THE GARDEN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17711, 4 December 1925, Page 11

THE GARDEN

KITCHEN GARDEN. Seeds to Sow’.—Beans, cabbage, endive, lettuce, melon, onions, peas and spinach. What to Plant.—Broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, cauliflower, lettuce, potatoes, savoy, vegetable marrow, tomatoes and winter greens. Keep the cultivator and hoe busy. Do not wait for -weeds to show themselves, but aim at keeping the surface smooth. This will prevent weed seeds from germinating and conserve the moisture of the soil. The value of frequent hoeing is better understood now' by most people, but it has been a difficult task to get the cottage gardener to hoe when there are no weeds to destroy. It is a fact proved by experience that by using the hoe frequently and the hose less much better results are obtained from the garden. Thin seedling crops as soon as the young plants are big enough to handle. Stake runner beans in good time. These plants grow much faster when they can climb on stakes or wire netting. It pays to put strong, short, stakes to the tall-growing varieties of dwarf beans. These plants give heavy crops and many are broken down by 9trong wind. Short stakes are a good insurance against this loss. If there is ny spare ground, plant it with tomatoes. These will come away fast if put in now that the ground is moist and warm.

Keep a sharp look out for insect pests. These will soon be very troublesome if left to breed of their own sweet will. Rain washes many from the upper surface of the leaves, but the lower side will be found to harbour many. Spray at once, and again in about seven days. This is the only way to keep them dotfn. HARDY FRUITS. It is very necessary to thin fruits of apples or pears. There are many trees that have far too many fruits on them, and unless a good number are removed there is a big risk of los-

WORK FOR ALL SEASONS

ing many of them. Severe thinning is profitable. It not only results in larger ajid finer fruits, but the trees form stronger buds for next season’s blossoms. „ Spray again for codlin moth. Woolly aphis will soon be on the move. Spray when the first insect appears. Do not wait until it has formed a colony, ; but destroy it in its infancy. FLOWER GARDEN. Rose bushes will need constant attention to get the best possible results from them. Remove fading blossoms as soon as the petals begin to fall. If left on the bushes seed pods will form and then there will be very few flowers for the second crop. If green aphis attacks the plants, spray with an insecticide; if the plants are sprayed with warm water, this will keep the pest in check. Green caterpillars are very destructive, and the only effective way to destroy these pests is to catch them by. hand. Spraying is but little good, as the caterpillar often eats its way into a bud or a blossom, and is quite secure against any spraying. Standard roses often form sucker growths at this season. These should be cut oft. If briar shoots form on the stem, rub them off as soon as possible. Standards for good treatment. A liberal supply of manure water during the latter part of this month will assist the plants to produce a good second crop of blossoms. Trailing plants, such as verbena, ivyleaf geraniums, etc., should be secured in position with stronjg/ pegs. They would cover the ground without this attention, and there are big risks of loss during strong winds that would break the shoots. Lily of the valley loves moisture, and in a dry season it rarely gets sufficient. During this month and January give the plants several good waterings. A little is practically useless. Another plant that needs water during the summer as a rule is the Christmas rose (hellebore). As a rule, rain does not wet the ground beneath the crown of these plants.