The Home Garden

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23275, 18 February 1939, Page 10 (Supplement)

The Home Garden

Working, Guide for the Week

FLOWERS Continue the planting of early-flowering bulbs in well-pre-pared soil. ; v Plant out Iceland poppies for earliest flower if the weather is showery. Disbud the dahlias and thin out where the growths have become too dense. Spray with arsenate of lead to control the caterpillar, but hand picking of the pest 3 should not be neglected. Polyanthus, primroses and violas can be divided and planted in their spring-flowering quarters. If peonies need transplanting, this should be done during the next few weeks; keep the crowns not more than two inches below the surface of the soil. ' Prepare the land for sowing new lawns in good time to allow the soil to settle. The Greenhouse Old and well-established plants of hippeastrums will now require less water and full exposure to the sun to ripen the bulbs. Pot up a batch of freesias for early flower in pots; the new coloured varieties are very attractive in this way. Seedling cyclamen from early sowings should now be ready for their flowering pots; keep cool and shaded from bright sunshine. Vallotas will require liquid manure and plenty of moisture to develop the blooms. v Insert some cuttings of the best varieties of coleus for next season. - Tuberous begonias should now be at their best; give plenty of ventilation and feed with liquid manure once a weekMake a sowing of schizanthus for, winter flower in pots. 1

By KEPOS

VEGETABLES Lift and store the potato crop. Do not leave the tubers exposed at night to the attentions of the potato tuber 'moth. / Dig or trench all vacant land. It is advisable to trench a portion of the garden every year. Commence to earth-up the earliest crops of celery, do this when the foliage and soil are dry. Plant out more cabbage and cauliflower and sow more seed for succession. In favoured situations a few potatoes can be planted for a second crop. Sow another batch of carrots for winter crop. Give liquid manure to marrows and pumpkins to increase the size. ' Clean and destroy all rubbish of spent crops which may form a harbourage for insect pests. The Orchard Gather the fruit as it ripens and store only sound fruit. Damaged specimens can be put on one side for immediate use. Autumn-fruiting raspberries are making good growth, but the fruit will be larger if all the weaker canes are cut away now. Any large peach trees in need of cutting back should be taken in hand now rather than wait until winter. Young espalier fruit trees should be examined and any young shoots needed for extension tied in. Pears required to finish ripening should be placed in a warm room after picking; apples require a cool room. When the fruit of early vines has been cut, reduce the length of some of the laterals to ripen the wood.