THE GARDEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16714, 21 April 1922, Page 5

THE GARDEN.

WORK FOR THE WEEK. KITCHEN OAK DEN. Seeds to Sow.—Cabbage, broad beans, spinach. What to plant.—Cabbage, cauliflow- . er, lettuce. In some districts early frosts have destroyed all the foliage 01 tender vegetables, ana m some localities the hauim ' ana stems. .\u uselui puipo&e is seryj eel by leaving tnese plants on the ground any longer. Clear them away as soon as possible, and oig, or trenen, the ground, throwing it up as rough as possible, so that tho winter weather can get at as great a surface a* possible. There are many green and half-ripe fruits on tomatoes. Gather all that are turning pm*. Ih< so will ripen in any 1 room or shed. It the plants are pulled up by the roots and hung up in a Host proof shod, most ot tiio green tomatoes will gradually ripen. Don’t bo in a hurry to cut the top growths from asoaiagus beds. Mans gardeners cut asparagus down weeks | before they should It is not possible to give a definite date as to when the growths should be cut off, because the seasons vary so much in different localities, and some autumns are more favourable for late growth than others. This autumn, with its big rainfall, ha | kept the asparagus giowth green much 1 later than usual. Therefore, I advise leaving the cutting for a time. The ! condition of the growth is tho best guide a.s to when it should be cut. As long as it remains green let it remain on the roots, because so long as it is green it has a function to perform. But. when it turns brown and goidy, its ! work is finished and then it may be cut 1 off and burned. Gardeners should secure a quantity of manure when there is an opportunity. This is a scarce commodity since the motor has displaced so many horses. < Time was when there was plenty of manure available at a very moderate price. It is now both scarce and expensive. But manure is necessary where one has to raise vegetables season after season on the same small section. Artificial manures are available but : these do not supply the necessary humus that stable manure containsTree leaves which are often raked up ■ and burnt, should be put on the vacant plots and dug in. They contain a lot of plant food. VINERY. Vines in the second early houses have finished their season s growth. The leaves near the canes nave turned brown, and are falling, and this is the signal for action. Prune tho vines at once. If this work is left until June or July, there is a great risk of bleeding in the spring when the vines begin to send out their new shoots. Why? Because the roots have been collecting and sending urv sap before the pruning was done, and the flow ot sap pievented the wounds (cuts; from colouring . 1 when tho vines developed! -1 eater activity in the spring there is 1 bigger loss of sap. Just how much harm this is to the vines, one cannot estimate, but it cannot be anything but harmful, and should be avoided. 1 After the vines are pruned, give the ' house a good cleaning. AYash the ' paint, remove all fallen leaves and ; loose soil from the floor, iimewash the | walls and paint the vine with Gishurst compound. The practice of removing old bark from the canes is rigiJlv car- ■ ried out by many o.d-time gardeners, but the only reason for removing it *s , the presence of insects such as thrips. j mealy bug, or r ,1 spider in this loose bark. If there is any sign of these, remove all the loose bark before painting the vines. Examine the border, and if Ihe vines are planted inside they will probably need water. Vines are often watered freely at the wrong season. The only period the soil about their roots should be kept in a dry condition b when the grapes are ripening, say, from the time the berries begin to colour until the crop is cut. Alter the crop has been removed, water freely. Late grapes require careful arul constant attention to keep them in good condition. ihev need constant ventilation. especially at night. If tho house is shut down, with all tho venti- . lators closed, the crapes will become I covered with moisture from the damp ! • atmosphere This is harmful Keep the atmosphere ns buovant and dry as j possible to preserve the quality an! . . appearance of the grapes. GREENHOUSE. j Keep the temperature as low as x>° s ‘ sible consistent with tlie health 01 the j plants in it. No mauer it su.k piant-s 1 are hall nardy or from the tiopics, keep ; the temperature as low as x jossll - )^t3 during iVLay and June There is olten a tendexicy, where there is a heating I equipment, to light the tires in April and keep them going at tlieir full capacity all through the autumn and winter. This is a mistake, as well as wasteful practice. If during the shortening days the temj>eratuie in the different houses is kept as low as is consistent with the need of inmates there is some reserve for uso on ex- | tremely cold nights, thus preventing the plants from suffering from a cold snap. After June, when the days begin to lengthen, tho temperature can be* raised just at the time when the plants are waking into activity after 11 1 « winter’s rest As glasshouses art* likely to be crowd ed from now until the spring, see that the plants arc moved as often as nos I sible. If they arc kept in 0110 position j too long, some are bound to suffer. The strnno’ -inns -vilf -Tib ‘i 10 weak both

light and air. and some of the most valuable may perish. This moving of the pots is suitable work for wet days. Begin at one end and move all the plants, bringing those that need more light to the front, and where the plants have become overcrowded give these more room. Water with care. The plants will stand the winter conditions more safely if their roots are on the dry side; but on no account J allow any hard-wooded plants to remain dust dry for manv days Should anv get over dry, souk them in a tub of water.