GARDEN NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1924, Page 12

GARDEN NOTES

(By

THE KITCHEN GARDEN. TURNIPS. Turnips, for succession, may be sown when the first sowings are well above I ground. It is better to sow small quantities and procure them young than to have a lot at once, as the turnip is apt to become hot and strong in flavour, in which condition it is not nearly so nice as when grown quickly and used young. The finest turnips are obtained by sowing in highly cultivated, deep sandy loam. Draw the drills fifteen inches apart, three inches deep and the same in width, and fill them almost to the top with a mixture of fine soil and super-phosphate, or wood ashes and eoil. Sow the seed thinly and cover evenly and firmly with more fine earth and employ some means of affording protection from, the birds. Thinning must be done as soon as the seed leaves have unfolded, repeating the operation as the plants enlarge. When the growths have been thinned to about five inches apart, the bulbs may be allowed to swell, then every other one can be pulled from the row, leaving the remainder to fully develop. The young turnips that have been withdrawn may be converted into a very acceptable dish, especially when vegetables are scarce, by preparing them, with the leaves attached, in the : same way as spinach. Turnips, as a ' crop, often fail through insufficient moisture at the roots. A good soaking of water should, therefore, be given twice weekly in dry weather. The practice must not be carried to extremes, however, as too much moisture will encourage an excessive leaf growth at the expense of the bulbs, or cause them to split and decay. PARSNIPS. The very appearance of a well-grown parsnip, with its large crown and long tapering root, is suggestive of the obvious need for preparing the ground well beyond the limits oi ordinary digging for the crop. The surface soil should be thrown out to its full depth, and the subsoil thoroughly broken up to the depth of at least a foot. If the soil is inclined to be poor, the best time, to trench it is in as crude manures may then be applied without risk of causing the subsequent crop to become fanged or othei malformed, which is certain to occur when rank dung has been applied to the ground too previous to the seed being sown. The manure should be well mixed with the sub-soil after it has been broken up, so that the penetrating roots may feed with a zest in comparative coolness even when the surface soil ’is under the blazing heat |of the summer sun. When 'the soil is treated as described, it is rendered sweet and friable by the action of the winter weather, and a fine tilth is thereby ensured at sowing time. A capital site for parsnips is one that was heavily manured for cauliflowers last season, especially if it has since been deeply trenched. Another cause of failure is by sowing the seed too deeply. Parsnip seed ds I very slow in germinating, and should never be covered with more than hall an inch of soil. If sown at a greater depth than this, the necessary air is excluded, particularly when the soil is inclined to ‘bake,” and the seed therefore perishes. Eighteen inches should [be allowed between the rows, and the I plants thinned out, gradually, to nine or ten inches apart. RADISHES. | It is probably by reason of their com--1 parative ease of culture that radishes i receive such rough and ready treatment : (when grown by the average cultivator. I I Quite alien the seed is sown too thickly Sand under adverse soil conditions, there- * ! by encouraging a loitering growth, with , the result that the roots are found to be tough, pungent and indigestible. I Radishes require to be grown well if j tender and crisp roots of handsome shape are to be secured. The seed must | be sown in well worked, deep, rich soil in drills half an inch deep and eight inchee apart. if the soil is naturally poor, work a six-inch layer of rotted manure into the ground to a depth of

about six square inches -before sowing the seed, or else a dressing of superphosphate, at the rate of a handful to the yard. In any case, whether the ground is poor or otherwise, the superphosphate may be applied so as to encourage the desired quickness of growth. Thin the seedlings out severely in order that each plant will have ample room to develop. Keep the ground moist and well stirred with the hoe, so as to hasten an early maturity. CARROTS. Sow carrots for succession when the first sowing is well above ground. It is not advisable to sow a lot at one time, but at intervals throughout the season in tirder to secure a constant supply of fresh, tender roots. Sow in fertile, but not recently manured ground, in drills fifteen inches apart and half an inch deep. Wood ashes are a good fertiliser for carrots, and they may be dusted into the drills before sowing, and again over the surface of the rows when the seed has been sov n.

As a result of the favourable weather conditions generally, growth among all kinds of vegetation is rampant, and energy and resolution will be needed to prevent work from accumulating in the garden. Plant the mid-season crop of potatoes and earth up the early vop when the haulms have made five or hx inches of growth. An approved concentrated potato manure may be applied on each side of the rows before earthing up is done; also, keep the soil between the drills well hoed. Cabbage and cauliflower should be put in to supplement earlier plantings. Tomatoes may be planted in warm and sheltered positions, in soil that is free from recent manuring. Keep the ground well disturbed by hoeing to destroy weeds and conserve moisture in the soil, and give frequent attention to thinning and regulating seedling crops. Sow beans of all kinds, beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (including Savoy), cauliflower, carrots, Cape goose*

“Agricola."

berry, capsicum, celery, sweet corn and maize, cucumber, herbs, kohlrabi, lettuce, leeks, melons, mustard and cress, parsnip, parsley, peas for succession should be sown every three weeks, pumpkins and squashes, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, turnips and vegetable marrows. THE FLOWER GARDEN. WHAT TO DO NOW. Plant old roots of dahlias for early flowering. Clumps that have not been disturbed for several years should be lifted, divided up, and replanted in rich soil. 'Plant gladioli in well-cultivated ground. Choose for them a position, that is sheltered from strong winds but open to the sun. *

Take chrysanthemum cuttings or offsets, as necessary, and plant firmly in well drained rich soil.

Spread a light mulch of rotted manure over carnation beds, and give the shoots support in good time. Watch for green fly, syringe the plants if necessary with warm soapy water or some other approved insecticide, and soak the beds occasionally with soot water. Green fly usually makes its appearance on the tender shoots of roses at this season, and unless prompt measures are taken to destroy the insects they will multpily by tens of thousands in a few days. Spray as directed above for carnations. Water cinerarias with weak liquid manure. Prepare beds, etc., for new plantations of violets. Finish planting shrubs and hedge plants. If not already done, topdress lawns with some approved fertiliser. SEASONABLE WORK. All gardeners are very busy just now, and if one wishes to get the best possible results long hours must be worked. When setting out plants, put those fiom pots out during the ‘heat of the day, and those from boxes after the sun begin© to lose it© power. Take care that the surface soil is moist when setting plants in beds or borders. If the surface is dry, the roots are put into this dry soil, because that on the surface is sure to fall into the hole. We hardly ever give enough water to sink below the roots. To avoid leaving dry soil against the roots, do not fill the hole quite up with soil, bat carefully press the roots firm, and only fill the holes two thirds. Then well water each holo, and after the water has soaked away fill the holes with soil. leaving it rather loose. This will conserve the moisture about the roots, and the plant© will soon take hold of their new position.

Perhaps the greatest and most common error in attending to plants just set out is the frequent damping of the surface, while the sc ii about and below the roots is quite dry. The roots are thus encouraged to strike upwards, instead of down, and as soon as the sun evaporates the moisture from the surface, the plants flag, and every time a piant flags, it suffers. Therefore try and make the soil damp below the roots and keep the euriace loose by frequent hceinga. This will secure much better results.

Many annuals give much better results when sown where they are to flower. The plants are sturdier and ! more robust i»ecause they do not suffer the checks that are experienced by those that are raised in boxes. These (have several checks. They are .nvariI ably sown much too thickly, often they (are left too long in the seed box before they are pricked off. and even then I most of the plants are left too dose to i each other. When this is the case the ■ crowding prevents the light and air ’getting to the base of any but the outside row. Therefore, the great majority cannot acquire strength just where they need it. and in consequence they cannot make the best possible display. Sow as many varieties in the open as possible, but don’t sow too many seeds. Better have a few clumps of good plants than a lot of starvelings.

EARLY CHRYSANTHEMUMS. These hardy’plants need some attention now. Old stools that have n* been transplanted for several seaaoiu should be taken up, divided, and replanted. If they are not lifted, reduce the number of shoots to three or four ■to each clump. This number will be quite enough,-for, if more are left, the wood cannot ripen because light and air cannot circulate freely between the shoots, which, instead of keeping dwarf, struggle upwards to the light and become drawn. If new stock is to be planted, prepare the ground now, using plenty of rich rooting material, for the chrysanthemum, like its earlier flowering companion, the dahlia, responds to good treatment. SWEET PEAS. Sweet peas are so deliciously fragrant that no gardener of any pretensions would 'bo without them. The flowers last a long time when in water and their butterfly-like appearance on the plants is most effective. Seed .should b“ sown now to produce plants for summer flowering. Deeply dug and well manured soil is requisite to secure, a fine and lasting display of bloom. It pays to got good seed of these charming plants.