Working Guide for the Week

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23861, 11 January 1941, Page 8 (Supplement)

Working Guide for the Week

By KEPOS

FLOWERS Keep down all the weeds in beds and holders, as they rob the soil of much moisture. Peg down the trailing bedding plants, such as verbenas, phlox Drummondii and petunias. If the sweet peas are showing mildew, dust with sulphur or spray with lime sulphur. Later-planted gladioli will need copious supplies of water when the flower spikes arc showing. Roses can be budded this month when the sap is flowing freely. Chrysanthemums should be sprayed with Bordeaux as a preventive of the rust. Carry out the necessary pruning of springflowering shrubs. The Greenhouse Double-flowering nasturtiums are useful for winter flower; insert a batch of cuttings now. Keep the early primulas and cinerarias in the cold frames, shaded from direct sunlight. Cut back the pot hydrangeas that have finished flowering and stand out of doors to ripen the wood. Insert a batch of hydrangea cuttings for flowering next season in pots. Cyclamen plants which have been resting should have the old soil shaken off and repotted in fresh soil when they show signs of growth. Tuberous begonias should now be in full flower and will require supplies of liquid manure.

VEGETABLES Sow cabbage, cauliflower and other winter greens. Plant out the cabbage and cauliflower from the earlier sowings. Peas and beans may still be sown, but it is advisable to place a good layer of decayed manure beneath to hold the moisture. Keep up the supply of lettuce and other salading by frequent sowings. The round variety of beet quickly matures and frequent sowings should be made to provide tender young roots. If some plantings of brassica crops look sickly, root maggot may be the cause; such specimens should be pulled up and burned. Keep a watch on the newly-planted celery for signs of the leaf miner; dust with old soot or spray with nicotine; pinch the maggot between finger and thumb. The Orchard Spray the stone fruits with lime sulphur, one in 120, to control brown rot. Grafts which have failed may be budried over now if strong growths from the stock are available. Keep the tomatoes pinched and tied up to the stakes; spray with arsenate of lead to control the caterpillar. Thin out fruits which have set too thickly; there will be no loss of weight in th e crop, but better specimens. Summer pruning of fruit trees will need attention this month. Trees recently planted should not be allowed to suffer from want of water during dry spells.