THE GARDEN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17345, 18 July 1924, Page 13

THE GARDEN

KITCHEN GARDEN. Seeds to sow —Broad beans, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, peas, radish, spinach. tomatoes (in Beat). What to plant—Cabbage, horse radish, potatoes, rhubarb, seakale. The time for sowing plenty of peas is at hand. Prepare the places for them some time before sowing. Peas are big feeders, and revel in a rich soil. Therefore, give them as much fat manure as possible. Young plants just pushing through the surface are very tempting to birds, and once birds start on a row they soon spoil it. Give some protection. If you have pea protectors these will keep the plants safe, bur in market gardens protectors are out of the question,' and other means i have to be taken to protect the plants, such as black cotton, or by spraying ' with some disagreeable solution such as j kerol. ! The quarter that is to be sown with small seeds should be in line condition this season. The succession of hard frosts and bright sunny days should, have converted the oil into a splendid condition. August, the great seed thousands of anxious gardeners will be putting in their annual crops. VINERY. The height sutushin? enjoyed during this month lias been suitable for the early grape vines. The nights have been cold, but with the canes let down to the ground and a steady fire burning there should be nothing to cause any apprehension. Vines that were planted inside will need water, and this should be given in quantity at once. A little will not sufficiently soak the border. If this has been trampled on during the winter it will be very liai\* in places, and the water would run oil instead of soaking in. Take a garden fork and carefully make the hard patches loose. Don’t break any roots. If the fork should touch any. just withdraw it. but do not turn the soil over. After loosening the hard patches give them a dressing with manure if the vines were not manured in the autumn. There are quite a number of manures to select from—basic slag, bone manure. sulphate of iron, etc. Any that contains a good proportion of lime :s goad for grape vines. After putting on the artificial manure it will help j to conserve the moisture if a mulch of long manure is spread over the surface. Any manure will do. but use fresh stable if available, and should itcontain a lot of droppings all the better. Spread this over the surface three or four inches deep, and then water Do not apply the water too fast, but 1 let it fall gently. It is a good plan to fix a daisy spray at the end of a

WORK FOR ALL SEASONS

garden hose and let it run gently in one place for a long time. But make sure that- every inch of the ground is thoroughly saturated. FLOWER GARDEN. The grass on lawns is starting to grow, and if there is any levelling, weeding or top-dressing to do, preparations for the work should be made at once. The roller should be used with great care on new lawns. The amount of moisture in the soil should decide how heavy an implement to ueo. The young plants can easily be pressed too deep if a very heavy roller ,is used before the young plants have made a good lot of roots. Old established lawns can have heavy rollers put ever them without doing any harm, if the surface is quite level, but if there are any inequalities don't- let the roller crop heavily into a- depression. If irdoes, it will make the depression deeper. Keep the roller on the higher part at present and try to press the hills into the hollows. Sweet peas that were raised in boxes and kept protected during the cold weather should be gradually hardened oil, previous to planting them in thenflowering quarters. Put the boxes or whatever the plantr were raised in on the positions they have to occupy during the spring and summer. Lee them stand there for two weeks and then put the plants in their flowering quarters. Many plants are partiall\ spoilt by keeping them too long in pots or boxes. Get them planted out by the end of July. Do not put the pi ants too near each other. Leave ten or twelve * inches between then. The greater the distances between them the more robust they become, and the better the blossoms. Put them in firmly, press the soil about thorn roots and give very little water until the plants begin to grow. Over much water at this period tends to retara the plants. Just sprinkle them overhead for a few weeks. If they arc planted against a wall or fence, set them ten inches away from the fence. They should not be put any closer, li they are twelve inches away, they will give better results. Seeds can be sown in the open early next monthPrepare the ground at once to give it time to settle down before the seeds are put in. As sweet peas are one of the most useful and popular plants t-c produce flowers for house decoration, give them every assistance. FRAME GROUND This very important part of the garden should be put in order. If any repairs are necessary get them seen to at once. Next month every frame will be required, and will be so crowded that there will be no chance to effect any repairs.