HOME GARDEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 94, 23 April 1942, Page 6

HOME GARDEN

GREEN MANURE VALUE TO THE SOIL. The merits of green manuring have Frequently been discussed. Where new gardens are made on uncultivated toil, it is unquestionably of benefit to >ow seeds of mustard, lupins or oats, ind dig in the young plants before heir stems become hardened. It is lot. however, always convenient to io this. In the vegetable garden ground ' ust cleared of potatoes may he rejuired for planting out the last of he green crops for winter and spring ise. An alternative is to gather the ettuces that have gone or started to :o to seed. Strip all the leaves from he hard central stalk, and bury them n the trenches as the digging proeeds. When young carrots or beetoot are pulled for use, make a heap f the tops and bury these in the ame way, the first time any digging is undertaken. When French icans have finished cropping, there • ill still be a deal of foliage that can »e stripped from the tough stems, 'hese are particularly good lor green nanuring, as they rot rapidly. In almost every garden there is a uantity of soft vegetable refuse that an be usefully employed in return- l ng some humus to the soil. Refuse | rom any diseased crops should not I ie used and is better buried, together 1 • ith any hard woody stems that , ■ould be a long time in decaying. LIFTING AND STOKING GLADIOLUS. ' The lifting and storing of gladiolus i as important as the growing of hem. The correct time to lift (and . is very important that the corms ie lifted each year) is when the eaves begin to turn yellow. This is isuaily aoo'.it live or six weeks after lowering. Do not allow the corms o remain in the ground until the eaves are right down. After lifting, eave the corms for a day or two in • he semi-shade. They should then be i leaned that is the old corm at the I ase pulled off. the old leaves cut j r pulled off and the small cormh ls ■ t the base of the bulb pulled off. 'hey should then be stored land 1 orrectly labelled' in a dry place, i 'his is very important, lor if the • orms are not perfectly dry, a disease . nown as dry rot sets in. This is radically the oniy disease the glad. ’ ; subject to. so it care is shown in/ forage the chance df disease is mini- / lised. The young corm lets can be 1 rown on next season, when thej ill make large corms and flower in wo years’ time in every way re-•'* “mbling the parent time, if you have Iny variety that you want an in-i rease of this is a quick and propel ay to got a fresh stock. Dry sand i* (. pry suitable to store the corms in. I ut is not absolutely necessary. |«. STORING ROOT CROPS. J There is no point in leaving root*, rops to occupy the ground aftei f lev have completed their growthnd start to ripen off. Not oniy do? hey occupy land which could be! sed for other crops for winter oi f; pring, but alb-nnt :\»•■;.. if not re-1 uired for cropping the land, could V e sown down with green manuring I lands. Failing available shed space. J* lamps can be made in the open r round. Select a dry is Joie j ut in any case it is advisable t'-| >rm a platform by throwing up the I >il in a likely spot. A gentle slope; ill be the best position. Long narrow ridges will be found ) be the most suitable lor long beet ' nd carrots, so that the crowns o! ach root face outward, and the ; apering ends inward toward the ent re. They facilitate the work oi oring large quantities, anil where i lobe beet and short carrots are to e dealt with as well as the long arieties. till in the centre of th< • idges with a certain number of these '• espectively. The roots should be ; acked to economise in space and ack ing material. It will be necesiry to fix wisps of hay or straw here nd there in the clamps for ventilaon. These should be spaced about vo feet apart. Small carrots may be stored in onical-shaped heaps in sand, ashes r sifted soil and then covered with rdinary soil and thatched with straw r fern if heavy frosts are likely, 'arsnips are best left in the grounu i sand like bet t. as also may celeriac, urnips may be clamped like potajes; and celery, if lifted, can be cored upright in sand. Marrows, umpkins and squashes should be i ell dried and ripened in the sun efore storing in a dry shed where ley will not be so likely to develop ecayed patches. Onions keep best when strung into : jpes and hung from the ceiling. So >ng as the weather is not frosty, enure that a current of fresh ait asses through the shed. If the skins f the bulbs give out a rustling sound hen handled, they are keeping successfully. Small bulbs may be hung i small lots in open mesh scrim bag-. 1 will be wise to take care of all ’ le small ones this season if the crop i below the average. They will b* ery useful during winter and early pring. 1