Gardening Notes

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 97, 26 April 1930, Page 7 (Supplement)

Gardening Notes

(BY ALKANET).

KITCHEN GARDEN We have been having very fine autumn weather so far. Not too much rain and the soil is in good condition for working. Advantage should be taken of this. All empty spaces should be turned over and sown down in oats or barley for digging under later. This is also the best time for breaking up new land that is to be cropped next spring. Space for fruit trees and fruit bushes should be prepared now. On light land shelter trees may be planted about the first week in May. Where this is to be done the ground should be made ready now’. Strawberry beds should be made ready and the plants put in as soon as the soil is sufficiently moist. • If at all possible they should be planted this month. The earlier they are planted the bigger the first crop will be. Broad beans should now be planted without delay. They may be planted right through the winter, but the earlier they are planted the earlier they will be ready for use. This vegetable is greatly appreciated as it comes in so early. Onions should bo ,sown now. The variety ’ most favoured for early sowing is the giant rocca. It is perhaps not a very good keeper bht it matures early and is therefore valuable. It may also be used for spring onions but a special variety that does not form bulbs is recommended for this purpose. Ailsa Craig is another onion that is used a lot for early planting. It is a much better keeper than the giant rocca but it does not ripen off so quickly. Silver beet may be sown now and transplanted as soon as possible but if sowm much later than this it will not be much use this winter. Cabbage and cauliflower should be sown now for later transplanting. The earliest know’n variety o* both should be sown. The seed beds must be covered to protect the young plants from the birds and the bed should be in a warm position with as good drainage as possible. As soon as the plants are large enough they may be planted out but the soil must be well worked, well manured and light and warm. It is not advisable to plant cabbage or cauliflower now if the soil is heavy unless they are planted *on ridges or the soil has been trenched. Lettuce may be sown now or planted if plants are available. The soil, however, must be warm, well prepared and well manured. The bed should be situated to get as much sun as possible. Select as handy variety of lettuce. They may not look as nice as the spring or summer varieties, but they will give much better results for planting at this time of the year and will be quite as nice a flavour. Summer rhubarb may now be lifted. If they have been in their present position for two years or more they should be heeled in until they arc divided and replanted. Asparagras beds should have their tops cut off. The soil should be gone over with a fork and given their annual top-dressing of well-rotted manure.

Where horse radish is grown it may now be dug. All pieces suitable for use should be collected and heeled in in a place where they can be got at easily. All the young roots should be gathered together and sufficient saved for the new planting. Ail the rest should be destroyed as this vegetable is a very bad weed once it gets out of control. Wo may have a frost any time now and that would mean the end of the tomatoes. Unless they are re-grown in very large lots it would be advisable to pick the half-ripe and green fruit as well. Most of them would ripen off on a bench or shelf or better still on a tray covered with a piece of scrim. It is better if the sun does not shine directly on them. AH potatoes should be up by now. If any arc still in the ground no time should be lost in digging them. They should be gathered and stored. Any that are to be used as seed should be left exposed to the weather to go green. They will keep better that way. All onions should be looked over every two or three weeks and any that look as if they may not keep should be used straight away.

Marrows and pumpkins may now be removed from the plants and stored for winter use. They are best stored under a hedge in single layers for preference. Any that show signs of not keeping should be used straight away. Pumpkin seed may be gathered and used from one fruit. If it is made a practice to keep the seed from the one that keeps the longest a good strain for winter use will soon be developed. Preserving melons also should be collected as they will not grow any more and tho frost will spoil them if it touches them. The sooner they are used the better, but tliey will keep for quite a long time, especially if they are stored like pumpkins, under a hedge where the rain can reach them, but not the frost.

ORNAMENTAL GARDEN In the ornamental garden the weather has been very favourable for work, just enough moisture and not enough even in heavy soil to make the soil stick to the tools. Lawns may still be sown unless the locality is very damp, in which case a spring sowing would be advisable. The planting of all annuals and biannuals should be hurried on while the soil is favourable for this work. The preparation of beds for the planting of roses should be taken in hand as early planting is strongly recommended except in cold inland districts. Carnations should be planted from now on and old.-beds should be renovated. Violas should be divided and put in beds for rooting. Lobelia, if plants are available, should also be divided for the same purposes. Polyanthus may now be transplanted. If this was not done at the end of last spring it should be done now. The same applies to auriculas and double primroses. When transplanting enrich the soil. They all respond amazingly to good treatment. Helleborous may now be transplanted before they begin to grow again. It is not often that they need dividing but this is the best time if necessary.

THE ORCHARD In the orchard the usual routine work should be continued. At the end of this month or the beginning of next all apples should be picked for storage. If cool storage is not available they will keep quite well stored in apple or benzine cases left out in the open in layers of one or at the most two with the tops covered with some straw or sacking. They will keep splendidly this way if tho rain and sun can get at the cases. They should, however, be handled very carefully when they are picked as they will not keep if they are bruised and if one goes bad the rot has a tendency to spread through the whole case.