account should they be allowed to bocome drawn, as weakly tomato plants are useless. The final preparations for the main crop should bo seen to as soon as possible. GROWING CUCUMBERS. A POPULAR CROP. The cucumber is a popular crop with amateur gardeners, and its culture is attempted by a largo number of these. The present is 'tho time to commence preparations. Early sowing is not desirable, as the cucumber is a more delicate subject than other members of the same family. Ifc is soon enough to sow in November, so the gardener need not be in too great a hurry to get this crop in. Tho preparations, however, need not bo delayed. Where one possesses a glasshouse or a frame, it is possible to raise the cucumbers in pots and have them ready for planting out at the time when one would otherwise bo sowing tho seed in tho open. Tho short prickly is a good cucumber for the average household, but tho long type may be sown whero it is preferred. The apple> cucumber is also suitable and is becoming more popular each year. Ino advantage of small cucumbers in a small household is that they aro used up at once. A cucumber which has been cut for somo time tends to become tough and lose its crispness and palataDility. When growing cucumbers in pots sow two or three seeds .in each pot and when the plants are fairly well up thin them, if necessary, leaving on Tho o mounds for cucumbers should be made 4ft. apart, measuring from centre to centre. To orepare them, holes are dug to the depth of the spado and with a diameter of 2ft. to 2ft. 6in. In the bottom of the holes stable manure, compost and similar material is placed to a depth of 6in„ after which the soil is replaced, having fust been broken up and a little stable manure, etc., incorporated. The cucumber delights in a loose soil and in the case of a heavy soil, steps must bo taken to improve tho texture. The best and most effective method of doing this is to work in a good quantity of decaying matter. This, on decomposition, provides humus which is very beneficial in opening tho texture of the soil. When the soil has been replaced mounds will be formed. Little else is required by way of preparation until tho time for sowing arrives. Occasionally fork the mounds over, however, to keep tho soil loose and friable. Tho number of seeds to sow on a mound will depend on tho method of culture to be adopted. As a nil© three plants aro allowed to a mound, but in some cases one plant is all that is grown. In the latter case three seeds may be sown a few inches apart on the top of each mound, and the one or two superfluous plants removed if necessary. V If on the other hand, three or four plants are to bo grown on each mound, about eight or nine seeds should be placed around tne mound about a foot from the top. These, also, should bo; thinned , out when necessary. Where three or foiir plants are allowed per mound the mounds should b« 6ft. apart. If there is any overcrowding in this method it is an easy matter to rmovei some of , the offending laterals.