WORK IN THE HOME GARDEN IN FEBRUARY

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 96, Issue 1, 15 January 1958, Page 27

WORK IN THE HOME GARDEN IN FEBRUARY

By

A. G. KENNELLY,

Horticultural Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin

THOUGH the less interested gardener may have lost much of his early season interest • in garden work by February, the keen gardener has new interests and sources of pride in his work. The growing of half-hardy and tender plants, such as tender beans, K l 1 1 1 l- x capsicums or peppers, cucumbers, egg plants, melons, marrows, pumpkins, sweet corn, tomatoes, and yams, most of which can be grown and brought into bearing only during x- 1 l x •j j • xl xl x 111 x V ,lmi i. a comparatively short period during the warmer months, presents a challenge to his skill; the harvesting of the fruits of such plants usually provides a source of pride in 1. x r ac levemen .

THE aim of the efficient gardener should be continuity of supply, within the limits set by the size of the garden, with special emphasis on having crops in bearing when vegetables are usually scarce and dear, together with the maintenance of good soil texture, consistently heavy yields of quality produce, tidiness, and freedom from pests and disease. Few gardens lack vegetables in February, but if the growth of vegetables is good, so too is weed growth.. Apart from making sowings and plantings which will develop during favourable autumn weather, the most important job in most gardens is to destroy weeds, which, if left, will suppress all but the most vigorous or mature crop plants. Many weeds produce seed in February, and reinfestations from this source may be troublesome throughout the year. Many weeds are alternate hosts for vegetable pests and diseases and help to carry them over from one season to the next.

In most districts a sowing, of cabbage and cauliflower for spring use can be made. Seed of salad crops, such as lettuce, spring onions, radish, mustard, cress, endive, and other crops, such as turnips, beetroot, spinach, and silver beet, can be sown where soil conditions are good and the weather is likely to remain favourable long enough to enable the plants to mature. Small sowings of dwarf beans, peas, and carrots can be made in favourable situations, particularly in the warmer districts. Kumara runners should be lifted to prevent their rooting, 'and-tall-grow-ing tomato plants should be pruned and tied. Celery and celeriac should be kept well supplied with moisture. Celery can be set out in favourable situations. Brassica crops should be sprayed or dusted to prevent attack by pests. In many districts tomatoes and potatoes will have to be sprayed or dusted as a precaution against pests and diseases. Though there are some variations according to district and situation,

there are usually only four good growing months after Christmas. With garden work so often disrupted by the Christmas and New Year holidays many gardens are neglected during the greater, part of January and important garden work is delayed until February. This loss of one of the best growing months may seriously reduce the period for good growth in southern districts, particularly of winter greens, which include leeks, savoy cabbage, winter cauliflower (broccoli), kale, brussels sprouts, and silver beet. Winter greens should be regarded by home gardeners as among the most important crops in the garden as, with forethought, they can be grown so that produce can be harvested from them from late autumn until late spring, when vegetables are most likely to be scarce and dear. As it is late in most southern districts and the less favourably situated gardens elsewhere for the setting out of winter greens, they should be planted without delay, if this work has not yet been done. Success, apart from weather, will depend largely on soil fertility and the use of healthy, well-grown plants. Beetroot and Carrots In most districts February provides the final opportunity for sowing beetroot and carrots to mature before winter. Late sowings of carrots are sometimes less subject to the attack of carrot aphids and the carrot rust

fly and are therefore preferred in some districts. In southern districts the situation and autumn weather must be favourable if late crops are to be satisfactory. The seed must be sown without delay in soil that is in good condition and worked to a fine tilth.

The situation should be sunny and open, as these root crops rarely thrive if shaded, even if soil conditions are otherwise perfect. Beetroot and carrots are not difficult to grow, but soil must be friable, moist, and well drained and the plants must be kept free from insect pests. Light, sandy loams are most satisfactory and produce the smoothest and straightest carrots, but all good loams apart from the heavier clay loams can be improved to produce satisfactory crops.

Difficulty is commonly experienced by home gardeners in growing carrots and beetroot in the older, sometimes rather light soils that have been worked for many years without having had much organic matter such as compost or farmyard manure applied to them. Trouble is commonest in the smaller garden where cropping is usually continuous and good crop rotation with adequate green cropping, is difficult.

Carrots and beetroot grow well in soils that were heavily dressed with organic manure for the previous crop. The application of heavy dressings of organic manure just before sowing is not advised, though results may be satisfactory if the manure is well rotted and mixed throughout the root area. The incorporation of lumpy masses of fresh or only partly rotted manure is especially to be avoided, as local conditions may become highly acid and the carrots coming in contact with the manure may become forked or distorted. \

Varieties

Good varieties of carrots for home garden use include Red Cored Chantenay and Taranaki Strong Top. Sweet Crop is a variety which has attracted a good deal of interest among home gardeners. . It is a selection of Holmes Improved developed by the Crop Research Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. It is smaller than the original Holmes Improved, but retains the same characteristic sweetness. . Generally, its colour is poor and it develops objectionable green shoulders, which may protrude up to 2in. above the soil surface unless the soil is drawn up to the plants.

Detroit Dark Red is one of the most popular varieties of beetroot, but Early Wonder, which is a heavy yielder and matures 8 or 9 days before Detroit Dark Red grown under similar conditions, should be more suitable for a late sowing, particularly where the season for it to develop is limited. Early Wonder is semi-globe shaped with a smooth skin, good flesh texture, and a fine taproot with a strong top.

Soil Preparation Soil preparation for the seed-bed should be thorough. Lumpy soil should be pulverised until a fine tilth ■, is obtained. • . . . Results are likely to be better on most soils if mineral fertiliser is used to supplement the organic, manure in the 50i1..; A . complete fertiliserone ( made up of nitrogen, phosphate, and potashis likely to give best results on most soils, but good responses are obtained on many New Zealand soils from superphosphate alone. Superphosphate can be worked in at the rate of about 2oz. to 3oz. to the square yard during the final cultivation. Carrot seed is rather small and should be sown only jin. deep in rows 12in. to 15in. apart at the rate of about 15 to 20 seeds to each running, foot of row. On soils that tend to form a crust after rain the soil over the seed should be kept hoed to break the crust and to facilitate the emergence of the tiny seed shoots. Soil and manurial requirements for. beetroot are similar to those . for carrots. Seed should be sown Jin. deep, about 10 to 15 seeds to the running foot, in rows 12 to 15in. apart. Plants should be thinned to 2in. to 3in. apart as soon as they can be handled. • . 1

Control of Aphids Aphids or green fly are commonly the most troublesome pests on carrots and home gardeners sometimes have difficulty in detecting them. The plants should be examined regularly from the seedling stage so that spraying can be begun as soon' as the aphids appear. Usually the first and most readily noticeable sign of aphids is the presence on the carrot foliage of tiny whitish or greyish flecks rather like cigarette ash which are the cast-off skins of the aphids. When the plants are young, just a few aphids soon sap their vigour, and in warm weather the leaves even of large plants quickly lose turgidity. If infestation is heavy, the plants become flaccid and growth may cease. Aphids can be controlled by spraying on a warm, still day with nicotine sulphate 1 fl. oz. (approximately 7 teaspoons) to 5 gallons of water, plus a little soap or lime to activate the nicotine. Alternatively, lindane can be used. Spring Cabbage Cabbage is one of the most valuable garden vegetables, as it is not only nutritious but grows well in a wide range of soils and in good conditions is one of the heaviest yielding crops.

Though in northern districts or in sheltered situations spring cabbage can be grown from seed sown in March, February is the preferred month for sowing. Where soil and situation are not good seed should be sown as soon after the end of January as possible.

Seed of spring cabbage is not usually sown before the end of January, because if seedlings are set out too early, plants mature too quickly. If seed is sown early and plants are left in the seed-bed until the usual setting out time, they may become too large to transplant well. Very large plants set out where winter temperatures are low are very liable to run to seed.

Though cabbage is a cool-climate vegetable, seed germinates and plants grow well in a fairly wide range of temperatures if the physical condition of the soil is good and it contains adequate moisture and plant nutrients.

Varieties

Flower of Spring, Enfield Market, and Triumph are among the best and most commonly grown varieties of spring cabbage, except in some northern parts of the North Island, where Jersey Wakefield and the summer cabbages Green Acre and Golden Acre are also favoured.

Several other good varieties are listed in most catalogues. For the home gardener who has sufficient ground and is interested in improving his crop a trial of a different variety is well worth while. It may specially suit his conditions and even if it is not an improvement, it may mature at a different period and contribute to the continuity of his supply.

Cucumbers, Marrows, Melons, and

Pumpkins

As long as the soil is not permitted to dry out cucumbers, pumpkins, marrows, and other members of the cucurbit family, such as melons, usually require very little attention at this time of year. Once marrows and pumpkins are properly established and good laterals are developing it should not be necessary to pinch back or stop the leading growths unless they are invading a neighbour’s garden or ground reserved for another crop. Shoots of trailing varieties can be trained in the desired directions by driving short sticks on either side of the stems at intervals of Ift. to 2ft.

If growing conditions are good and the surface soil is kept moist and is well drained, the trailers of some varieties sometimes root in the soil. This is a desirable feature, because it increases the weight of crop. Pegging encourages rooting and also prevents trailers from being blown about by strong winds.

The fruit of marrows should be cut when young, preferably before the

skin hardens to the extent that it cannot be broken easily by the thumb nail; lOin. to 12in. is a good size, as larger marrows usually have less, flavour than smaller ones. Early cutting of the fruit encourages the development of later ones. It is inadvisable to allow fruit to reach full maturity, unless it is intended to grow mammoth specimens or to store fruit for winter. They store quite well and like pumpkins and squash, which should also be allowed to mature fully if they are to be stored, should be harvested carefully without being subjected to even slight frosts and stored under perfectly dry, frost-free conditions. Cucumbers are more tender than tomatoes or sweet corn and as the leaves are readily scorched by sun or wind in exposed situations, they should be grown between rows of taller plants, such as peas or sweet corn, which will provide some shelter. The fruits should be harvested before fully mature. Cucurbits often become infested with aphids or green fly. In warm

weather aphids multiply rapidly and unless checked they soon damage the plants. Some species of aphids exude a sticky substance on which a sooty mould grows, which makes the plant unsightly. Aphids also cause the leaves to curl and become distorted; the fruit and flowers, too, may become deformed. Frequently aphids transmit virus diseases which may cause serious reduction in yield or even the death of the plants. Aphids can be controlled as advised for carrots. Kumaras Kumara runners should be lifted periodically to prevent them from rooting. If they are lifted regularly, the vines will not mat together and are much easier to turn. The commercial culture of kumaras is confined to the northern parts of New Zealand, though they can in some seasons be grown in warm, sheltered areas as far south as Christchurch. Onion Harvesting Correct harvesting has an important bearing on the keeping quality of onions, most of which are harvested

in February and. March. The most suitable time should be determined by factors such as the' weather, the condition of the crop, and whether the onions are for fairly immediate use or for long keeping. If bulbs are to be used almost immediately, they should be lifted as required when they have reached maximum or nearly maximum growth. If they are for long keeping, it is desirable that they should be cured. In this condition the roots and tops should be . dried off and the bulbs should be so hard that they are not readily dented by the thumb. . Readiness of onions for harvesting is indicated by drooping of the tops just above the bulbs while the leaves are still green. Gradual dying back from the tops of the leaves while the necks remain rigid, erect, and thick is an indication of abnormal ripening and usually of poor keeping quality. Insect pests or heredity may be responsible. There is likely to be a percentage of this type in practically all crops. The roots of healthy well-grown onions ready or nearly ready for harvesting lose their hold on the ground as they gradually die and the necks soften. This results from transference of the soluble solids of the leaves into the bulbs until the outer succulent layers of the bulb nearly' close the opening on the inner scales. After the necks shrivel the leaves gradually turn yellow and dry off, even if the onion is not harvested. If the onion bulbs dry off prematurely, the necks of the bulbs may remain open and allow various organisms which cause rots to enter. Premature drying off of the bulbs may be due to injury by heavy infestations of thrips . or by damage to the roots by hoeing, though growers sometimes hoe off the roots to cause premature death of the leaves and thus speed the drying off of , the crop so that harvesting can proceed. ' , > , ■ .

Except in a few areas conditions in New Zealand are rarely ideal for harvesting onions and it may not be possible to wait;until the crop reaches the best stage for harvesting. Early frost is a risk in some districts. Light frosts do not harm onions, but heavy frost may cause severe injury. Onions with thick necks or that have not closed at the neck or bulbs left to dry that have been subjected to showers or to heavy dews are likely either to rot or take root again. Where conditions for drying are not likely to be suitable onions should be dried or cured under cover. Drying or curing usually takes 3 to 4 weeks. , In the lower-rainfall districts where a spell of fine weather in autumn is likely bulbs can be left on the ground. The tops should be left on to give them some protection from the sun. If rain falls or there are heavy dews, they should be turned to enable them to dry evenly and to check rots, sprouting, or discoloration by the wet soil. After drying it is usual, though not essential, to top onions by cutting or twisting the tops fin. from the bulbs. Twisting is preferable, as it closes the top of the bulb and the twisted leaves act as a barrier to the entry of rotproducing organisms. Alternatively, the bulbs can simply be gathered when dry and packed in open-mesh bags or in shallow open boxes. Though more space is needed for untrimmed onions, the tops are useful for cushioning the bulbs during handling and also in retarding the progress of rots that may develop. Where weather conditions are not favourable for curing in the field or where varieties, such as some of the white onions, that are difficult to cure are grown it is advisable to dry the bulbs in an airy shed or on a shelter such as that shown below before. they are stored in open-mesh bags dr boxes. Where time can be spared stringing the onions as illustrated at right is an excellent method of handling the crop.

Peas

Garden peas can still be sown in favourable northern districts. In most southern districts it is rather late for peas sown even early in February to mature before winter. Except in the warmer districts sowing should be confined to sheltered situations lying well to the sun where the soil is well drained and. in good condition. An early or quick-maturing variety should *be chosen. In . favourable

northern districts early maturing peas can be sown usually until about the middle of the month, but elsewhere they will have to be sown early in February. Peas are hardy and grow well in cool, but not cold, weather. They are one of the best crops for soil improvement, as they leave a considerable weight of organic matter in the soil that is specially valuable because of the nitrogen gathered from the air which the peas fix in the nodules of their roots. A contributing factor to the failure which sometimes occurs when peas are grown for the first time on some of the drier soils lacking, organic matter is an insufficiency of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria needed by them. . Garden peas grow in association with the same kind of nitrogenfixing bacteria as broad beans, lentils, sweet peas, and field peas, though it is likely that there are many strains of the bacteria, some better adapted to certain crops than others. Manures In fertile soils peas do not need heavy fertiliser dressings and on commercial crops, both in New Zealand and overseas, a very moderate dressing of superphosphate alone, has given good results on a wide range of soils. Garden peas are fairly tolerant of soil acidity and usually grow well in fairly acid soils, but moderate applications of lime, about 3oz. to 4oz. to the square yard, are advisable on the more acid soils. Injury often results where fertiliser, is applied in the drills with the seed. It is best applied to the soil 2in. to 3in. on either, side of the seed row or at least lin. under the seed. The fertiliser can be applied in a drill taken out with a hoe and partly filled in before the seed is sown. Peas repay soil-improvement measures. Deep digging of heavy soils and the incorporation throughout the soil area of moderate quantities of wellrotted organic matter are advised. Surface or near-surface applications not only are liable to cause seed injury but may encourage shallow rooting, which is specially to be avoided where conditions are liable to become dry. A • supply of nitrogen in the soil helps young plants to become established, but most soils that have been, kept in good condition by regular dressings of well-rotted organic matter should be adequately supplied. On most home garden soils superphosphate alone at loz. to 3oz. to the square yard is likely to give satisfactory results. Seed Sowing Seed can be sown at about 10 to 15 seeds per running foot in drills taken out with the corner of the blade of a chop hoe, or a broad drill can be

formed with the chop hoe or spade and the peas sown lin. to 2in. apart throughout it. Seeds should be sown about lin. deep except in the lighter soils that dry out readily, where they can be covered to a depth of ljin. to 2in. If the drills are taken out a little deeper, when part of the covering soil is put back the hollow left will serve to mark the row and facilitate watering. Later the peas can be earthed up to keep the roots cooler and to hold the plants more firmly in windy weather. For dwarf varieties rows should be at least 18in. apart. Good, quickmaturing varieties for sowing in early autumn include William Massey and Little Marvel. Pea crops coming into bearing should be watered if conditions are dry. On soils that dry out quickly a mulch of lawn clippings or similar material may be of value. Though peas grow best in moist, well-drained soil, it is not usually advisable to water the soil after sowing until the plants are well established, as germination losses are usually much heavier in wet soils. Sweet Corn The first heads of sweet corn mature in many gardens toward the end of January or in early February. Sweet corn is not a hardy vegetable; it thrives in warm, sunny conditions, and within limits the higher the temperature is and the more sunlight it receives the more likely it is to succeed. It can be grown in most districts in New Zealand, as it is less sensitive to cold than either the tomato or the snap bean, but it is not much grown in gardens in far southern districts. Sweet corn is not specially sensitive to drought and usually bears earlier on light, sandy, or peat soils. Suckers often develop at the bases of plants during January and February and home gardeners sometimes remove them in an effort to encourage early development of the cobs and to increase their size, but usually the practice is more likely to result in loss than gain. Removal of large suckers results in loss of plant tissue which is capable of converting, plant nutrients into substances - which help to develop the cobs. It may also result in serious plant damage. ' Sweet corn is at its best for only a short time, especially with early varieties. Cobs should be harvested in the milk stage while they are plump, juicy, and firm and the silk is fairly dry. The cob can be tested by press, ing the thumb nail into one of the kernels. If a milky substance is forced out, the cob is suitable for harvesting; if a doughy substance comes out, the corn is usually considered over-ripe. . As corn passes from the milk stage to the dough stage its sugar content decreases and its starch content increases. After cobs are harvested

similar changes occur, the rate of change increasing as the temperature at which the cobs are stored increases. For those who appreciate corn at its best that is a good reason for growing, corn in the home garden rather than buying it. If corn is not to be used soon after harvesting, it is best cooled and held at as near freezing point as possible, as then loss of sugar content is greatly retarded.

Home gardeners used to grow corn on mounds or “hills”, but it is now generally agreed that there is little justification for the practice, as the raised soil surface about the corn tends to shed rain and makes watering difficult. Earthing up the stems of tall varieties is justified where winds are boisterous and the plants are not firmly established. It is a good plan, however, to grow corn in clumps, as corn is wind pollinated and pollen distribution is best where the plants stand in blocks.

Tomatoes Spraying, pruning, and tying of tomatoes should be continued as required. Where growth is. very strong and the fruit is setting and developing well yet ripening too slowly, partly because it is shaded by foliage, cutting back of the covering foliage up to the nearly mature fruit with a sharp, clean knife is sometimes desirable. Spraying is then easier and the likelihood of infection from some diseases is less because of improved air circulation and reduced humidity. In districts where potato blight, looper caterpillars, and stem-borer caterpillars are troublesome, plants should be sprayed with bordeaux or a suitable Government-certified substitute against potato blight and with DDT to control caterpillars.. Because of possible danger ; from residue of DDT spray on ripe fruit it should not be used later than a fortnight before harvesting. Derris can be used in place of it. Tall varieties of tomatoes which need pruning and such support as strings, wires, or stakes are widely grown outdoors in New Zealand, as well as under glass, though under more favourable conditions overseas

it has been shown in a number of trials that tomatoes yield heaviest if they are not pruned. Pruning is mainly carried out to obtain a comparatively heavy yield of fruit quickly where the season most favourable for growth . is limited. Under hotter and more consistently favourable climatic conditions of longer duration unpruned tomato plants, if given the space and if grown in good soil, can usually be relied on to produce heavier crops of betterquality fruit with less trouble from physiological diseases, such as blossom-end rot, than pruned plants. Under the conditions prevailing in most of New Zealand, however, pruning of the taller varieties is advisable to obtain the maximum yield in the season available. ■ Tall varieties are usually grown on the single-stem system (side shoots are removed as they develop). Under glass they are usually supported by strings suspended from overhead wires. Outdoor plants may be staked or supported against a wall or on wires between posts. The two-stem system is favoured in some districts. The first side shoot is allowed to develop, into a main stem

and thereafter all shoots are removed as they develop, or the plant is allowed to develop 3 leaves and the top leaf or shoot is cut off so that the two side shoots that are allowed to develop below in the axils of the leaves will be of approximately equal strength. Some experimental work has shown, that the root systems of plants with two stems are usually stronger than those of . plants grown on single stems. Plants to be trained with two stems must be set out further apart than those to be kept to a single stem. In France a modified system of pruning is sometimes used which it is claimed gives 10 days’ earlier ripening of the first truss than with the orthodox, single-stem method. Under this system the main shoot is nipped out one leaf beyond the first truss. The highest side shoot below the truss is allowed to develop, and when it develops a truss it in turn is nipped out one leaf beyond the truss. Subsequently, the next highest shoot below that truss is allowed to develop and is nipped out one leaf beyond its first truss, and the process repeated for each truss.