The Home Garden

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 48, 26 February 1941, Page 3

The Home Garden

WORK FOR THE WEEK. The Vegetable Garden. Ground cleared of early potatoes is suitable for planting with soring cabbage. » Well cultivate between crops of Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc. Sowing of cabbage for cutting in early spring should be made Dust young cabbage and allied plants occasionally with either arsenate of lead powder or other suitable dust to control diamond backed moth. Onions for salad purposes in spring should be sown now. White Lisbon or White Spanish are the best kinds for this purpose. Dwarf beans that were crippled by the recent high winds can be pulled up and another sowing made. Where the vines of the runner beans were spoiled, cut them back Fresh growth will be made. Celery that was planted early should be sprayed with bordeaux or lime-sulphur to control rust. Further plants of celery may be made. Make further sowing of lettuce, radish, mustard and cress for salad purposes. Any crop of potatoes ready for harvesting should be lifted. They only spoil if left in the warm moist soil. Celery Cultivation Celery responds readily to good treatment, but unless this treatment is given it is difficult to obtain satisfactory results. It is not a success on poor or shallow land, requiring deeply dug, rich soil, which will not dry out quickly in a dry spell. Attention to watering, shading until the plants are established, and control of pests and diseases are the main points to consider. The usual method of cultivation is in trenches, and care taken here is handsomely repaid. The top spit should be removed and the second broken up, incorporating well rotted .manure or any material which will hold the moisture. Some of the top soil should be put back and thoroughly mixed with the manure. The surface of the trench should be about six inches below ground level and the plants put out at nine inches apart. In dry spells attention should be paid to watering. Weeds should be kept down, and the soil kept open, and offsets and decaying leaves removed. Liquid manure is a sufficient stimulant, but avoid nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia. Earthing up should be gradual, holding the leaves together to prevent soil getting into the heart. A flat ridge should be left to hold the water. Should there be trouble from leaf spot, spray regularly with bordeaux 3—4—50. As a preventive of leaf miner, use a nicotine-sul-phate spray. Asparagus Beds Asparagus beds should still have attention, for, apart from keeping them free of weeds, a good dressing of manure should be applied over the whole bed. To have good strong roots for the production of the following year’s crop, a dressing of good stimulating manure should be applied as soon as cutting ceases. It is at this time, after a season of fairly close cutting, that the plants have been deprived of much of their nourishment and need assistance. Where stable or farmyard manure is available in a liquid form it is an excellent material to apply. Failing this a good sprinkling of superphosphate and sulphate of ammonia, spread over the bed and well watered in will do much to stimulate and strengthen root action. Give special attention to the thinning out of recently-sown crops as soon as the plants are large enough to handle. The Flower Garden Border carnation layers that are rooted can be cut. away from the arent plant, but do not cut until well rooted. Lift bulbs such as narcissi. Dry and clean them, grading them into sizes before replanting. The ground for replanting bulbs should be prepared at once. Planting can be commenced at any time now. Cuttings of antirrhinums, pentstemons, verbenas, calceolarias can be inserted. Pinks can be propogated by cuttings, pipings, or by division of the lumps. Prepare new beds for border carnations. Raise the surface above he surrounding ground and lime ground well. Weed growth is so vigorous just now that continual hoeing is necesary to keep weeds in check. This is the best time to do any budding of roses. Plantings of salvias, celosias, zinnias can be made to replace any 10.-t y heavy rains. Many shrubs and roses can be propogated from cuttings Trim any rampant plants growing in the rockery. If left they will overgrow other smaller plants. Transplant violas and pansies. Old plants can be lifted and divided. Cuttings can also be planted. Planting of Bulbs Plant lachanalias, babianas, sparaxis, freesias, scillas, anemones, ranunculuses, ixias, and tritonias, from one to two inches. Small narcissi, early-flowering gladioli, snowflakes, Spanish iris, and montbretias, from three to four inches. Tulips, hyacinths, narcissi, gladioli, and liliums of various kinds, as well as extra large narcissi from five to eight inches. All the above depths are for the soil covering the bulbs—not from the base. Where the soil is heavy and difficult to work down fine it is a good plan to surround the bulbs with coarse sand before filling in the soil. Always be sure to mark the site occupied by the bulbs clearly, otherwise damage may be done when working the ground. In preparing the soil for bulbs, avoid animal manures as far as possible, enriching the ground by the addition of humus, wood ashes, and a little bonedust. If horse or cow manure is used it should be buried well down so that the roots may work down into it. Where the ground is trenched and large quantities of green rubbish are buried, time must be allowed for it to settle down before planting is done, otherwise the bulbs are liable to be left with their roots hanging. Violets Violets should have all the runners and offsets cleared away to encourage a vigorous growth of the main crowns. Hoe the ground amongst them frequently. Frequent waterings will be very beneficial, and an occasional dose of liquid manure will do a lot of good. Instead of liquid manure a sprinkling of sulphate of ammonia followed by a good soaking of water will do. Liquid manure made with fowls’ droppings is also very good. Should red spider appear spray with lime-sulphur. F reesias in Pots Well-grown pots or bowls of freesias are always highly appreciated during the winter and spring for their light, elegant habit, powerfc. fragrance and the freedom with which the flowers are produced. Potting hould be done during the present month. Twelve corms may go to . Tin. pot. A compost of rich, fibrous loam, with a little bonemeal and coarse sand added, makes an ideal soil. Drain the pots very thoroughly and cover each corm to a depth of 2in. The pots should be stood close together on slats on a very sunny .order, though until growth appears it is best to shade them slightly; or they will constantly need water, and the less of this that has to be iven the better. At the same time, they must be kept just moist or noting will be seriously impaired, to the detriment of growth and 'lowering. Once the tips of the foliage spear through the soil expose ■ hem to the sunlight possible, and give water freely whenever th’, is required. Directly buds appear it is advantageous to feed from time io time with weak liquid manure, as this is of great assistance in increasing the size of the flowers and building up the corms for the P l ' lowing season. Bushhouse and Glasshouse Notes To keep these structures bright and gay requires a great deal of forethought and looking ahead, for only by so doh—; can this objective be achieved. Take as an example the growing of Liliums, Cliveas, Hippeastrums, Hydrangeas, Fuchsia?, Primulas, Cyclamen, Ardesia, Gloxinias, and the hundred and one things which can be either grown in pots in such structures or else in the ground. These break into the monotony of the foliage plants which are the background for such buildings; but if one is to include flowering plants in their glass or bush houses, it will be necessary to have some sheltered spot or other structure for the purpose of growing them until such time as they are showing bloom. To be successful in the cultivation of these classes of plants requires a spot where they can be plunged during theii- growing season so that they will not suffer from drought. Annuals.—ln addition, there are many beautiful annuals which can be made use of. These include Cinerarias, Primulas, Calceolarias, fibrous-rooted Begonias and the like. Seeds of these lines can be sown during the present month, pricked out as soon as they are large enough to handle, and potted on until they reach a flowering sized pot. They will be coming into flower when almost everything else is out of bloom. The Primulas will, indeed, flower during the winter, and will be followed in quick succession by Cinerarias and Calceolarias, later by Cliveas, and Uinnppsir,,me "W-'ioc, Poromas. Liliums and the like.