THE HOME GARDEN by R. G. Falconer

USE THE HOE FREQUENTLY — IT IS THE BEST INSURANCE FOR SUCCESSFUL GARDENING Keep the hoe constantly at work during this time of the year, to eradicate weeds and to form a dust mulch to conserve available moisture and sustain the full development of the garden crops. Complete plantings of main crop potatoes. Earth up and spray those previously planted. Sow carrots and beet. Make successive sowings of peas, french and butter beans. Continue planting tomatoes, kumara, and sweet corn. Always purchase the best seeds, as the work involved is just as great with poor seeds of questionable germination and fruitfulness. Spraying is a most important operation during the present period, and must be caried out frequently to ensure a good clean crop free of disease. In light soils, seeds may safely be sown at a greater depth than in heavy soils. With due regard to soil conditions, the following will serve as a useful guide: Beetroot ½-inch, Carrots ¼-inch, Parsnips ½-inch, Beans, 1 ¼-inch, celery ¼-inch, Onion ½-inch, Peas 1 ½-inch. Pumpkin plants which are making free growth should have the tips pinched out to encourage laterals to form, as the fruit is mainly developed on the laterals of the pumpkin, cucumber and melon vines. In flower gardens, complete sowing and planting of tender annuals before the dry weather sets in. Bedding plants should now all be planted, using a little water to get them well established. Continue to plant dahlias, stake and tie those previously planted. This is the time to sow portulaca. The double varieties are the most popular, being suitable for rock-work or massing in beds. All hedges should be trimmed and treated, as they only make moderate growth during the summer and should keep trim until the autumn.

THE HOME ORCHARD At this time of the year the main work is in spraying and thinning. It is essential to thin fruit as the crop set is often very heavy and overcrowded. Do not be afraid to thin the heavy trees, allowing at least two inches between fruit. The result of neglecting this operation is a heavy crop of small fruit of poor quality, and a tendency towards what is generally termed ‘alternate bearing’, That means that a heavy crop is experienced one season and the following year the tree rests, producing little if any fruit. Heavy thinning produces a more consistent crop.

FERTILIZER The fertilizers which are needed by the orchard or home garden are potash, phosphate, and nitrogen. With the exception of the pea or bean family, plants cannot utilize what is known as the ‘free nitrogen’ obtained by the plants from the atmosphere, and this must be supplied in the form of blood-and-bone or dried blood, which is termed organic fertilizer. Sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda are inorganic, or artificial. Nitrogenous manures are very valuable for vegetable crops, especially green vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, cauliflower, beet, or spinach.

PHOSPHATES These are very important as a plant food, and should always be present in the soil in combination with other elements. They help in the production of flowers and fruit. Phosphates are usually applied in the form of bonedust, superphosphate, basic clay, or guano.

POTASH Potash is a valuable plant food. It helps in the formation of young growth and greatly assists in early maturing. It is also essential to fruit trees, entering largely into the development of flowers and fruit, and it checks the effects of nitrogen which may sometimes cause too much leaf growth.