How will it Fare in the holidays?

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23537, 23 December 1939, Page 11 (Supplement)

How will it Fare in the holidays?

HOLIDAYS always cause a certain amount of anxiety to garden-lovers, but by exercising a little care the consequences of unavoidable neglect are'reduced to a minimum. The lawn is the first problem. If the grass is cut too short and a hot dry spell follows, the turf will be baked hard and the grass browned. On the other hand, if left uncut, the coarse grasses will flourish at the expense of the finer ones. A compromise is therefore necessary.

Before leaving for the holidays, the final cutting should be done without the grass catcher and with the mower blades sot a little higher than usual. The looso mowings will protect the grass roots from drought and at the same time rampant growth will be prevented. If the holiday is to last more than a fortnight, it would bo as well to arrange for a friend to give the lawn another run over at the end of that period. Next there are the favourite pot plants. All that are of a sufficiently

hardy nature should be removed to out of doors and plunged to the rims in a shaded position, where they will receive the benefit of any rain which may fall. Give the plants and the soil surrounding them a thorough Soaking before leaving thorn. Any other plants which it may not be desirable to place out of doors can be stood on the floor in a circle around

a bucket of water. Strands of wool, one end tucked into the soil of the pot and the other ends dropped into the bucket will keep the plants moist for a considerable period, by capillary attraction. Make sure, however, that the strands of wool are loft long enough to reach to the bottom of the bucket.

Most of the plants in the bods and borders will not suffer a great deal if the soil has been well hoed, but delicate plants and newly planted trees or shrubs should be giveh a mulch of lawn clippings, or, bettor still, material from the compost heap, to conserve tlie moisture. Picking off all flowers, seed pods and partly open buds on annuals will prevent the formation of seedpods and ensure a fresh supply of bloom to greet you 011 your return.

Home gardeners might well invite a neighbour to pick for their own use any vegetables which might otherwise go to waste during the owner's absence. These measures will ensure that crops like beans will continue in cropping instead of maturing seeds. Porhaps in return the recipient of the vegetables will keep the more delicate seedlings watered and thus enable the enthusiast to enjoy a holiday free from worry. There are many crops which if neglected at a critical period of their growth, fail to produce their best for the remainder of the season. Marrows, pumpkins, cucumbers and . melons 'require copious supplies of water during their early growing period. One way of ensuring that these do not suffer from dry conditions is to sink a benzine tin alongside them with a nail hole punched

iii the bottom. Fill tlie tins with water which will then gradually, seep away through the hole in the bottom and so give moisture exactly where it is required. , The same method can be employed with other plants which it is feared may sulfer should dry conditions prevail. These simple measures will ensure tliat your crops and flowers , will not suffer during a temporary absence and a gay garden will greet you on your return.