The Home Garden in November

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 99, Issue 4, 15 October 1959, Page 347

The Home Garden in November

By

A. G. KENNELLY,

Horticultural Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin

HALF-HARDY and fender crops should be sown or planted as soon as the ground is in suitable condition and frost danger is past, but overenthusiasm should not lead to planting up the garden fully now with half-hardy and hardy crops for summer and autumn so that there is no room for provision of winter supplies. Continuity of supply is very important in the home garden. Succession al sowings of carrots can be continued or the main crop can be put in. The soil should be in good condition and should contain sufficient moisture, as dryness checks growth and young plants so affected succumb quickly to aphid attack. Later sowings of intermediate or stumprooted kinds usually result in the production of good-quality roots in late autumn, whereas roots from earlier sowings have by that time usually become large . and may be rather coarse. A close. watch should be kept for aphids.. Carrot aphids are small, globular, and green or yellowish green and may be wingless . or have four transparent wings. They suck the sap

and stunt growth so that young plants may wilt in hot weather. The foliage may change to a bronze, bluish, or reddish hue and become distorted. The tiny white specks present are the cast skins of the aphids. Aphids can be controlled by spraying with nicotine sulphate or lindane. The carrot rust fly is also troublesome in some districts in late

November and December. The adult fly is. about i in. long. It has a yellowish head, yellow legs, one pair of wings, and lays its eggs near the crown of the carrot. The larvae or maggots are slender, creamy white, rather rigid, legless, and up to -j in. long; they are broad at one end and taper off to a slender head. After hatching the larvae burrow down and attack the taproot, leaving rusty brown tunnels which at first are only near the surface of the carrot. Young carrots may wilt or die. Control consists mainly of treating the seed with lindane or dieldrin and, if necessary, regular spraying with either of these substances. Spraying any nearby hedges with DDT to kill the flies is of some value. Celery Where conditions are warm enough celery can be set out during November in beds or trenches in soil that has been heavily manured. Beds for selfblanching celery are usually made four to six rows wide with the plants 10 to 12 in. apart each way. In trenches a double row (9 to 12 in. between the two rows) with 9 to 12 in. between the plants is satisfactory. The trench can be up to 12 in. deep. Double rows can be blanched by drawing the soil high against the ribs (care being taken not to allow any

to get into the centres of the plants) or by wrapping individual plants with stout paper, Beds-containing multiple rows are best blanched by placing lengths of 12 in. x 1 in. timber along, the outside edges of the bed. Blanching should not begin until the plants are about three weeks from maturity, as otherwise their development will be arrested.

Poultry or farmyard manure is a very suitable manure for celery, but where this is unobtainable or in short supply a mixture of 4 parts of blood and bone, 2 parts of superphosphate, and 1 part of potash by weight can be broadcast over the area at i lb to a square yard and worked into the soil after digging.

Celery should be kept weed free. Where conditions are humid enough for leaf spot to be troublesome celery should be sprayed with zineb, captan, or copper oxychloride at 10- to 14-day intervals. If aphids are present, lindane or nicotine sulphate (1 fl. oz. to 5 gallons of water) should be applied. Celery should not be planted in a part of the garden recently occupied by a carrot crop which has been affected by the carrot rust fly, as the pest is also liable to attack celery.

Celeriac

Celeriac or turnip-rooted celery is a good substitute for celery. The roots, which have a characteristic celery flavour, are mainly used. They may be boiled, used in stews, or sliced and eaten raw as a - substitute for celery in salads. Leaf stalks can be used when they -have developed well.

Celeriac will usually have to be grown from seed, as it is not as well known as celery and few seedsmen sell plants. There is still time to raise plants from seed. Because it is very hardy, does not require to be blanched, and succeeds on a wide range of rich, moist, and well drained soils, celeriac deserves to be more extensively grown by home gardeners who like the flavour of celery.

Seed is usually sown J to | in. deep in rows 15 in. apart when the ground has warmed in spring (late September to early November). Plants can be thinned to or set out 6 to 8 in. apart in rows 18 in. apart, but they should not be set out deeply and should be liberally watered in dry weather. In very dry situations plants should be set out in shallow trenches to facilitate watering.

The soil should be rich so that plants make vigorous, continuous growth. During cultivation side shoots should be removed and the soil dragged away from the bulbous roots,..which should be kept trimmed of all suckers, as they tend to cause unshapely development.

In districts which h experience repeated severe frosts the . roots can be lightly earthed up in autumn, for protection, but lifting and .storing are

unnecessary except in heavy, poorly drained soil in exposed situations.

Varieties include Celeriac and Giant Smooth Prague.

Cucumbers, Pumpkins, Squash, Marrows, and Melons

The culture and soil requirements of cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, marrows, and melons are similar, though melons need warmer conditions than the others. None of these plants should be sown in the open to be above ground before frost danger is past. Moreover, the ground must have warmed sufficiently and not be too wet or the seed is liable to rot. The plants thrive in a wide range of soils from sandy to moderately heavy provided there is an assured supply of moisture (preferably held in the soil) and plenty of organic matter.

Well drained, light, warm, aerated soils are best for early crops, but for main crops heavier soils usually give

a higher yield over a longer period. Organic matter can be increased by digging in a green crop, but better results are obtained, particularly in colder districts, if 1 cu. ft. of soil is removed at intervals of 2 to 3 ft and

the holes, except for the top 3 or 4 in, are filled with partly rotted, fermenting stable manure and then filled up with soil.

Seed can be sown in the soil placed on top or, preferably, at the edge of the manure. Rows of plants should be at least 4 ft apart. This. is known as the hill system of sowing. The ground should if possible be level after sowing to facilitate any necessary watering.

Apart from watering and weed control established plants should need very little attention. With trailing varieties it may be necessary to pinch but the ends of leaders when they are about 18 in. long to encourage the development of laterals. Plants can be trained by pegging the runners with sticks.

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 thumbnail; 10 to 12 in. is a good size. As marrows increase in size their flavour usually is reduced and the seeds increase in size. In favourable seasons, too, early cutting of the fruit induces more to develop. It is therefore inadvisable to allow fruit to reach full maturity unless very large specimens are wanted or fruit is to be stored for winter.

Butternut Squash

A small, -pear-shaped bush variety of squash called Butternut is becoming more widely known. It has been grown in the U.S.A, for many years and is now produced commercially in some areas of New Zealand. The fruits, which are up to 1 ft long, have a sweet flavour and the necks are solid

flesh. The small seed cavities are in the lower, bowl-shaped ends. The variety keeps quite well if stored under good conditions.

Lettuces

Lettuces cannot be grown successfully in dry conditions. If the soil is aerated, well drained and cultivated, and rich in humus, the crop responds well to watering, provided the soil does not set hard afterward. Crisp, sweet, and tender heads can be produced only by quick growth, which may usually be induced in poorly manured soil by organic liquid manure or by liquid manure made from nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia at 1 to 2 oz to 4 gallons of water.

In the hotter or drier districts at this time of year it is preferable to sow the seeds thinly (| in. deep in rows 12 in. apart)' and later to thin the plants to 9 in. apart in the rows rather than to transplant them. The rows should be watered after thinning to settle the soil back round the plants that are left, as otherwise they may receive a check which may later result in premature seed development.

Varieties are available to suit various climatic conditions in New Zealand. In the warmer districts varieties such as Great Lakes, Imperial 847, or New York 515 (Webbs Wonderful) are especially suitable.

Onions

Weed control is particularly important in the production of onions. Weeds not only use available plant

food and so cause a reduction in the crop, but when conditions are damp they tend to create an environment unfavourable to the ripening of the bulbs. Diseases such as mildew and to some extent neck rot are also liable to be more troublesome. A good . growth of weeds also provides a congenial environment for many insect pests. Weeds between the rows can readily be destroyed in hot weather with a sharp hoe. Between the plants weeds must be pulled by hand or they can. be removed with a bent knife blade or piece of flat steel sharpened as a knife and bent as illustrated at left. Ol

If the crop is attacked by pests such as thrips, plants should be sprayed with DDT, lindane, or malathion. Where mildew is present the onions should be sprayed with copper oxychloride or zineb.

Sweet Corn

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.

Seed should be sown 1 to 2 in. deep. If planted in rows, plants should be 12 in. apart and the rows 36 in. apart; clumps should be 36 in. apart. Though it is usually advisable to sow about seven or eight seeds at each clump to allow for failures, only four or five of the strongest plants should be left after they reach a height of about 2 in. The number of seeds per ounce varies from about 100 to 230 according to variety.

Sweet corn matures in about 70 to 100 days and seed can be sown successionally.

Sweet corn is not specially sensitive to drought and usually bears earlier on light, sandy, or peaty soils.

Suckers often develop at the base of the plant during autumn and home gardeners sometimes remove them in an effort to increase the size and encourage early development of the cobs. However, usually the practice is more likely to result in loss than gain, as the removal of large suckers results in loss of plant tissue which is capable of converting plant nutrients into substances which go to the development of the cobs. It may also result in serious plant damage.

Kumaras

Kumaras are usually propagated by rooted shoots or slips which can be purchased from seedsmen, usually from about mid October onward in areas suited to the culture of the plant.

The soil for kumaras should be of a type that warms readily, and light or sandy loams are usually preferred. Organic manure applied to a previous crop gives most satisfactory results and in most soils it should be supplemented with a dressing of bone meal or superphosphate, as trials indicate that kumaras need a good deal of phosphate, though the need for potash seems to depend more on soil type. Very little nitrogen is usually required and an excess promotes top growth at the expense of tubers. As roots are very sensitive, fertiliser should be well worked along the rows a week or two before planting. .

Planting can be done on the flat, but where there is no danger of soil dry-

ing out plants are usually set out on broad, low ridges, which warm quickly and facilitate digging. Care should be taken that the rooted shoots do not dry out between lifting and planting. If necessary, they should be puddled in thick, muddy water. In the home garden slips should be set out 16 in. apart on the flattened tops of low ridges 24 in. apart. Plants, which should be set about the same depth as they grew in the propagating bed, should be watered if conditions are dry. Apart from weed control and the repair of broken ridges, cultivation is unnecessary, though vines are usually lifted occasionally to prevent their rooting, as such rooting appears to favour leaf rather than tuber development. Tomatoes In most districts tomato plants have now been set out. The young plants should be watered moderately until they are well established and they

should be watched for infestation with insect pests or infection with disease. Lindane spray controls aphids and caterpillars. DDT controls most active insects such as caterpillars and is longer lasting than lindane. Side shoots are best removed while they are small, but to reduce the likelihood of transmitting virus disease on the fingers, side shoots should be grasped between the thumb and forefinger and bent so that they snap cleanly without leaving stubs in the joints of the leaf branches. Fingers should not touch any other part of the plant except side shoots before their removal. Plants with malformation or mottling of the leaves should be destroyed, as they may be infected with virus. Where late blight is liable to be troublesome plants can be sprayed with a copper spray or with zineb. The latter is also effective in control' ling the disease leaf mould.