GARDENING NOTES FOR SEPTEMBER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1937, 6 September 1888, Page 3

GARDENING NOTES FOR SEPTEMBER

■ » VEGETABLE GARDEN.

September 1b perhaps the busiest month of the horticultural year, as the weather will be getting warm, and all work which has been delayed daring winter should be poshed on at once, or delayed for another season , As seed time and seed sowing Is now upon us, and m general operation, and believing as we do, that many of the failures attributed to seeds may be more justly attributed to BOrne drawbaok m the preparation of the ground, the mode of ■owing, ooverlng, etc., the following useful hints on the subjeot will be found not undeserving of perusal. Seeds to germinate require light, heat, air, and moisture. They should be sown when the ground is mellow and fine. The best of seeds often fail from Improper management if hen sown too early ; when the ground is wet they are apt to rot ; when aown too shallow m a dry time thsre may not be sufficient moisture to cause them to germinate, or they may be destroyed by dry hot weather after they have germinated, or insects may destroy the ehooti after they appear above ground. The first effect of air, heat, and moisture, Is to ohange the starchy matter of the seed into » sugary pulp, the proper fond of the embryo. If at this time the seed la withered by exposure to heat without sufficient ooverlng it will perish ; or if planted m freah dry soil and the above change m the nature of the seed takes place, but the earth is not pressed sufficiently upon it, the seed dries up, and the embryo perishes Others, again, are buried too deeply, and though the seed ■wells, yet sufficient warmth and air are not obtained to give It life The first thing to ba observed m sowing seeds Is a suitable preparation of the soil, 10 that the young roots may easily penetrate it ; it must be made more or lees fine for different seeds. The size of a seed li • nearly safe guide as to the depth at whioh it should be sown. Beans should be covered above two Inches, peas about one and a-half inches. Carrots, parßnipa, turnips, onions, raddlsb, lettuce, cabbage, oanlifldwer, brocooli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, mustard, cress, leeks, savoy, and salsafy may now be sown, and should not be covered more than half an inch. The seeds must be evenly covered m order to retain moisture sufficient to encourage vegetation, yet not so deeply burled as to deprive of air, or to have their ascending shoots Impeded by too much soil above. Seeds succeed best sown when the gronnd is first dug, that is the ground should be dug up rough during the winter months, so as to be exposed to the winter's frosts, then dug again before sowing the seeds that they may have the benefit, not only of the ground being pulverised but of the moisture retained thereby. But they should never be sown when the soil Is wet, as the ground will bake and the seed perish ; and never sow broadcast if it is desirable to save time, expense and trouble. When sown m drills or rows weeds can be more easily destroyed and the ground kept loose and open. Indeed, all kinds of vegetable seeds may be aown this month with a prospeot of success. See that the ground is thoroughly well prepared and well manured with well decomposed manure or bone dust. Bone dust is a great boon to the horticulturist, very easily applied and beneficial In its results, containing no noxious weeds, and therefore diminishing the Übpr whioh must be .performed if other manures arp used, as manures generally produce large quantities of weeds, more especially fresh manure, AH plots of ground intended for the production of vegetables should be manured early In the winter, but when this has been neglected at that time, no time should now be lost m preparing the ground, and no better manure can be used than bone dust for that purpose. Hardy annuals may now be sown with safety m theflower gardens, and bya jadidous selection of differentvarietlestbeflower garden may be kept gay during summer and autumn months for a very trifling expense. Suoh|as pansy, phlox Drummondl, lobelia, asters, petunia, portalaooa,godetle», btocks, zinnia elegans, golden pyratlum, sinum graadlflorum, single dahlia, should have a place Jn every garden, Mignonette, sweet pea, syee£ sultan, nastertlum, tall and dwarf oonvolroluß, major and minor, and many other j favorite annual and perennial flowers. There should not now be an hour's delay m planting out fruit trees where not attended to before, for if this month is allowed to pass without the planting being attended to, the matter mnst be deferred foe another season, but such as apples, plums, paars and charrles, may be planted this month better than to defer planting until another season.