HORTICULTURE.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 43, Issue 3, 21 September 1931, Page 223

HORTICULTURE.

Small Fruits.

Occasional light cultivation in fine weather to maintain fertility and destroy weeds is the chief requirement in this section at the present time. For mulching strawberries, straw or other suitable material should be prepared for bedding-down so soon as the fruit commences to set. Just prior to this a dressing of organic or chemical' nitrogenous manure is usually applied with advantage. Where young plants are required for setting out next autumn a sufficient number of rows should be selected for special treatment. This consists of removing most of the flowers in order to check fruiting and encourage the early formation of runners. The mulch also is dispensed with, so that the runners may become established quickly and make strong plants for early planting in the autumn. These will be all the better if the number of runners from each plant is restricted. It has been amply demonstrated that this extra trouble to obtain strong sturdy plants is well worth while, as very few will fail to establish and the cropping average will be improved. Big runners may be obtained by the liberal use of fertilizers, but this is a bad practice, as such plants are invariably soft and turn out unsatisfactory. The less fertilizers are used among the stock plants for growing runners the better.

Tomatoes under Glass.

In a number of instances damage from wireworm, has been reported to be taking place in the tomato crops under glass. These larvae of the click beetles are said to remain in that dangerous form for three or four years, which makes them a serious. pest, and so should. receive close attention. They are probably first brought into the house in the soil from the seedlingboxes, and they get into the boxes through the soil and other materials being improperly prepared. This is a mistake that is far too common. Soil and decaying vegetable matter is collected without preparation, and the boxes are filled and sown. The soil from rough grassland and decaying vegetable matter is usually heavily infected with plant pests and diseases. Naturally, when it is used without preparation the glasshouse becomes infected at planting-time.'

It is for this reason that stacks of soil and manure are kept for two years or so to thoroughly decay and sweeten before they are used, and even then the precaution of steaming the soil is also sometimes taken. Most pests and plant-diseases in the soil may be destroyed by the use of steam, or the pests. may be destroyed by means of a good soil-fumigant ; but either of these treatments when necessary should be given before planting. ' After • planting is done one is greatly restricted in the use of remedies, and for the pest above mentioned trapping is probably the best under those circumstances.

Some crops of tomatoes under glass fail badly at this period when the outside temperatures rise. This is chiefly due to insufficient ventilation

during the warmer periods. If to this is added a generous supply of water, the disaster is about complete. Soft flabby foliage, leaf-mould disease, and a very poor set of fruit is the usual effect. It is rather an easy mistake to give a crop too much of a good thing, specially heat and water. Tomatoes, however, demand a rather' dry, buoyant atmosphere and a moderate temperature for maximum cropping. Recent experiments have affirmed the fact that 60° to 65° F. is the best range of temperature for this crop under glass. In bright sunlight it may rise higher, but if ample top ventilation is available and given no harm is done. Apart from such circumstances as that, high temperatures predispose the plants to disease and interfere with the setting of the fruit.

The Outside Tomato Crop.

The first planting of the outside crop usually takes place towards the. end of October. Early maturity and the quality and quantity of the crop will depend very much on how the plants have been grown before planting out. Poor plants may be nursed with fairly good ultimate results, but it adds to the cost, and the returns are never so good. The hardening-off process now is very important, and should be carefully supervised. Reduce the water-supply just before putting the plants out in the cradles, and cover them at night for a while. A day or two before planting out an application of bordeaux mixture will usually be desirable, and land to be planted that is newly broken up should be baited with bran and paris green towards the end of an afternoon. If the land is in good heart apply the necessary fertilizers along the planting lines and mix them in. Carefully choose the weather for planting ; plant in a furrow, cutting out each plant so as to disturb the roots as little as possible.

The Market-garden.

The hoeing of seedling crops should take precedence at this season. If the hoe is put through small seedling weeds on a bright dry day they are very quickly destroyed, but if the opportunity is missed wet weather may prevent the operation till the weeds have grown to such a size that the young crop cannot readily be seen. ■ Crops to be sown now on suitable land are marrows, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons ; also dwarf and runner beans. These are choice products in good demand which crop well on light rich soils that are well sheltered. The important crops harvested during winter and early spring are celery, leeks, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and savoy cabbage. These should be sown in beds outdoors now with a view to raising plants for planting out in December and January next. Other crops sown now are main-crop carrots, beet, and potatoes, also lettuce, spinach, and salads. Summer cabbage and cauliflower should be planted out.

New Zealand Spinach or Kokihi.

Where the land is light, and especially in dry districts, it is difficult to grow a satisfactory supply of green vegetables and salads for harvesting about midsummer. It is under such circumstances that New Zealand spinach is valuable. In other parts of the world it is largely grown and highly prized for its generous clean crop under these difficult conditions. Kohiki (Tetragonia exp ansa) is a herb that is not uncommon on light lands about our sea-coasts. Sown now very thinly in rows 3 ft. apart it will thrive on a well-drained soil in a sunny situation. The plants should be thinned in the rows to 1 ft. apart. This crop is grown here and much appreciated, but it should be much more commonly planted, especially under the more difficult conditions above mentioned. •

W. C. Hyde,

Horticulturist, Wellington.