Out in the Garden

Waipukurau Press, Volume XIV, Issue 45, 19 April 1930, Page 6

Out in the Garden

PROGRAMME OF WORK AMONG THE FLOWERS This is the time to discard the varieties of Dahlias that are of no further use. To keep a collection up-to-date some must be turned out each year to make room for now varieties. Select your new varieties and place your order at once. Prepare the ground for Sweet Peas. Trenching or deep digging is necessary. The dry spell has checked planting, but everything should be in hand so that once the rain comes planting can be continued. Seeds of many annuals can be sown now. The dry weather certainly checks the growth, but if the soil is well worked, the seeds can be sown. Spring flowering bulbs should be planted —Daffodils, Narcissi, Tulips, Hyacinths, Spanish Iris, etc. Make plantings of Anemones and Ranunculi. The soil should be well worked. Seed of Sweet Peas, both early and late flowering, Ten-Week and beauty Stocks can be sown now. Vacant ground should be dug or trenched ready for autumn planting. Cutting of Pelargoniums, Carnations, Calceolarias and various shrubs can be planted now. Sow seeds of Dianthus, Verbenas, Pentstemons, Sweet Peas, Iceland Poppies. Where the soil is ready for new lawns keep the surface loose with occasional hoeing- so as to kill seedling weeds. Chrysanthemums are fast opening and watch must be kept for caterpillars, etc. Once the petals show colour leave off applying liquid manure. Keep the plants ■well tied so as to prevent the blooms getting broken or spoiled.

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Prepare all vacant ground for autumn planting or sowing. Standing crops will need plenty of cultivation so as to keep down weeds Gather and burn or bury deeply all rubbish. The present dry spell has enabled one to get the garden cleaned

Runner Beans should be closely gathered and the plants Io pt watered. Once Potatoes ripen off the crop should be dug. If left, wet weather will cause the tubers to sprout. Tomatoes should be- kept going by having the side shoots* pinched out. Any diseased fruits should be collected and burnt. Prepare the ground thoroughly so that the autumn-sown crops will have every chance to make a quick growth. Leeks and Celery should be earthed up as they require it. Pumpkins, etc., that are ripe should bo taken into store as soon as thoroughly dry. Onion seed for plants for spring planting can be sown. THE FRUIT GARDEN. When the fruit is gathered give the trees a partial pruning, cutting away useless shoots. When gathering fruit see that had as well as good specimens are collected. Leave nothing no matter how bad, if useless, either burn or bury them. Tret's that suffer with brown or ripe rot should have a spraying with lime sulphur once the fruit is off. All fallen leaves should be gathered up and burned. The dry weather," in manv cases, has caused a premature leaf fall, especially where brown ro't was prevalent. A partial or summer pruning given now lets the light into the centre of the tree. Not only that, but it is much , ; .| now to see what shoots are us'Oand also dead twigs. Put': ing grease band- on trees prevents insects from ascending the stems of the trees to hide in the angles of th*. branches and in the crevices of the bark. Do not pick late varieties of apples until absolutely necessary. Store fruit in a well ventilated dark shed. The shed should be cool and with an earth .floor. Stand the fruit on clean straw or on wooden laths; never use paper or close shelves that prevent a free circulation of air around the fruit.