Guide for the Home Garden

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 68, Issue 5, 15 May 1944, Page 380

Guide for the Home Garden

Looking Ahead

IN MOST districts where vegetables are produced, June is the month when “anticipations forward point the view,” and in this respect it is well to look around for work it may be convenient to do while the condition of the soil will not permit the use of digging tools. Following are some matters which may be attended to: Soil Sterilisation The strict meaning of this term ,is partial soil sterilisation, because no soil after being treated is completely sterile. In the June, 1943, issue of the Journal of Agriculture a cheap, practical, and efficient method of sterilising small quantities of soil was described and illustrated. This may be reviewed and advantage taken of opportunities as they occur to prepare the necessary quantity of soil which it is estimated may be required for next season’s seed-sowing and plant-grow-ing operations. Many gardens' visited during the past season showed unmistakable evidence of neglect of this very desirable practice. To sterilise the necessary quantity of soil in which may be grown sufficient plants for one’s own garden requirements is not difficult or expensive, if the methods are adopted as set out in the Journal referred to . above. < Plants grown in treated soil, provided the.operation is carried out properly, will always have a better chance of reaching maturity through vigorous, healthy development than those propagated in the ordinary untreated garden soil. Cleaning Up the Garden This is a matter which calls for exacting attention at any time, but particularly in what, by some gardeners, is termed the “off season.” Quite properly, in gardening, however, this term does not apply. Live hedges should be trimmed back and the tender cutting's placed in the compost heap or dug into the garden, a practice which, unfortunately, is too often entirely neglected. To destroy these tender , green- hedge trimmings by burning and then to allow the ashes to remain on the site of the fire until the valuable plant-ash’ content is washed into a small part of the garden soil is poor gardening practice. Recently an officer of the Horticulture Division of the Department of

Agriculture had the following conversation with a home gardener who was cutting his hedge and throwing the trimmings on an adjoining roadway. Officer: “Trimming things up a bit?” Gardener: “Yes, I never allow the hedge to get out of hand.” Officer: “Why are you throwing the cuttings on to the roadway, and why don’t you either put them on your compost heap or dig them into the garden?” Gardener: “Well,. my neighbour told me they were no good for either purpose.” And this was a hedge of Escallonia iiitiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihiimiiiiiiiiiintiiiiimiiiiiiii

pendula, the tender trimmings of which would, if utilised in either of the ways suggested, have decomposed in a very short time. Perhaps the following suggestion may not be out of place. Hedge cuttings when young, if not utilised as suggested for enriching the garden soil, should be distributed close into the bottom of the hedge and as near as possible to the rooting system of the plants. This ultimately forms a valuable composted manure which is utilised by the hedge. In this way all the plant food taken from the soil is returned after decomposition. Garden weeds should not be permitted to grow and, particularly, never allowed to seed. A garden, or any part of it where vegetables are not growing and on which weeds are flourishing, soon becomes a breeding ground for pests which are more or less certain to attack and probably destroy crops which may be planted later. In addition, many weeds are convenient hosts

which provide food for insect pests during a period when vegetable crops are not available. The necessity, then, for keeping the garden free of weeds is very important. ■ ' • . Garden Paths Parts of the garden area which may have been used as paths between beds of plants should be dug, thrown up roughly, thereby having the maximum surface exposed to “weathering.” This will result in its being more easily workable in the spring. In addition to the above old seedling boxes may be repaired and new ones made. It should, however, be remembered that timber is scarce and that no new boxes should be made while old ones can be made serviceable. Tools can be cleaned, sharpened, and- repaired. All these matters, if attended to now, , will result in a saving of valuable time when the busy season starts, as start it surely will when the family demand for vegetable supplies becomes insistent. Potatoes To this vegetable pride of place should be given. Where the area of the garden is such as to allow of its production to an extent which may entirely meet the full demands of the average household this ought to be utilised. As the Hon. Minister of Agriculture is asking, for maximum potato production this year, to meet exceptional demands, it is the duty and responsibility of every home gardener, whatever the extent of the area being cultivated, to ease what may later develop into an acute situation. In respect to the - utilisation' of seed, a few observations here may be appropriate. As has been previously stated only sound tubers, specially selected from disease-free stock, should be used for planting. But .. this is , not enough. When the seed has been chosen, it should be properly taken care of by placing it in seedling boxes with the “rose’’ end up and where there is plenty of light. Good air circulation is also essential. The short, vigorous shoots on the tubers, which are so necessary at planting time, can be secured only if these provisions are complied with. - A brief reference to an experiment which was carried out at Kew Gardens, England, in 1943 may be of interest to show how seed potatoes can be used in different ways, Majestic being the name of the variety with which the experiment was made.

Gross Marketable Crop. Crop, lb. lb. Normal Seed . . . . 613% . 558 Chats (small size) . . 474% 411% "Eyes” 526 ' 526 (Note, particularly that all potatoes produced by the “eyes” were marketable.) The same experimental conditions applied equally to the three methods of testing the productive capacity of each. The evidence obtained from this reliable experimentand . anything . from Kew Gardens can be taken as reliable, without question—suggests that threequarters of the seed tubers may be used as food. This, in the aggregate, would represent a considerable saving of potatoes for consumption. After the outbreak of war with Germany it was the adoption of this practice which saved thousands of tons of potatoes for consumption by the Russian people, and at the same time enabled vast quantities of seed to be economically transported to other parts of Russia for production purposes. - Study Soil and Plants ; y A study of soil conditions in the vegetable-growing area is necessary if the best results are to be obtained from the crops which may be grown. This can be done only by observing the early growth, subsequent development, and condition at maturity of plants in different parts of the garden. A certain amount of knowledge of the plants being grown is also essential—-

their habits of growth, varietal characteristics, appropriate season during which they should be grown, approximate dates when seed can be sown, the plants set out, and, in addition, their food requirements. In a word, it is necessary to know your • plants, provide the proper conditions for their healthy growth, and eliminate those conditions which tend to inhibit their proper development. • Lettuce X. For spring cutting seed may be sown any time now. An outside seedbed is not necessary, as a small seedling box 10 inches square and 2j inches deep will be large enough to grow more than sufficient plants for a single setting. Seed can be sown frequently at suitable intervals and successional plantings made, thereby maintaining a continuous supply. To secure early maturity a shelterednot shaded of the garden should be chosen and the plants set out 12 in. apart each way in rich, well-drained soil.- As cold and wet conditions - are inimical to good development of lettuce plants, it will be better to raise the bed above the garden level. This will provide for the necessary drainage of surplus water. As slugs are prevalent during June, and, if unchecked, will quickly destroy the young plants, soot, if obtainable, may be carefully distributed round each plant in a way that it will not come in contact with the leaves. Burnt or hydrated lime can also be used, to destroy slugs. As

light applications of limo will not injure the plants, the best time to apply it is during the evening, immediately after dark. It is at this time that the pests are feeding, after having. rested ' during the day. It should be applied broadcast along the row of f plants. ’ Spring Cabbage The recommendations just made for the protection of lettuce apply equally to spring cabbage plants. If set out in late March or early April, the young plants will now be well forward and lime, when being applied for the destruction of slugs or snails, should be thrown between the rows of plants. Considerable force is necessary when making the application; the main object aimed at should be to make the lime contact the under-side of the leaves, this being the part of the plant where the pests will invariably be found feeding. These'plants’should be kept lightly hoed, and as weed control during' the present season is difficult hand weeding may be the best method of keeping the rows clean. Immediately on removal the weeds , should be put in the compost heap, or dug into another part of the garden. Cauliflower To obtain cauliflower for cutting during December seed may now be sown. The same provisions should be observed as those recommended for sowing lettuce. Whereas, however, lettuce seed may be sown broadcast, it is preferable to sow cauliflower seed in rows. If the seedlings - are to be transplanted before being finally set out in the garden, a box the same depth as . for lettuce will be suitable; but if the plants are to be fully grown in the box then a depth of 4| to 6 in. will be necessary. One very important condition of successful cauliflower production may be referred to: From seed sowing to maturity, plants must never be checked in their growth or development. Premature seeding or “buttoning” of the heads is almost certain to be the result of neglect during the seedling stage. Good drainage is essential. .

—D. K. PRITCHARD,

Instructor in

Vegetable Culture, Wellington.

Don'ts Don’t overlook applications of liquid manure to spring cabbage plants or a “pinch” of nitrate of soda every 10 to 14 days. Don’t waste seed by using large quantities at each sowing. A little seed will go a long way in the production of plants for the home garden. Don’t, be late in preparing for early potato planting, but remember the danger of late frosts. Don’t discard soot indiscriminately. It is a valuable manure as well as a slugicide, and when used judiciously is specially valuable for assisting to raise the soil temperature in early spring. It should be stored where it will not be exposed to rain. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii iiiiiiiii i lIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIt