Working Guide for the Week

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23767, 21 September 1940, Page 5 (Supplement)

Working Guide for the Week

FLOWERS As tKe bulbs go out of flower, spray the foliage as a protection against the narcissus fly. Keep a watch for greenfly on the roses and spray with nicotine on its first appearance. Dahlia stools for planting should be stood on a warm border to sprout; cover lightly with soil. Complete the layering of deciduous and evergreen shrubs. Overhaul the lawn, removing all large spreading weeds by hand; then give a topdressing of fertiliser. Tree seeds of most kinds can now be sown in prepared beds of soil or in boxe3. Sow plenty of hardy annuals in the open ground for cut flower purposes. The Greenhouse Hanging baskets are always effective; now is the time to make them up. Cacti are showing renewed growth and should . be repotted at this season if necessary. Seeds of coleus sown now will make a display of colour in late summer; grow on all the seedlings until the colours can be seen. Insert more cuttings of the winter-flowering begonias as soon as they are available. Shading will now be needed for the ferns and palms, which will lose colour in bright sunshine.

Prick off the seedlings of tuberous begonias and gloxinias while quite small.

By KEPOS

VEGETABLES Plant out cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce. Sow carrots for main crop if the soil is dry; carrot seed should not be sown in wet soil. Sow peas for succession; an early sowing of French and butter beans. Sow summer spinach, radish, turnip, round beet and lettuce. Work up the soil between the rows of early potatoes and mould them up. Plant out tomatoes in warm positions, keeping some shelter handy for cold nights. Sow pumpkins and marrows on prepared mounds, covering with a sheet of glass. Work the soil to a good tilth before sowing seeds; it is useless to sow seeds m lumpy soil. The Orchard Spray the peaches and nectarines with lhn« suphur, 1 in 120, when the blossom has fallen. , Ventilation of the vinery should be carefully done when cold winds are blowing. Remove the surplus shoots from the vines when the best bunches can be seen. Any watering in the tomato houses should be done in the mornings of fine days to allow the atmosphere to dry by evening. When the pollination of tomatoes is not good, assist by hand pollination. Complete any topdressing of outdoor vines without delay.