The Home Garden

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22949, 29 January 1938, Page 10 (Supplement)

The Home Garden

By KEPOS

FLOWERS Sow Iceland poppies, cineraria, wallflowers and stocks for spring flowering. A mulch of manure applied to rose beds will encourage the later flowers, Increase the border carnations by layering. Insert cuttings of varieties of pinks. Insert cuttings of geraniums and other bedding plants required for stock. Pot or box up some freesia bulbs for early flowering. Many of the alpines will have formed seed pods, only a few should be allowed to ripen; remove the others as they are a strain on the plant. The Greenhouse Repot the old cyclamen corms when signs of renewed growth are seen. Encourage all the growth possible in the seedling cyclamen by keeping cool and moist; pot on as required. Tuberous begonias arc now in full growth; water carefully and keep a moist atmosphere. Select a few good pots of adiantums and repot into larger pots for a supply of fronds during winter. Geraniums for winter flowering should be placed in their flowering pots; keep all the flower buds picked off for some time yet.

Pot on the cinerarias and primulas as the roots reach the sides of the pots.

[Working Guide for the Week

VEGETABLES Sow short carrots, globe beet, yellow and swede turnips for winter use. A good breadth of prickly spinach will come in useful. Sowings of French beans can still be made for late use. In showery weather plant out the cabbage and cauliflower; dip the plants in nicotine insecticide before planting. Plant out more leeks and celery for successional supplies and keep the earlier planted crops well supplied with water. Remove spent crops and clean up the ground; if not required for immediate planting sow down with green manuring crops. Lift the onion crop as the foliage withers; dry well in the sun before storing. Cut and dry herbs for storing. The Orchard Shorten back the longs shoots of plum trees to half-way. Summer prune the pipfruits where this is required on oldestablished trees. > Young trees as a rule do not require any summer pruning, the principal aim being to get as strong a growth as possible to build up the tree. Layer the tips of loganberries where more plants are required. Preparations should be made for the storing of the apple crop. Tomatoes should be regularly attended to. Spray with arsenate of lead half an ounce to one gallon where caterpillar is troublesome.