THE GARDEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16555, 14 October 1921, Page 5

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK KITCHEN GARDEN. / Seeds to Sow.—Beet, broccoli, cabbage, cardoon, carrot, celery, cress. 1 leek, lettuce, melon, mustard. 0111011, parsley, parsnip, peas, salsify, spinach, turnip and tomato. What to Plant.—Asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, herbs, lettuce and potatoes. The ground is thoroughly soaked, both the subsoil and the surface, and ivith th© warm weather there will be much growth in every part of the gar- ! don. The surface soil should bo hoed as soon as it, is dry enough. The rain has beaten it down and unless it is 1 made loose the surface will crack and this means a great ioss of moisture. Different soils require different treatment. On light, friabie soil the blades of the cultivator will loosen the soil [ sufficiently deep enough, but on heavy land it will be necessary to use the tines, or diggers as they arc often called. These break the surface soil up for about three inches deep, converting tho hard soil into a friable state. In this condition it will prevent undue evaporation of moisture from the under strata. Seedling crops of turnip, spinach, lettuce, etc., will need careful watching. They will grow so fast that if not thinned in time the plants will spoil for want of 'light and air. Give turnips plenty of room. They need more in a damp season because the extra moisture will encourage larger leaves with longer stalks. It is well to remember that the more space each plant has tile sooner they develop their bulb and the larger they grow. There is another important reason for early and ample thinning.. The faster the bulbs develop the better their quality. When turnips. for want of suitable conditions, are a long time coming to mature size they are of Hitfcl© value for kitchen use; being of small size and indigestable. These roots, as well as the radish, should grow fast and mature early. There will bo a great rush to sowseeds after the rain. It would be as well to remind gardeners that hot weather may be expected soon. When putting in seeds it is wise to prepare for this, and as far as possible sowlettuce and cauliflower where they are to mature, and avoid having to transplant the seedlings. No matter how carefully theao seedlings arc handled or how regularly they are watered they suffer when transplanted during the late spring or summer. Do not waste the seed. Draw the drills for cauliflower three inches deep, the rows being thirty inches apart. Frit- about three seeds in groups eighteen inches apart. Tl ; all of them germinate pull the . weakest up. leaving the most robust plant. After sowing the seed cover it with half an inch of soil, and after thinning the plants sprinkle an ounce of fertiliser around each plant and draw :> little soil up to them. Lettuce should have similar treatment. except that the drills should be j only fifteen inches apart, one inch deep find put the group of seeds twelve inches apart. Peas from now on should be sown in shallow trenches. Thesa collect more water than would reach the* roots if they wore sown on the surface. FLC WFR G ARDEN Lawns are growing very fast, and should bo cut several times each week while this growth is going on. If neglected for a week it may bo necessary to cut the grass willi a scythe. This means extra labour and a great cheek t-o tho liner grasses. Another reason for more frequent cutting is the beetle of the grass grub, which is getting busy, and will soon be laying its eggs on the stalks or blades. By frequent cutting much of the larvae will be collected by the machine. Bedding out will give gardeners a lot of work for a few weeks. It is too early for many of the more tender plants, but all the hardier on«s, such as calceolaria, viola, pansy, stock, carnation, coreopsis, nemesia, antirrhinum, petunia should be set out as soon as possible while the soil is moist and cool. The more tender plants, can be set out next month. It is too risky to put these out at present as there is a danger from frost yet. Herbaceous plants will need staking in good time. Do not wait until a number of shoots j are broken down before you give the j necessary supports. Use good, strong j j stakes Lor the tall growing plants and j ! make sure that the end that goes in j the ground is quite sound. If it is part- | !y decayed now it will bo quite rotten : by the time the plants are full grown, i and just when the plants are at their j best a strong wind will level them 1 down. Examine each clump of phlox, j and if there are too many shoots re- j move (several of the smallest. Dahlias i are just pushing up their new shoots. 1 These will need reducing. Three shoots j from each stool is enough. If more are 1 left they are slow mature as there j will not be sufficient light and air. and j when crowded the Sfcoots g-t very tall | before they begin to develop flowers, i Perennial sunflowtts need the same j attention. There amany more shoots j formed than should be left on the j stools. The shoot** should bo a foot apart if good flowers are wanted. j Attend to thinning -seedlings grow- | ing in the beds and borders. These will ; grew fast during the next few "weeks | and unless thev Are thinned at once they will get over crowded. Violets, to get good supplies of flowers, should be treated much the same as annuals. Now the flowering season is over the old plants should be taken ur> and a number of young side shoots replanted. . It. socm.;; wasteful to throw these big I plants nway, but they will not give such fine blossoms as the voung plant?. ' These side -hoots should be set out

much tho same as strawberry plants, and about the same distances, and all runners that form during the summer should be promptly pinched off. The object is to concentrate all the strength of the plant in forming and maturing a strong crown. With constant attention it is surprising what a large number of fine blossoms with long stems one large crown will give.