GARDEN NOTES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 80, Issue 7182, 29 March 1950, Page 5

GARDEN NOTES

WORK FOR THE WEEK flower' garden Tidy up the borders. Many of the summer flowering plants are now passing their best and are showingsigns of it. It will improve the look of things to have a clean up. Spent flowers on dahlias and sweet peas should be removed often, while the foliage of delphinium, peony, ox-eye daisy, perennial phlox and montbretia can be composted. Cuttings of geranium, gazania, fuchsia, and hydrangea can be started now. Insert cuttings in boxea of sandy soil fairly thickly, in most gardens some form of shelter for them in frosty weather can no doubt be arranged. Bulb planting should now be in full swing there are bulbs suited to all purposes, though it is likely that the bulk are planted with the primary idea of display in the garden. Most of them respond mainly to that purpose, and in 'addition provide lots of choice flowers for the vases inside. Anemones, ranunculi, narcissi, hyacinths, tulips, lilies, freezies, lachenalia, iris, crocus, critonia and others provide a wonderful array of lovely fragrant blossoms. And they do it with the minimum of care and attention. Bulbs can be grown in bowls of fibre in the house, very simply and are interesting all through the period of growth. The process does not hasten the flowering period to any extent.

Autumn is a good time for sowing hardy annuals to flower in spring as well as several perennials for planting out for spring extensions. These include pansy, carnation, delphinium, hollyhocks, scabious, poppy, dianthus, antirrhinum, polyanthus and sweet william.

Lawn weeding and lawn making should be done. Cutting out broad leaved weeds is a tiresome job. It can be done much more easily by spraying on a hormone weed liquid, but this job should only be done on a calm dry day. Top dressing and seed sowing are also timely. For new lawns, levelling and raking cannot be overdone, as a good surface and seed bed will ensure success and make the future garden. The young foliage of roses is very subject to mildew, and can be very bad in dry, hot positions. Spraying Bordeaux or cosan is the best remedy;

Vegetable Garden One of the most particular jobs for this week is onion sowing, and it should not be delayed if good firm, well ripened bulbs are desired for next autumn. It stands to reason that spring sowing gives only a limited period of growth September to March—whereas autumn sowing allows almost a full 12 months for the job and does it thoroughly. So be wise and sow onions without delay. Ailsa Craig or Giant Rocca, for large, weighty bulbs, or Spanish or Pukekohe for hard medium-sized keepers. Early cabbage and cauliflower can 1 be sown, also lettuce, spinach, silver beet, parsley and endive. Leeks and celery will benefit from a weekly liquid manuring, either blood and bone, fish, or animal manure. Earth up both as required, f<d lowing gdod growth. Celery hearts hould not be buried too deeply. Water freely in dry weather. Winter cabbage and Brussel’s sprouts should receive attentionLeaves yellowing on the ground should be removed for these are potent haunts of slugs. Spray arsenate to control frrubs of white butterfly. Gather herbs for winter. Mint, thyme, sage, and lavender will dry easily if tied in bunches and hung under cover.

Tomatoes are fruiting well. Gather as they ripen to help following crop. Liberal watering once - a week with potash and ammonia content, loz a gallon, will be very helpful. Cut ripened marrows and pumpkins and store. They are fit to cut when firm to the 'touch.

All vacant spaces should be dug over and sown in barley, lupins, or oats. This is the very best form of economical manuring where the ground would otherwise be empty of crop.

Most potatoes can now be lifted and stored under cover, also onions and shallots. Artichokes and other root crops are best left in the ground until required for use. New Zealand spinach is a wonderful vegetable asset for this time of year. The points of shoots are used, but these grow very quickly and make a very palatable dish. Sweet corn can be used when the cobs are large enough. They, too, are best used as. required-

Fruit Garden Gather fruit as it matures. Jonathan, Reinette du Canada, and Cox’s Orange apples are ready, but Delicious, Wolseleys, Stunners, Ballarat, and Alfriston can safely be left longer on the trees. There is a strain on fruit trees in bearing which can be met by copious watering in dry weather, especially if a quick stimulant like fish manure or sulphate of ammonia be added.

Fallen fruit should be gathered and not left to decay on the ground. Most of it contains codlin grubs and these should be destroyed to lessen the pest for next season.-

Cut out old canes on raspberry patch. These should be burned as the bases will probably be found thickly clustered with red scale.

Blanching Celery Careful attention to blanching is necessary in the production of good celery heads. It should not be done when the soil is wet, nor too early in growth. Really blanching should be done only after growth, as blanching or bleaching can be very harmful tc the plant in setting up decay if carelessly done. Therefore do it while the soil is dry. Gather the leaves together with the hands and put a string tie around them. Then pack soil around firmly and remove the string. About two blanchings during the season should be quite sufficient, the last when the celery is almost full size and six weeks before the time of using. Even if the upper section is then green that period will make a change in colour to the desired cream.