THE HOME GARDEN

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4185, 13 September 1939, Page 10

THE HOME GARDEN

. WORK FOR THE WEEK. FLOWER GARDEN. Sow all hardy annuals. Plant gladioli at intervals of two weeks to ensure a succession of bloom. Soil should be prepared for the planting of dahlias. Plant out seedlings of annuals required for early summer display. Hasten the planting of all trees and shrubs. . VEGETABLE GARDEN. Sow lettuce and radishes for spring salads. Sow carrots, parsnips, beet, spinach, onions, peas and beans. Main crop potatoes can be planted now. Fruit trees should be planted without delay. PANSIES AND VIOLAS. HOW TO DEAL WITH STRAGGLING SHOOTS. When my violas and pansies start to get untidy, with shoots straggling oveh the ground, writes a correspondent in an English garden journal, I always make a practice of pegging down these long shoots. This pegging down serves several useful purposes. For one thing, it keeps the plants tidy, for another it assists them to produce more blooms. Also, the shoots sent out roots where they are pegged down, so providing a stock of young plants which can later be detached and planted elsewhere. Any odd bits of wire, bent hairpin shape, will do for the pegging. VEGETABLES. The. cold, wet weather of last week has made the soil uncongenial for either sowing or planting. September is here, and most growers are anxious to get their crops started as soon as possible, but remember that seeds or plants put away into cold, wet soil never get away as they should do. Soil warmths is needed before seed will germinate or roots become active. Where the soil is of a heavy nature and it fit to work, fork it lightly over and let the soil warm before either sowing or planting. If one wishes to grow superior vegetables, it is necessary to give each kind the full time for their development. Onions, leeks, celery and parsnips are slow’ maturing crops and should be sown in ample time. On heavy soil parsnips may be sown as late as October, and they will develop by the time they are required in the autumn. Onions should be sown as soon as the condition of the soil will permit this being done, so as to give therti time to develop before late autumn. See that the soil is firm. Good keeping onions are not the product of loose soil. I» gardens where the soil is favourable, sow early peass. Kelvedon Wonder, Blue Bantam and W. F. Massey are reliable varieties. Give them a sunny position, and never crowd them, the more sunlight each plant receives the better will it crop. If young leek plants are needed to set out in December, sow the seeds now Work some well decayed manure into the seed bed and sow the seeds thinly. Starved seedlings never develop into good plants. They are prone to run to seed in autumn. The Lyon, London Flag and Musselburgh are reliable kinds. Celery, too, should be sown in boxes. Sow evenly and thinly. If the young plants are crowded and not pricked out until they are half starved, they will not be a success. To be successful in the growing of celery the plants must be kept healthy and in a thriving condition during the

whole period of growth. Golden self blanching and white plume are suitable sorts for easly use. Coles crystal white and Clayworth pink -prize are two reliable main crop sorts. Plant cabbage, cauliflowers and lettuce plants. Sow lettuce, radish, mustard and cress. Make a small sowing of a globe Variety of beet. Egyptian turnip rooted is quite good. To keep up a supply, small sowings should be made at intervals. The tap rooted sorts of beet should not be sown until the end of October. Make small sowings of early carrots at intervals. Shorthorn, Nantes and Chatenay are splendid sorts. Spinach should be sown a little at a time and often. Globe artichokes should be cleaned of old dead leaves and a little well spent manure dug in around them. All roots of parsnips, turnips or leeks left in the ground should now be lifted and stored. Get the ground manured and dug over in readiness for another crop. Plant early potatoes where the soil is of a warm nature. Certified seed gives best results. Robin Adair, Black Kidney, Epicure, Catriona or Jersey Bennes are suitable early sorts. It is a good plan to procure any seeds required now. If left until later it may be found that the special sorts required may be sold out. One word of advise about purchasing seeds —buy supplies from a reliable seedsman. No matter how thoroughly the soil is prepared for the crop, this object will be defeated if old or infer-

ior seed is used. First class vegetables are not the product of second class seed. The same applies when buying potato sots. Always procure supplies from reliable firms who supply Government certified sets. Do not take the risk of planting potatoes which may be contaminated with the dreaded mosaic disease. There is still plenty of time to plant asparagus. FLOWERS. This is an exceptionally late planting season, and all classes of flowering trees, shrubs, roses, rhododendrons, heaths, daphnes, bornnias, clematis, etc., may be planted with safely for some time yet. . Few shrubs can compare with cydonias for giving a bright effect during the early spring. These shrubs are known to many as japohicas. Most of the kinds have brightly coloured flowers which form a pleasing contrast with the many yellow flowered shrubs and daffodils which are in bloom when the cydonias are at their best. Cydinias are easy to cultivate. They are good natured and do not require much attention. They do best in full sun and are improved by an application of lime occasionally. Complete the dividing up and replanting qf herbaceous plants such as perennial asters, phlox heteniuiws, rndbcckias, etc.; also giant pansies, violas, stocks, antirrhinum, carnations, aquilegias, sweet williams, iceland poppies, pyrethrums, aubretia, polyanthus and primroses. Lupins and hollyhocks are stately flowers. Plant these now. Flag iris, knophofia and agapanthus plant up well now. Gannas,- too, may be. planted. FEED YOUR FRUIT TREES. SPRING TONICS WHICH ENSURE BETTER CROPS. I .None of the fruit trees and bushes in the garden will mature a good crop of first class fruit unless adequately supplied with food of the right kind. Trees on a starvation diet, or short of one or other essential food, may flower freely and even set a good crop, but they will never carry that full crop to maturity. Wholesale fruit dropping always results if there

is not enough nourishment to go round.

A good mulch of partly rotted farm or stable manure—laid on the ground in a wide circle all round each tree, bush or row of canes and left on top to rot in—will supply pretty well all that is required.

Also, this mulch will keep the roots cool and moist through droughty spells—which means a lot to any tree.

Where manure supplies are short, perhaps you can substitute with a generous coating of old leaf mould or burnt garden refuse.

Even so, some of the trees and bushes can do with a special stimulant in the shupe of a dose of artificial manure's. If you have no.manure or substitute you must use these. There are, of course, several excellent proprietary manures on the. market, and providing these are used strictly as the manufacturers advise, they will serve splendidly and save a lot of trouble. Many amateurs like to mix their own, however, and here are a few simple recipes in which the essential ingredients are varied according to the special needs of different kinds of fruit. The point to bear in mind is that nitrogen, supplied by the sulphate of ammonia, encourages growth; potash, supplied by sulphate of potash, improves foliage, quality and colour; and phosphates, supplied by the superphosphate, improved fruitfulness and general development. These ingredients you can buy at any horticultural shop. PREPARING THE MIXTURES. When preparing the mixtures measure out the parts by weight, crush all lumps to a fine powder, mix thoroughly and apply just the quantity advised to each square yard of ground and no more. For general use on the established fruit plot among trees of moderate growth and fertility, mix 5 parts superphosphate, 3 parts sulphate of potash, and 1 part sulphate of ammonia. Apply Alb a square yard. For old, well flowered plum, damson and cherry trees mix 2 parts sulphate of ammonia and 2 parts sulphate of potash. Apply lib per square yard. For old apple and pear trees of weakly growth mix 3 parts of sulphate or potash and 2 parts sulphate of ammonia. Apply Alb a square yard. For young apples and pears, cordons and espaliers, mix 1 part sulphate of potash and 1 part superphosphate. Apply -Jib a square yard. For black currant bushes mix 1 part sulphate of ammonia and 1 part superphosphate. Apply jib a square yard. For gooseberries and red currants mix 4 parts superphosphate and 3 parts sulphate of potash. Apply Alb a square yard. For strawberries, established bed, mix 5 parts superphosphate and 3 parts sulphate of potash. Apply Alb a square yard. For strawberries, new bed, apply bone meal at the rate of 3oz a square yard. All these mixtures can be applied now—the sooner the better. Whichever you use, spread the mixture as evenly as possible over the soil surface and lightly fork or hoe it into the top soil to expedite the feeding of the roots.