THE HOME GARDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20076, 13 October 1928, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE HOME GARDEN.

THE FLOWER GARDEN. Proceed with the planting of chrysanthemums. Firm the soil around each plant. A surface dusting of blood and bone manure and superphosphate around stocks and other recently-bedded seedlings is beneficial. Thinning out seedlings when they are large enough to handle is necessary to give those that are left room to branch out and develop. Some of the thinnings may be transplanted. Prepare ground for planting asters by digging It over and applying a surface dressing of lime and sulphur lightly forked in to counteract the damping-ofl organisms. In using product No. 1 .to cleanse the soil of fungoid germs and to destroy insects, use 2 oz. to the square yard 21 days before sowing or planting Complete the planting of azaleas, rhododendrons, bamboos, flowering and other gums, and evergreen climbing plants that are usually grown in pots. Carna'.ions should receive an occasional dusting of lime. The surface soil around them should be lightly stirred. The sowing of celosias, portulacas, cosmea, asters, schlzanthus and zinnias in trays under glass should be attended to. The present is the best time to sow mignonette, sweet sultan, linarias, Shirtey poppies, clarkias, godetias, lupcrius nanus, alsams, and a few others that succeed best when sown where they are to grow. The weather and soil conditions are now most favourable for bedding out the numerous varieties of seedlings suitable for the season, and for shrubby calceolarias, petunia, fibrous-rooted and other begonias and statices.

PROGRAMME OF WORK.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Asparagus beds dressed now with a mixture of nitrate of soda and sulphate of potash will show a quick re•sponso In the shape of fat undershoots. In cutting asparagus care should be taken to insert the knife an inch or more below the surface of the soil, but the soil should be cleared away so that no undeveloped shoot or portion of the crown is cut away. Strips of zinc four or five Inches wide, made into the shape of cylinders, are an excellent protection for newly planted out tomato seedlings; they not only keep weeds from breaking the tender stems, but also guard against the attack of slugs and othor Insect enemies. In tying up young tomato plants use strips of old calico or something broad and soft rather than fine string, as string is apt to chafe and sometimes cut into the stem. Now is a good time to push on all kinds of growing vegetables by the use of artifical fertilisers. Nitrate of soda is a great stimulant for all classes of plants and for any plants with large leaves. SuperphosEhate, basic slag, or sulphate of potash helps peas, eans, tomatoes, and suchlike plants greatly. f Too few amateur gardeners take advantage of • artificial fertilisers; most of them can be purchased by the pound at ordinary stores and seed shops, and a few shillings spent in this way is amply repaid. This is the season when spraying operations should be carried out in the vegetable garden. Hand sprayers can be purchased at a small cost and prepared mixtures of Bordeaux or lime-sulphur can be obtained ready for use.