THE GARDEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12761, 3 October 1919, Page 5

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK, SEEDS TO SOW. Asparagus, beet, beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower,, ores, cardoon. carrot, celery, herbs, leek, lettuce, melon, mustard, onion, parsley, parsnip, peas, radish, salsify, spinach, tomato, turnip. * WHAT TO PLANT. Cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, herbs, potatoes. Tiic growth of all vegetables will increase with a higher temperature anu fewer frosts- Hus increased activity will be manifest in weeds as well a* vegetables, therefore gardeners mustbe vigilant to assist the vegetables oy constant care and attention, in planting, thinning, watering, staking, etc., wuile at the same time tney should wage constant war on weeds of ah kinds as well as insect pest-3. Keep the hoe and cultivator in constant use, to keep the surface sou open, so that rain water may soak m instead of running off, and the heat from sunshine may warm the soil, to stimulate growth.

Next to hoeing comes the question ol thinning all seedling crops. This is one of the most impoitant items in the management of the kitchen gardenOne may manure, trench and dig, ana raise a good lot of seedlings, but unless these are thinned at the right time the results will be disappointing. Thu question may be aaked: When is tin right time to thin? The answer is, as soon as the plants have made the thira leaf. If they are left long after this they suffer much, both from overcrowding, with the absence of light and air circulating through each plant, and the disturbance when they are thinned, because the longer the plants are left crowding each other the softer they become. and the more the roots become tangled one with another. The motto for this operation should' be: Thin early and severely; give each plant- ampL room from the start. Of course, different crops require differing distances. Most of these arc given on the seed packets, or in the seed catalogue but remember these printed instructions are the “minimum” not the maximum, therefore gardeners may exceed them, witll profit, to both the quality and quantity of the crops. During the month nearly every vegetable may bo sown, although in cola districts it is well to wait until the enu of the month before French and runner beans, cucumber and vegetable marrows are sown in the open. The same remark will apply to potatoes. Put these in shallow boxes to sprout, .and plant them later on. Carrots-—Get the main crop in as soon as possible, but make several small sowings later on to supply young tender roots for soup. These are much better than large hard roots. Leeks deserve more attention that, they get. A good breadth should ho put in for next season. Sow the seeds at once- The seeds germinate freely, so count out as many seeds as plants required, and add 10 per cent more. This will give you all the plants you require, scatter the seeds thinly over the seed bed, to give the young plants plenty of room. Make- the ground rich where they are ,to mature, by digging iu plenty of good manure.

Lettuce to be sown for succession o.t light land- Sow the seeds where toe plants are to mature to avoid transplanting them in hot weather. If possible glow the lettuce near the water supply. One cannot produce good, ensp, tender heads in the summer without giving the plants liberal supplies u. water.

The main crop of onions should fc» up by this date, hut there is plenty 01 time to put in a bed for “ pickling bulbs.” Select a poor piece of grounu and sow the seeds fairly thick, ana don’t thin them, but leave them to crow 4 one another. This method wil. produce a crop of small bulbs, just suitable for pickling.

TJcas to bo sown for succession. An ( variety may be sown now. The tali marrowfat varieties give the biggest returns, but they must have more room than the dwarf varieties- If the rows are put too close to one another they cannot produce a heavy crop, because one row will keep the sun and air from the next to it. These tall varieties must have strong supports of some kind to keep them off the ground- From this on prepare shallow trenches for pfeasThesc catch more water, and the extra moisture is a great help. Spinach and turnip.—To be sown according to the demand for these useful vegetables.

FLOWER GARDEN. Many halt' hardy dowers can no raised irom seed .sown in the open from tnis date on. Any hardy aunuars that were overlooked last ijjontii should bo sown now. The seeds will germinate quickly, and the plants may give netter results than those that were raised last mouthCarnations.—Raising these popular plants from seed is very interesting, and u provides a batch of fresh plants each season to replace those that are worn out. Sow the seeds m a warm, sheltered position, keep the seed bed free from weeds, and when the youmr plants are big ■to hem 1 "..', pnas them off into a Alako this good by mixing some rotted tarr and leaf mould with the garden soil: a little decayed manure may be used, but rotted turf is better for the young seedlings. With careful attention the plants will grow fast in the nursery bed. and mey should not be kept there too long. When alley have seven or eight leaves put them in the positron they are to flower in. Keep a sharp lookout for green aphis, thrips ana caterpillars, ft theie afo any signs o: these spray the plants with' a strong solution of “ Katakillar.” &

Dahlias—Prepare the quarters tor these plants.* 1 To get strong, robust plants, and a crop of good flowers some cultivation is necessary. Trench the ground quite two feet deep, work in a lot of good fresh manure and, if obtainable, some soot. If the tubers are left in. the ground all the winter lift them and divide now and replant as soon as possible. Young plante that have been propagated this spring will not be set out until some time next month.