Working Guide for the Week

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23525, 9 December 1939, Page 10 (Supplement)

Working Guide for the Week

FLOWERS

VEGETABLES

Annuals are growing rapidly and early thinning is advised; thin well out For the best results. Deutzias are flowering shrubs which pay for pruning now; cut out the old wood and retain, the new shoots. Sow seeds of wallflowers and Brompton stocks for spring bl6om. Remove the spent blooms from roses, cutting back to a good sound bud. Early-flowering subjects on the rock garden should be clipped over now that the flowers are past. Lilacs are often neglected; now is a good time to look over the bushes, removing thin and spindly wood, also basal growths. The Greenhouse Tuberous begonias should be ready for their final pots; be sparing with water until the roots have taken hold of the soil. Tubers of the winter-flowering gesnera should be started now. Keep the seedling gloxinias potted on as they grow; do not allow them to become potbound in small pots. Hippeastrums that have finished flowering should be well supplied with water and occasional doses of liquid manure. Sow seeds of the varieties of primulas for winter flower. The main batch of herbaceous calceolaria should be sown in a cool position.

By KEPOS

Leek and celery plants are ready for planting in permanent quarters. The cutting of asparagus from weak beds should cease. , • > . Thin out the seedling vegetables before they become overcrowded.. In dry weather peas are improved by a mulching of manure. .... Sow lettuces frequently and thin out; this is better than transplanting. Radishes to be good in summer should be grown on moist soil in partial shade. Make a sowing of parsley for winter use. The digging of early potatoes will leave room for the planting of cabbage and cauliflower crops for winter. The Orchard All fruit trees should be inspected for sucker growths from the roots; unless these are pulled off they will rob the tree of nourishment. As the shoots of loganberries lengthen, keep them tied in place. Examine the black currants for any signs of reversion; affected bushes should be burned. Where the shoots on grafted trees are growing freely, the coverings can be removed; in some cases a light stake will be a protection. Branches showing silver leaf in fruit trees should be sawn out without delay. Trees against walls and fences are liable to suffer from dryness in spite of heavy rains.